Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 350 rem mag vs 338 RCM

The most accurate load to date is running 2650 fps, though I've pushed it to 2750. The group opened up, so I need to do some seating depth work to see if I can bring it in properly. The 200 gr Hornady is running 2750; the 185 TSX is at 2850.

Couple of targets...





Mind you, I shot those in the cold wearing gloves using the German #1 reticle, which is not my best for bench work -- though I am rather fond of it for shooting game.

Dennis

I'd have a big fat woody hunting elk with either of those cartridges!

Uh... did I just say that in my real voice...?

I would chose the Remington .350 for two reasons. First, it's probably going to be more accurate (9 times out of ten a Remington is more accurate than a Ruger). Second, it's more versitle. I've used 225 grn Partitions and 200 grn Barnes, both work wonderfull on Elk. Then you can use a 200 grn round nose meant for a 35 Remington down loaded with SR4759 for deer. I have found it to be very easy to develope very accurate loads. It is not fussy at all. I have the Remington Model 7KS (Kelvar stock), yea it kicks but it's really not that bad and wonderfull to carry. The old myth that it's hard to shoot a light rifle acuurately is BS.

Don't have any experience with the RCM but I have a 350 RM and LOVE IT!

I've owned a bunch of Remingtons and a bunch of Rugers, and I can't say that my experience shows that Remingtons are more accurate than Rugers, certainly not in a 9 to 1 ratio. Are you citing personal experience with enough Remingtons and Rugers that you have actually demonstrated your point, or did you just make up hyperbole? Can you post some targets with your .350 Remington Mag that exceed the accuracy demonstrated by my Ruger .338 RCM?




So...the ability to use 200 gr to 250 gr bullets in the .350 RM makes it more versatile than the ability to use 180 gr to 250 gr bullets in the .338 RCM? And exactly how? I can load bullets to whatever velocity I want, for whatever purpose I have. The only real advantage the .350 Rm has, and it's pretty marginal, is tht you can use .357 pistol bullets in it -- though you forgot to mention that one, so I should probably discount it. I've owned a .35 Whelen since 1993, and have yet to fire a pistol bullet in it, either.

The .350 RM, particularly in a Mod 7, is an entirely functional and useful cartridge. But it certainly has no advantages over the .338 RCM.

Dennis

If I purchase a 338 RCM, do I just use 338-06 loading data, as they hold the same capacity,

Has anyone tried 250's in the 338 RCM, is 2600 possible?

No need to get upset Muledeer, I just gave my opinion which is based on building custom rifles and working on guys rifles that don't want to shoot. Sorry it doesn't match your favorite rifle. I like Rugers, but if you ask most gunsmiths which is usually out of the box more accurate, and which is easier to make more accurate the answer is not going to be Ruger, sorry. I would gladly post a picture of want my .350 shoots, but I'm not usually in the habit of taking pictures at the range and I don't know how to post them if I did. And to be honest with you I don't really care.

.338 RCM holds 2 gr more water than .338-06, so in reality they are "the same". Hornady and Hodgdon, among others, have posted and published .338 RCM data, and it corresponds pretty closely to published .338-06 data. There is some other data out there, which I found pretty quicklike by doing a Google search.

I have some 250 gr loads built, but haven't been to the range to chrono or target test them. When I do, which should be in the next couple of weeks, I'll let you know. (I'm waiting for a new scope, and for Spring to act like it's here more than half an hour a day.)

Honestly, I think the only real advantage, purely looking at cartridges, is that .338 bullets of equal weight have slightly better ballistic coefficients than .358 bullets. Whether that is actually important or not is a pretty arcane discussion.

Dennis

"Upset" is probably too strong a word to describe my reaction, but I have a tendency to challenge people here when they state opinions as though they had some sort of factual basis for them, when it's pretty easy to figure out that they don't.

I don't think I ever stated that Ruger 77's are my "favorite rifle", either. My .35 Whelen is a Remington 700, and it shoots 1/2 MOA at 200 yards, so it's not bad. My .260, that I do the bulk of my southeast Alaska hunting with, is a stainless Remington 700, and it shoots a little better than my Whelen. So I am kinda aware that Remingtons can and often do well. But I also have a pile of Rugers and, astonishing as it sounds like it might be to you, they mostly shoot really well too. That is no basis for choosing between a .338 RCM and a .350 RM, as you can certainly get Remingtons and Rugers that don't cut it, either.

If you can't or don't want to post pictures that substantiate your claims, that is no skin off my nose, nor do I really care all that much either. Just don't be surprised when people challenge claims you can't back up.

Have a nice day, and enjoy your tinkering.

Dennis

ps...digital cameras are easy to handle, and posting pics is quite simple. I'm pushing six decades of life, and even I have figured it out... .

TMI!!!

Dennis,

I'm with you on the Remington/Ruger question--at least since Ruger started making their own barrels, which was, oh, getting close to 20 years ago now. I have owned and shot a bunch of each since then, and in my experience it is pretty much a dead heat.

I suspect the reason so many people don't think Rugers shoot as well as some other brands is the mixed reputation of the barrels Ruger used before making their own. It is harder to "break" an old reputation than to build one from the start. But particularly in the past 10-12 years or so, I expect Ruger bolt rifles to group about like Remington 700's.

As a matter of fact I have a 77 Mark II in .350 Remington Magnum that I am going to work up some loads for as soon as some other stuff is off the table--or bench, rather. I expect it will shoot quite well!

I would like to know how that goes for you. Varget works real well in my Whelen.

