Shot it with 2 loads, 1 to get on paper 158 RP JHP under 60 IMR 4895 and 200 RP CL under 62 IMR 4320 as Sierra said that was the most accurate powder.

It seemed very consistent, function 100% as expected, barrel is very smooth and nice, by my eye it looks like great chambering and nice quality throughout, like the new torx style screws on the rings.

Pad is solid and it only transmits recoil than soak any up. The 158 was not bad about like an '06 with 150's but the 200's are about like a 338/06 in similar weight gun.

Guess it is 7.25-7.5 lbs and scope was leu 4x33

It shoots where aimed and seemed very consistent but the darned wind was gusting 20-25 easily sustained close to 20 or more mph so I could not speak of outright group size.

The set up seems like a great 'take anywhere' and hunt anything gun with right load. Light, but stiff barrel, holds 3 in mag, 1 in barrel so you have 4 rounds. That should do anything in if you are putting them where they need to go.

I may change the pad to dampen recoil. I think I would REALLY enjoy a 338 federal or 358.

Just found my Guns and Ammo Oct. 1982 issue AL Miller praised the 350 as the most overlooked and best all around cartridge, pistol bullets to 250's, gophers to grizzlies and cape buffalo and I know the latter has been taken with sure success with this round.

Overall, it is a nice hunting rifle that will put the meat in the pot if you do your job.

I believe there is a lot to be said for a no frills DEPENDABLE all weather rifle in the stainless Ruger either in 338 win Mag or 350 RM
for hunting ALL North American game.

6.5BR,
Sounds like a real all-around rifle you've got there. Congrat's!
You can always load her down to 358 levels with say the Hornaday or RP cl 200 grainers for fun shooting at the range and 95% of your hunting as well.
Why the arms manufacture's don't put a quality recoil pad on ALL centerfire rifles is just beyond me...hey, where's the suggestion box when we need it?

I have heard that these new Rugers will not feed the 250 grain bullets.That they are throated for the 200 gr factory loads.My 264 Win Mag Rugers are accurate as heck but throated for the factory 140 gr.They would not even shoot 100 gr bullets I tried.I had to deep seat the 155 gr lapula and 160 gr hornady bullets I like so much.I read an atricle about it in Shooting times.The 264 shoot awesome with my handloads groups of 1/2" or less at 100 yards .I do olove the stainless all weather 338s ruger 77s they are tough to beat.The barrels on both the 338 and 264s are the same medium heavy taper.I was wondering which barrels they had put on the 350 rem mags.The 350 rem mag was cool them went away before short mags got into lawsuits from Rick Jamison.Now its back.I was wondering if any one bought its little brother the 6.5 rem mag that remington brought back.

DGR, I WANT all my sporting hunting rifles to have a barrel about the dia of the magnum rugers.

I just have more confidence the way they shoot better as they warm up, not that 95% of the time we should not need a 2nd in the field, but you may. Also, the barrels with more weight steady a gun better. My Ruger has a stiff tube and is very accurate, does not heat up bad and lots of air goes thru it when cooling down with bolt open so I think it is about perfect.

The overall weight is nice for carry but the gun can be held steady for in the field.

Shame I heard Ruger just went up on price. Just like Leupold they are pricing themselves out there.

Heck, Tikka's can be had for the price of American guns and the triggers and barrels are HARD to beat, not to mention a silky bolt. And they usually come with rings too.

And I hear they are very accurate.

I think I have not paid over $400 for any of the 338 Rugers I ever bought old or new ones.I did pay $500 for the 264 win mag stainless Rugers but I wanted them bad enough to buy them.I have heard that the thinner barrels on some Rugers are not nearlly as accurate as the medium heavy barrels on the 338s,300s and 264.Those Rugers with the medium heavy barrels are balanced.I shot two pronghorn at abot 350 yards last year resting off a telephone pole.My ruger stainless 338 win mag outshot my cousins $5000 custom 338-06 and my Stainless winchester with a boss with factory ammo.To shoot 3/4" groups at 200 yards is pretty good.I can only shoot any better with my $1600 Weatherby 338-378 .I got both of them for $1000.I wish ruger would make its heavy barreled varmit gun in some cfalibers such as 300 win mag and 338 win mag.I know they are heavier but as a stand gun or with the barrel fluted they would be awesome.I am interested in the 338 lapula they can out with but wish it was in stainless with fiber glass stock and in 338-378 Weatherby.I love the safety of the old Ruger 77s and the toughness of the Ruger All Weather.I think only Burris Signature zee rings even come close to Ruger factory rings.I have hardly ever knock off a Ruger rifle with Ruger rings by bumping or dropping them a few feet.I have had mine hang in bushes getting out of deer stands.I trust Ruger Riufles they have never let me down or jammed.

