Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is Ruger killing the 300 & 338 RCM's?

Again, those "Magnum Velocities" were only available with factory proprietary powder HE-type loadings that can't be duplicated by the handloader...

They have never died, as they were stillborn from announcement.

If anything did steal their fleeting breath, it was the great sucking sound of the 300WSM train already headed down the tracks full-steam ahead.


If Ruger wants a winner, all they have to do is offer a 7-375.

Only a small percentage of american hunters reload today, not like 30 years ago times have changed

When the RCM's were announced, Kimber listed them as available chamberings in the magazine ads. The ads listing the chamberings only lasted a month or so. The next issue of said magazines dropped them from the list. I wonder why that project was pulled? To my knowledge, none were produced.

I may try to dig up one of the ads tonight.

And HE loads are available in the 30-06, 308, etc... and the factory SAUM was already established doing a bit more than the 300 RCM.

Ruger got its back up over Jamison and launched their hair-brained RCM's.

But at least they had the sense to offer a 33...

To answer the original question:

No - the market is killing the 300 & 338 RCM's

yup....I was amazed when they walked away from a case they already had and bought out the RCMs

I suppose the short bolt throw was more important to them......did they ask any of us?

Wasn't there some official buzz a couple years back about Ruger doing a 300 on the 375 case?

I for one do not like short barrel on high intensity cartridges. On the other hand I do like a 20" barrel on a 7X57 since it is not normally loaded to 60,000PSI, factory loads are in the 40's making it a fun cartridge to shoot in a short barrel.

I have a 26" barrel on my 30-06 and I get 3020FPS with 59 grains of H-4350 and a 165 grain bullet. The M-70 holds 5 rounds in the factory magazine, try that with a short fat cartridge

Yes Brad, I too understood.

I AM agreeing w/you + qualifying the graphing offer to ANYONE.

PEACE bro.

You have probably written the epitaph of the new Guide Gun right there. A 20" stainless rifle with open sights, yeah, I can see it. That rifle chambered for the .300 Win Mag, .338 Win. Mag., the RCM's - can't really see that.

Perception is reality - certain chamberings may or may not live up to public perception, but perception is why folks spend their money. Not to disrupt this thread, but if Ruger chambers that Guide Gun for what folks "perceive" as good thumpers then it will sell, ugly brake and weird stock or not. .350 Rem. Mag (maybe), .308, maybe even a .325 WSM, those are things folks see (at least I see) as good matches in a shorter, handier type rifle. That, or they need to do some serious marketing to change public perception to sell these.

You hit the nail on the head "public perception"

30/30 the original 30 caliber Magnum 119 years ago and still going strong!!!!

By the way, when I had the 338 RCM, I had no loading data for it so I compared capacity to some Winchester 30/06 brass I had handy. It was exactly the same. Not in the same ballpark, not similar, it was the same. So I used 338/06 data and it worked out fine. Like all of the short magnums, these were a cartridge with no real purpose. Only Winchester was able to market successfully; possibly because they were first but mostly because they were better at slinging the bull.
I still want to see somebody resurrect the 30 Newton! GD

To my mind that's the real shame of it. I'd have bought a 20 inch barreled 338 Fed in a heartbeat.

You obviously aren't an engineer with a pocket protector and undying faith in QL...

Nothing like actually doing a real-world comparison.

And or a blue flame special with a marketing MBA looking to keep employed via a company pushing a bunch of marketing coinage to keep some wet dream round afloat...

Course once the marketing coin stops then the sales mix of the round will drop to a point where it's no longer needed on the menu. Some of my old restaurant background coming here eh Mac...

Dober

We all come up with excuses for additional firearms. Often we create elaborate justifications for new guns. My excuse for a rifle to fill a perceived gap was to build another short barreled 338-06 when I came across this 338RCM to be used as a "large game rifle". I had sold my previous 338-06 and I wanted another but decided to give the RCM a try. For shooting any big game rifle outside of the top five chamberings, unless you have deep pockets, I'm of the opinion one should reload, so having odd chambered guns like a 338-06 or a 338RCM doesn't bother me much. So I picked up enough ammo and reloading supplies to keep the RCM fed for many years to come. I liked my compact 338-06 a lot, but I love the short barrel RCM. Kinda like a marriage between a 338-06 and a 350RM. Right down my alley.





All of the below links are for loads chrono�d with a 20� barrel 338RCM. There is measured data within as such:

200grainers: handloads maxed out in the 2800 to 2850 range

225grainers: handloads maxed out in the 2650 to 2700fps range

250grainers: handloads maxed out in the 2500 to 2575fps range

http://www.realguns.com/archives/170.htm

http://www.gunsandammo.com/content/338-rcm?page=1

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammunition/RS_0108_01/index1.html

http://www.gunsandammo.com/content/hot-couple?page=3

http://www.loaddata.com/members/search_d...eloading%20Data


I personally was unable to reach the same performance level with my beloved short barrel 338-06 as can be reached with the short barrel 338RCM. You guys are undercutting the performance potential of the RCM, especially when talking about a 20-inch barrel. The RCM is very efficient from a short barrel. But, short barrel guns are not everyone's cup of tea.

Best

The RCM's were turkeys from the beginning. Good riddance.

Browse "Cartridges of The World" for a plethora of failures over the years.

Our era isn't unique at all.