Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters SA .338's

I'm even thinking of tweaking mine by putting a 22" barrel (up from 20") on it with a slightly lighter contour barrel so it comes in at the same weight. I think that would make it more versatile for the longer shots but still be good in the thick stuff. Also, getting it bead blasted with a coarser grit to give it a darker shade of gray color.

I have two 338RCM M77 rifles. One is the 20" RCM rifle now in a McMillian classic stock. I also built a 22" version with Rock Creek #3, also in a McMillian classic. While carrying the 20" is really nice, I find the extra weight out from of the 22" makes for a steadier hold.

I have shot one moose with the short one and three with the longer one ( the last just two weeks in Newfoundland) and have to say its about my idea of a perfect moose cartridge. I hunt the east so we don't have mean bears, so I haven't felt the need to shoot heavies. Instead I have used 185TTSX, 210NP and 210TTSX. I did catch one of the 185s so have settled on the 210's although at 338RCM velocities a lot of bullets would undoubtedly do fine.

I am mostly a carry hot kind of guy, but my NF guide had me carry cold and It was the first time that three down felt a little light. Maybe the fact that the other guy in camp used a magazine full of ammo to put his moose down helped with that perception. In the end it only took one shot for my moose.

In any case I am happy Mainer mentioned turning the follower around to get 4 down in the Ruger I am going to test that out as soon as I make a few dummy rounds. I also have a M77 in 300WSM that might also benefit from the follower trick.

On the Hawkeye, you can put a bend in the floor-plate and then silver-solder some metal in to fill up the gap so that it holds 4 in the mag. That is what I did (gunsmith did the soldering) - I want 4 in the mag because sometimes you do need it. With a Remington 700 short action, you can buy a canoe floor-plate so it will hold 4 .338 RCM's in the mag. But try as I may, I can't get 4 .270 WSM's in the mag with this set up and have them feed reliably...because of the stupid rebated rim.

John,

Always wondered about bullet performance in the Federal.
338, like 270, is kind of a specific use bullet.
A manufacturer can guess exactly what cartridge and velocity the vast majority of those caliber bullets are going to see.

Being that the standard for 338 is quite a bit faster than the Federal,
are even the normally softer bullets designed for the magnum?
And since most 338 use is for bigger animals, my concerns were
adequate expansion at what wouldn't be very long range.

Tikka must have built a pile of them. Remember them selling cheap
around here. Then, for the next several years, even cheaper on the used market.

I'm shooting a factory 22" Ruger in the RCM, it replaced both the Federal and Winchester 338s I had.

Wonderful cartridge and has become my favorite rife/cartridge combination.

225 ABs at 2,750, with a .550 bc easily takes me to 750 yds on larger game.

The 250 Partion leaves the barrel at 2,600 with RL16

.

Dillonbuck,

Back when I started fooling with the .338 Winchester Magnum around 35 years ago, one of the bullets that proved to be a little tender at magnum velocity was the 200-grain Speer Hot-Core--but also found it worked very well at 2700 fps or so in are reduced load, which I used on whitetails in the local riverbottom cover. Expanded just right, usually leaving an inch-wide exit with a good blood trail (which generally wasn't needed) and little meat damage.

When I started using the .338 Federal, found the 200 Speer was very accurate in my Kimber--with a handload that got just about the same muzzle velocity. It worked just as well as the reduced .338 Winchester load.

This mirrors my experience using the 200 Speer in the .338-06, when loaded between 2600-2700fps.

Will also add:
For a time, my only hunting rifle was a 358 winchester. Later on, my only hunting rifle was a 9.3x62 Mauser.

I don't see any difference in killing power on very large bull moose from 358 win to 9.3x62.

Therefore, the lightweight, compact 338 rcm has replaced both. 60+ grain powder capacity and 40 inch overall length.

Elmer Keith was spot-on about the versatility of the .333 OKH in Alaska.

Elmer had glowing things to say about the 350 rem-mag carbine when it first came out. He thought it ideal for Alaska and steep, alder-choked terrain.

I wonder what he'd think about the 338 RCM in an open-sighted ruger 77 carbine?

Where I see a major difference in anchoring power, is .400 Whelen-level/350 grain and up.

Thanks MD!


Had issues with a Swede, the bullets so many tout for it were
leaving me disappointed with it. Lost deer, long trails...

Faster, softer bullets changed that.

Was just about to ditch the thing.

An old Writer said something to the point of,
"I like to do my hunting before the shooting.

Good to know about the 200gr Speer Hot Cor. When Hornady quit making my 200gr Interlock I was lost for a new bullet. Temporarily I am going to use the 185gr Fusion. The Speer may be my next one to test.

The Fusions will be plenty soft for the 338 Federal. I’m hunt with 200 grain ballistic tips out of my 338 Federal this year at 2600 muzzle velocity.