quote:

pistol bullets to 250's, gophers to grizzlies and cape buffalo

That's my 35 Whelen, and I can get 06 brass anywhere, and it holds 5 in the magazine!

The Ruger is I believe over 460 wholesale now.

What I wonder is why wouldn't the 350 shoot as fast as a 338/06 with same bullet weight and more powder-same 4320?

My 338/06 shot 2900 and the manuals have the 350 100-150 less.

Wouldn't the expansion ratio and greater surface area on the base of the bullet-combined with less bearing surface on the bullet AND a slightly slower twist rate allow a 350 with 62 gr 4320 push a 200 gr bullet as fast or more than my 338/06 with 58 or so?

I am puzzled? Barrel length 1" difference so that is not it.

MajorCaliber, I LIKE the 350 in this handy action vs a longer action. If I wanted the '06 case, I prefer the higher BC bullets of the 338.

Reality is there must be little difference in the 338 and 35's on the same case to most normal hunting ranges.

Yes, 5 in the mag is ALWAYS my preference too vs 3.

Nothing wrong with Whelen as I am fully aware its performance equals the 350.

This 350 really handles nice though, not too heavy, manageable recoil, but a stiffer tube than standard calibers.

Took it out this evening but no opportunity on game, but it is a simple no frills hunting rifle that I don't have to worry about scratching up.

DGR, mine has functioned fine w/o a hitch as someone posted awhile back about problems with theirs. I expect nothing less.

I might do a trigger job to squeak the potential out of it.

6.5BR,
You may not get "everything" the 350RemMag is capable of giving in the short actions because of limitations imposed by the magazine length. An extreme example... a .35 cal 310gr Woodleigh will seat at the cannelure and still be an easy fit in the case and magazine of a Rem700 in 35Whelen. Same projectile in a 350RemMag needs to be seated much deeper to feed through say a Rem673 or the Ruger's magazine. The deep seating steals some of your case capacity.
I've started playing with the same rifle as you and they are certainly a handy piece!
Cheers...
Con

My .350RM is a single-shot powder space is no problem with big bullets....I only need one shot to kill what I'm hunting for. What in the hell do you need 5 rounds for..?

T/C
Is yours a #1 or TC? I know someone has a Ruger 350mag

I don't PLAN to ever NEED 5 rounds but if I ever hunting mountain country and ran into a bear, I would feel better having more 5 in the mag vs 3.

I also hunt with a single shot. Most all my game was killed with the first and only shot. In fact the few times I ever fired more than one shot, I don't think I killed what I intended-big game that is.

Con, I believe a 250 partition or 225 Barnes will do in anything I plan to hunt with this gun, SPEER made a 275gr GS with Tungsten core I believe in the past, not sure if they still make it but it was said to be the best at that time for LARGE stuff like Cape Buffalo-something I never expect I will have a chance to hunt.

I have my 200's seated out and believe the Ruger will go longer OAL than a similar short action Remington. I think I would use 225 partitions or Barnes UNLESS I KNEW I was in Griz country, THEN I would use a 250 PT or similar, they do get big and I don't want one getting close.

quote:

projectile in a 350RemMag needs to be seated much deeper to feed through say a Rem673 or the Ruger's magazine.

I cannot comment on the 673 but the ruger can handle being loaded long. The ruger 350s are made on the wsm platform. The mag will easily handle out to 2.900. The chamber on mine measured 2.920. I loaded to an aol of 2.895 with no troubles at all with feeding. Accuracy is incredible with 225 grain sierras 1/2 inch or better groups at a hundred yards.

Ya know.. since the short mags are the craze this season again... and federal is coming out with the 338/08.. it would make sense to me to neck down the 350 Remington Mag case and put it in a short action like a Model 77...

