Personally I don't see the advantage though. With both of them, you are trying to approach a known commodity, in terms of power, as the 338 WM.
Nope. I'd be quite satisfied with a 225 gr. bullet at 2650, which is a bit above .338-06 A-Square levels, but well below .338 WM.
The 225 grain bullet of any make is going to really rock in terms of recoil, so personally I want some gun weight. In terms of resale, the 338 WM will always sell better than the wildcats too.
How much it 'rocks' depends on MV, stock design, muzzle brake or lack of same, etc. Do you think an 8 lb. .338-06 AI will kick more than my 7 lb. .300 WSM Montana? ;-)
Further, I won't be shooting 225 grain bullets all the time, or even most of the time. 180-215 grainers will do fine here in the South. But, it'll be nice knowing that if I do head to AK, which is a goal of mine, I'll be set.
(If I actually go to specifically hunt brown bears, I'll likely get a .375 of some flavor. Just FYI.)
My thought's? Your wasting your time and money when you can go out and buy a rifle that will do everything you want to accomplish. I've used my 338 on Whitetails to Grizzlies, and it works just fine. Can't see where either of the wildcats you mention would be better in any practical way. As to the advantages of a short action, I think they exist more in the mind than real world performance. If I was bound and determined to own a short 338 mag, I'd go with the Ruger. As to Wildcats, they just don't appeal to me that much. Seems to me your just reinventing the wheel.
The .338 RCM did occur to me as well, and I might take another look at that. It would solve the brass headstamp issue. The factory ammo for that is oriented towards 20" barrels, and I'm looking at 23"-25", but given that I handload anyhow I guess it's not an issue. .30-06 brass would be a lot cheaper component than either of the short mag brass, of course.
I have no desire to shoot at big game over 400 yards anyhow, so probably the lower recoil, muzzle blast and cost of reloading push things in favor of the .338-06 AI.
Resale value is of no concern, as I have no intention of selling once I get this built.
