Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Who is doing a 338PRC?

Now that the 300 PRC has achieved a reasonable following, it is probably time to fill the niche that Ruger left unfilled. Ruger case with .338" for 340 Weatherby ballistics in a standard length action or in a magnum-length action with extra long bullets.

The 375 Ruger case is a great starting point and the 338 is a delightful caliber for long-range bullets in reasonably lightweight rifles for game 400 pounds and up.

The shoulder should be set back a little for the 338. At least a caliber-length neck would be useful with the longer bullets.

An 8"-9" twist would allow shooting some of the longer monometals like Hammer and others are producing.

So who is doing a 338 PRC?

Good buddy built a 338/375 Ruger about 10 years ago. It is an excellent shooting rifle and does exactly what you mentioned, 340 Wby ballistics from easy to get brass.

He used 338 RCM dies to neck down 375 Ruger brass. I like your idea of a longer neck, which sorta makes it darned near a 35 Newton sorta case.

The shoulder on the .375 Ruger case does need pushing back and the neck needs lengthening. However, once you do that, you're going to have two different thicknesses of brass in the neck and the donut problem.

not enough case capacity to make it even remotely interesting

338 Win Mag
340 Wby
338 Nosler
338 Norma Mag
338 Lapua Mag
338 RUM
338 Edge
338 XC

a 338 PRC won't improve anything ballistically in 338 Cal, but if you're a Hornady fanboi who believes that their cartridges are some sort of super duper "modern" marvels that defy physics and common sense, then have at it

Some of the .338 cases listed above are inferior in design to a .338 PRC or even a .338 RCM. Unnecessary belts or rebated rims, shoulder angle not optimal, too long, too much capacity for a medium weight hunting rifle etc.

yup, looks like you didn't even chew and swallowed the Hornady hype turd, sad

Yep, excellent case design with the PRC's and RCM's. A 9 lb (including scope) .338 PRC would be excellent wouldn't it? You could...carry it and then shoot it accurately.

Lapua or bust if you have to have the perfect 338.

A point that seems to be missed so far in this short conversation is that the magic in the PRC lineup is all in the long bullets and fast twists. Of course, there are plenty of 300 magnums that surpass the PRC in case capacity , yet the PRC seems to have struck a nerve with the shooting world and has drawn a significant share of the market. I think there is no doubt the that 300 PRC will become the new standard for 300 magnums. The same could easily be done with a 338 or 35, but the bullets to make it useful need to be developed to wring out the true advantage of the cartridge. For that reason, I would wait to see what the future holds.

I often think of balance when approaching caliber and rifles. And I like to carry a rifle.
The 338 Lapua has always attracted me because I am a longtime 416Rigby user, handloadloaded to its capacity potential (over 6000 ft# and 416 Weatherby ballistics). The Rigby just needs a 10-12 inch twist. But my Rigbys have all ended up around 11 lb., scoped and loaded. I built a 500AccRel Nyati on a Ruger Hawkeye with an opened up bolt face. It duplicates the Jeffrey in a smaller package but ends up 11 # with scope et al. anyway.

On the other hand I got a Christensen Ridgeline in 300PRC last year. It is light even with a magnum length action. It's main limitation is shooting 30 cal. (My grandkids have a Kimber in 308W for lighter 308 bullets.) I also like the .532" casehead for lighter calibers like 308 and 338. What the 338 lacks is a good 8 inch twist standard rifle. A 338 PRC would be a simple answer.

There is nothing "modern" about the PRC, 30 degree shoulders have been done for eternity, beltless cases have been around before the great flood and caliber length necks have been done before the big bang ....

What you guys are eating is Hornady bullshitz

You have to be pretty much retarded (or just jabbed senseless) to actually buy into the wHorenady hype

look around in Ackley's handbooks and there's not much that hasn't already been done.

The best thing about Hornady's offerings is that they produce accurate factory ammo.

All the good aspects of case design that have been done before and are proven, are being done by Hornady in their PRC/RCM cases. No stupid rebated rims or useless belts, case length is correct for high bc bullets with the 7 PRC, cases aren't too fat, ideal 30 degree shoulder. Now slither back down into the swamp and stay on the bottom.

Also often overlooked is rifles come with the correct twist rate and the SAMII drawings have a decent specs. Add the companies loading ammunition have new instead of worn out equipment so the chance of buying good ammo is increased.

Not me.
But have done a.264/.375 Ruger,
pushed shoulder back for caliber length neck,
as must be done when necking down that 30-degree shoulder.
Saves having to buy expensive 26 Nosler brass.
Hornady makes great brass, jahwohl.

Also have a.395/.375 Ruger and a.458/.416 Ruger with usual headspace for parents.
Neck-ups are much more fun.

Been shooting 338's for more than 20 years, have to stand on the side of Swamplord, NOTHING special about the 338PRC

Have to disagree, NOTHING great about Hornady brass, so-so IMO

The standard length and standard magnum bolt face aren't big enough to command the high BC 338 bullets. In a standard action, the 33 Nosler essentially is a pushed back shoulder and even a little wider powder case as it's based on the RUM, but it's merely in between the 338 WM and the 340 Wby and 338 RUM. Even if you set the COAL out to 3.7", it'll still lag behind. To do the 338 caliber what the other PRC have done to the others, look to the 338 Norma Mag. That's a case actually designed around long and high BC bullets.

Ha!
Have been shooting .338's for over 38 years.
If I can't do it with.338-06, .338WinMag, .340 Wby or .338 Lopwah Magnum,
then I don't need to do it.

