Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Ask Rick Bin Questions About the .338-.375 Campfire

Maybe I missed it, but have you measured water capacity for your case?

How does it compare to the 340 WBY water capacity?

If the same could you just use 340 WBY data?


Are you annulling the brass? I'm guessing that will increase brass life....

I gotta go with 340Boy on this one; the RUM is all ready out there..............

This may be already posted here but I did not read all seven pages of this thread.

#1 will this clean out a 338 win mag chamber without setting the barrel back? I am guessing it will easily.

#2 will this fit in a Ruger rifle chambered for the 338 win mag or does it have to have a H-H length mag box?

If I was to use this cartridge I would just buy a 338 win mag Ruger rifle and have the barrel rechambered.

Heck of a project but... Me? I'd take a .338 RUM and run with it. Good factory ammo avail, dies & components readily avail, loading data readily avail and very good performance. Easily done in either a Rem 700 or a Win Model 70.

Regards, Guy

To me the whole intent of a project like this is simply "Having Fun"!!! If you have the means and it's a enjoyable hobby, why not play? We let our children play all the time "not with these types of toys" but, we still let them play. Obviously Rick isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, just had a brainstorm and followed through with it in which I commend him for.

Great work Rick,

Rob

If you look on page 375 of P.O. Ackley's hand book for shooter's
and reloader's you will find the 6.5/300 Weatherby-Wright Magnum
which was developed for the 1000yd. range.two loads shown
has 202 Hodgdon = 3429 or H870 at 3400 which should be very close
to what your talking about. Cheers NC

I shot the .375 Chatfield-Taylor for several years and it was a great rifle and duplicated the .375 H&H...I suspect the .375 Ruger is a better bet today than any wildcat.

When I bought my first .325 WSM there was hardly any loading data for it yet... so I can relate, 100%. Spooky feeling and it makes it harder to shoot accuratly.

Neat story! Back to lurk mode...

-jeff

First let me say, if doin this cat has you happy then good onU. I find AD harsh with his judgement. As much as a person can reason to not do this cat, one could also easily reason to do without an Echols rifle regardless of most chamberings. One can get a good reliable 270win or .338win rifle built for hunting the world without having spend on an Echols. Dont get me wrong, I like ADs'Echols rifles very much and Im glad AD is enjoying them, so a man should. Having met Darcy and seeing his product, hes a man sure of himself and sure puts out a mighty fine product,and any one that can afford them, then power n' a happy hunting life to ya!

Now to some questions to the lead up to this cat:

RWS 8x68s case: was stated as not being up to handling 60kpsi. I was of understanding RWS 8x68s cases have a reputation for being a very tough cookie and that RWS loads its factory rounds to pressures above 60kpsi?
How was it accertained that RWS brass was too weak?

Dakota 330: you opted out of this cartridge option, cause of a concern for the propensity of this case to have feeding issues, was that based on realworld feedback of .330dakota feeding behaviour in a std factory m70 action?
Out of interest I tried loaded rounds of 350rmag,6.5rmag and 7x57 in my factory saM70 22/250 receiver, and believe it or not, it fed them surprisingly good!

I do recall Z-hat ? .350AfricanExpress(necked up, blown out 8x68s)that was good for 250gn2800mv.
How much different is .338/375ruger in capacity to .330Dak,340wm? , Dakota website shows .330dakota at 97gnWater. and if IRCC .350AE was around 90gn water.
If a person has high concerns about pressures while load developing a new wildcat, I would consider looking at GScustom HV variety pills, they are the only type I know of where you begin load development with the bullet resting against the lands, and where one can more safely begin experimental powder charges with much less possibilty or likelyhood of adverse or dangerous results.
>> http://www.gsgroup.co.za/faqloadproc.html

cheers.

Rick, would be interested in sharing load info or development. I changed the design slightly, to an AI 35 degree shoulder.

Close ups of the rifle and the targets would be nice . . . .

BMT

Please excuse a question which may appear too elementary for this forum. I have a .338Federal built by Brad Hunt of Winnemucca NV on a Huskie commercial action, Lilja barreled, Brad's homegrown kevlar stock..Leupold ultra light variable.
With 3 rds in the magazine and a nylon sling this rifle weighs 5.9 pounds and while I can only shoot 2" grps at 200yds others have shot it better. My question is, where does this rifle and cartridge fall short in your quest for the perfect elk rifle?
Is it range primarily? And in your elk hunting experience how often would my .338F have come up short in a 300yd outside parameter?

Rick,
Could you tell me the OAL of the 338-375 with the 250gr bullet.
Thanks

I personally think the description of the perfect Elk rifle is each ones own opinion and they all vary.Size matters only to the individual shooter.

Rick,

If you've been out to the range again I'd be thrilled to see your new load data. My buddy and I are gunsmithing students at Lassen College and we're each building a 700 in this cartridge. Should have them barreled a few weeks from now. Thanks and I must say- great idea. If you need any help defending it from attacking morons..you can call on me.

Hank

By the way, when's part II coming out?

So, what's the latest?

Rick,

Nice read.. I gotta tell you though the 330 Dakota is perfection.. I have shot a 9' 10" Browine, dall sheep, moose, black bear and never had a want for anything else.. the 330 was Don Allens favorite caliber. I spoke with him and he shot a Cape Buffalo using 230 gr fail safe. He told me it went 50 yds and was dead. I wish you luck and applaud your passion.. but 2.00 a shell is nothing considering what hunts cost these days..

By the way.. I have NEVER had one single feeding problem with my 330 dakota. It has been to hell and back.. I have carried in over 80 days in the mountains in Alaska. I have a safe full of guns and the last one I would sell is that 330 dakota. One more thing... 250 gr. Swift A frame is hell on wheels. I have yet to recover one.

I too am waiting (impatiently) for the rest of the story on the 338/375 bin/campfire. I an thinking a 304/375 (04 moniker to build on 204 Ruger poularity)would be a good move by Ruger. Altho it will duplicate several existing cartriges, it could rechamber about 60% of the rifles in America. Not that it might sell alot of ammo for Hornady.

I personnally am looking forward to the 254/375 Ruger, because my 7 MM RUM is not overbore enough.

1st post, longtime viewer.

I would like too see some close- ups of the rifle. I like the paint. Did you do the paint ?

Nice rifle and buck !

Tim