.338-06 Kevin Weaver custom rifle!

[taylorce1]

I wanted to build an all around big game rifle that would weigh in around 8.5 lbs. all up and able to hunt in all weather conditions. Well I got my rifle back today from Kevin Weaver and all up it weighs in at 8 lbs. and 9 oz., so I'd say I made my goal. Little over three years collecting the parts and four months waiting on it to be built. I'm thinking it will receive a steady diet of 200 grain Accubonds and RL-15.

I've hunted the SE Alaskan rain forests a couple of times for bear so the rifle might get a metal coating of some sort in the future. I like the black stock but it might get a paint job as well to break it up a bit. However this rifle should take anything I want to hunt in North America, and be able to ride around in an aluminum boat in salt water and come out looking pretty good.

Build is as follows for my Weaver Rifles .338-06:

SS M70 Classic action
Pac-Nor #3 Shilen contour, SS Super Match barrel 24" long 1:10 twist 3 groove
McMillan Hunters Edge stock inlet for Montana 99 action (found on campfire classifieds)
Talley LWT extended mounts
Leupold VX3 2.5-8X36 B&C reticle

Kevin filled in the stock and matched the color pretty well where the bolt release was for the Montana action.

 

[HiBC]

Well done! Balanced,practical tool.

 

[hooligan1]

Pretty sweet Taylorce1, Have you tested that 200 gr Accubond load? Send pics and testing results of that dude, I bet it shoots with amazing accuracy.

 

[taylorce1]

Hey Hooligan1, I'll let you know as soon as I shoot it. The new job has been getting in the way of my shooting time. I was going to shoot it if my other .338-06 rifles ammo would have chambered better in it. I guess the chambers are a little different between the two but that is to be expected.

 

[AllenJ]

That is a beautiful rifle, congrats. Looking forward to a range report.

 

[jmr40]

I like it. That is what a custom rifle should look like, a workhorse, not a showhorse. Nothing wrong with a black stock, but I like green or something green with speckles on a stainless rifle if you want to change color. McMillan will repaint it for you.

I bought this stock at a good price off McMillans Specials page at a good price. I didn't pick the color, was afraid I wouldn't like it until I got it on the gun, but think it looks pretty good now that I see it. Just something to look at if you are thinking about changing color.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

Why 338-06 ???

1st off... awesome looking rifle, & in a great chambering... I have nothing against the cartridge... just curious how or why you chose it... my newest '06 offspring was an unfired older Remmy 700 in 35 Whelan... I'm thinking it aught to do about what you'll be doing with the 338 ( though I expect the 338 aught to be a bit flatter shooting ) 24" barrel should be about perfect for the cartridge... for me however, my 700 is not a foul weather gun... for that I move up to my Stainless Stalker in 338 Mag

 

[taylorce1]

jmr40, I'm just thinking of maybe some webbing added, green, tan, silver, or possibly red.

I have nothing against the cartridge... just curious how or why you chose it... my newest '06 offspring was an unfired older Remmy 700 in 35 Whelan... I'm thinking it aught to do about what you'll be doing with the 338 ( though I expect the 338 aught to be a bit flatter shooting ) 24" barrel should be about perfect for the cartridge

Because I already have two Whelen rifles.


After paint

Before paint

1903 Custom

I only had one .338-06 rifle, so it was a little lonely.

03-A3

 

[Colt46]

Sweet

Years ago I read an article about a guy who rechambered his Remington 760 into a .338-06 to take to alaska for bear hunting. Ever since then that project(or anything .338-06) has tickled my fancy.

 

[Stukaman]

Tell me about this .338-06

 

[GeauxTide]

The reason I chose the 338-06

After reading Steve Timm's article in Reloader Mag in the 80s, I couldn't wait. He had a 22" rebored, but had the rifle throated for 250 Noslers and shot 210s @ 2750. I had my 700LH rebarreled by Shilen in 22", throated for 250 Noslers. I've chrony'd 200 Hornady and Speer at 2810 avg. over 10 shots with a SD of 9.9 and ES of 26. No fancy powder (4320), plentiful '06 cases, and the great 33 caliber bullets.

 

[taylorce1]

Tell me about this .338-06

What would you like to know? The whole rifle took a little over three years to come together. I started with the stock, I found the Edge for $450 on another forum that I frequent as well. I had a push feed M70 that I was going to use for the build but the more I thought about it I decided I didn't want to cut any corners on the build.

So the next three years I bought a few M70 classics to build on but in the back of my mind I had always wanted a stainless steel rifle, especially after hunting Alaska a couple of times. I wanted to stick with a .338-06 as my love affair with this cartridge started in 1997 when I bought my first reloading kit. The Speer manual that is included with the RCBS reloading kits resided close at hand for many years. I put together the pieces of a custom rifle off of scrounged parts to build a .338-06 in 2004, and when I took it to a gunsmith to have it built he offered the 1903-A3 pictured above for $600 cash.

