.338-06 Weatherby

Big Willie · 02-18-2003, 01:05 PM

Does anybody have any experience and/or advice? I won a beautiful Mark V sst/syn (with fluted barrel) at the RMEF banquet in Salem over the weekend...can you believe it??? It should be a great elk (or larger) gun out to 200 yards or so. It's a .30-06 case with a .338 bullet, and in typical Weatherby fashion they made it kinda hot...well warm anyway. I think RCBS is coming out with dies and Norma should have brass available along with a 210 grain Nosler partition bullet. I can't wait to shoot this thing!
Gary

SeanD · 02-18-2003, 01:39 PM

Nice!

Should be a great all around rifle for you. If you are capable of shooting past 200 yards, so is your rifle! I just bought a 35 whelen (35/06), which is pretty simalar. I will sight in for 200 yards with 250's, and should have about 10 inches of drop at 300. Which is only about 2" less drop at that range than a 338 win mag. Not much difference, and beyond that you have to account for holdover anyway.

Winning a rifle is always fun. I havent won one yet, but dad has won 6 guns at OHA banquets. The one that really got me was when he won a new winchester classic 300 win mag, and then a half hour later he won a new leupold scope to go on it! some guys just have all the luck! congrats!

Firedog · 02-18-2003, 02:37 PM

Sounds like an excellent round for elk. You might as over at the accurate arms page about it or do a search. A lot of gun knowledege on that page. The link is at the bottom of my posts.

Flatfish · 02-18-2003, 02:43 PM

Your nifty new rifle is about 100 yards behind a 338 win mag. That is a pretty good place to be, as I see it. Unless you plan on a lot of long range shooting the 225 grain loads hit plenty hard and omly give up a tad in trajectory.

Congrats on the new toy.

Mark and the dog.

BlindSquirrel · 02-18-2003, 05:18 PM

Awesome! Congrats on the great win. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

I too won a rifle a few years ago -- but at a OHA banquet. It was cool -- although the "free" rifle cost me over $350 to put a Leupold Vari-x III on it -- as my spouse liked to point out.

Should be a shoulder (and elk) thumping gun -- good luck.

Blind Squirrel

02-18-2003, 05:47 PM

I shoot a 338-06 Ackley for elk GREAT ROUND! Drops bear good too.

Blind,
Recoil isn't bad at all. I used 250gr for years. Now that I'm in Oregon and don't have to worry about 500-1200 pound varments eating me I use 225gr bullets.

[ 02-18-2003, 10:04 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

nerta · 02-18-2003, 08:23 PM

:grin: You just got one of the best elk calibers around. I load for a friend who has one, he likes 225gr projectiles. RCBS already has the dies needed for your rifle. Good shooting and good luck.

Big Willie · 02-19-2003, 06:28 AM

Thanks for all the replies! I do think I've got a great elk gun here...but the funny thing is that I'm a bowhunter! Oh well, it looks like I COULD put my bow down for a season! :grin:

I did a little research and it is very close to the 35 Whelan, as Sean said, and a little behind the .338 Win as Mark said. It looks like I will have to order the ammo for a while.

Keta...are you talking about an Ackley 'improved'? I would assume it's a little faster?
Nerta...what kind of powders do you like?

Anyway, I'm really excited about the gun and have done some scope shopping. Being a Vari-X III fan, I'll probably stick with one of those. I was thinking of a 2.5-8? I just don't think anything more than 8 or 9 power would be needed?

Mark...I did talk to Garrick about the eyebrows and he peeled one off and beat me with it! :grin:
Gary

Flatfish · 02-19-2003, 07:16 AM

If you lived thru that, you must be one tough dude! Tell big G that I am cleaning up on steelies this year, but the salmon curse still follows me everywhere.

Mark and the dog.

02-19-2003, 07:31 AM

BW,
Yes it is an Ackley Imp. It isn't worth changing from the standard for what little you would gain. The shoulder on the standard feeds well and you don't have to mess with the rails. I won't use IMR4320, for some reason I had big pressure spikes with it. IMR4350 works for me but I use it because I had over 50# of it. I also prefer the 225 gr bullets. Mine has a 1.75X6 Vari X III

[ 02-19-2003, 08:34 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

SeanD · 02-19-2003, 12:03 PM

keta,

how do you like the 1.75-6? I found a used one for $300 and I think it would be a great scope for my new whelen. Im also considering a new vx2 2-7 for $250, with the new lens coatings i would think it should be nearly as bright as the varix3? Or a straight 4x. I just cant decide.

I think i might leave the irons on my rifle, and can you see them on the lower settings on your scope? I have heard that it is distracting, and some dont like the lower power because of it? Also, how do you like the range estimating feature of the varix3, do you find it helpful? So many choices, so little money....

02-19-2003, 01:47 PM

I like it but with my eyes getting weaker the 3.5X10 works better. Never use the range option.

[ 02-19-2003, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

Big Willie · 02-20-2003, 06:29 AM

I put a 3.5-10 Vari-X III on my .25-06 and love it. I don't know what the big deal is with those 50mm objectives. That 3.5-10 with only a 40mm picks up lots of light and is very bright and clear at dawn and dusk. I think I'll put a 2.5-8 on the .338, I've got an 'in' over at Leupold, very lucky.
Now I just happen to be at GI Joes the other day and was looking at scopes. Leupold makes a Vari-X I, II and III? I looked through all and the I and the II are still a great scope but they still do something a little extra for the III. I think the II along with the III now has the better Multi-coat optics. You just can't go wrong with any Leupold scope.
Gary

SeanD · 02-20-2003, 09:37 AM

Yeah what they did with the scope is they gave the old varix2 a little extra, they put click adjustments on it and the two outside lenses have the same coatings as the varix3, but the varix3 has the coatings on all the internal lenses too. The varix2 and 3 are unchanged, they just renamed the varix2 a vx1.

nerta · 02-21-2003, 04:25 PM

:shocked: Winchester 760 Ball Powder. And a fixed power scope leopuld 4x ! I,ve never been able to move that darn power setting knob when the
elk were running thru the poles. I would put the best peep sight I could find on it, and show the scopes how to hit the target in half the time. Just a thought. P.S. I think therefore I don't listen to keta, after all these years. :grin:

blacktail · 02-21-2003, 07:58 PM

210 grain Nosler partitions are the perfect bullet for this caliber if you were wondering

Mike :smile: