Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Has anyone tried out a Ruger Hawkeye .300 RCM?

How well did it shoot with the 20� barrel? How does it compare to .300 WSM and .300 Win Mag.
The reason I�m asking is that my son is being transferred to Spokane, WA in January of �09 and he wants me to come and hunt with him next fall. He thinks that to hunt in the west you have to have a magnum.
I have had a .300 Win Mag, sold it, and a .300 WSM, gave it to son.

Wish I could tell you. Had the bloody gun since June but no ammo nor brass here in Australia!!! A very poorly co-ordinated product launch IMO. I wrote to Ruger and all they would say is we'll pass your letter on to Hornady.

The flick pass!

What a shame.

Rehards
JohnT

Yep ammo is the problem. According to an article I read by Wayne van Zwoll last January Hornady was supposed to have finalized the spec�s by then.
Hornady has the brass and ammo listed on their website as �coming soon.� It looks like Hornady has dropped the ball on this one.
I can�t help but wonder if there is a problem with the ammo?
I do find the rifle and the cartridge interesting.

cole -
Saw your posts while doing a search for RCM wildcats. I haven't had any problems getting ammo or brass for the two 338 RCM I'm having built (a Serengeti and a Ruger #1). Not sure where you're looking, but both Midway (http://www.midwayusa.com/) and Graf & Sons (http://www.grafs.com/) are listing ammo available right now for the 300 RCM if you decide to go that way. I can tell you from experience with my 7 SAUM, 300 WSM, and 338-300 WSM that the short mags are a great alternative to standard (belted/LA) magnums if you want a short action. However, as a native Montanan and western hunter, I can also assure you that you don't need a 'magnum' for any species in the rockies, even out to 300+m with proper loads/bullets. If you've got a .280 Rem or 30-06 you shoot well you'll do fine and ammo (especially for the 30-06) will be easy to come by. If you want something a bit more exotic, I can highly recommend the 338-06: a true medium bore but without the recoil of the .300 or .338 WM. Best of luck w/ your search.

cole k
If you do a search you will find my tales of woe about the 300 RSM in Hawkeye on here.
The readers digest version is
Bad recoil
expensive factory ammo
Magazine too short too accomodate sensible reloading procedures
factory ammo, over two chronographs was about 100 fps slower than claims, making it indistinguishable from an 06 in the field
New brass not available, so one has to buy factory ammo at $40 a pop to have cases to reload, or scrounge for the rare once fired brass
The accuracy in my rifle was nothing to rave about either.

Do your self a favor and buy a good 270 or 30/06. There is a reason so many guides and former guides use those cartridges.

Fred

FYI- I've had 338 RCM brass on order from Grafs since July. They called last and said it was in. Maybe the 300 is available now also.

SOS

Thanks Guys. I know I don�t need it to hunt the west. I already have a couple of .30-06�s, a couple of .308 Win�s, a couple of .270 Win�s, a .270 Weatherby Mag, a .25-06, a .257 Roberts, a 7x57 (in the works), a 8x57, a 9.3x62, a .45-70, plus a few others.

I don�t think I�m going to buy one. But I do find the rifle and the cartridge interesting. I�ve had a .300 Win Mag and a .300 WSM. The recoil of the .300 Win Mag. And I was disappointed in the accuracy of the .300 WSM.



The Ol� man said, �Son, don�t brag to me about the long shot you made! Brag to me about how close you got!�

cole,

I just got a box of Hornady 180 gr factory loads last week, and I will add those to the 150 gr and 165 gr loads that came earlier and go shooting over the next couple of weeks. I intend to take my Hawkeye .300 RCM hunting in November and find out how it does in the field; I expect it will be well.

It handles similarly to my Steyr Scout, and that Ugly Duckling just works for me in the woods. I like the carbine format, and I favor field performance over ballistic tables.

jim

Jim thanks for the reply. I am interested in hearing your results.


The Ol� man said, �Son, don�t brag to me about the long shot you made! Brag to me about how close you got!