The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles ruger 300/ 338 RCMGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| ruger 300/ 338 RCM | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
I'm looking to get one in 338 I've Gooled all the info I can on them, looking for first hand reports. Somebody must have one | ||
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I sure like the rifle ! If you are looking for load data go to just do a search for load data. ...tj3006 freedom1st | |||
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I am looking at 338 ultra mag, what do you guys think. Has anyone ever tried it out in Africa on plains game? How did it perform? | |||
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| one of us |
Roy, I have one of both. They are the TC Icon in 300 RCM, and a Hawkeye in 338 RCM. They both shoot extremely well. The 338 chorno's very close to published velocities. I like it a lot, downside is, Hornady sent me the load data for both rounds, and the closest you are gonna get is within about 150-100 fps of the factory stuff, they just aren't gonna let us have their 'special' powders. I'm still cyphering as to whether they are pushing pressure envelopes or not, but to be honest, my early intuition tells me, that if I load the powders they show for the 300 into a 308 cases with a modern action which will handle the pressures just as well as the new 300 RCM rifles, the 308 will match at lest the velocities that you can get with available market powders. Good luck, I think you would really enjoy one of the new rifles chambered in this caliber. | |||
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Like Fish pointed out, magic pixie dust powders, and in all reality, probably a good bit of pushing the pressure limits as well. Hornady did this with their "Light Mags" and someone here posted something to the effect of "don't try this at home, we closely monitor the high pressure loading of these cartridges" Now, take that nifty 338 RCM, rebore it to .358" and pick up the dies which have already been produced by...suprise...Hornday. One of our members here had them made. NOW we're talking  If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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Check out Hodgdon's Online Reloading Data Center - they seem to be able to match Hornady's 300RCM/338RCM ballistics with Hornady bullets using readily available powders, just as they did with the .375 Ruger. Jim  "Life's hard; it's harder if you're stupid" John Wayne | |||
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My friend just shot his this week 338RCM and said the recoil and muzzle blast were significant, appears not to be real pleasant to shoot Daniel | |||
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You shouldn't be talking like that. That's bad, very bad. It gets a guy thinking of another neat and feisty wildcat for his harem. But I already have a 35 Whelen carbine, and a 9.3x57, and two 9.3x62s.  Just think of a short action 9.3 wildcat on that RCM case. Now you have me wondering about the case capacity compared to the 9.3x64. KB ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ | |||
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| one of us |
Capoward, my data came directly from Hornady, and a discussion with one of their tech guys. He specifically told me, 'hey, they aren't really gonna let you get to the same velocities as their factory stuff'. In my experience you can't. The data they faxed me shows that, as does my chrono--latter more important IMO. You can get close, but prolly 100-150 fps short. | |||
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| one of us |
It's called the 358CRG, hopefully 3 rifles will be ready to shoot sometime next year. One is going on a 300RCM donor, another into an M98 and the last will either be a Ruger 350RemMag rechambered or a M70 ... I cant decide. Early indications are that the case holds around 4-6% less than a 358Sambar (358WSM). Manson has the reamer and headspace guages as they did ours. Oh ... and none will be built as 20" barrelled carbines either ... no wonder they bark! Cheers... Con | |||
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Fish30114, I don’t own either RCM - I was just pointing out Hodgdon’s RCM claims. A similar situation existed following the introduction of the .375 Ruger and Hodgdon’s reloading data was proven to match Hornady’s factory loadings when others had been coming up short of the velocity levels. Hopefully Hodgdon’s RCM claims will also prove to match Hornady’s factory ballistics; Hodgdon doesn’t note the barrel length so they may have utilized the standard 24” barrels vis-à-vis Hornady’s 20” barrels - would be a bummer is this is so. Jim Jim "Life's hard; it's harder if you're stupid" John Wayne | |||
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Thanks for the input, I was looking at getting a .358 when I found out a bought the rcm 338. But an rcm .358 sure would be nice, I let those in to know do the number crunching and I can rebarrel later. Even if I keep it a .338 I’m not too worried a bought reloading to factory specks the Hodgon reloading data looks good enough for my purpose. http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp | |||
