Semi-Custom Ruger 338 RCM

[PapaSmurff]

For all the traditionalist guys out there that still like medium-long range hunting I thought I'd share with y'all my Ruger 338 RCM that I just had re-barreled with a 22" Bartlein #4 contour barrel. Gunsmith also put a 3-port beast brake on it and cerakoted it all to match. I grew up learning to hunt deer and elk for many years in my teens and 20's using Ruger rifles and they have never let me down; from Colorado to Mexico, Canada to Kodiak Alaska even. Have never had a malfunction while hunting with them. I was just craving something that reminded me of the old days before all the bling of carbon fiber and 35 power optics, etc. So I had my gunsmith re-barrel this rifle for me and man am I surprised at how accurate and efficient the little 338 RCM is! It's shooting between 1/3-1/4" MOA groups with just Hornady factory 225 SST ammo at 2,748 FPS across the magneto speed from only a 22" barrel. I put a Leupold Vari-X 5HD 3-15x44 MOA reticle scope that I had laying around in the safe on it. Recoil feels about like a 7mm-08 or less with that great 3-port side discharge break. I never thought a good old Ruger could be so accurate and such a pleasure to shoot with basically 338 WM power almost. Shot targets with it all the way out to 1,000 yards today; bullseyes at each range I shot it at again and again while sighting it in. It feels like my new go anywhere, hunt anything big game rifle (excluding dangerous game and nothing past 800 yards). Anyways, it sure makes me remember the good old days and I just wanted to share a picture and details of it with the group.

 

[HARPERC]

Good looking, very useable stick! What'e finished weight?

 

[PapaSmurff]

Thanks for the compliment HARPERC. You know I haven't even weighed it yet actually. It's heavier than I thought it would be buts that's because I used a #4 Bartlein contour on it. If I did it again I would probably use a 3B contour. But heck I'm not complaining because it points great, is super accurate, and doesn't heat up very fast either. I'm wondering what barrel life on such an efficient little snorter like the 338 RCM is normally if you or anyone else might know? It only uses around 58-59 grains of powder shooting those 225's at 2,750 (around 12-13 grains less than a 338 WM, so I'm gonna guess upwards of 2,500-3,000 rounds perhaps?

 

[comfisherman]

338 rcm was a cartridge that should have made it, but it launched at the wrong time. A few years earlier I think it would have gained mainstream traction, or at least overtaken the large parts of the 325wsm, 338 fed and 350 remington market. 08 launch was brutal, then the heavy hunting focus of the industry in the 02-06 range went all black rifles in 08- all the time. Also competed with its own company for resources with the 300 rcm, which was kinda a tough sell in a very saturated short action 30 cal market.

I rustle around the brush of kodiak less these days, but still poke around south central and the interior a lot. The 338 lands about right for balance, gets an extra down over wsm based variants but the .338 bore is way more efficient for short barrels than say a 20 inch 300 wsm. It's recoil in a compact rifle is just under a 338 win enough to get make it a bit more tolerable. Kinda shame it didn't take off, would be a duesy of a hog whacker and with the increase of big bears in the lower 48 not a bad option.

Definitely days I think it would be a solid option for the wife as the 7.6 lbd 375 roogah I'd a bit much. Guess buy a few hundred pieces of brass should last a lifetime. Thanks for posting.

 

[AZShooter]

I also like the 338 RCM. I hunted elk with a 338 Win mag and a 375 Taylor (338 Win mag necked up to .375) taking many elk. Then I discovered the 338 RCM. It has less recoil in a lighter package and is easy carry on those elk hunts. So often elk are encountered in the thick stuff and the rifle must be carried at the ready.

When it first came out, I immediately bought the reamer and made two rifles.

First rifle is a heavy 30" #7 profile in a Joel Russo stock. It is a Mark X action with a near mfg picatinny rail and the stock trigger breaks at 1 lb. It is long throated to shoot 300 gr Sierras and later the 300 gr Bergers. Rifle weighs 13 lbs and is very accurate with little wind drift. Can shoot 8 or so shots and it only gets warm.

The second rifle is a 22" #2 Lilja SS with a Ruger M77 tang safety action in a McMillan ultralight stock. Had the barrel cerrakoted black and the stock painted in the ASAT pattern. It weighs 7 1/2 lb with a 3-9 x 40 Trijicon Accupoint. This shoots 225 accubonds @ 2725 fps with 54 gr of Varget. Very effective on elk.
Made a second load tayloring it to shoot same POI at 100 yds with the 185 gr fusion for a velocity of 2785 fps with 54.5 gr of IMR 8208 XBR. This is a fun plinker and will be used for javelina hunting.

