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does the 338 rcm have any advantages over the 338 win mag? I dont really know much about the 338 rcm other than short video clips i have seen and supposidly you get the same performance from the 338 rcm with a 20 inch barrel that you would with a 338 with a 24 inch barrel. im planning on buying a 338 really soon and i was wondering if maybe the 338 rcm would be a better choice over the win mag. I reload so take that into consideration.

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338 RCM might come in a shorter package but you'll find 338 Win Mag ammo and components everywhere. I never thought of a 24 inch barreled sporter as being too long for most of my hunting. I also believe longer cartridges in relation to their fatness tend to feed better than short-fats.

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It depends...and this ought to be a fun thread grin.

I have a .338 RCM, Ruger blue/wood Hawkeye; have killed game with it; and really like it. I have never owned a .338 Win Mag, because I don't like belted cases, among other reasons. So my viewpoint is pretty much one-sided. Having said that, I really doubt that a 20" .338 RCM can produce higher velocities than a .338 Win Mag in a 24" barrel, if the loads match up. I do think a .338 RCM provides "enough" performance to work very nicely at any hunting venture in North America.

I do believe reloading is a crucial practice if you want to be really functional with a .338 RCM, though, because I don't much care for the few factory varieties being produced. I'm getting really good loads with Re 15 powder pushing 185 and 210 TSX's and 200 gr Hornady Interlocks.

And I'll have a .338 RCM and not a belted anything, so for me it's a lot better deal... smile.

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It all depends on what type of hunting you plan to do with the rifle, what type of terrain, etc. If you plan on hunting a lot of thick cover and want a light, highly maneuverable rifle, the 338 RCM is a great choice. I have the 338 RCM and took a book-class bear with it last year, and was very, very pleased with the rifle. It achieves 338 Win Mag velocities out of a 20-inch barrel with 200 and 225 grain Hornady factory ammo. The rifle was very handy in some of the thick alders and stuff I hunted, even though I ended up shooting at 180 yards. (One shot, double lung, through and through, DRT, with 225 grain SST). Since you reload, it's important to note that Hornady uses a new, special powder, unavailable to the public, to achieve that performance, so you'll likely have to settle for a bit less velocity when loading your own for 338 RCM. If you're planning on a lot of open country hunting and long shots, you may want to stick with the 338 Win Mag, especially since you reload. If Hornady ever makes the powder available to the public, that might be a game changer.


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Originally Posted by muledeer

I do believe reloading is a crucial practice if you want to be really functional with a .338 RCM, though, because I don't much care for the few factory varieties being produced. I'm getting really good loads with Re 15 powder pushing 185 and 210 TSX's and 200 gr Hornady Interlocks.

Dennis



Unlike Dennis, I DO like the factory ammo. The 225 grain SST load took down the biggest black bear I've ever shot instantly. The bear will make the book, and a story on the hunt will run the May issue of Petersen's Hunting. Hornady, by the way, has now added a 185-grain GMX load to the lineup. Haven't tried that yet.

While there's nothing wrong with the factory ammo in my book, Dennis is the guy to talk to re. reloading for the 338 RCM.

One thing we do agree on is our mutual fondness for the 338 RCM. I would have no qualms taking anything on this continent with the 338 RCM, though my first choice for brownies/grizzlies would be something a tad heavier.


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The 338RCM cannot ever live up to the MIGHTY 338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM.
Treat the RCM as a short case/high pressured 338-06, that's where it's at. Not bad, just not great, IMO.


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Great thread. I am in the process of building a 338 RCM. As to feeding with short fats...this is not like a WSM case, it fits and feeds like a dream from my old tang safety M77 short action, while a WSM case won't get past the feed rails.

I am certain that the 338 Win mag will beat this with handloads as the capacity of the 338 RCM is almost identical to the 338-06.


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Originally Posted by 340Wby
The 338RCM cannot ever live up to the MIGHTY 338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM.
Treat the RCM as a short case/high pressured 338-06, that's where it's at. Not bad, just not great, IMO.


I totally agree it won't keep up with it. For me the rifle that it comes in is just so nice and that's the only thing that would ever lead me to it, not the round.

Problemo is I already have a nice 338 WSM and a 338/06 and a 340 so I feel sort of covered. A Montana in a 338 Federale still perks my fancy from time to time though..

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To be clear, it matches the 338 Win Mag in certain bullet weights in factory loadings and I don't see it as an either/or situation. The short, handy rifle it comes in is the 338 RCM's claim to fame. It's use certainly isn't restricted to close-cover situations (witness pile of plains game shot by Ruger CEO in Africa), but that's where it really shines.

I also have the 338 Fed in a Hawkeye all weather. It's my designated Calif. rifle as it happens to shoot the (mandatory) copper very well.

As you can no doubt tell, I tend towards rifles specialized for the particular job at hand... gives me plenty of excuses to keep acquiring more. wink


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Originally Posted by 340Wby
The 338RCM cannot ever live up to the MIGHTY 338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM.
Treat the RCM as a short case/high pressured 338-06, that's where it's at. Not bad, just not great, IMO.


That would only be the case if you actually liked a .338 Win. I do not, nor do I like any other belted magnum. I think the Ruger long and short cases are the perfect answer, as they are slightly bigger around than an H&H case, but fit nicely in the actions. I have a .375 Ruger and a .338 RCM, and like both of them very much. If I were headed to Africa any time soon, I would have a .404 Ruger built, as has been demonstrated and discussed by a personal hero here grin), and it would do very well.

