.338-06 Build - buy action only or complete and part out?

[Hair_Boxers]

Heading to CO for first time ever elk hunt next fall. Good excuse to do first build ever!

Plan is to build a .338-06 and shoot 180gr Barnes TTSX through it. Going for a relatively light weight build as I plan on backpacking in and don't want a boat anchor of a gun.

To complicate my life I recently received $300 in Cabela's gift cards. I was going to just buy an action off the classifieds here, but wondering if it makes any sense to use the $300 to offset the cost of complete new gun? Might not be a draw financially, but depending on what complete I get (116 preferred, not sure on package or not) I would have a barrel to sell/keep and a stock to get rid of along with potentially a scope.

Thoughts? Help me spend some money and get started on an awesome build!

Other early thoughts on build:
Action - 116
Stock - B&C or McMillan composite blind mag
Barrel - Krieger (local to me here in WI)

[Ranger412]

I did mine up about ten years ago. I purchased a .30-06 110 in package form from the local Walmart for less than $400. I sold off the barrel, stock, scope/bases/rings for some extra cash. From Midway, I purchased a Adams and Bennett magnum contour barrel with the Savage barrel nut wrench (had it as a package deal). Added an aftermarket recoil lug and dropped the parts into a Boyds JRS Classic stock (they call it something else now). I topped the rig off with a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X in Warne bases/rings. I'm really happy with the set-up as its giving me MOA or better groups using 225 gr. Hornady Interbond bullets over a charge of Varget. I haven't taken anything down with it yet, but I'm really happy with its looks and accuracy. Plus, I think I have just over a grand into the set-up including the scope. Not bad for a custom, albeit DIY, rig.

[Bearguide444]

I bought a used savage 110 in 30-06 and sent the action and barrel of to JES to have the barrel re-bored to 338 I think I have less than 450 into gun and having barrel re-bored.I put a Leupold 1 piece base with a Leupold Vari x III 3-9-40 at 100 yards I get a 5/8 grouping. I still have other work to do like a trigger work and I am going to put a Boyds stock on it. I am very happy with the rifle. I use a 210 nosler partition bullets. You will not regret the 338-06 whichever direction you chose for your build

[foxx]

New or not, there's cheaper places to get Savages than Cabelas. Unless moey is tight right now, (when isn't it?) I'd use the gift cards for other things like clothes and get used donor or new Hog Hunter from a discount place online s.a. Bud's or Cheaperthandirt . The HH is great value. Top bolt release (preferable to newer bottom bolt release) 20" 308 barrel that's threaded for brake (might sell here for$100) and pretty good Accutrigger. Decent tactical/larger bolt handle. I don't know, but you might be able to rechamber the .338 to -'06. (might be better to sell a .308 bbl and get an aftermarket 338-06, don't know.)

Something to consider.

[D.ID]

Don't expect you would want to use the 308 hog hunter as I expect it's a short action.
I have bought a couple of the 338 win mag hog hunters and the one that is still wearing it's factory barrel is shooting .4-" after no work except a choate stock and a Ross brake.
.
If your not totally set on a 338-06 I'd just pick up a 338win hog hunter and give it a test drive. I bought mine expecting to tear them both down and build off of........but then I was dumb enough to start shooting one and now I don't want to disassemble it. The other one made a real nice 338edge donor.

[Hair_Boxers]

Ranger - this is pretty much what I was thinking before I got the $300 to Cabela's. Buy a donor, strip it down, sell what I don't want/need and then rebuild how I want it - my caliber and budget. I need to make some trips to our local Dick's Sporting Goods, Wally World, and MC Sports to see what deals they may have to get me started.

[03mossy]

I'd use the $300 towards your scope or reloading supply and buy a donor action here.

[Hair_Boxers]

Bearguide - I hadn't thought of reboring the existing barrel on a donor gun. Remember how much it cost?

I have never shot a .338-06, but am pretty sure it's an ideal caliber for me. Pushes a the nice .338 slug at a very respectable pace without the downsides of the mag - recoil, big powder charge, shorter barrel life.