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Thanks Con! I couldn't remember if that was you or not that posted about that in one of my wildcat threads. Very cool idea. I'd be half tempted to pick up a 338 RCM just for the easy coversion via a rebore and rechamber. 338 to 358 is quite simple, should be easy to open some dies up as well if need be. I rather like the idea with the 20" I've always wanted a 35 Sambar, SERIOUSLY potent round, you can't argue with 4000 ft-lbs and 250gr 358 bullets. If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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MHS, We're going to try opening 300RCM Hornady dies for starters to 35cal and replace the seater stem in the seating die with one from a 358Win ... trying to save on custom dies since the Australian dollar nose dived!! One of the guys already runs a 35Sambar on a rebarreled/rechambered Ruger 300WSM donor ... definately only a short step behind the 358Norma. A lot of goodness in a short action! I had to modify the magazine box of my Ruger 350RemMag to feed the 310gr Woodleigh soft ... an M70 donor with 3.1" box length would be nicer, particularly if a rogue elephant broke out of the zoo and you needed to use the even longer 310gr FMJ to protect the garden.  Cheers... Con | |||
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| One of Us |
I think I will stick to m70's for all my short needs, that long box can come in handy! I wonder what the barrel thickness is like on the 338, it would be interesting to see just how far you could rebore one! If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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What if I wanted to switch my 338 Fed over to 338 RCM? Sounds like I only need a reamer job. How is brass availability? Are you guys only using once fired factories? | |||
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I think you also need the bolt face opened and some rail work.....assuming you have a bolt action rifle /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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this is still a very new cartridge, so brass will be limited to hornady. not sure how much its going for but if you check midway im sure they have it. besides a rechamber, like vapodog said you will need the bolt face opened up and you may need some rail work done to get the feeding correct. odds are tho still cheaper then a new rifle If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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Ya, but 100-150 fps short then leaves you with 30-06 and 338-06 velocities! Barstooler | |||
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Capo, I hear you. I'm hoping to test some more loads, and I like Hogdon powders typically. I'll remain hopeful to get close to factory velocities. | |||
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Con & Fish Cant wait for you'r posts! | |||
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Perhaps the 338RCM will equal the 338/06 ... it should as case capacity is very similar. The 300RCM has greater capacity though than the 30/06 ... the two RCM cases are not the same. Cheers... Con | |||
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See...now I'm gonna say the same thing people said about my beloved WSM"s...whats the point? If you're only going to get 338-06 ballistics, or 30-06 ballistics, why put up with more expensive ammo, rifles and more recoil? The WSM's, at least, matched the standard sized magnums but in a handier packaged. Winny delivered on that. Maybe Ruger should'nt have stuck "magnum" on the name, since we are going to compare these RCM's to their respecitve full length counter parts. Of course, with magic fairy dust unobtanium powders, they're on the ball, but the WSM's can still be hand loaded to the same leverls, the RCM's cannot. If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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MHS, In some ways the 338RCM is attractive as its 'package' is agreeable ... short barrel, lightweight and packing an almost magnum punch. A short handy 338/06 isnt a bad place to be. The 300RCM is a bit like the 300RSAUM ... not as good as the WSM, but no patent issues either. When it finally gets to Australia, I'll stock up on 300RCM brass for the wildcat as I don't see it lasting a decade to be honest. Cheers... Con | |||
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I'm happy to stick with my "standard package" 30-06 and 338-06 (and 25-06, 6.5-06, 270, & 35 Whelen). Packing a few extra ounces through the woods is not going to kill this old fart! Barstooler | |||
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Con - Good point...still I think I'd step down a few 10ths of an inch in diameter and go 325 WSM  Great part is....even if the 325 doesn't make it as a factory round, the 300 WSM will, so brass will always be available.If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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