 

[PapaSmurff]

I also like the 338 RCM. I hunted elk with a 338 Win mag and a 375 Taylor (338 Win mag necked up to .375) taking many elk. Then I discovered the 338 RCM. It has less recoil in a lighter package and is easy carry on those elk hunts. So often elk are encountered in the thick stuff and the rifle must be carried at the ready.

When it first came out, I immediately bought the reamer and made two rifles.

First rifle is a heavy 28" #7 profile in a Joel Russo stock. It is a Mark X action with a near mfg picatinny rail and the stock trigger breaks at 1 lb. It is long throated to shoot 300 gr Sierras and later the 300 gr Bergers. Rifle weighs 13 lbs and is very accurate with little wind drift. Can shoot 8 or so shots and it only gets warm.

The second rifle is a 22" #2 Lilja SS with a Ruger M77 tang safety action in a McMillan ultralight stock. Had the barrel cerrakoted black and the stock painted in the ASAT pattern. It weighs 7 1/4 lb with a 3-9 x 40 Trijicon Accupoint. This shoots 225 accubonds @ 2725 fps with 54 gr of Varget. Very effective on elk.
Made a second load tayloring it to shoot same POI at 100 yds with the 185 gr fusion for a velocity of 2785 fps with 54.5 gr of IMR 8208 XBR. This is a fun plinker and will be used for javelina hunting.

What kind of velocities do you see out of the 28" barrel rifle with the 300 grain pills?

 

[AZShooter]

I can give you both rifle's results with the 300 gr Berger

I had forgotten how long that barrel was. Looked in my notes and saw it is actually 30".
54.5 gr RL-17 Velocity 2454 fps three shots chronographed 2455, 2455, 2452

22" lightweight rifle notes said it was actually 7 1/2 lbs:
54.0 gr RL-17 Velocity 2349 fps (38 ft/lb of recoil )


A few years ago I took it along with a 300 RUM on a bull elk hunt. I had the 338loaded with the 300s. The Rum ended up taking the bull. I had done some research on the 300's performance. A poster from here, Broz, said this about the 300 gr bullet:

Broz comments on performance of 300 OTM on game:
bedded cow at 816 yards. Impact velocity was 1975 fps. Cow was slightly facing away. Entrance was in the crease behind the near shoulder. Exit was far shoulder. I was kind of surprised that the exit was only 1 1/2" or so. But this exit is deceiving. Note the bone fragments on the hair around the hole. Inside was total destruction and the exit shoulder was a loss. Elk died quick and clean. I am pleased.

1975 fps for the light rifle at 8000 ft under winter conditions puts that bullet at almost 650 yards. I figured it would work well for my usual shots under 200 yds. Never got to use it.

All three elk I had killed with the lightweight 338 RCM used 225 accubonds. They always exited and the elk piled up quickly.

 

[comfisherman]

How many firings are you getting out of the brass? Kinda curios with a cartridge that's this selective with components.

 

[AZShooter]

I have around 500 pcs and don't shoot either rifle that often. I am on second firings at this point. Can't tell you how long they will last.

 

[PapaSmurff]

Was wondering if anyone has ever tried Superformance powder in any loads for the 338 rcm? RL-17 works fantastic in mine but I was doing load development this afternoon for a buddy's 300 wsm with 180 class bullets and we had just as good if not better results using Superformance powder compared to RL-17. I was thinking maybe give it a try with 230 ELD's to see if it acts the same in the rcm but wanted to try finding some data from someone who's tried it in this caliber before?

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I have almost that exact rifle...I have 2 RCMs one built on a mesa ti short action LH and another built on a Ruger Hawkeye LH standard action. I bought enough brass to last two lifetimes. Heck of a cartridge

Ed

 

[PapaSmurff]

Well I tried Superformance powder and it didn't perform very well, around 2,600-2,650 fps is about maximum velocity with a 230 eld-x at 65 grains. RL-17 is the best powder I have tried for this caliber in bullet weights 200 to 230 grains. I'm currently running 61.8 grains of RL-17 with 230 ELD's getting 2,775-2,780 fps with very low ES and half MOA accuracy. I think I'm just gonna stay with that tried and proven load in my 22" Ruger.

 

[PapaSmurff]

Picture of new Bergara Highlander 338 RCM semi-custom rifle. This one has a 25" Bartlein 3B 5R barrel and 4-port unknown munitions muzzle brake. I just verified the load for it (it likes the same 61.8gr of RL-17 as my Ruger does) out to 1,000 yards. Average muzzle velocity 2,853 fps with 230 ELD-X bullets. Stacks them into 1/4-1/3" MOA size groups out to my 725 yard target stand. Didn't shoot any groups at 1,000 with it today but did shoot one to check the zero and nailed the bullseye about 5" from center. Extremely pleased with every caliber I've been getting built on the Bergara Highlander platform so far.