This years hunting rifle...

D

Dennis Sorensen

Guest
I built a 338-06 on a trued 700 in a Remington laminated stock.
Last year it was my 7mm-08... so all I had to do was change barrels.
It's my beater rifle with a Kwik-Klip.

338%2006%208.25%20pounds.jpg


After firing a few rounds and working a load up I settled on this load.
338%2006%20TARGET.jpg


Over the next few weeks I shot some more and eventually adjusted the point of impact to be shooting 2 inches high at 100 yards.
It shot about and inch that day and I left the barrel fouled and covered the muzzle with tape. The last sighting in was two weeks ago.
I like to go back and shoot one shot just before a hunting trip to simulate what would happen if I was shooting at game.
The hunting trip is in a few days and I went to the range this morning, fired only one shot...
I am tickled pink and happy as could be... the tape is back on the muzzle and I am ready to hunt.

The last target
338%2006%20SIGHTED%20IN.jpg
 
Dennis,

That is an interesting caliber. Is the recoil much more than the 30/06? In your opinion does it hold a great deal of advantage over the original 30/06?

It seems to me to be a practical rifle for larger game. Yours sure does shoot well.

Concho Bill
 
Bill Wynne said:
Dennis,

That is an interesting caliber. Is the recoil much more than the 30/06? In your opinion does it hold a great deal of advantage over the original 30/06?

It seems to me to be a practical rifle for larger game. Yours sure does shoot well.

Concho Bill
Click to expand...

It is almost .338 Win Mag performance with a lot less powder and less kick due to less powder I guess... and it pushes a 225 grain boat tail faster than an 06 pushes 200 grain. They work well with the 210 grain Nosler Partition too... I have made a few of these and everyone really likes them and they all have shot well. For some reason they perform better than the 35 Whelen... it must be the bore/case/powder relationship.

It still does belt you a bit but I find that with an 06 anyway...
 
That second target, when properly oriented, looks like it shoots pretty far out to the left. But the elevation is right on ... ;)
 
OldPPC said:
That second target, when properly oriented, looks like it shoots pretty far out to the left. But the elevation is right on ... ;)
Click to expand...

Left?... I thought it was to the right...:D
 
I think we have stumbled upon a great ammo saving procedure. Shoot on the target, then rotate to desired strike configuration. Presto! Rifle is sighted in.
 
Dennis,

Have you had any experience with the 338/308 or the 338 Federal?

It would have a little less recoil and it would fit a short action.

Would you be giving up too much?

Concho Bill
 
Why Such A Large Group?

Target number 1 shows a pretty big group for a hunting rifle. Target number 2 shows what a 5-shot group should look like when you're after deer or elk. At least that's what the young guys at Wal Mart tell me.

Next year, start with a Pre-64 Model 70 action and all your groups will look like target number 2.
 
Bill Wynne said:
Dennis,

Have you had any experience with the 338/308 or the 338 Federal?

It would have a little less recoil and it would fit a short action.

Would you be giving up too much?

Concho Bill
Click to expand...

I have no experience with the "little" one Bill.

I am back from hunting. I didn't shoot a moose but I spotted the one my buddy shot... one is enough for us split 3 ways...

We just got back from a 9 day trip...

We had a great hunt. Cold, a little snow right away then it cleared off but stayed cold... which is good to get the moose moving around. We did not have a draw so we could not hunt our favorite spots and we could only shoot an immature bull... one with no more than a fork on at least one side.