It seems to me that if accuracy claims are made based on reputation rather than personal experience, the claims are nothing more than second-hand hay. One thing I've noticed while spending time at public ranges is that most people don't shoot enough or well enough to really know which is more accurate.

Norm

Dennis,

We are about the same age, but I must be more technology challenged. I recently tried to post a picture of the ram I shot with my 35 Whelen, but I seem to be doing something wrong and didn't get it posted. It is nice to know that people with more experience than me also use the Whelen.

Norm

I have a Ruger MarkII in 350 mag and it shoots just as well as my Remington Guide Rifle in 350 mag.

As an aside,I recently bought Grits Gresham's Remington 660 in 350 mag,I have not fired it yet.

Despite having the niche filled with more 350 mags than anyone needs,I still would like a Ruger in 338RCM.

I have used 200 grain CoreLokts and 225 Partions in the 350 and the 35 Whelen,they have killed everything dead. I think of them as 338 mags in a handier package. Which is exactly how Ruger markets the new 338 RCM.

I hope the new 338 RCM catches on,it really is a sound concept that works on just about anything,just about anywhere. Ask anybody with a 350 Rem Mag.

I hope so too. It makes a lot of sense, especially for most shooters, since the recoil is noticeably less than with the .338 WM.

I had a .338 RCM briefly, but unfortunately it was one of a very few recalled by the factory. I will probably try it again sometime, but not until I have really wrung out this .350.

In the meantime I have several 9.3's and a .338 Federal and .338 WM to fil the gap!

Every once in a while I am staggered with the joy we experience, of have free access to the 21st Century's extraordinary range of cartridges, rifles and components. I have been developing top-of-the-line loads for Ruger's latest -- .338 RCM and .375 Ruger -- while devoting time to building loads for 6.5x54 Kurz Mauser and 8x56 Mannlisher-Schoenauer.

Alternating between cartridges introduced last year and cartridges introduced more than 100 years ago is a pretty spectacular scope -- particularly considering that I can kill a deer with each of them and not approach the number of tags I have available.

I deeply and sincerely hope my great-grandchildren are handloading for the .338 RCM for the nostalgic joy of it in 2109...

Dennis

MuleDeer,
How long do we have to wait for the 350REM data?
I picked one of those up my self, and have yet to get time to work up loads.


Would you like to barrow mine for side-by-side comparison? Same load different barrel etc...


Back to the thread, if I had the finances, I would own BOTH, in fact, if I hadn�t scored my 35GIBBs Reamer, I would be a 338-06 owner too. Just never pursued it after comparing, and seeing them as close enough to not matter.
Although, I do like the bigger holes my 35s make.

Later.

I've owned three 350RMs, a custom, a Remington 673, and a stainless short action MkII in the factory all-weather stock. All three were good rifles, but hands down the Ruger was my favorite and in my opinion the best platform for the cartridge. The magazine was perfect size for handloads using heavy Nosler PTs, and the feeding and accuracy was superb. Even with the factory 200grain Core-Lockt fodder, the accuracy with the Ruger was outstanding. In addition, IIRC, one of the largest bears taken out of Shoemaker's camp was with a 350RM. I cannot say anything bad about that cartridge, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that vintage Ruger MkII.

With that said, as a longtime H&H fan owning many rifles chambered for 375H&H, I also own a 375Ruger "African" model that I've restocked. I find this rifle and cartridge to be the equal if not superior to any 375H&H I've ever handled. Again, I cannot say anything bad about that cartridge, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that vintage Ruger Hawkeye. Because I think the 375Ruger design and base cartridge is so outstanding, I became interested in the 338RCM. I know nothing about the 338FED, but I do like the 338-06. The 338RCM appears to fit into this short barrel group well and when combined with the Hawkeye rifle, the overall package seemed worty of my purchase. As of yesterday, a brand new rifle cost me $604, a case of ammo cost me $29 per box, and a set of dies cost me $26. The rifle, ammo, and dies are readily available and delivery time is a matter of days. I think that is an outstanding value in todays market and I give a thumbs up to the boys at Ruger and Hornady. When it comes in, I'll give it an honest try and see how well it stands up to the 350RM. I suspect that it will be every bit the equal if not a bit better as there are so many great .33 bullets available today which should give the 338RCM an advantage in versatility. The beltless Ruger case certainly has advantages.

I do have one question though, I ordered straight from a warehouse that stocked the standard Hornady 225gr SST ammo, but they also stocked a Hornady 338RCM 225GR SP ammo, of which I ordered a case. Is this something new from Hornady compared to the SST??

Thanks!

I have a Remington MDL7 KS (kevlar stock--custom shop gun) in 350 Rem Mag and absolutely love the rifle.

I could have bought a Ruger in 350 RM when I bought the MDL7. I chose the Remington mainly because it was so much lighter than the Ruger and have not regretted my decision. It's been a great gun.

I've used mostly Nosler 225 and 250 partitions but am now playing around with the Barnes 225 TSX's.

With a Burris 2-7X Balistic Plex scope, Talley rings/bases the gun tips the scales at 6 lbs. 3 ozs. and is amazingly easy to hit with out to ~450 yds.---further than I'd ever take a shot at an elk.

With 62 grains of TAC and Federal GM210M primers I'm getting 2773 fps out of the 20" tube and 3 shot groups are running right at 3/4" @ 100 yds. This is probably what I'll hunt with this fall, though I may stay with the Nosler's---they've never failed and it's a little hard to 'cheat' on an old friend.

Every elk I've taken with it has been with the Nosler's and none have ever managed to escape from my freezer!

As to recoil, well it's fairly sharp and quick in such a light rifle, but not overly objectionable.

-Mike-