Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Weatherby brings out the 338RPM

Nearly as fast as the short-action .338 RCM with the same barrel length. If only it didn't have a rebated rim, I'd much rather have the bolt-face opened up to a non-standard size.

Open it up to .416 😁

Whoopee - another new cartridge that offers little or nothing new.

The 338RPM sends a 225g AccuBond at 2800fps from an 18" barrel. My Ruger 338WM had a barrel chopped to 22" and sends a 225g AccuBond at 2778fps (11 shot average). The 338 RPM 225g TTSX and AccuBond ammo costs $109 per box vs around $72 for Barnes 225g TSX and Federal 225g AccuBond. Handloaders can load the 338WM with 225g TTSX for about $20 per box and 225g AccuBond for about $36 with factory ammo starting around $70 a box. The 300RP]M Weatherby rifles start out at about $2600. Personally, I'd rather get a Ruger Alaskan with a 20" barrel and iron sights for around $1570 MSRP.

Will other manufacturers adopt the 300 RPM? Some, perhaps, but widespread adoption? No.

Will Weatherby sell some? Yes. And probably enough to make it a profitable venture for them. The 338WM is still getting the job done, though and sales will continue to be multiple orders of magnitude greater than for the 300 RPM.

What I would like to see is a 338 PRC - no belt, and a COL that fits in a standard length action with a 3.5" mag. Until them, my 338WM is doing just fine - a stainless Ruger MKII rifle cobbled together from parts with a fluted, 22" barrel, iron sights and Ruger Zytel skeleton stock. I shoot 225g AB and SST and have used it to hit clay pigeons a 4" steel plate at 600 yards. No need for ammo that runs $5.45 per shot.

I’m heavily invested in 338 win mag and certainly would not give up that caliber for the Weatherby which offers nothing more in my opinion.

If anyone didn't already have a 338 of any kind, would this be attractive to you at all?

Have to say, from the point of view of commonly available components...maybe not to me but perhaps there are reasons to!

YAWN. Call me unimpressed. How many years has it been since A-Square SAAMIed the 338-06 & Weatherby made rifles for it? It's already dead & mostly forgotten. There's no support for it beyond necking up 06 brass. Why would this be any different with uncommon oddball big $$ Weatherby brass for no real ballistic gain over the 338-06? Ruger RCM? Now there's another less than ground-breaking best seller, eh? Compact Magnum? Is that like Jumbo shrimp? And the circular jerk just keeps on circling. Maybe if they named it 33 Creedmoor or something...

I prefer 200-215s in my 338-06 Ackley. There's another thread on here somewhere about this cartridge & for schidts & giggles I've just tried some 225s recently getting to 2900fps with breaking a sweat using both Hunter (compressed) & Big Game using plain old 06 brass. Will it see 3000fps without excess pressure? Maybe. There's enough bullets left for 3 higher charge increments of B.G. next range trip.

There was a thread on this back at the beginning of the year. I love 338s even down to the lowly 338Fed. I loved my 338WinMag until I picked up a 375H&H. I could load down the 375 easily and match the 338WM. The ballistics are intriguing but it just doesn’t get me jumping for another rifle, but as a looney, I may pick one up if they ever produce them…

NO... If I need more than a .30-06 or .300H&H, I will grab a .375H&H...

Remember the sole purpose of a marketing department is to separate you from your money, by making you dissatisfied with what you have in hopes that what they are selling will somehow make your life better... Regardless if their product provides any REAL benefit, their primary goal is to separate you from your money...

That's pretty dang hard to argue with.

I guess I’m in the minority. I like the idea of the .338 RPM, especially with the 18-20” barrels. Sure, we could all cut down another .338 or build one but I give Weatherby credit for launching a new product that is different than the status quo 7mm and .30 cal varieties that are the safer bets. I could be wrong, but I’m not aware of another factory offered, mainstream .338 magnum-esqe with 18-20” threaded barrel.

I bought a Silencerco 36M for a different plan but after seeing the new Backcountry in .338 RPM with both steel and carbon fiber short-er barrels, I plan to get one. It may not be the end all .338 Win/RUM/WBY but the RPM has me wanting one for a suppressed elk buster.

Already have an 338RCM which is about the same thing and really more favorable since I don't want the related case rim. Already have an 338win mag, 375 Rugers, and one 375h&h so I got stuff covered. The Weatherby lightweight rifle is cool but I don't honestly have a need at this point for it.

No. Too many other good options. I don't need the fastest 338, don't care for heavy recoil, 338WM brass is relatively inexpensive and WBY ammo is very expensive by comparison to 338WM ammo. I'd rather see a 338 PRC on a long case standardized by SAAMI and would either wait or get a 338WM.

Full disclosure - I already have a 22" barreled 338WM. 225g @ 2778fps works just fine for me.

That would be me, right now and no.

Cost of ammo or components - not an advantage.

Likely to only be offered in Weatherby rifles - those have never horned me up in any cartridge. Nothing about the rifle itself so it would be a "build it" option. If I'm building something where I need more than what I have? 375 H&H/Ruger.

YMMV

Have you priced Weatherby ammo lately or are you talking about prices 5-6 years ago or earlier?

They have cut down their prices.

I was hoping the second RPM cartridge was going to be .358 bore. A bore size Weatherby has ignored thus far.

A .250 grain in a Whelen is typically about 2400 fps. In the .358 Norma 2700 to 2800 or so.

If Weatherby had the .358 RPM with a 250 grain going around 2600 from a 22 inch barrel that, imo, would be the sweet spot.

A longer and thinner .350 Rem Mag that fits four down in their 6 lug action is what they should have made.

I kinda think the case is awesome but I'll be damned if I am strapping myself to Weatherby brass. Someone like Lapua, ADG, Starline, Alpha, etc gets on board, then maybe, but heck no to just Weatherby produced brass.

From an engineering standpoint, I like it. From a logistics standpoint, I do not. It allows the company to make the most of a smaller platform that they have, but that may not enough to warrant real market acceptance, much like the .45GAP. If you aren't planning on using the small Wby action, it just makes too much sense to do a .338WM or a .338-06.

From an Engineering standpoint,it's a Goat Fhuqk. They "unleashed" a chambering which is shoe horned and by literal design,precludes the use of the best bullets in it's bore size. Secondly,there's no S/S spouts(as a minimum). "Cerakote" is their new catch phrase. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!..............

Ah. I wasn't aware their little action wasn't full-length. That is not a point in their favor, nor is the lack of SS.