One late afternoon two of us walked into a small remote slash and Gary was making the cow call trying to get a response from a bull. The first thing we heard when he called were several wolves that were spread out in the timber below us… hard to say how far away, it could have been 500 or a 1000 yards. They yapped and short howls and communicated with themselves and then shut up… a few minutes later Gary called again… immediately the wolves started making noises again but they were closer together with one wolf sounding like it was out to the right of the pack a ways. Then quiet again. In about 5 minutes Gary called again. Right away the pack responded with more “barking” and short noises ending with a sharp response from the wolf out to the right… and then silence. In a few minutes Gary called again… and there was complete silence. No response from the wolves at all. Gary and I looked at each other and Gary said, “They are coming”. It was an eerie feeling to think a pack of wolves was headed right to where you were. We stood side by side behind an old log pile about 4 feet tall, with the old logging drag trail crossing through the slash in front of us from one end to the other, left to right. We expected the wolves to come into the slash from the direction we heard them, the edge of which was about 125 – 150 yards away. Gary was facing left and had called again; I was facing straight ahead and listening. All of a sudden on the trail to the right of us, about 40 yards away the pack was coming at a full lope. Man do they move fast. The grass was spotty and high in places on the trail so you could not see all of them, nor did they see us… I, fairly excitedly, was whispering to Gary, “Gary – the wolves are here!”

They either heard or saw us and stopped. The lead wolf (very white) was about 15 feet in front of 4 possibly 5 other wolves and behind some tall grass. A couple of wolves were visible and staring at us. I had my scope on one wolf and was about to shoot when the lead wolf stepped ahead of the tall grass and stared at us. I quickly took a bead on it and fired, the rest then scattered like coyotes. Gary took one shot and missed as they were at high speed. I didn’t even chamber another round and just watched them go.

The lead wolf was a large (larger than a German Shepard) young female, very white with excellent teeth and quite skinny.
 
I thought everyones deer rifle shot like the 2nd target at 6-700yards. Not one guy that goes into the shop I frequent would have anything less, from a factory gun shooting factory ammo. LOL

I shoot the AI version. Super deer killer. It will shoot with most of my varmit guns F/Fing brass and a 250gr Hornady spitzer. Likes H380, IMR4350 so far. I am building a load with a 225Accubond and a H414 this year. Nothing at all not to like about a 338-06. My 338-06AI weighs about 1lb more than my 280AI. The 280AI is much more offensive off the bench than my 338. The 338 is pushing more powder and 110grs more bullet.

Good looking rig. One of many I would not be with out.
 
I like the 'one shot' idea.

I have been sighting in and then place a clean target at 25 yds-shoot 2-move it to 50 yds-shoot 2-then to 100 yds and shoot 2 more.

In this hunting area we dont get the 250++ yard shots that many do. Occasionally one will all of a sudden show up at 32 yards. Then the question is "where does that bullet hit at that range?"

With this procedure I have a fair idea.
 
Dennis, great wolf story. You are lucky to live in a place where you can experience wolves--most people can't. They are magnificent animals.

Plus, you not only saw them, you ended up with a real trophy. Trappers and hunters take a lot of wolves in Canada and Alaska. It's a much better plan than large-scale control programs involving blasting wolves from airplanes--the height of unethical abuse of wildlife.
 
Bill Wynne said:
Dennis,
Have you had any experience with the 338/308 or the 338 Federal?
It would have a little less recoil and it would fit a short action.
Would you be giving up too much?
Concho Bill
Click to expand...

If you keep up this "Almost as much performance with less powder and recoil" discussion pretty quickly you'll re-invent the 338-7mm BR (aka 338 Whisper).
\
 
vicvanb said:
Dennis, great wolf story. You are lucky to live in a place where you can experience wolves--most people can't. They are magnificent animals.

Plus, you not only saw them, you ended up with a real trophy. Trappers and hunters take a lot of wolves in Canada and Alaska. It's a much better plan than large-scale control programs involving blasting wolves from airplanes--the height of unethical abuse of wildlife.
Click to expand...



I haven't seen these many road apples since the last parade. A little more hunting a few hundred miles from the closet road might just change your mind about who is more important to you than that cute little cuddly wolf.
 
I have added 3 pictures of the area we were hunting/fishing. A lot of bettle killed wood and fire damaged as well. I have not posted any pictures of the moose or wolf as it is the policy of this website not to.

First is a sunset, then some waterfalls we were fishing below and the third is the "hole" the fish were hiding in... It was about a 30 minute walk down to this area and about 45 minutes back to the truck.

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