.338-06
Encyclopedia
The .338-06 is a wildcat cartridge
based on the .30-06. It allows heavier .338 caliber bullets to be used from the .30-06 non-belted case. This is a better choice for heavy bodied game such as moose, elk, and brown bear than the .30-06. 338 caliber bullets became more widely available after the introduction in the late 1950s of the .338 Winchester Magnum
cartridge, frequently chambered in the Winchester Model 70
rifle. The .338-06 maintains much of the benefits of the .338 Magnum cartridge but has substantially less recoil
, makes more efficient use of powder
, and allows use of widely available .30-06 commercial and military cases. It is similar in concept to the .333 OKH as well as the .35 Whelen
, which also use the .30-06 brass
case as a basis for the cartridge. Thanks to the large number of rifles based on the .30-06 family of cartridges, having a .338-06 made usually only requires a simple barrel change by a competent gun smith. A-Square adopted the caliber as the .338-06 A-Square in approximately 1998, and was approved by SAAMI as a standardized caliber. Weatherby offered factory rifles and ammunition, but has now dropped the rifles from its inventory. The 338-06 A-Square has a slight advantage in velocity, and uses bullets that retain velocity and wind resistance better than bullets of the same grain weight in the .35 Whelen.
Rifles cambered in .338-06 are often shorter and lighter than comparable magnum chambered rifles. This makes .338-06 chambered rifles more desirable for mountain hunting or where excessive weight is an issue. While the .338-06 performs well from a 24" barrel most magnum rifle cartridges, such as the .340 Weatherby, require a longer 26" barrel to reach their full potential.
Wildcat cartridge
A wildcat cartridge, or wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and firearms are not mass produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge.Developing and using wildcat cartridges does not...
based on the .30-06. It allows heavier .338 caliber bullets to be used from the .30-06 non-belted case. This is a better choice for heavy bodied game such as moose, elk, and brown bear than the .30-06. 338 caliber bullets became more widely available after the introduction in the late 1950s of the .338 Winchester Magnum
.338 Winchester Magnum
The .338 Winchester Magnum is a .33 caliber belted rimless bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company|Winchester. It is based on the blown out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .33 is the caliber at which medium bore cartridges are considered to begin...
cartridge, frequently chambered in the Winchester Model 70
Winchester Model 70
The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt action sporting rifle. It has an iconic place in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since it was introduced in 1936, earning the moniker "The Rifleman's Rifle". The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is...
rifle. The .338-06 maintains much of the benefits of the .338 Magnum cartridge but has substantially less recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
, makes more efficient use of powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
, and allows use of widely available .30-06 commercial and military cases. It is similar in concept to the .333 OKH as well as the .35 Whelen
.35 Whelen
The .35 Whelen is a powerful medium-bore rifle cartridge that does not require a magnum action or a magnum bolt-face. The parent of this cartridge is the .30-06 Springfield, which is necked-up to accept a bullet diameter of...
, which also use the .30-06 brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
case as a basis for the cartridge. Thanks to the large number of rifles based on the .30-06 family of cartridges, having a .338-06 made usually only requires a simple barrel change by a competent gun smith. A-Square adopted the caliber as the .338-06 A-Square in approximately 1998, and was approved by SAAMI as a standardized caliber. Weatherby offered factory rifles and ammunition, but has now dropped the rifles from its inventory. The 338-06 A-Square has a slight advantage in velocity, and uses bullets that retain velocity and wind resistance better than bullets of the same grain weight in the .35 Whelen.
Practical Use
The .338-06 is a very versatile big game hunting cartridge. Loaded with light weight bullets, such as the 180gr. Nosler Accubond, it is adequate for smaller big game species like deer or pronghorn at medium to long range. When loaded with medium weight .338 bullets from 200gr. to 225 gr. the .338-06 really comes into its own as an outstanding big game cartridge. Loaded with a 210gr. Nosler Partition the .338-06 is among the best elk cartridges ever developed. Heavier premium bullets like the 225gr. Nosler Partition or even the 250gr. Partition allow the .338-06 to handle the largest game found in North America like moose and brown bear. Because of its versatility many knowledgeable riflemen choose the .338-06 as their main rifle cartridge for all of their big game hunting.Rifles cambered in .338-06 are often shorter and lighter than comparable magnum chambered rifles. This makes .338-06 chambered rifles more desirable for mountain hunting or where excessive weight is an issue. While the .338-06 performs well from a 24" barrel most magnum rifle cartridges, such as the .340 Weatherby, require a longer 26" barrel to reach their full potential.
See also
- List of rifle cartridges
- 8 mm caliber8 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the empty cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the loaded cartridge.All measurements are in mm .-Pistol cartridges:...
Other cartridges in the same diameter range. - .30-06 descendants.30-06 Springfield Wildcat CartridgesWildcat cartridges are firearms cartridges whose dimensions have been modified. Usually these modifications are with an eye toward improved performance, either measurable or not. This article deals with wildcat cartridges which result from a simple necking down or up of the original .30-06...