Since the .338 RCM has slightly greater capacity than a .338-06, I doubt very much that it builds higher pressure to achieve the same velocity. And that's the true role of the RCM, whether Hornady wants to face it or not.

Dennis


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Originally Posted by Mark R Dobrenski
Originally Posted by 340Wby
The 338RCM cannot ever live up to the MIGHTY 338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM.
Treat the RCM as a short case/high pressured 338-06, that's where it's at. Not bad, just not great, IMO.


I totally agree it won't keep up with it. For me the rifle that it comes in is just so nice and that's the only thing that would ever lead me to it, not the round.

Problemo is I already have a nice 338 WSM and a 338/06 and a 340 so I feel sort of covered. A Montana in a 338 Federale still perks my fancy from time to time though..

Dober


Dober, how do the 338/06 and the 338WSM compare? Interesting caliber. You could kill two birds with one stone if you rechambered a Kimber 84L montana in 338/06? wishful thinking...

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Hornady explained the 338 RCM pressure curve to me by basically stating that it stays at preak pressure -- safely -- longer than other powders, thereby achieving the velocity increase out of the shorter tube with the new powder. A longer, smoother spike as opposed to a sharp spike, in other words.


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Originally Posted by 340Wby
The 338RCM cannot ever live up to the MIGHTY 338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM.
Treat the RCM as a short case/high pressured 338-06, that's where it's at. Not bad, just not great, IMO.



I also agree.338 Winchester all the way.

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Originally Posted by jimmyp
Originally Posted by Mark R Dobrenski
Originally Posted by 340Wby
The 338RCM cannot ever live up to the MIGHTY 338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM.
Treat the RCM as a short case/high pressured 338-06, that's where it's at. Not bad, just not great, IMO.


I totally agree it won't keep up with it. For me the rifle that it comes in is just so nice and that's the only thing that would ever lead me to it, not the round.

Problemo is I already have a nice 338 WSM and a 338/06 and a 340 so I feel sort of covered. A Montana in a 338 Federale still perks my fancy from time to time though..

Dober


Dober, how do the 338/06 and the 338WSM compare? Interesting caliber. You could kill two birds with one stone if you rechambered a Kimber 84L montana in 338/06? wishful thinking...


While you are waiting for Dober to respond, I will tell you that my experience is that the .338 WSM falls about midway between the 338-06 and the 338 Win. But the gap between 338 Win and 338-06 widens at 225 gr and above, and then the WSM stays closer to the Win mag (its velocity does not drop as quickly as does the 338-06 as bullet weight increase.) Or so it seems in my data.

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All it takes for me is to hit all the Sporting Goods stores in town and see which ones have ammo for the 338RCM and which have ammo for the 338WM. My rifle is the 338WM!!


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thanks for all your info. it looks like ill be sticking to the 338 win mag.

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Originally Posted by idahostalker
does the 338 rcm have any advantages over the 338 win mag? I dont really know much about the 338 rcm other than short video clips i have seen and supposidly you get the same performance from the 338 rcm with a 20 inch barrel that you would with a 338 with a 24 inch barrel. im planning on buying a 338 really soon and i was wondering if maybe the 338 rcm would be a better choice over the win mag. I reload so take that into consideration.
............Performance wise on any game you could use a 338 on, the game won`t know the difference between these two, whether it be from a 20" tubed 338 RCM or from a 24" barreled 338 Win.

I believe what`s more important is to choose a rifle with most of your personal preferences. If it were me, I really like the handier walnut/matte Ruger Hawkeye in the 338 RCM with its 20" barrel. It has that DGR look to it! And in the the right cartridges, the shorter barrels are no slouches when it comes to very high performance levels....I just happen to have a little experience along the lines dealing with shorter barrels!!

You`re a reloader as you state, all you need is good 338 RCM brass availability, which as of yet, I haven`t read or heard of any problems in that particular area.

Though I owned a 300 Win for alot of years, I too prefer the non-belted casings.

I think that if you were to go, handle and play around with a 338 RCM Hawkeye for awhile as I have, it just may grow on you faster than most 338 Win rifles.


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Originally Posted by Cariboujack
All it takes for me is to hit all the Sporting Goods stores in town and see which ones have ammo for the 338RCM and which have ammo for the 338WM. My rifle is the 338WM!!


I don't dispute your opinion Cariboujack, nor your logic. It is all sound. I'm just glad I haven't followed it over the years. I've had a lot of fun shooting, testing and loading for a large variety of guns and calibers that can't be regularly found at all stores. Don't get me wrong I own the regulars; but, I more often shoot the ones, and travel with the ones, where reloading is a requirement. I'm not a wealthy man; but, if I took a hunting trip with my "less common caliber" gun and was dumb enough to leave my ammo behind, or have some moron lose it (me included) I would buy another gun at my destination. Would I want to go through that? Hell no. If it were an expensive trip I would probably be taking two guns anyway.

Hell, given the opportunity, I would have both (all three, four, etc.).


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As much as I hate to say this. I believe the 338RCM will not catch on, & will die in time. Just like the 325WSM looks to be(I like this cal!).

Federal still does not list 325 ammo. But I hope the 325 lives on, as I do the 7mmWSM.
Maybe Browning with keep these 2 going. The X-bolt has it all from the looks.

Last edited by 340Wby; 02/10/10.

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