Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New member...with a new .338 RCM

....................Well Pastor Dan. In loving your son`s shorty barreled Ruger compact, I see that you have some real good taste in fast, handier, great carrying and handling rifles.

Love my `lil handy "pea shooter" too; a 16.5" barreled 300 WSM Ruger Frontier. More ooomph than a 24" tubed 30-06 from a rifle 9" or 10" shorter. Lots a boomin fun.

Thanks to great hearing protection for range and field use, my hearing is still very good.

Welcome to the fire. When you get to reloading the 338 RCM give RL-17 a try.

The 225 gr Accubond works very well in my rig. I thought I was all set until I saw that the shooter's pro shop has 180 ballistic tips on sale. http://www.shootersproshop.com/index.php?p=11&b=8&s=393&t=Ballistic%20Tip%20Hunting

Worked up a load with the 180 that was very accurate with same POI as 225s at 100 yds, but not maxed out. With a serious and fun load what more could a guy ask for?

Hope your new rifle gives you many special hunting days.

I can't wait to get mine! LH version however. They say that left hand shooters are in the "right mind", but with your choice of firearm and cartridge, I'd say your mind isn't so bad either!

Welcome to the Campfire, my research on the RCM is what brought me here as well.

Pastor Dan.............If you`re ever coming in to So Cal, PM me.

I`ll get my hog hunting buddies (the boys) and we`ll all go to the range.

One has a 16.5" barreled 300 RCM Ruger compact.
One has a shorty 338 Fed Ruger Frontier.
Another has a 375 Ruger African
Your 338 RCM
And finally, my 300 WSM shorty Frontier and 375 Ruger Alaskan.

We`ll space ourselves out evenly on the benches, and soon we`ll have the whole range to ourselves.....LOL!!!

Welcome to da Fire.

I moved from SoCal (Santa Clarita) 3 years ago...and now that I'm in Idaho I don't plan on comin' back!

Have there been any rumors circulating about Ruger taking the RCM case below .30 caliber? Maybe a .25 or .264?

What kind of Church do you Pastor? Wifey and I want to help get a Calvary Chapel started here.

My 338 is a wildcat that pushed 225gr TTSX's out at 3100fps. I am thinking the 338 RCM should be able to do similar. I came up with and built my wildcat about 15 years ago before there were any compact magnums of any kind. It works plenty well though, pretty deadly on elk, bears and plains game. If you reload I reccomend you give the 225 TTSX's a try. I might even send you a few....

Safariman,

If I read your post correctly you are way off. The 338 RCM will NOT perform similarly to your 338 wildcat. 3100 is a long way from what it can do.

Best I have seen using 225 Accubonds in my 22" barreled semi custom using a longer OAL (2.970") is 2750 fps with RL-17. The 338 RCM is not listed on alliant's site. RL-17 is beating all the listed load data that Hodgon shows. Highest vel shown uses 58 grs of BL-C(2) for velocity of 2689. Of course that is with a shorter OAL and barrel.

Just didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

............Can`t say as I blame ya. Idaho is wonderful up there.

I pastor Christ Community Church in Idaho Falls. May God bless your efforts!

Finally got the RCM to shoot. Had to put a box of ammo through it before I got it shooting with huntable accuracy. Just couldn't get her to group...most were running 3-3.5 inches with the 200 gr. factory loads. On a whim I wedged part of a flap from an ammo box in at the forend and seems to have done the trick. Also learned that I have to hold the forearm nice and tight off the bench to keep it from throwing fliers everywhere. Now its time to take her elk hunting on Friday.