338 shooters??

[Fernando]

For those making 338 brass necking up or down.
What are you losing or gaining in thickness?
Thinking on a 338/06
Measurements if you have them please.
Parent case 25-06,270,280,06, Whelen
Starting neck thickness/formed thickness
Case length after initial size and after fireform.
Any other measurements you might have noted.
Notes from 338/08 would help if that was your project.
Thanks much

[pmer]

Fernando, I have been enjoying the 338-06 since 1997. My rifle is built on a mauser and has a 24'' medium weight barrel, it has a Buehler style safety, Timney trigger and a Fajen stock.

I only used 30-06 brass and 35 Whelen brass to form cases. A fired case neck from my rifle measures .369 and loaded cases measure .361. The case necks from either the 06 or Whelen brass are .012-.013 with some reaching .014. And that is from after forming. For me it seems easier to neck down the Whelen brass and I saw no significant difference in groups from either brass.

I love this cartridge but haven't done any load development since 2004 because I found I can't beat a case full of 4064 and a Hornaday 200 grain Spire Point. Its getting 7-9 standard deviation at just over 2800 FPS and flirts with 1/2 MOA all the time.

[Fernando]

Thanks - I'm putting together a shoulder buster.
Peep sight northern deer 125yd rifle with peeps and old eyes.
I wanna just hold on the shoulder and bust em.
These are northern corn fed deer not southern deer that 140gr will zip through.
Done with glass and want to hunt my remainder in my plaid red wool and peeps.
Cast heavies 225-250 range 1800+/-fps
.338/06 03A3 will be the weapon of choice.
That and my 54 flinter Beck will see me to the end.
I'm all done chasing new **** I'll let the kids play with the creedmore and whatever
else the gun rags try to sell just to make a buck.
I'm thinken 1-14" and good to go.
Already planing a mould for Tom at accurate to turn out in brass 2 cav GC of course.

[9.3X62AL]

Fernando--

I like your outlook on hunting--much respect. I would select a design for the 225-250 grain bullet that you propose to use, and run it through the online Greenhill Formula twist rate calculator. You can input bullet length, caliber, velocity, and material (cast lead or jacketed lead), and see ahead of time if your proposed twist rate can support that bullet at the intended velocity. The Greenhill "default constant" (150) kind of assumes 1800 FPS, a variable that can change as start velocities are raised or lowered.

[dh2]

I have been doing .338-06 since 2002 with very good results, I have not measured neck thickness I have formed some from 30-06 cases and get cracks in the cases after only a few firings, But I have a box that is formed from new R-P 35 Whelen brass been shooting it for 10 years and still going good.

[Fernando]

Thanks for the greenhill tip.
Looks like 14 shows a tad fast for optimum but figure it will be best for my
application - a little faster always seemed to work better in colder temps
at least in 22 BR rifles ie.... 16 vs 17.
I see most 34 bores are factory 10 and 12.
But I have time to ponder this build 14,15 & 16 Hmmmmm?

[Chill Wills]

The 338-06 was my first wildcat love and built a elk rifle in 1979 on a Mark X action. I used a 12 twist and first shot the RCBS bullet made for the 33 Winchester. It cast 215grains and was fine for mule deer but for elk I thought I needed a 250grain and had a Hoch nose pour mold made. That was a good choice and it worked well.

I have no idea if a 14 twist 338 would be better for cast and your needs but you can always try it. It may in fact work best with cast bullets under 250 grain for the distances you describe.

I always just used the plentiful 30-06 brass to form 338's but later found out with a bunch of Win 270 range finds that they make up into great 338-06 brass. Just neck up in stages and trim to correct length. I learned this making brass for my 35 Whelen necking them up to 338 along the way.

Good luck with your rifle.

[pmer]

Fernando
Are you going to have the O3-A3 rebored? Just wondering because I have a Bubba'd Remington O3-A3 that I often pondered what to do with. It still shoots okay but the bore is pretty far gone. It has a Williams rear sight and the stock was chopped off ahead of the front swivel. The stock on mine has that short stub for a grip, not the prettiest thing to look at but it points and shoulders like a dream.

I'd go with a slower twist as well especially if you ever wanted to step up the velocity shooting cast. My 1-16 twist .32 Win. Special can go over 2200 fps with hunting alloys and without any special tricks.