I will agree to disagree with anyone who says
Hornady brass is only so-so
in .458 WinMag, .404 Jeffery, or .375 Ruger & .416 Ruger.

I might add that Hornady makes some great 6.5 Creedmoor factory ammo too.
When it shoots into a bughole at 100 yards from my Ruger No. 1,
I think that brass is probably pretty good too.

I will agree that Peterson Cartidge brass might be better in some regards.

Ah, some common sense. My son always keeps me practical: we don't need a new rifle or caliber, we need more opportunities on something to use our rifles on."

A person needs to decide what level of velocity and bullet size they want to hunt with. What weight of rifle? The rest pretty much becomes self-explanatory, though always with some choices on a high side and low side.
So why did I buy a 300 PRC last year? First, it was easy. Factory. Lightweight. And I wanted to try a carbon-wrapped barrel. And I wanted a "second" for elk mountains. I think of the 338WM as about ideal, since I don't really like the idea of shooting over 500 yards. Been shooting one 40 years, guinea fowl to buffalo. But a 3000fps 200grain .308" high-BC bullet seems pretty ideal in an accurate rifle (8"twist). And as much as I like a 2800fps 350grain .416" bullet, I wouldn't like carrying three more pounds on a mountain rifle. Meanwhile, between a 3000fps 300PRC and a 2830fps 225gn 338WM, there is a slight nod to the 300PRC. If my son and I were together and looking at a 400-450 yard shot, the PRC would win out. Under 300 yards maybe the 338, but in reality they would be a tossup.

Now if a 338PRC were available, maybe 3000fps 225gn .338", I would choose it. There are some long, monometal bullets that can use a twist faster than 10".

So how long a wait for a 338 PRC offered in a Christensen Ridgeline?


I like Hornady brass, too. they should be applauded for developing the 375Ruger line. And their 416Rigby brass has bee better than the Norma brass I used to use. One company that has caught my eye is Alpha. Their 308W brass in small and large-primer versions is impressive. Apparently, Alpha is only interested in brass for smaller, precision calibers, but it is special and reasonably priced.

PS: these days I load a 223gn .338" Hammer for 338WM. It does about 2850fps. It's a nice all around package.

The 33 Nosler is exactly that. It does have greater head height than the WM but the standard length confinement just isn't enough for the really long 265+(or 250 monometal) gr 338 bullets without diving deep into the case.

Yes, I would be happy with a 338Nos in a lightweight mag-action fast twist like the Ridgeline.

Tanzan, I forgot about the excellent Hornady .416 Rigby brass.
It is what I used to make the .395 Tatanka. Never a problem.
I actually had Peter Cardona make properly headstamped brass for
both the .395 Tatanka and .500 Mbogo, and I am betting he used Hornady .416 Rigby blank basic for those,
collectors items, heh-heh-heh.

Weatherby is still at it too, with the new .338-cal carts, bless their heart.
RIFLE magazine came in the mail today, Sept. 2023 issue.
Featured on cover: "Weatherby's New 338 RPM."

It uses a .284 Remington case (.473" rebated rim) lengthened to 2.570" max brass,
0.500" base diameter above the rim, COL 3.340" like a .30-06.
225-gr Nosler Accubond MV advertised:
24" barrel: 2800 fps
18" barrel: 2660 fps
Case capacity is 81.6 grains water gross,
about 7 to 10 grains less than the .338 WinMag of various brass makes.

Reason for rifle ?
Must be for lightweight package.
Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 model weighs 5.38 pounds "without scope and accessories," according to Brian Pearce.
That is with a fluted steel, slim and slick barrel of 18" length, I reckon.
No carbon-wrapped barrel liner needed there.
No special twist needed for the .338 WBY RPM either, bullets gotta fit in a 3.4" mag box.

Not so with the 8.6 Blackout !
That is a .338 based on 6.5 Creedmoor (.308 WCF) shortened and necked up, near same case body taper as Creedmoor.
It uses a 1:3" twist !!!

Ilya Koshkin wrote it up in a recent GUNS&AMMO PRECISION RIFLE SHOOTER (display until 06/19/2023) found at local Walmart.
A photo there showed some impact/expansion testing with what looked like either a Barnes 185-gr MRX BT or 210-gr TSX bullet
in the supersonic mode.
1:3" twist produced near triple the expansion diameter as the 1:10" twist with same load.
Impressive visual, photo looking down on expanded noses of 10 bullets, 5 from each barrel.

They are claiming 2000 to 2200 fps with 200-gr bullets from 8", 12", or 16" barrels.
The 1:3" twist makes subsonic shooting at 800 yards "challenging and gratifying."
Heh-heh-heh.

A Winchester M70 Extreme Weather .338 WinMag with 24" barrel weighs 6 lbs 14 oz without scope and accessories.
That pig needs no lipstick.

I find 8lb including the scope shooting .338 225's at just over 2700 fps about the ideal weight and 9lb including scope shooting .338 225's at around 2950 fps about right.

8.6 BLK

https://scatteredshots.com/2022/03/24/faxon-firearms-8-6-blk-barrels/

https://scatteredshots.com/2022/09/23/faxon-overwatch-tactical-8-6-blk-bolt-action-rifles/

I would rather have the 338-RUM.

That's just me. Get whatever you want.

It all depends on twists and bullets. They almost made it song, "Twist and shoot".

Everything I ever shot with my 338 WM just up and died. I’m sure glad those animals didn’t need an extra 20 fps. Lots of you guys get so wrapped around the axles about a few extra feet per second. My Model 70 SS Classic with scope and sling weighs in just at about 8 and quarter pounds. If that’s too heavy, I guess I need to get in better shape or quit hunting.