Taming the Remington XCR .338 RUM

[jarman66]

Hello Everyone, First time posting and recently new member.

I've been hunting for 4 years now (Deer / Hog) and am currently saving for my trip to Alaska (Brown Bear / Moose or Carribou) I currently own a Rem 700 BDL 7mm Rem Mag which I shoot very accurately to 250+ yards.

I thought it a little underpowered considering the game I will be hunting. So I purchased a .338 RUM. I took it to the range fired one round and put it back in my case. (Nearly took my shoulder off), I went straight to the smithy and had him replace the stock with a Knox Compstock Full Aluminum Bed and had the barrel Magna Ported to reduce recoil and barrel jump.

I've taken it to the range and I can shoot several boxes without any pain, the problem is that I'm used to shooting Sub MOA with my 7mm but can't do any better than 2" with the .338. Am I expecting too much from this rifle or is this the best I'll ever do? I'm using factory rounds (Federal 225 grain)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

JR

[Scorch]

Let's see if I understand this. You bought a 338 RUM, it whupped you, so you put a spring-loaded stock on it. Now you're upset because you want it to be a MOA shooter, too? The 338 RUM is for shooters that are extremely experienced AND very tolerant of heavy recoil. The rifle you already had would be adequate for all the game you mentioned, and it shot well. A 338 WinMag would have been enough of a step up to give you a suitable margin of safety over the 7mm RemMag.

[Harry Bonar]

Sir';
I agree 100% with Scorch!
Harry B.

[jarman66]

Thanks for the replies, I'm sure that with a very well placed shot that the 7mm Mag would do the job on any game, I just wanted a heavier bullet for Grizzly seeing that it has the potential of taking a shot and still keep on commin as well as being a good round for the other game as well.

Range update:
I put a Limbsaver fit over pad on it last week just to make sure that recoil wasn't my issue. Went to the range yesterday and it made no differnece. I found that it wasn't felt recoil that was the problem, it was percieved recoil and frustration. (I was flinching) I had a friend watch me and he gave me the bad news. I corrected myself and began shooting 1.0 to 1.25 in groups.

Again, thanks for the comments.

JR

[Wildalaska]

That gun needs a brake, no magnaport

WildiwontshootoneAlaska ™

[jarman66]

WildAlaska,

I think your'e right, it doesn't do much for barrel jump on the .338 but it works well on the 7mm. The only way to put a break on it now would be to shorten the barrel about 2 inchs and then machine the barrel for a break. What would this do to the accuracy by shortening the barrel?

JR

[Harry Bonar]

Sir;
You wouldn't do anything to your accuracy but would loose velocity. Burning that much powder (I've chambered that round and it's tremendous) you need all the length you can get.
I agree (although I'd not have a rifle with a brake) that you need a good brake. The trouble is you still get hearing damage even with good ear protection!
My grandson has a 338RUM with a featherweight trigger you can breath on to go off, loads 3 grains over maximum, has a brake on it and shoots AT groundhogs at 1 mile
I wouldn't own the rifle. Yes, I've warned him!
Harry B.
P.S. I do have a beautiful Jap 6.5 rifle, made in Japan by a master and engraved all over that he put an old Herters muzzle brake on but I don't use it - it's beautiful!

[Wildalaska]

What would this do to the accuracy by shortening the barrel?

Nothing, but will make a great flame thrower.

Note to guys thinking of coming to Alaska....according to the folks in the know, isnt anything up here you cant kill with a 30-06


Wild22-250istoomuchgunaccordingtosomefolksAlaska ™

[pesta2]

Sell it and get yourself a .35 Whelen.

[jarman66]

I agree, with a well placed shot you can put down any animal with almost any caliber, this is why we practice, practice, practice at the range to improve our skills to make a humane kill. But when it comes to dangerous game I would rather have a heavier bullet that I can shoot well.

As Scortch mentioned:

"A 338 WinMag would have been enough of a step up to give you a suitable margin of safety"

.338 & Margin of Safety being the key words here not necessarily my RUM cartridge.

