Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Any 338 RCM Shooters?

So what? Why do you think that entitles you to luxury items you can't (or don't want to) afford?

David

I'm at a point where I'll take the 3 day hunt with a Ruger and the fond memories over a custom rifle.

In regards to the 338 RCM, I think it's a really cool round. I've just grown leery of all short mag brass availability with WSM and RSAUM.

FWIW I just chrono'd one for a friend. It was a Ruger " 1 with a 24" barrel. 225 Gr. hornady"s averaged 2810 for 5 shots. Very low es. Shot into 1 1/2" and the shooter was not very experienced. Recoil to me seemed about like a stiff 06 load.
Chrono was a Magneto speed.

Lefty C

I'm the complete opposite. I'd gladly sell rifles to make memories. Last few conversations I had with my dad were about memories we made together, not about stuff.

In fact I have done just that. I sold a Kimber rifle to help defray the costs of making 2 trips to ID in one year when I drew limited entry tags for deer and elk. Got my first bull that year. I don't miss the rifle, at all...

I just divested 6 rifles and a shotgun to buy more components to shoot more, and hunt more with the guns I have.

My comment was not designed to injure.

Guys, to me it boils down to how many are you willing to sacrifice. In my situation I only have 5 rifles that I have a vested interest in. You sell two this year and two next year and then what? Drawing a tag of a lifetime...now that's different. Selling two guns a year to lease in Texas would put me out of business in two seasons.

Anybody load the 250gr bullets? powdr

What it boils down to is you want a life luxury that you don't want to pay for. You feel entitled and as such you are comfortable publicly mooching off of others.

David

I shot 250g Interlocks in my 338 WM, loaded down a little.

They kicked like buggery and also didn't do anything my 30-06 does with 200g bullets so I sold the 338.

Still have the 30-06; that one will not be divested. Apart from my GBL 45-70, the 30-06 is my big gun now.

Bob, what do most use on the large water buffalo yall have in Australia? powdr

I don't live that far north, but most people you know that shoot a lot of them (farmers, rangers, jackeroos etc) use 308 Winchesters and factory 180g ammo.

Personally I'd want at least a 30-06 and a premium 200g bullet. If I was doing a lot of it on foot ( ie up close and personal ) a 375 would be better.

When I sold my 338 Win (a Vanguard) a fellow from the Northern Territory bought it by the way.

I bought a Hawkeye from the 24HCF classifieds. I am using factory Hornady 225g loads. It is yet to be bloodied, but to the Oregon bear opened the 1st, and I carried it last Sunday.

I am confident it is up to the task of elk hunting this fall. It is lighter than my 300 Weatherby, and I am getting older.

You can get a new Ruger .338 RCM with 22" barrel for around $400:
https://www.cdnnsports.com/338rcm-hkm77rfp-22-m-sts-syn.html

Then look around and get enough brass that future availability won't matter. If you don't like the plastic stock, get an aftermarket stock to complement the matte stainless Ruger.

It has been my go to gun for the last 4 years. I have a 20 inch compact, It has two Elk to it. One was with the 200g SST factory load at 400 yards dead elk but the bullet was fragmented. Second was with handloads 200g acubond BCL-2.

I just picked up the stainless one with the 22 inch barrel, It has a very thin profile barrel. Thinner than a .338 Fed that I have.

Both of my RCM's are in Mcmillan stocks and shoot very well.

I had one. Loved the rifle and cartridge but mine went through brass on the 3rd firing and not being able to reliably get brass I sold it a couple years ago. I was getting just under 2600 with Nosler 225 AB's with RL17 and A2520. Accuracy for me was only so-so. I was very sad that it didn't work out for me.