[Hair_Boxers]

Bearguide - I hadn't thought of reboring the existing barrel on a donor gun. Remember how much it cost?

I have never shot a .338-06, but am pretty sure it's an ideal caliber for me. Pushes a the nice .338 slug at a very respectable pace without the downsides of the mag - recoil, big powder charge, shorter barrel life.

[Hair_Boxers]

Sorry bout the double post. Browser issues.

[D.ID]

338-06 is still pretty much wildcat cartridge so I'm assuming you reload and if so the magnum can be downloaded to the same level real easy. Then brass would be the only down side being more expensive but not by much.

[Hair_Boxers]

D.ID - yes 100% reload. I am a big fan of lead-free Barnes bullets and you need to either reload or have deep pockets to shoot them exclusively.

Also, much much prefer to load a non-belted -06 based wildcat than a belted mag.

[Bearguide444]

I just looked on my invoice I paid 200 for the rebore I double checked his website and its 225 now. it been a few years since I have had it done and I have taken a few animals with this round Elk, Caribou, Brown and Black Bear. The reason I went the used way insted of a new barrel was the barrel could be shot out and still cleaned up good as new and I wasnt sure how I would like it and I wanted to do this on the cheap. I know you can get a new barrel from some of the folks on this site but I didnt want to have the wait time but it looks better now. Used savage 30-06's here in minnesota are a dime a dozen you find them all over. I reload 30-06 case and I just run it thru my RCBS 338-06 dies once and its good I also check head space with a RCBS 30-06 case mic since the shoulder is in the same place. I have herd people using 35 whelen brass I have not done that yet. any questions please fell free to ask.Good Luck

[Ranger412]

This is an old pic, but it gives you an idea of how mine turned out. After this pic I painted the rifle with some matte paint. I need to re-do it with some Duracoat now that I've been playing around with that.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/10786338_06_b.JPG

[Ranger412]

We just got one of my buddies into the long-range game with a rifle from Dick's. For $379 he picked up the 11 VT. The rifle is a .308 short action with Accutrigger and the detachable box magazine. Comes with a cheap scope and mounts, but its a good place to start a build. He's since added a bipod and switched out the original glass for a SWFA 12x and upgraded the mounts. I'm impressed with the accuracy, even with the "tupperware" stock. I guess the rifle is essentially the same as their normal varmint rigs but with Dick's you get a 24" barrel instead of the normal 26" tube. He shot the rifle this past Saturday during a local scoped rifle match and placed second.

[Hair_Boxers]

Ranger - that's a beaut! It's hard to beat the look of a nice wood stock. Do you know what final weight came out to?

That is one big consideration for me and one reason why I am focused on the .338-06. I want a light to lighter weight gun that I can hike back in with that won't tear off a limb with recoil.

[Hair_Boxers]

Not seeing a ton of actions here on the classifieds so thinking it's going to come down to buying new package gun at Dick's/Wally/MC Sports or hitting gun shows and finding a good deal. Price difference isn't huge between action only and full new so I may buy a .30-06 and stash the barrel in the safe. That way if I want to go back to .30 cal at some point I can just resize my brass and throw the barrel back on.

Hardest part is that a lot of what I am finding in stores around here are Axis and/or not in .30-06.

[foxx]

There are normally a lot of 110 30-06's on Gunbroker.com. I've bought a bunch of them in the past year for builds at $300 or less. just another idea to kick around.

[Hair_Boxers]

Foxx - been keeping an eye on GunBroker and Armslist for sure. Local paper classifieds. Heading to local gun show as well. With the $75 rebate on TH XP packages right now that's a hard value to beat. Will pull the trigger on something before the rebate expires on 12/31 I am pretty sure.

[Kill N Grill]

If the plan is to shoot 180 grain bullets why not just shoot a 30-06? Off the shelf ammo that can be had relatively cheap. Reload if you want or buy loaded with the Barnes.