That case with a 250 grain round nose in say a 20 inch barrel with a magnum contour would be a great rifle for hunting in deep brush....

I just still love the 338 bore over the 35 bore...but surprisingly, I also would take a 375/350 Rem Mag as a great elk or bear thumper at close range....

Too many fun possibilities aren't there??? But a stainless Ruger action short action with a grey laminate stock would definitely be a good choice...

isn't handloading and wildcatting so darn much fun????

cheers
seafire

quote:

What in the hell do you need 5 rounds for..?

Never seen a pack of wild boars?

6.5, you can use Whelen data with the 350 RM... I had the same rifle as you. 59.5 gr's RL15 (THE 350 RM powder!) with a Speer 250 grainer went 2,620 fps with easy extraction and no excessive pressure signs. That's Finn Aagaard's 35 Whelen load and is the same as the Alliant Website. The Rem 200 gr. Factory Load went 2,820.

Brad, thanks a bunch, I knew they were real close in capacity-whelen and 350....
I thought the factory specs on Rem site was 2720, but anyway, it seems to me that the 200gr would equal or exceed in a 358 vs 338 bore but I am not a physicist so perhaps the pressure curves make lighter bullets somewhat more efficient in smaller bores and larger bore ctg show their superiority above a given bullet weight......?

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing what my 350 does in the field. I expect it to be my 'GO TO' rifle for evening hunts. Morning hunts I will gladly shoot a 6BR and up as I can place my shots with better light and find an animal far easier than one in the dark.

BR:

You could have also done what Seafire has used for those deep brush, late evening, short range stuff...

444 Marlin, with a 300 grain XTP Hornady....at about 1750 fps.....Sometimes, it doesn't matter which side of the tree the deer is on....

I also call it my Logging Gun, for the number of trees it has cut in half... of course shooting three well placed shots into a good size pine, and watching it fall down is sort of fun when bored out on forest service land... makes good kindling for the next camping time in the area...

cheers
seafire

Seafire, Ole Elmer Keith must be smiling

I remember being shocked that a 6TCU carbine 21" bbl shooting 70TNT's were going clear thru 7-8 inch young saplings-hardwood. I thought they would blow up, but moderate velocity must have helped.

Anyway, I am not one to TRY to shoot thru brush, but missed a deer in CO the first shot at 80 yds, never saw the 1-2" sapling in front of the deer in my 4x Leu scope, but when the deer turned to look back, I was back on him with a fresh round and shot it thru the neck using my elbows on my knees, problem was it went through it, and the 139 from 7/08 blew up one of the hind quarters pretty good=that danged murphy's law-TRIED to NOT tear up meat, but I did accomplish my objective -a clean kill DRT.

I walked up to the deer and said, I'll be darned, as I was shocked the deer was not hit when I first shot. I saw where my bullet hit and deflected.

No bullets buck brush well, but the more lead you start with, the more you have left if you do get through some before it might head towards the game. Heavy bullets and slower speeds have lots of momentum to keep on track and less chance of blow up.

I keep eyeing those 450 marlin carbines at the gunshop, not that any deer can't be killed with far less power.

It brings back memories of my childhood, shooting squirrels with slingshots. Anything less than say 32-38 lead or bigger diameter steel balls would not kill w/o head shots. I used lead sinkers 7/16 and some chunks home made that were larger, and although they LOBBED and dropped alot along the way, they dropped squirrels STONED dead every time whether body hits or head shots.

I have seen what heavy slow projectiles do vs light weight and I would not be surprised if I had the opportunity to test say a 444, 45/70 vs 22-24 bores the outcome would be black and white I believe with standard body shots.

I know small bores can and do make quick kills when high speed hits nervous system or vitals but I seem to hear of more game running and farther than with larger bores.

I think a .54 muzzleloader ball with equal energy might do a better job day in and out than a light small caliber bullet at high speed.

That KO or Taylor values (I believe they factor bullet momentum ft lbs per second or something like that) likely has some good merit.

Elmer grew up in a day without premium bullets and I know that has changed things a lot but the guns of the west kept many people fed and it seems like they used 50-54 hawkins more on large game than 'kentucky rifles' of smaller bore.