Help me rebarrel this 300wsm..338rcm? 350 RM? Others?

[PBking51]

So I had a major affinity with the 300 wsm where I have 2 factory rifles chambered in 300wsm and eventually had a custom built 300wsm on a classic style m70 with a 23" Douglas barrel and beautiful English walnut stock. However after seeing the weight of this custom outfit, I decided to buy a christensen arms ridgeline to fill my desire for a light weight magnum. With that being said, the custom rig is too pretty to simply sell, so I would like to look at other caliber offerings.

As of right now, I am not looking to replace my 7mm mag or 300 mag, so I am leaning towards the 350 rem mag, or possibly 338 rcm...any new calibers fit my bolt face? Pros and. Ons of each?

 

[PBking51]

 

[INTJ]

My 300 WSM, also built on a Classic M-70, weighs 7.75 lbs with the scope. It has a McMillan Hunters Edge stock and a Benchmark barrel in the Win factory contour. I like that weight and really like that action.

To keep that case size, I think the best choice in a 7mm would be a 7 SAUM. I have tuned a couple and 2900 fps with a 180 grainer is possible. ADG makes brass for it. I have also worked on the 325 WSM and it seems to have a lot of thump and light recoil. A cool wildcat would be a 338-300 WSM.

 

[PBking51]

I'm sure the wood didn't help with the weight. And I think the 300wsm needs atleast a 24 pipe. I made the mistake for wanting a classic looking and shorter barrel woods gun and that's great but I don't think it makes sense with that cartridge

 

[Kurz]

As usual, cartridge choice is usually dependent on your required uses. It appears that this is a general purpose hunting rifle by your description.

Fortunately, there is a nice list of cartridges which can work in your action and with your bolt face.

6.5 PRC (factory ammo and good choice of quality components when available)

6.5 RSAUM (no reliance on Rem. components with excellent secondary producers online)

7mm SAUM (reliance on the heavy for caliber is not necessary. Excellent lighter bullets for hunting are here)

325 WSM (because everyone ignores all things 8mm! Good components available)

338 WSM ( I built one 20 years ago and still shoot it, yes, with a shortened barrel!)

If you're hunting within the 300 - 350 yard range, don't forget the Partitions and the Woodleigh PP bullets. These will load to the shorter OAL to work within magazine constraints. Berger is not the end all for hunting bullets at moderate ranges.

.338 WSM (rt) _ 6.5 WSM (left)



https://vasilentarsenal.com/338-wsm

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Enjoy!

 

[PBking51]

Thank you for your input! Yes, this will most likely be for 25-350 yards. Game including whitetail, blackbear, and hell,...maybe brownies and elk someday.. I would like to utilize a 20-22"

An all season bullet would be the 200 or 225gr bullet. I thought about 338 rcm because I did read about the issues with Winchester not being able to achieve the same performance of a LA cartridge in that small of a package and ruger touted theirs as being able to do that and from a short barrel.

So I think I can throw the 338 wsm into the mix, but still thinking about the 35 Rem Mag and the 338 rcm.

Scenarios I would use this would be on a stand hunt in woods with maybe a 125 yard shot, but upon walking out of the woods I have clear open shots into fields around 250-300 yards. Or thumping around bear season and wanting to throw 1.5-2 tons of energy into a Blackie to know I got him. I've only shot 1 bear and it was with a 30-06 150 grain corelockt at 40 yards. Knocked him down but then he proceeded to move for 2 miles besides getting away. It was a good shot, but I must have missed bone. Since then I still wouldn't hesitate to use that same bullet and cartridge combo, but I have taken a 358 win in the woods for bear ever since that day.

 

[Kurz]

I thought about 338 rcm because I did read about the issues with Winchester not being able to achieve the same performance of a LA cartridge in that small of a package and ruger touted theirs as being able to do that and from a short barrel.

Unfortunately, when the brass and loaded ammunition hit the market there were lots of folks ready to test Ruger's claims. The end result you see now, the .338 RCM is but a ghost in the background due to the absurd claims made by the developer. Ten grains less powder and shorter barrels, yeah right... nice idea bad development.

I got one of the first test batches of the .338 WSM a long time ago. I even got the RCBS dies at the same time. My use was intended for short actions, 2.825" OAL and DBM fit at 2.925" OAL. Obviously this didn't include those VLDs since it forced the bullet back into the case, leaving less powder capacity. But the reality dawned where this cartridge could shine in the area of, as you state, 25 - 350 yards. No need for those arrow-like bullets when the older cup and core designs would shine.

Nosler Partitions, Woodleigh PP and now the newer Nosler E-Tip provide plenty of energy from the 225 gr. versions. Unfortunately, even the heavier designs will not generate 2 tons (4,000 ft/lbs) even at the muzzle. My loads will come in at 3,700 - 3,800 ft/lbs at the muzzle leaving 2750 ft/lbs at 300 yards. No magic pixie dust required just good old fashioned Re16/17 in good brass. I generally use the Winchester 325 WSM brass and neck up to hold the .338 bullets. I do a basic sort because it is Winchester after all, then do a regular brass prep.

The barrel I started with was a reject from another member because it was too short. I thought it might provide a nice woods length carbine for the .338 WSM test bed. And yes, 21" is good enough to get the numbers I need and allow for all the powder to burn inside the barrel. This might seem trivial at first but picking the right powder will have a definitive effect on your shots taken dawn and dusk. Super heated plasma exiting the muzzle allows for a larger than normal muzzle blast. Try that when shooting on the fringe of legal light!

Enjoy the process!

 

[std7mag]

I like where your heading.
Remington's biggest issue with the 350 Rem Mag & 6.5mm Rem Mag was the platform they based them on. The short barrels giving lots of muzzle blast, and cutting down on velocities.

As with any magnum, or any cartridge, velocity comes with a longer barrel.

Personally, i'd go with the 350 Rem Mag, or maybe a 358 RCM.
Although a 7mm RCM would really get me smiling.