Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which one .338 ME, .338 Fed or .338 RCM?

I'm got the urge for a .338 again but which one .338 ME, .338 Fed or .338 RCM?
Who has used them?
I'm looking the Pro's and Con's.

Whats wrong with a 338 Win Mag...dont say becouse you already have one. I have 3. Why reinvent the wheel...not a better caliber out there!

I once had one and it was brutal to my shoulder.

I load a 338 Federal for a friend and all three cartridge choices are very good. No real cons to either.

Do you want a lever or bolt? What is your terrain and type of hunting? From a stand? Stalking? Alot of hiking? Shooting distances? Game hunted?

While the cartridge is important, so is the rifle for feel, handling, balance and for carrying.

If you want the lever, that eliminates two and is an easy choice. For short, moderate to medium, the 338 Federal or the Marlin Express are excellent rounds.

If you feel you need more power, the 338 RCM will not only do what the other two can do, but it will offer more performance from its 20" barrel with a total overall rifle length of under 41" in the Hawkeye. A sweet package.

My vote here goes to the 338 RCM chambered in the Hawkeye. You can load it down for the need or load it up for the need. You can use it for short, medium or for the longer range with better downrange energy capability, just in case of unforeseen longer ranged shots.

Sounds like you want a Kimber Montana in 338 Fed. 5lb1oz before scoping. Easy carry. All Pros, no cons!

If that is the case, the I'd avoid the RCM. They are probably pretty close in that department. I have a 9 lb 338WM and 7 lb 338Fed. The WM thumps a lot harder at both ends even with the weight difference.

I'd ask yourself if you want a lever or a bolt action. If you want a lever, then the 338ME is your baby. If you want a bolt, get the 338Fed.

RH

Actually not. I shot 36 rounds out of my .338 RCM today, and have no ill effects. It kicks more than my .338 Federal, but no more than my .35 Whelen. Despite what Hornady and perhaps Ruger would like us to believe, the .338 RCM is no .338 Win Mag. It is a short-action .338-06, which is not a bad place to be.

I like mine, and I like my .338 Federal. Nice cartridges, and they come in nice rifles.

Dennis

Cole........I don`t feel that the 338 RCM will have as much felt recoil as the 338 Win.

You can go the Hornady site and view the 300/338 RCM new product audio/video.

You can also view one about the 338 Marlin Express.

Having shot my .338 RCM about a hundred times, I'm not guessing -- it doesn't kick as much as a .338 Win Mag. No reason it should -- it's not shooting the bullets as fast.

But it doesn't have to be competitive amongst cartridges -- they all have their merits.

Dennis

unless i missed something there isnt a bullet made in .338 that will expand below 1900 FPS since hornady quit making the 200 gr FP. so a 338 federal is going to lose its real killing power around 300-350 mark. in practical application i found it difficult to load any of the 200 grain + spitzers or tipped bullets without eating up case capacity and seating them well below the shoulder.
as a deer rifle i dont think much would be lost or gained to the more common 308 with either heavy or premium bullets, If hunting elk or moose i think id prefer the winmag downloaded or the 338-06 in any medium load.

Good info Dennis. Thanks for stteing the record (and me) straight.

RH

Ringworm,
I don't question your stats or conclusions based on numbers.

However I do think that the .338Fed with a solid 300yard operation window is a good place to be and available in a sweet carrying package when combined with the Kimber Montana.

Yep.

I'm fairly sure a 200 gr Hornady SpirePoint will expand below 1900 fps. And I don't know the exact range I shot my mule deer buck at last year, but it was somewhere past 200 yards. The 185 TSX expanded just fine, at not a whole lot faster than that.

I don't carry it for 500 yard shots. But then, I don't carry anything else for 500 yard shots .

Mine is in a Ruger 77 Mk II RSI, which is also a sweet carrying package.

That being said, my .338 RCM is pushing the 185 TSX a comfortable 300 fps faster than my 18.5" barreled .338 Federal.

Dennis

Thanks guys for your in put.

Ringworm, I was under the impression the magic number was under 1800 fps but I could be wrong. But if I am right the .338 ME with the 200 gr Hornady FTX bullet should work out to about 400 yards or so.

I too am pretty sure the Hornady SP will expand below 1900 fps.

My first .338WM was a Savage and IMO Savages are the worst recoiling rifles, And I have owned a bunch of Savages. I also hunt and shoot with a 9.3x62 and a .45-70.

I'm not likely to take a shot over 350 yards from a field position. So all 3 cartridges should work well.

I like the feel of the Marlins and Rugers. Does anyone besides Sako chamber the .338 Fed?

The 338 ME should work out to 400 yards if you put your time in to get to know the rifle/load. Guys that have the 338ME are getting every bit of the factory numbers even in the shorter barreled version.

Ruger chambers .338 Fed in the Hawkeye and I think Compact or Frontier. Kimber chambers it in Montana and 84. If you have a short action with .473 bolt face it's just a barrel away from any rifle.

Dennis

I'd agree that the 338 Federal is pretty much a 300 yard rifle. A 210 Partition leaving the muzzle at 2500 FPS really isn't considered a flat trajectory (a 180 AB at 2700 ain't a whole lot better) But inside 300, its gunna to put a hurting on sumthin'

For the record, the longest shot I've ever taken on the West Half of the divide in the state of Montana was only a hair over 200 yards. I've seen game out at 600-1000 yards before, but I enjoy that thing they call HUNTING...

An actual 300 yard shot on a real game animal in the genuine field is somewhat more difficult to make than such a shot on the Internet... .

I like shots at about 75 yards... .

Dennis

Yep, me too.

I remember, you were going pig hunting? Looking forward to the news. Have a great hunt.

I leave in the morning; should be hunting by Friday afternoon. It's a long way from Alaska to anywhere... .

Thanks...hope to have some good pics to post later on.

Dennis