Somehow, I don't think Remington or Winchester will chamber for this round, at least not right away. I've got a feeling that one or both of them is toying with the idea of a .338-caliber cartridge based on either the SAUM or WSM cases.

They may try and squeeze Weatherby out by not offering any rifles or loads for the .338-06 A-Square, which would be a natural competitor.

In fact, I think the case length of the '06 makes a better .338-cal cartridge than the short mags because it allows seating of the long, high-sectional density 225-250gr bullets that make that caliber so effective. The short-action rifles for which a short mag-based .338 would be chambered in would not allow enough room for these larger bullets to be seated properly, therefore eating up some of that precious powder space.

At this point, I think we can reasonably look to Ruger and Savage to pick up the ball and run with it as far as .338-06 rifles are concerned. In terms of ammo, let's hope that Federal and Hornady have the guts to go against the big guys and start offering good loads for this outstanding round.

By the way, my hat is off to the men and women of Weatherby for making one of our finest all-around cartridges available as a commercial entity. It kind of goes against their grain of developing ultra-high velocity cartridges desinged for serious long-range shooting. I guess it says a lot for the .338-06 in regards to the respect it deserves. <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting