Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 338 RCM or 338 win mag?

I'm looking at buying the Ruger Guide Gun in a 338. The gun has a 20" barrel and I'm not sure whether to get the 338 RCM or the win mag. I've heard mixed reviews about the RCM. With the 20" barrel, the RCM is suppose to be the same and/or out perform the win mag with a 24" barrel. I'm wondering how the 338 win mag will shoot from a 20" barrel. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this? And I'm not interested with the 338-06 or any other 338 round. Thanks!

The 338RCM IS a 338/06, in a short-action. It feeds slick, moreso than the WSM's because it isn't rebated, and I really like that Ruger Guide. It doesn't have the 338win's case capacity or velocity.

The 20in barrel claim is based off of factory ammo, and I'm guessing it is a powder you either can't get, or might not want to use if you reload, and if you buy an RCM, you'd better be a reloader. Brass is even hard to find right now.

To my taste - the Sako Black Bear in 9.3 gets my vote.

The RCM is a good round, will do anything a 338-06 will +/- which is my fav of the bunch. If you have access to a good supply of ammo/components, no reason not to go with this rifle. Ruger makes a good rifle.

I'm not a reloader though, but I do like the factory hornady ammo. And once I get it sighted in I'd buy a bunch of boxes. It's not gonna be my go to range gun so I won't be burning through a ton of rounds. I'm not too worried about the readily availability of ammo for it.

If you don't reload, the WinMag would be my suggested round. Ammo can be found anywhere, even in the small villages up here. I really don't see the RCM lasting very long considering Ruger is the only company making rifles for it. History tells us that alone is enough to kill a new cartridge. Where are all the other short mags? The 300WSM and 7mmSAUM are the only ones left. Don't get me wrong, I think the 338 RCM is a fantastic concept, and the best of the bunch, I just don't see it lasting unless other rifle makers start to chamber for it.

This is what I'm wondering too, how long it'll last. Hopefully it'll catch on and other start making the rifles for it, as well as more ammunition companies producing the round.

..............To estimate 338 Win Mag performance from a 20" barrel vs a 24" barrel, deduct about 20-30 fps per inch of shorter barrel length if given the same reloadings or same factory ammo. You`d be losing roughly 80-100 fps.

Go after the rifle (whether longer action or shorter action) that you happen to like the best for handling, carrying and the rifle which best suites your terrains.

If you reload, check the availability for 338 RCM brass from the various distributors, your local dealers and from Hornady as well. If not, then make sure that 338 RCM factory ammo is available for you to order from the above sources including Hornady themselves.

Either this month or the next ill be getting that ruger guide gun with the 20" barrel. It like the gunsite scout rifle on roids. I have the scout and absolutely love it!

.........You`ll have alot of fun. Strongly suggest you always wear ""GOOD"" hearing protection.

On roids? My shorty little Ruger Frontier compact (conventionally scoped or scout scoped), is a 300 WSM.

So you will get comparable noise levels shooting your new toy.

IF you are dependent on factory ammo and it's availability then 338 WinMag. The whole short magnum thing did not go as planned by the gun industry. Most can be found but where and when could be an issue. Some calibers in the short mags already are not being chambered in new rifles. You will be able to find 338 WinMag for a long long time.

+1 in a 24 inch barrel; 9.3x62 in anything shorter

Give us a report on the 338RCM. Seems like a very handy little rifle, with a good bullet.

Since you have already picked the rifle, it comes down to a reloading issue as far as I am concerned.

yes- RCM
no- Win Mag

Bass Pro still stocks 300RCM but they stopped selling 338RCM a long time ago at my nearest store, maybe you can order it. Midway won't have brass for a couple of months IIRC.

If you are set on a 338 and only use factory ammo, go Win Mag, and if you want a handy rifle, chop that barrel down to 21-23", not as much for ballistics, as blast. A 20" would work, but then you border asking why not a 350 Rem Mag, about the same capacity.

Lastly, a 325 WSM might tickle your short mag medium bore fancy, I believe at one time there was a good bit of ammo in that round.

I'd keep it simple, 338 Win Mag, chop a 24 down to 21" or so for a compact fast handling rifle. Scope w/a light low powered optic. Good luck and post us on your results.

Yanksman,

The .338 RCM appeared in 2007, so has had plenty of time to become popular. It hasn't.

I'd think that would be a sweet heart in a BLR or some other short rifle. Plenty of good bullets to hunt with in the 8mm too.. Plus, the 325 uses relatively fast powders which don't seem to hurt the speeds too much as the barrel is shortened..

As much as the 338 RCM appeals to me, if you're not handloading, 338 WM would be the only option in my book. Very few factory choices with the RCM.

JB's wise and correct, ANY round that has been out that long and NOT more popular, probably NEVER will be.....not a blem on the product, just popularity, i.e. future ammo production concerns...

I was not as succinct, but the short fat ones never did take off as planned. Too many others that had already been there and done that. Does not mean they are bad, if one just has to have a Short Action then they were the new answer to a question that was not really asked.