User:Degrey1/.338-06

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[edit] Introduction

The .338-06 is a rifle cartridge derived by necking up the .30-06 cartridge for a .338" bullet

[edit] History

Around 1945-1946 Charles O'Neil, Elmer Keith and Don Hopkins developed a cartridge they named the 333 OKH which was based on the .30-06 case necked up to .333 caliber. It was a very good big game cartridge, but suffered from the lack of good, readily available .333" diameter bullets. When the .338 Winchester Magnum was introduced in 1958, it was followed immediately by a variety of commercial .338" diameter bullets. Shortly thereafter, several individuals at different places conceived the idea of either altering their 333 OKH's or necking up 30-06 to accept .338" diameter bullets. Since .338" diameter bullets are available in weights varying from 180 grains up to 300 grains, this makes the 338-06 a versatile and effective big game cartridge.

Note that there is a completely different cartridge, the .338 A-Square that, in print at least, is sometimes confused for the .338-06 A-Square

[edit] Performance

The performance of the 338-06 is very similar to that of the 35 Whelen except that the .338" diameter bullets offer a somewhat better sectional density, .313 for the Sierra 250 grain .338" Spitzer Boattail, as opposed to .279 for the Speer .358" spitzer bullet of the same weight. In summary, the 338-06 is an excellent big game cartridge, and is considerably more flexible & versatile than the 35 Whelen due to the better selection of excellent .338" bullet types suitable to the .338 Win. Mag., .338 RUM, & .338 Federal, just to name a few.

Some loadings for this cartridge include:

Source: Speer Manual Bullet:Spitzer (SP) Weight: 200gr. MV:2,766 ME:~3,400 ft Lb. Comment: RL-15 56gr. Both RL-15 & IMR-4064 are excellent in the 338-06
A-Square Nosler Ballistic Tip 200 gr 2750 fps 3358 ft lbs
A-Square boat-tailed spitzer 250 gr 2500 fps 3496 ft lbs
Nosler reloading guide Partition 210 gr 2490 fps ... 48.0 grains of IMR 4320 powder1
Nosler reloading guide Partition 210 gr 2690 fps ... 52.0 grains of IMR 4350 powder1

1 Unconfirmed loading data. Do NOT attempt this without taking appropriate precautions

[edit] Dimensions

There are notable questions over the 'standard' specifications for the .338-06 cartridge case. Manufacturers including Weatherby and A-Square appear to have made cases with different shoulder angles and neck diameters, so ammunition needs to be matched to the chamber. See comments at http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/359156/site_id/1#import

[edit] infobox1

Template:Data 1

See comments above ...

The dimensions of the basic case are:

  • Rim diameter (at base) - .473 in. (12.01 mm)
  • Outside diameter (at base) - .472 in. (11.99 mm)
  • Outside diameter (at shoulder) - .441 in. (11.20 mm)
  • Shoulder angle 34 deg 25 min
  • Case length to shoulder - 1.940 in. (49.28 mm)
  • Maximum case length - 2.494 in. (63.35 mm)

Image:Cartridge .338-06 R.b.jpg

[edit] Variants

.338-06 Improved

The cartridges in this family are, in order of development:

Name Year Bullet Diameter Developers Description
.333 OKH 1946 .333 in O'Neil, Keith and Hopkins Original case
.338-06 ?? .338 in ?? Modified for .338" bullet
.338-06 Improved ?? .338 in Ackley ? Straighter case and sharper shoulder angle
.338-06 A-Square  ?? .338 in A-Square Commercialised version

[edit] References