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Joined: Jan 2001
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,390 Likes: 1 |
[To answer the original question:
No - the market is killing the 300 & 338 RCM's And this is still the reason. The powers that be at Ruger aren't stupid despite folks' displeasure with them in not catering to their own personal whim. They're willing to take a risk and when you take a risk sometimes you fail. They're not going to stop making rifles in chamberings that sell, they are going to stop making rifles in chamberings that don't sell. "Folks" all said, "give is a 9.3X62, it's so cool, I'd buy one." So Ruger did, and folks didn't buy one. At least not in enough numbers to justify its continued existence. Remington had the same experience with the .35 Whelen- "oh, give us a .35 Whelen, we'd buy lots". But they didn't buy lots of them. I don't think someone at Ruger just up and thought of making the .300 and .338 RCM's. Their market research must have shown them the public wanted a handy carbine that still gave good velocity. But, sometimes market research is wrong. They're in good company, so to speak; the .284 Winchester and 6.5 Remington Magnum come to mind, not to mention all of the SAUMs. In the case of the .300 and .338 RCM, they gambled and lost. I am reminded of Jack Nicholson's line in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" - "at least I tried, dammit, at least I tried...".
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery.
Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,128
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Never been a fan of short barreled rifles. A true magnum has a 24" barrel. If offered in a 24" barrel I would own a 338 RCM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 11,505
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Hate to say, "I told you so" but you should never buy any rifle chambered for a cartridge that has not been in production for at least 10 years, unless you understand from the get-go that you may end up hand loading only, fire forming, etc.
Don't blame me. I voted for Trump.
Democrats would burn this country to the ground, if they could rule over the ashes.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I'd say most on the fire hand load
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Joined: Mar 2004
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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How embarrassing, 338rcm. All this time I just assumed that with your screen name, you were a big fan of the 338 Ruger Compact Magnum  . Seriously, I thought they did make the 338RCM with a 23" barrel. If you consider the fact that the RCM is a half inch shorter that the 338Win, that makes the 23" barrel the same as a 23.5" barrel on a 338Win. Not much difference, really. Steve
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Steve, I was going to build a lightweight 338 RCM years ago. I never got around to doing it. I would still buy a factory gun with a 24" barrel
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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The word magnum in the name had nothing to do with me getting a 338RCM. I bought it because the economic failure meant the gun was being offered at a rerasonable price, and my even lower offer was accepted - that is called the market.
Now despite theory and prejudice what I have on my hands is a great elk rifle, it is light and powerful, and shoots flat.
How flat? Well some cross canyon rock busting during deer season alongside a pair of well used 7 Weatherby Mags with 26 inch barrels resulted in my friends judging the 338 to be a good shooting rifle. We were hitting out to 500 plus yards.
I know it isnt as flat shooting as my 300 Weatherby, but the rifle is easier to carry in the woods. It does have a performance edge over my 358 Winchester.
The same people who wish they could find a Remington 660 in 350 Remington Magnum for elk hunting are going to try and buy this gun from my grandson one day.
Some times the market over looks the sum of all the pieces.
The Hawkeye in 338 RCM is a hunters dream rifle.
Ignorance is not confined to uneducated people.
WHO IS JOHN GALT?
LIBERTY!
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Joined: Mar 2004
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Campfire Regular
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A 300RCM with a 20" barrel would be my choice. Not really magnum performance, but surely a 308Win on steroids.
BTW, what's the pup in your avatar?
Steve
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Campfire Outfitter
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A 300RCM with a 20" barrel would be my choice. Not really magnum performance, but surely a 308Win on steroids.
BTW, what's the pup in your avatar?
Steve Shes a Vizsula, but shes not a pup anymore. Just my best(spoiled) friend
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Joined: Mar 2004
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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siskiyou, Since you made a well thought out purchase of a 338RCM and have carried and shot it in the field, I'm not sure you are qualified to be commenting in this discussion  . Actually, I agree with you on all points. Just curious what model you have and if you are handloading or using the Hornady factory stuff? Good post. Steve
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Nice size breed and beautiful dogs. The ones I've been around have been pretty high energy-actually really high energy dogs. Be nice to have one that was sorta de-tuned but I suppose it's the nature of the breed.
