Anyone use of these shorties? 20"bbl, handy in the pucker brush but can it be held still for longer shots? I say this based on my one and only Ruger Ultralite in .308 back in the 80s. It was a dandy in the tree stand, woods walking, but I could not hit a 2 liter coke bottle at 200yds with it (4x)! It was the orneriest little devil, I traded it off. I wonder of these wouldn't be more of the same? To me...the "only" 20" bbl rifles I like are leverguns. Even a bolt gun feels almost too short to me with a 22" bbl.
Ruger 338 Compact Magnum
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Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
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+1SJB358":3tlxsvv8 said:
I don't find 24-26" barrels a hindrance since the shortest barrel I ever used on a shot gun was 26" and preferred 30" barrels even in heavy brush hunting rabbits and pheasant.
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How hard is it to rechamber a 338 Federal Mod 77 ( short action) to the 338 RCM? That is a very tempting idea for me! I too grew up hunting the Big Thicket in East Texas and 28-30 inch 12gas! Even a 20ga 3" I bought when I got out of the Army had a 28" and I never had an issue in the woods. On the other hand, I grew up with a Mod 94 30-30 for deer/hogs but a short bolt gun just never felt "balanced" to me.
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Ammo Smith
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Don't take this as gospel but it looks like all you have to do is run a reamer in the chamber and open up the bolt face along with setting the barrel back a thread or so to clean the chamber up.
Sorry you had to get rid of the 35 Whelen it was a good shooter.
Sorry you had to get rid of the 35 Whelen it was a good shooter.
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Sorry you had to get rid of the 35 Whelen it was a good shooter.[/quote]
Thanks, I felt like crying! Oh well, my main concern on the Mod 77 conversion is can it be made to feed right? I am hopeful since Ruger does chamber for their own RCM round. I'm then wondering, well hey, can it work with the 338/300 WSM Wildcat? :idea: :?:
Thanks, I felt like crying! Oh well, my main concern on the Mod 77 conversion is can it be made to feed right? I am hopeful since Ruger does chamber for their own RCM round. I'm then wondering, well hey, can it work with the 338/300 WSM Wildcat? :idea: :?:
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Ammo Smith
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preacher":36ux5g5v said:
Thanks, I felt like crying! Oh well, my main concern on the Mod 77 conversion is can it be made to feed right? I am hopeful since Ruger does chamber for their own RCM round. I'm then wondering, well hey, can it work with the 338/300 WSM Wildcat? :idea: :?:[/quote]It is actually shorter than the 338Fed so you should have no problem feeding.
It is also shorter then the 338wsm so there again you shouldn't have feed problems and will only lose magazine cap since the base case is the 375 Ruger.
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I did hear from one gunsmith who said it should be as simple as opening the bolt face and turning the barrel back/rechambering. then just swap out the magazine box and follower for one made for the RCM. I'm definitely going to check out more, but this is a very inexpensive way to put me back up into 338/06 velocity but with a lighter rifle. Much less fuss than a new rifle in 338 winmag and certainly less recoil ( non issue for me but there anyhow).
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Ammo Smith
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You might find that you will exceed the 338-06 with a longer than 20" barrel since it is only 100-150fps slower than the 338Win in a 24" barrel.
It's a pretty neat cartridge. If you like them I see them at CDNN for 500 bucks every now and again.
https://www.cdnnsports.com/338rcm-hm77r ... aMdrdEpCf0
Might be cheaper and easier to dump your 338 Fed and snatch one of these up if you really wanted one.
Just took a gander at Hogdgon's data and 2800 with a 185, 2700 with a 200-210 and 2600 with a 225 doesn't look horrible at all to me.
https://www.cdnnsports.com/338rcm-hm77r ... aMdrdEpCf0
Might be cheaper and easier to dump your 338 Fed and snatch one of these up if you really wanted one.
Just took a gander at Hogdgon's data and 2800 with a 185, 2700 with a 200-210 and 2600 with a 225 doesn't look horrible at all to me.
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Scotty- look over on Ammoguide.com and you see even better numbers than that, something like over 2900 with the 180, and 2800+ with the 200, etc.! I saw the ones on CDNN and they are an option for sure. Time will tell....but I am pretty "looney" on these things!
Silent Sam
Handloader
- Dec 22, 2010
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The issue with the 20" barrel on that UL was way more likely the pencil like contour not the length. Those barrels are thin.
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I was shooting from hunting positions too, sitting, standing supported, wrapped up in the corner of the jeep door/cab,etc. I just couldn't hold it still or something. I was pretty bummed out about it. I traded it off for a Mod 29 and some loading dies. I had grown up using a Mod 94 that was deadly in the woods, and I couldn't hit anything with it either at 200yds, ha! I went to a Mod 77 .280 and 139 Hornady...it was "shame on him time" then, took one a 276 looong steps with it! So I wasn't carry that Ultralite around...
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I am going to check on this new gunsmith today, I have to pick up my 7x57 ( he had to smooth up the Wisner safety/bolt body, etc) and see if he can do the rechamber job at a reasonable price. All my pennies are pinched pretty hard right now, ha, and no, I don't "need" to do anything to this little Federal, but....but.... :twisted:
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Well! Seems this new smith can do everything I need! The cost will be in the neighborhood of 350, will take a month turnaround time, so I took the rifle to him! ha This little rifle already had a brake on it, so I figure it may as well be put to use! don't know how the 338 RCM would normally recoil, I'm sure it would have been snappy in this little rifle, but should be pretty sweet with the brake. "Now" I feel OK about shooting through elk from a bad angle or way out there ( well, way out there for me anyhow) I just know what happened to that big cow at 250yds back in 2002 when I popped her with that 338WM and 185XLC. It was a pretty big hole, all the way through, tight behind the shoulder. One big stumble and down. I can see myself thumping a big hog too. Onward and upward! ha
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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I should think the 338 RCM would be a great cartridge. It won't do much more than what a 338-06 will do, but then, when did overlap ever stop a real rifle crank?
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Ain't that the truth, ha! The new smith really did a great job on smoothing up the bolt/trigger/Wisner safety on the 7x57 too! I was impressed with his work. I figure it was worth the gamble as even if I sent it off to a smith, I still don't know what "their work" would be either! At least this way I save money/hassle on mailing it off.
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Well shucks. I'm just keeping this rifle as is. Its a good shooter, will work later on for my grand daughter and I'm just in no hurry. I find very good reviews of the 200gr bullets around 2700 which is easily done by the Federal! I think I'm either going to just get a 338 RCM from CDNN or try to find a deal on another 338 winmag "if" I want more oomph. I figure I'll end up taking the little 7x57 on a cow elk hunt anyway, ha!
