.338-06 for Plains Game?

[Kynadog]

I know it's a pretty niche wildcat cartridge, but has anyone here taken a.338-06 to Africa for plains game? I've got a beautiful old rifle that shoots 210gr Nolser Partitions like they were lasers. It's been great for elk and bears so I would assume it's good to go for plains game, but I'd like to hear some real world Africa experiences with it if there are any.
Thanks.

 

[USMA84DAB]

My Good Man -

Your cartridge was SAAMI spec'ed by A-Square, so it does not qualify technically as a wildcat. However, you may be challenged finding ammo.

I was taking a .35 Whelen Ackley Improved as my plains game rifle. Kissing cousin to your .338-06. A 50 round practice session heated it to the point where the bedding compound around the scout rail softened and let go. That led me to find a Ruger Alaskan in .375 Ruger with a 2.5-8x32 Leupold VX3 for $650 on Guns.com. That is what made the trip with me.

 

[pilar]

I know it's a pretty niche wildcat cartridge, but has anyone here taken a.338-06 to Africa for plains game? I've got a beautiful old rifle that shoots 210gr Nolser Partitions like they were lasers. It's been great for elk and bears so I would assume it's good to go for plains game, but I'd like to hear some real world Africa experiences with it if there are any.
Thanks.

Hell yeah , if you can get ammo, probably not too much difference then a 8x57
I like the 06 based rounds

 

[Rem700stw]

I cannot think of a better choice. My daughter and I took a 338 Win Mag to Africa a few years back. I intentionally downloaded the round to mimic the 338-06 to lessen recoil for my daughter. We shot 250 grain Barnes TSX and they were very lethal very quickly.

The performance on game was very similar to that of my 9.3x62.

 

[Graham Hunter]

I have shot 2 Moose and a Mule Deer and Whitetail with mine using 210 Partitions. Excellent performance. 80yds one Deer and 225yds on the other. Moose 100 and 175yds. DRT to 40yds and down. No 2nd shot needed. It is actually on my short list for my next African trip.

 

[318AE]

Africa is a big place, but assuming you are going some place like the Limpopo in terms of typical shot distances, size and variety of game etc, it’s amongst the very best choices. 225 or 250 grain bullets would be even better provided your rifle shoots them well. I always think of it as an Americanized 318 (only 8 thousandths different), for which you can actually buy bullets.

 

[Tam Dl]

That has been on my rifle list for some time. Unfortunately they show up only infrequently, and then usually in the Ackley version for some kind of long range shooting, with a heavy barrel.

There must be some other cartridge that is a stand-in. The 8s and 8.5s The 35 Whelen, 8.5x63, and the 338 Win Mag. An argument can be made that the latter is the best hunting cartridge for Brown Bears (as opposed to a stopping cartridge), So that would tend to cover you up to 1000 pounds. One could argue that the 338 bullets out there are designed for the higher velocities of the mag and Weatherby. That might work to your advantage because in the African world a slightly tougher bullet, the effect of shooting it at 06 case velocities, could be a good thing.

Stuff tends to perform within it's specs unless one crosses over into a different theory set, such as is present with something like the 6.5 C., or even with much earlier 6.5x55. But so long as everything just scales up and down, you get what the numbers imply, so long as one takes the functioning of individual bullets into account.

 

[TerryBlauwkamp]

I've used my 338-06 several times with 200 and 225 gr bullets, and it does a great job,
just remember is is not a LONG range caliber, stay under 250 yards and it is hard to beat.

 

[Graham Hunter]

One thing to remember is you need properly stamped brass for Africa.

 

[Kynadog]

My Good Man -

Your cartridge was SAAMI spec'ed by A-Square, so it does not qualify technically as a wildcat. However, you may be challenged finding ammo.

I was taking a .35 Whelen Ackley Improved as my plains game rifle. Kissing cousin to your .338-06. A 50 round practice session heated it to the point where the bedding compound around the scout rail softened and let go. That led me to find a Ruger Alaskan in .375 Ruger with a 2.5-8x32 Leupold VX3 for $650 on Guns.com. That is what made the trip with me.

Doh! I always forget that A-Square got it SAAMI approved. Mine was made many years before that which is why I always think of it as a wildcat.

Just as an fyi to someone who may stumble across this thread later, there were two or three .338-06 chamber dimensions being used in the 80’s and 90’s. So if you pick up an older rifle at an auction or something and it’s just marked .338-06, beware. It could be one of the longer variants and you could experience head separation with factory .336-06 A Square ammo. Don’t ask me how I know…

 

[Kynadog]

One thing to remember is you need properly stamped brass for Africa.