Anyhow this is getting a little off base here. What I wanted was to be able to shoot a heavier round with accuracy and didn't know what else I could do to my rifle to improve it only to find that it wasnt the rifle at all, it was me!

I'll be back at the range this weekend to practice some more.

Thanks for all the comments, they are always well received.

JR

[jarman66]

pesta2

I've invested too much time and money to do that, I've got it just where I like it, just need to master it.

JR

[jarman66]

Holly ***t

Harry B.

Don't think I'll be shooting further than 250+ yards, I like to try and get as close as I can to my quarry but Holy ***t!

I'm definitely not a sniper and would definitely not like to be in front of your Grandsons cross hairs.

JR

[pesta2]

We have a bigger is better mentality in the U.S and worship at the feet of the velocity gods. Can’t take a moose with anything smaller that a .338 WM even though Europeans have been doing it over a century with the 6.5x55.

I also read recently that Ed Stevenson now constantly carries a 45-70. I believe a Marlin with modified sights.

I read a recent article about a professional hunting guide in Africa and was asked whom is the better shooters of the world. Worst was from Italy followed by American, best he said was from Germany and Austria.

On that note I have a .375 H&H mag, why, I wanted one.

[Harry Bonar]

Guys;
I hope you don't think they actually hit anything! Pigs at a mile!
I do good to hit at 200 yards!
Harry B.

[Harry Bonar]

Sir;
I agree with Wildalaska! The ole 30-06 will do it with the proper bullet.
We are overgunned tremendously in this country and, yes, we serve the "velocity gods."
I've built some 9.3s and love them - a large bore at medium velocity - it was a winner in Africa and just puts a large hole in deer without all the meat damage. (9.3X62 and 9.3X64)
As I've said before if we lived in the times of the dinosaurs we could kill any of them with a 30-30!
If you really want to see killing power use a 50 cal muzzle-loader and watch it! (yea! with a round ball) not a bubble packed abortion called a muzzle loader - a TRADITIONAL MUZZLE LOADER!
Got in trtouble again
Harry B.

[wyobohunter]

Jarman,
Of course you can kill a moose with a lesser weapon, the 30-30 has probably killed more moose than anything else (but at what range?). Brown bear, sure...he'll die with a 30-06 (hopefully before he gets to you). If you can learn to shoot your .338 RUM accuratly I'd say you made a good choice. I had the same experience with mine the 1st time I fired it...Took it right in and had a brake put on and to tell you the honest truth it doesn't seem any louder to me, my wife says it rattles the windows on the house 50' away, tough luck for your hunting buddies. I haven't tried it w/o earplugs and don't intend to unless it means letting a freezer full o' meat get away. Anyhow, I love shooting it now. And it has about the same energy as the 375 H&H, I'd really rather be packing that on a browny hunt than a 30-06 (as would most guides up here). I've topped it w/a Leupold VX-2 4-12 x 40 mm, had the trigger cleaned up & lightened to ≈ 3 #, free floated the barrel, glass bedded the stock and had the scope base mounting holes re-tapped to accomidate the next size larger screws. I'm still working on the perfect handload for it, my next experiments will be w/250 gr. Sierra gameking spitzer boat-tails with H1000 and Retumbo powders. Even though I'm not done toying w/bullet & powder combinations I can kill cleanly @ 250 yds. I also carry a 45-70 (Marlin GS w/ghost ring sights) for hunting the thick stuff (405 gr hardcast bullets & H4198). Finally, my 500 mag accompanies me on fishing trips... If you ask me, go as big as you can confidently handle & don't look back.

[wyobohunter]

By the way, shorter barrels are not less accurate, actually an overly long barrel tends to be less stiff/more whippy. I read somewhere that in this class of rifle you can expect to lose about 40 fps per inch, not much really.