I am a big 338-06 fan, but since this thread is about SA 338 cartridges....

A 338 RCM is an easy button, 338-06 performance in a SA. Had I not already been well stocked for the 338-06, I am sure I would have been all in on the RCM.

A 338 Federal is even easier. Had a Kimber Montana in 338 Federal, but it is too light for me. Have a Savage hog hunter that I have not had any time to play with. Want to set it up with a subsonic load for suppressor use.

You can certainly do the wildcat route, but I am over that phase of looneyism.

I like the .338 Federal but the RCM will give more velocity, about the same as the time-tested .338-06.

I just grabbed 338 RCM reamer and guages from Mr. Sisk. My plan is to build one on a Tikka, so I can load as long as I care to. Getting kinda jazzed about this project.

I've got one of the Ruger 77 Hawkeyes in .338 RCM with the 22" barrel. Light, handy, powerful. With the softer Speer 200 gr Hot Cor's loaded to 2700 to 2800 fps, they put down the big 300+ pound northern Missouri whitetails quickly. It'll be my primary rifle on my next elk hunt, loaded with Accubonds, Fusions, or Weldcores.

Like others have said, I don't know why the .338 RCM isn't more popular. To me, it's just about perfect for elk, moose, larger deer, and most bear and noticeably lighter and handier than any .338 Win Mag rifle I've handled.

I'm glad I got one while the gettin' was good.

I looked at the 338 RCM and went 338 Fed. I rebarreled a Kimber Montana with a heavier contour Lilja at 23". It balances well and with the heavier contour doesn't have all the muzzle rise the 22" factory barrel had. I get an honest 2700 with the 185 TTSX, 2600 with the 210 Part. The RCM seems to get about 150 ft/sec more than those loads - but who cares about 150 ft/sec at 50-100 yards, which is the primary reason I built it. Shortish range elk, Moose, bear. Plus it weighs 6.75 lbs and doesn't beat the crap out of you. I dig it alot. And I may have 6-7-800 308 brass.

I have mentioned this before. When the 338 RCM first came out I purchased a reamer and made one. Used a SA Ruger tanger in a McMillan Ultralight stock. Rick Bin sold me that stock and painted it ASAT camo. The box magazine was lengthened to 3.050". It has a #2 profile 22" SS 1 in 10 twist Lijla. Friend cerrakoted the barrel. Current scope is a 3-9 x 40 Trijicon Accupoint. Weight 7 1/4 lbs.

Have used it for a three cow elk using 225 gr accubond @ 2730 fps using 54 gr of Varget. OAL with 225 accubond is 2.980" Distances were 250 yd or less. Very lethal, never found a bullet.


I tried other bullets but the ones listed below are worth mentioning:


As a lark I tried 300 gr sierras seated kissing the rifling, OAL was too long for magazine.
Much to my surprise during testing two touched at 200 yds with RL-17/ 2350 fps.I also tried the Berger 300 OTMs with same accuracy.

This fired up an idea I had often thought about. I always thought a high BC bullet with that much weight from a smaller case using a small amount of powder would be able to fired repeatedly without excessive barrel wear and shouldn't heat up quickly yet perform down range with plenty of energy and minimal wind drift. Ended up making a second 338 RCM but had it long throated so the Sierra boattail/body junction was even with the case's shoulder/body junction and kiss the rifling. It is in a Joel Russo stocked Interarms Mark X. The barrel is a #5 lilja profile 30", 1 in 9 twist. I had Dan Pederson rebore/re-rifle this barrel which was originally an ill fated 1 in 7 twist 7mm lilja. This package shoots the 300 gr sierra at 2520 fps with 57.5 gr of RL-17. To date it has taken 2 coues wt at around 500 yds.


There was a great deal on the 185 fusion bullet a while back. I bought several hundred and put together a load using 54.5 gr of IMR 8208 XBR for 2785 fps. It ended up with the same POI at 100 yds as the 225 accubonds. It will be used on this year's javelina hunt.

A sidenote: Both rifles had mild clicker issues with once fired brass. After reading several threads on the subject, I pulled each barrel and sanded the web area a bit larger. Clickers are gone!

My .338 WSM (circa 2002) is the tits.250 gr A Frames on African Plains Game gave outstanding performance. Could also consider the >358 WSM (.358 Sambar), I hear good things.

Mpwolf: I sure like my Tikka T-3 Rifle in caliber 338 Federal.
I think the action on this Tikka is compact (short?) enough for your liking.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I think mature riflemen also add percieved recoil to the equasion when new cartridges are introduced as well as the potential availability or lack thereof, for reloading components. It can add or subtract from any new release.

Probably why most opt for the .338/06 as the better option for those not favoring a magnum in .338 but wanting the bullets available in that caliber.