That’s a great point. I have lots of 30-06 that has been fire-formed, but only a handful of properly headstamped brass. A quick search of the internet shows almost none for sale. Or none at a reasonable price, anyway.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I know it's a pretty niche wildcat cartridge, but has anyone here taken a.338-06 to Africa for plains game? I've got a beautiful old rifle that shoots 210gr Nolser Partitions like they were lasers. It's been great for elk and bears so I would assume it's good to go for plains game, but I'd like to hear some real world Africa experiences with it if there are any.
Thanks.

Nearly everyone thinks that the .30-06 is perfectly fine for any of the plains game. Some people have used.the .35 Whelan for PG and reported that it was great. I think that your .338-06 would be a terrific PG caliber. The only.thing that would worry me a bit would be ammo availability if you somehow lost yours. Other than that, you would be good to go. I've heard stories but, have never had a problem arriving in Africa without my ammo so I'd say go for it.

 

[KCSafari]

Ballistically it is a great caliber. Big heavy bullet traveling around 2600ft/sec. Comparable to the 35 Whelen. It would be a great rifle to take.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I know it's a pretty niche wildcat cartridge, but has anyone here taken a.338-06 to Africa for plains game? I've got a beautiful old rifle that shoots 210gr Nolser Partitions like they were lasers. It's been great for elk and bears so I would assume it's good to go for plains game, but I'd like to hear some real world Africa experiences with it if there are any.
Thanks.

@Kynadog
The best man to answer that question is @Rick HOlbert

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I know it's a pretty niche wildcat cartridge, but has anyone here taken a.338-06 to Africa for plains game? I've got a beautiful old rifle that shoots 210gr Nolser Partitions like they were lasers. It's been great for elk and bears so I would assume it's good to go for plains game, but I'd like to hear some real world Africa experiences with it if there are any.
Thanks.

@Kynadog
The best man to ask is @Rick HOlbert he has recently returned from a safari where he used a 338 ought six to good effect. He worked up some great loads using north forks I think
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I've used my 338-06 several times with 200 and 225 gr bullets, and it does a great job,
just remember is is not a LONG range caliber, stay under 250 yards and it is hard to beat.

@TerryBlauwkamp
If'n y'all want to go out to 400yards get a Whelen loaded with 225gn accubond or Woodleighs.
Unfortunately the 338 ought six can't equal the Whelen.
Still a great cartridge tho and works well
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Ballistically it is a great caliber. Big heavy bullet traveling around 2600ft/sec. Comparable to the 35 Whelen. It would be a great rifle to take.

@KCSafari
A lot slower than the Whelen. It can't throw a 225gn at 2,900 fps or a 250gn at 2,700fps or a 310gn at over 2,400fps like the Whelen can
Bob

 

[sgt_zim]

I know it's a pretty niche wildcat cartridge, but has anyone here taken a.338-06 to Africa for plains game? I've got a beautiful old rifle that shoots 210gr Nolser Partitions like they were lasers. It's been great for elk and bears so I would assume it's good to go for plains game, but I'd like to hear some real world Africa experiences with it if there are any.
Thanks.

Lots of overlap between 338-06, 338 WM, 35W, and 9.3x62. That said, I'm always a fan of heavy-for-caliber, I'd much prefer 225 or even 250 gr. Even at a modest 2500-2600 fps with a 250 gr, that's a lot of thunder.

 

[KCSafari]

@KCSafari
A lot slower than the Whelen. It can't throw a 225gn at 2,900 fps or a 250gn at 2,700fps or a 310gn at over 2,400fps like the Whelen can
Bob

True. I’ve gotten 2800fps from my Whelen with 250g bullets but neither my Hornady, Nosler, or Barnes reloading manuals come close to any of those numbers. Remington ammo I have off the shelf puts a 250g bullet at 2400fps which is equivalent to the 338-06. Both calibers will kill plains game the same type of dead. Ammo availability is the only issue.

 

[Deepfork]

I am planning on taking my 338-06AI on my up coming plains game hunt. The rifle is a 90s model Win Mod 70 classic, control feed with the detachable box magazine. I had it rebuilt several month ago it was born a .270. Original stock was refinished and opened up a bit for the Proof 22 inch stainless barrel and glass bedding. It balances and handles great and is the most accurate rifle I own. My load is a 186gr Hammer (stone hammer) at 3127 fps.

My brass is Norma 338.06AS, Barrel is marked 338.06AI. Hopefully that is close enough to pass inspection?! We are going to South Africa, last time no one even looked at our ammo. Those of you mentioning head stamp scrutiny, was that in SA or other countries.