Pets and grandkids- just wouldn't be fun if you couldn't spoil 'em.
Steve
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Campfire Outfitter
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How embarrassing, 338rcm. All this time I just assumed that with your screen name, you were a big fan of the 338 Ruger Compact Magnum . Seriously, I thought they did make the 338RCM with a 23" barrel. If you consider the fact that the RCM is a half inch shorter that the 338Win, that makes the 23" barrel the same as a 23.5" barrel on a 338Win. Not much difference, really. Steve Steve, Its just a user name and no matter how you measure a barrel 24"s is 24"s
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Campfire Tracker
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If you can get the performance from a 20 inch tube why go 24?
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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How much better would it be in 24"s
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Joined: May 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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If you can get the performance from a 20 inch tube why go 24? Simple. Even more performance! 
The Chosin Few November to December 1950, Korea.
I'm not one of the Chosin Few but no more remarkable group of Americans ever existed.
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Campfire Tracker
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Steve I have only used factory 225 SST's so far. I do have dies, but not enough empty brassto make it worth setting up a loading session. Knowing how I am I would say check back in about 2014 on the reloading.
I have the wood stock 20 inch barreled model, I am being to lazy to look into the safe right now. Or too sore, it was a long day.
I sort of feel like my decades of experience spoke to me when this gun was chosen. I guess I could machine a nice bloop tube to get 24" - LMAO (I do install a bloop on my long barrel AR for walk around varmiting, saves the ears some.)
And thank you for the nice review of my post.
Ignorance is not confined to uneducated people.
WHO IS JOHN GALT?
LIBERTY!
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Campfire Tracker
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Performance isnt an absolute - each factor is a compromise. I carry a 26 inch Weatherby with a 2 inch muzzle brake on it for 28" in all, and yes it makes my 300 Weatherby really perform, but it is a nusance in the thicker woods.
Elk hunting where I go now is a medium distance game.
Ignorance is not confined to uneducated people.
WHO IS JOHN GALT?
LIBERTY!
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,128
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Performance isnt an absolute - each factor is a compromise. I carry a 26 inch Weatherby with a 2 inch muzzle brake on it for 28" in all, and yes it makes my 300 Weatherby really perform, but it is a nusance in the thicker woods.
Elk hunting where I go now is a medium distance game. Sounds like a 24" barrel would be model perfecto!!!
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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I wouldn't argue a guys barrel length choice. It can be based on performance, handling, balance, looks, or a combination thereof. I've made 'em 20, 22, 22.5, 23, 24, and 25 inches. Sometimes it was well thought out and other times I just picked a length. One thing I have learned, start out long. It's relatively cheap to shorten a barrel and really expensive to lengthen one.
Another thought about the RCM case-what if they had come out with say a 243, 257, 264, and 284 RCM (well maybe skip the 243)? Then went with a 7mm, 30, and 338 on the 375 Ruger case. I think the 7mm and 338 may already exist as wildcats but haven't heard of any on the RCM case. Food for thought.
Steve
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Joined: Jun 2013
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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I actually think the RCM's are decent cartridges. Sure, they are just a re-vamped '06 as far as capacity and performance are concerned but they do fit and function well in a short action.
I had a 338 RCM briefly and sort of liked it except for some flaws with the rifle itself. I had to add an inch and a quarter to the stock to get a reasonable length of pull and spend two evenings making the forarm less ugly (I went with a schnabel and it looked pretty good). The rifle was very accurate and not too bad to shoot with the lengthened stock. Why on earth they supplied the rifle with such super-high rings is a mystery to me. I guess for the guys who wanted to mount a 50mm scope on their lightweight carbine. Also, the bolt handle was ridiculously thin.
So the rifle was, in some respects, a turkey. The cartridge worked just fine though.
I like the 300 RCM better than the WSM just as I like the SAUM better. With the WSM, it was hate at first sight. I had reamer before I could get brass and had some of the first brass in the country then wondered why I had bought both.
Ultimately, I think the main failing with the RCM's is not with the cartridges but with the rifles. Ruger really needs to take a step back and look at some of their earlier offerings before they produce something too stupid. They have produced a few nice rifles but not too frequently lately. GD I agree, I like the saum and the RCM better than the wsm, at least in theory as that is all I'm going on...
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