The 375 Ruger would certainly qualify as a good all-around for anywhere in the world. Living in the Smoky Moutains and having family in central Oregon, the 338 RCM would make a fine one rifle for me personally to own. Certainly, I would prefer mine to have a 24" barrel though. I dislike muzzleblast far more than I do recoil. I don't have any plans on hunting Kodiak bears (though with 250gr pills the 338 RCM should be fine here too)so I can see this chambering as a true one gun offering. I have a spare Leupold LPS 2.5-10x45 sitting here begging to be saddled up and the 338 RCM is probably going to be my choice. Sure there alot of old school and new school rounds that can do everything it can, but this one appears to be exactly what I have been looking for. Boomstick's idea also crossed my mind. I thought about the 9.3 Barsness and the RCM case would be a good canidate for a 9.3 or 375. A 9.3/375 RCM would make a heck of a thumper for Eastern black bears or hogs and would fit in equally well for timber elk. It is true that there are a plethora of options now available as all-around cartridges, but that doesn't mean that the 338 RCM is bad. In my mind, this series of cartridges makes more sense than the WSM line.

Once upon a time, I took a 9.3x62 to Hawaii. One of my ammo boxes broke, and the TSA confiscated the ammo that was loose in my bag. As I tried to get my ammo on the plane, I remembered that Adolf Hitler's father was a minor customs official - this man's mind was made up, and I was NOT getting that ammo on the plane. Fortunately, this happened coming home. Had it happened on the way over, I'd have been hosed, as finding any ammo in Hawaii is tough, and anything other than 22 LR, 30-30, 270, 30-06, 12-gauge or 20-gauge is very rare.

If you plan to hunt all of North America, you become a traveler first and a hunter second. Hawaii is not the only place where ammo is hard to find, and my TSA guy is not North America's only bureaucrat.

I firmly believe the 338 Ruger has a bright future. But until you can buy 338 Ruger anywhere ammo is sold in North America, it's a poor choice for an all-arounder. For that, you want a 30/06, 308, 270, 300 WM, or 338 WM - even a 30/30 makes more sense if you think about it.


Okie John