[wyobohunter]

Careful ammunition tuning is exactly what I'm working on right now. I still shoot a 26" barrel and am hesitant to lop it off lest I reduce my muzzle velocity to not much more than a .338 win., in wich case I may as well have bought the .338 win. and saved a little coin on brass. However I don't think Jarman reloads (factory .338 R.U.M ammo is extremely spendy) so he may need to take the faster track to tightening up his groups. Plus if he is going to add an actual brake he'll need to cut off the magna-ports anyway. Longrifles, is that a U.S.M.C expert badge I see in the photo?

[jarman66]

You guys are right, I don't reload, but I do have a freind that does and he has offered his services so long as I buy the dies he needs. The dies are in the mail and I should have them next week.

I'm curious, you state "amunition tuning" does this mean trying different powders / bullets/ primers ect.. to find what shoots best? As for brass I've been saving all my factory brass that I shoot. About 200 rounds now. (@ 3.50 around) I've been shooting the Swift A Frame, Nosler Partion, Core Lockt. I'm also looking at the Barnes TSX as I live in CA and we are now restricted to Lead Free Ammo.

Wyobohunter,
let me know how your experiment goes with the "w/250 gr. Sierra gameking spitzer boat-tails with H1000 and Retumbo powders"

Is there any other configurations you guy can suggest I try?

Thanks,

Jr

[wyobohunter]

Basically you are right. From what I've read though I wouldn't bother trying different primers. For starters I'd pick a bullet you really like that will work for everything you need. Most rifle calibers are really designed for optimal performance after a fairly limited range of bullet weights (i.e. if you are always stuffing 220 gr. bullets into that ol' 30-06, may as well start shooting a 300 win. mag because velocities will suffer, this goes the other way too, if you're using the same rifle to blast the lightest .30 cal bullets, don't expect them to perform as accuratly at long range because the ballistic coef. will suffer from the bullet being so short. I think the .338 ultra mag and its peers were generally designed w/225 and or 250 gr bullets in mind. The Sierra bullets I have on order have a pretty good b.c. for a hunting bullet (.565). But they are lead core (nogo for Ca.), the Barnes are a little spendier but still waaaay cheaper than buying factory ammo. If I were you I'd Buy one box of bullets that fit your needs and try 2-3 powders at near max pressures (working your loads up carefully of course) and see wich powder groups best with the bullet of your choice (I'd give each powder at least 3 groups of 3 and average the results), then you can pick the powder that looks best and fine tune it w/minor changes in charge weight. If you are satisfied w/the results you are able to get from that first box of bullets...bingo, if not, then buy another box of different bullets. I got that method from a magazine article on hunting ammo/reloading accuracy(?American Rifleman??? Accuracy issue).

[T. O'Heir]

The .338 Win Mag is likely the most over rated cartridge there is. Excessive felt recoil and muzzle blast out of a normal hunting rifle. A putz with one of 'em nearly knocked me off the bench I was on when he fired it, long ago. No game in North America needs a magnum anything to kill.

[wyobohunter]

Was tha putz stuffing more powder in than necessary? That could explain excessive muzzle blast and percieved recoil. Overrated for what purpose? Whitetail, sure, too much gun. The 338 win mag is a fine cartridge if it is used properly. A pellet gun can eventually kill anything in the world if you wound it in the right spot, doesn't meen I'd pack it on a browny hunt. Jarman is talking about just that kind of hunt (I think), plus, he shoots a 338 rum, probably even worse by your standards. To each his own I say, I'll take overkill over no kill any day.

[wyobohunter]

What unit were you in? I got out in 97', 1st mar. div., 1st LAR battalion. (scout) 3rd award rifle expert, never qualified w/pistol. Have you built ultra light mountain rifles?... I'm in the market.

[wyobohunter]

great lookin gun, how much for a seimilar setup (lightened more if possible). The scope looks pretty hefty, may account for a big hunk of the 11 lbs. I'm really after a 5 lbs rifle (before scope) in a good medium but flat shooting cal. Do you build lefties?