[Fernando]

Yes - It just came in yesterday and I have not had a chance to look at the bore yet.
This one is a sporterized one to go with my greek return.
This one was done by an upscale bubba - the action looks fresh and the stock is some
nice straight grain walnut white line spacers and everything also sporting a williams.
Unless the bore is as nice or nicer than my 2 groove it will be the canidate.
If by some stroke of bad luck the bore is pristine I will wring it out with the
usual suspects 299,284 and a new old 290 that I'm guessin has never seen lead.
If it shoots I will either find another or go with a rem 721 which was my second choice.
Kind feel weird as I've never wished for a bore to be bad before.
I have to hurry on this a little because I've started doubting and thinkin whelen but
I have lusted after the 338 since I was young and reading elmers stuff.
14" 338 or 16" whelen unless JES recommends something else.

[Wayne R. Scott]

Elmer made me do it. I had JES bore out a Ruger No.1V in .22/250 to .338-06. I can't remember if it is 14" or 15" on the twist. I mostly just use .30/06 donor brass.

[Hardcast416taylor]

My 338/06 is a 1917 Remington Enfield that I did a good amount of grinding on. I put a Shaw barrel on and a Fajen stock. I straighten the floor plate and put a Timney trigger on. I prefer using Winchester `06 brass as R-P and Fed brass have given me a few headaches on life expectency. I used the LEE mold for years with no problems, I have since gotten several custom weight molds.Robert

[Fernando]

Well I have it down in the dungeon and put about 90 min. worth of scrubbing on the bore.
It's a 2 groove and shinny but the rifling is weak - still have bright blue patches coming out.
I'll get the rest out the next few days and go fling a couple rounds then tell the wife it don't shoot.
Trigger is nice and breaks at just under 4lbs with no take up like my other 03 - I can live with it.
Already pulled the williams a sprung for an old redfeild 70 target sight - should fit holes are .625.
Now all that's left is deciding between 338 and 35 - I give jes a call and set everything up probably
after x-mas.
Boolit suggestions anyone?
I'm leaning on having Tom cut me a 225R and 247L

[Fernando]

Just a few more calculations to go.
Does anyone have a .338 210gr partition they could give me the length of?
This would be the only jacketed I would use and only if the right hunt came up.
It would be a bonus if it was short enough but will still go with whats best for cast.
I think the 14" will work according to all the calculations I've run in those apps.

[Wayne R. Scott]

The Nosler .338 210 grain that I have on hand measure 1.2030". Merry Christmas.

[Fernando]

Thank you - this is all coming together.
Went ahead and loaded up 100rds of 311299's laddered up from 18-20gr wc820 which has been a nice shooter in my other 06's
If it won't go under 1" @ 50 in the test it will be the victim - if for some reason the bore shoots good I will keep this one an 06.
I finally got it clean - Have never had a bore so clogged with copper - looked like someone had melted a penny about 3" in from the muzzle.
Can't say enough about KG12 - plugged the bore and soaked it for 24hrs and the rest patched right out - after hrs of labor should've tried it
first but now even sweets says no copper left.
If the weak rifling which is shinny just weak shoots I will jump on the first 721 or claw 70 I can find for a reasonable price and won't
even test it just send it to JES for the deed.
I'm still reading and searching everything I can find so don't hesitate to add anything

[376Steyr]

A word of warning about old 721's, check to see if the extractor works before you dump too much money into it. 721 replacement extractors aren't available, and it takes a fair amount of money to remedy the situation if you get a bad one. Ask me how I know.

[Fernando]

Thanks for the heads up - How did you fix it - have a Sako style installed
I know some 700's have been converted.

[376Steyr]

Thanks for the heads up - How did you fix it - have a Sako style installed
I know some 700's have been converted.

Yep. Local smith (no longer in business) did it for me. It cost about $125 in today's money and took him forever. When it was done cases extracted great, but would hit the one-piece scope base while ejecting and bounce back into the action. A two-piece base fixed that. It was one of those project guns that turn into a money pit.
Also, installing a Sako extractor defeats the "Three-rings-of-steel" of the original breaching system. If you have a catastrophic case failure, that extractor has a clear pathway back towards you.

[Fernando]

Well no worries now scored another goodly done Bubba 1903.
This way when I see which one is the dog it will get new life.
I'm really liking these nicer bubba 03's especially when they come with
Redfield 70's or Lyman 48's - This one has a 48 target rear
I think Potterfield is on to something - How many 03's are enough?
Maybe just one more???

[C-dubb]

I always wanted to convert a 1895 Winchester (New one, not an antique) into a .338-06. I don't see why it wouldn't work and that would be a cool gun.