Actually back then I didn't know exactly the type of rifle I liked. I was going to build it as well off of a sporterized 1903 rifle I had bought for $125. I had an old Bishop stock that I found for another $50, and a Douglas barrel that was around a #4 or 5 contour that I picked up for another $150. After talking with the smith I found out quickly that his .338-06 would be a much cheaper proposition.

I don't regret buying that rifle it defiantly was a better decision in the scheme of things over building that custom. It is a little heavy weighing in at 9 lbs 14 oz all up to carry all day hunting elk. It launches the 200 grain Hornady SP with about a grain to spare from max load of RL15 from the Hornady manual at 2880 fps. I've taken it elk hunting twice but never came across a legal elk to shoot with it, but I've taken one pronghorn doe with it at 200 yards a few years back to blood it and it has pretty much been a safe queen ever since going to the range a couple times a year and then back into the dark recesses of the gun safe.

Fast forward several years later and the desire to build the custom .338-06 is back again. This time I have a better idea of what I want a hunting rifle to be like. I wanted it lighter weight but not so light that it wouldn't be fun to shoot. So I collect all the parts I needed to build another rifle, ordered the barrel to be dropped shipped to my gunsmith of choice and took him the rest of my parts. About four months after I dropped everything off I get the call that the rifle is ready to be picked, unfortunately that was a few weeks ago and I was just able to pick it up yesterday.

Realistically the .338-06 doesn't do anything a lot better than a .30-06. However, it is cool to talk to people about it as they look at you kind of weird. It is amazing how many people have never heard of this cartridge, of course they are the people who don't reload as well. I've put together a pretty good battery of SS and synthetic hunting rifles for hard use.

Left to right-Win M70 EW .270 Win, Win M70 FWT .30-06 McMillan Hunters Edge (ADL style), and Win M70 .338-06 McMillan Hunters Edge stock.

 

[jmr40]

The 338-06 is a really cool round. Exotic enough that many have never heard of it as Taylorce1 points out, but not hard at all for a reloader. Just run 30-06 brass through 338-06 dies and load. There are a lot of powders that work well and good 338 bullets are widely available.

With lighter 200-225 gr bullets it is right on the heels of a 338 magnum. With heavier bullets it can't keep up, but there aren't many things that it won't kill. I think the biggest advantage is that many rifles, Including the Winchester of Taylorce1's are 5+1 capacity vs only 3+1 for the magnums. If I were in grizzly country I think I'd rather have 2 more rounds than the 50-100 fps offered by the magnum. Lighter recoil is a factor as well. It is going to kick a bit more than typical 30-06 loads, but well below most 338 magnums.

It is not as flat shooting as a 30-06, but pretty close, at least out to ranges most of us are capable of shooting.

Realistically, a 30-06 loaded with 200 gr Accubonds will probably do anything the 338-06 will do with 200 gr accubonds. But many find the 30-06 boring. Doing it with a 338-06 is just a bit more stylish.

I ran across a used custom rifle in the chambering a few years ago. I have absolutely no use for it here in Georgia. I've seriously considered selling it, but just cannot bring myself to do it. I just like the rifle and chambering.

 

[ndking1126]

Taylorce1, I live vicariously through your gun projects. Well done.

 

[taylorce1]

Taylorce1, I live vicariously through your gun projects. Well done.

Thanks! I like the projects that everyone has here as well. How is yours coming along?

 

[hooligan1]

What a "line up". Ones collection can never be complete without anyone of those chamberings. I own two of them, just not the 338-06.
However I do have the 7mm rem mag, which I can tolerate shooting in multiple positions without too much recoil discomfort,. How would your 338-06 recoil, with 200 grain pills coming out at 2800 fps? Would it knock all my stents loose?

 

[ndking1126]

How is yours coming along?

My 260 has been on hold for about 2 years. Bought an old CJ7 which ate up all my spare cash like Jeeps tend to do. And more recently I was about to buy the barrel and I saw an awesome deal on a Savage chambered in 270 so I jumped on that I'm selling the Jeep in the next few months so hopefully I'll get it finished before the end of the year.

 

[taylorce1]

Hooligan1, a 200 grain at 2800 fps is more recoil than a .30-06 pushing a 180 at 2800 fps. That's about all I can say about the recoil other than it is less than my .375 Ruger pushing 270 grain bullets at 2800 fps. I know that isn't much of an answer but it's all I have.

For medical reasons if you are interested in a .338 I'd look at the .338 Federal. Of course you could load down the .338-06 to the Federal levels but what is the point of that. However you can push 160 to 210 grain bullets to very respectable speeds with the Federal without punishing you too bad.

Too bad you aren't any closer I'd loan you my 1903 to try.

 

[hooligan1]

If we lived closer we would both be broke and out of ammo!! But thank you sir for the offer,,, maybe one of these days we can go west an hunt.

 

[BIGR]

Very nice rifles.