Fate of the 300 RCM?

Anyone know?

Quick check shows a very limited ammo selection (3 loads by hornady). With no current rifles being produced in 300 RCM it looks dying if not dead.

Afraid so, get brass while you can

The 338 RCM seems to be dying from the same disease. I have plenty of brass and loaded rounds to last my lifetime.

About 15 years back, everybody and their brother was introducing some new cartridge, almost every one of which is either dead or on life support. I think the Winchester .300 short mag is the only one that ever saw anything close to real sales volume. If you want a new load to succeed, it needs to offer something to really set it apart from all the current offerings - considering the abundance of cartridges to choose from, it's pretty hard to come up with something that really stands out from the crowd.

I think the 375 Ruger seems to have made it in the new cartridge market.

The RCM's do exactly what their designers wanted them to do. The 300 delivers close to 300 H&H ballistics, but from a 20" barrel rifle that is easy to handle and much shorter than your 26" 300 H&H. The 338 is more than a 338-06 and less than a 338 Winchester, but again manages its magic with a 20" barrel in a handy rifle. Since I'm a rifle loony, I have one of each, both 20" iron sighted blue walnut carbines. I also have a 300SAUM, 300 WSM, more 308's than I can count, and one 30-06, a M70 Classic. I also have a 338 Federal Scout M110 Savage and a Sako Gray Wolf M85 in 338 Federal, and dies and brass for all of them. My favorite big boy round is the 325 WSM in a m70, an A-Bolt, and a BLR. Unfortunately, the topic of the thread is correct, in that, only popular cartridges sell rifles, unless they have the industry and media backing like the 6.5 CM has enjoyed. The RCM's work as advertised, as do the WSM's, and the SAUM's. Most buyers just never saw the adds. Bob!! 8)

Well I sort of agree. There was a whole spate of the hunting writers trumpetig short actions. The Remington was ballisticaly the best of them but they screwed up their sales campaign and it was an early casualty. Turns out that for most hunters the short magnum wasn't a bad idea, but it wasn't a good idea, it was just an idea and folks didn't buy them. The full length and magnum actions were easier to get, less expensive to own and shoot, and perceived as being more accurate.

I saw the ads, I shot one. So what, it didn't trip my triggers. Much ado about nothing IMO.
gramps

DOA niche rounds. Gave Ruger some splash in the industry gun rags but such innovations only create a need and fill it. Hardly anyone notices.

wunbe

I was not advocating that we all go out and buy one, but I got mine a real good prices and like to experiment with or experience the new rounds. I've been handloading and shooting rifles since 1967. Since then or just slightly before, only the 7mm Remington magnum and the 300 Winchester magnum have really established themselves and are wildly popular. So are the 243, 223, 308, and now the 6.5 CM as well as the time honored 30-06 and the 270. Anything larger than 30 caliber does not have a large buyer base to begin with as the cartridges listed above with handle anything in the lower 48. Fortunately there are lots of choices so that we can all get what we want. Bob!! :mrgreen:

It always beat me why Ruger even bothered introducing this cartridge; or why any manufacturer introduces yet another .30-caliber Magnum. Short action, long action, Magnum action; they all do exactly the same job. I suppose the .300 WSM might have some merit for those obsessed with short actions; but for Remington and Ruger to come along and copy it struck me as ridiculous. Reminds one of the days when Winchester marketed the 25-35, Marlin the 25-36, and Remington the .25 Remington. All peas in a pod.

I think one reason Ruger wanted their own short(compact) magnums was the fact that they and everyone else had to pay a royalty to manufacture rifles in the WSM calibers, due to Jamison law suit. While Remington trumped everyone else with the 300 Ultra Mag, Winchester brought forth the WSM's before Remington was ready with their SAUM's. I'll admit that I am a fan of the WSM's, particularly the 325 and the 7mm. The 300 and 270 WSM's have become commercially successful, with even Big Green loading ammo for them. When Winchester went with the 325 WSM instead of the anticipated 338 version, perhaps Ruger and Hornady perceived an opening there with the 338 RCM. RCBS even produced dies for the 338 WSM before the 325 was announced. I have a set bought at a discount from a LGS. My 2 cents worth. Bob!! 8)

The short fat cartridges aren't conducive to more than two cartridges in a magazine. People like more.
gramps

We have a few older 'milsurps' where one just about has to reload for, the '8mm Lebel' as one example. I just get the supplies and a handful of cases and am set.

For most of us, the 308, 30-06, 223, & 243 type cartridges get 95+% of the job done. I have a few slightly 'fringe' hunting cartridges, which I am also setup to reload for.

There is nothing wrong with most of these newer cartridges, just not enough hunters & shooters buying them to make them viable. One doesn't really need 15 deer rifles to hunt 5 days of the year.

I realize a 'rifle looney', collector, or target shooter has other reasons. I get a kick when I see the guy selling his 223 WSSM at a high price, 'because it's rare'. I guess whatever works.

sourdough44 said:

.........
For most of us, the 308, 30-06, 223, & 243 type cartridges get 95+% of the job done........

Click to expand...

If one were to be brutally honest, a .30-06 (or .270), a .22 rimfire, a 12 gauge pumpgun, a handgun of your choice, and maybe a .223 (or .220 Swift or .243) is all you really NEED. Fortunately, need has nothing to do with it.

With the military adoption of the 300 PRC for long range use it at least looks to be a viable entry, doing much of what the 6.5CM did. But time will tell. Even if the military adopts the 6.8 SPC IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT IT WILL SURVIVE! Adoption is unlikely as the 6.8SPC doesn't meet the stated requirements.

gramps said:

The short fat cartridges aren't conducive to more than two cartridges in a magazine. People like more.
gramps

Click to expand...

The Ruger M77 Hawkeye rifles manage to hold four .338 RCMs in the magazine without an issue. On the moose and whitetail taken with it, I've never came close to needing all of them.

rangerbob said:

I think one reason Ruger wanted their own short(compact) magnums was the fact that they and everyone else had to pay a royalty to manufacture rifles in the WSM calibers, due to Jamison law suit. While Remington trumped everyone else with the 300 Ultra Mag, Winchester brought forth the WSM's before Remington was ready with their SAUM's. I'll admit that I am a fan of the WSM's, particularly the 325 and the 7mm. The 300 and 270 WSM's have become commercially successful, with even Big Green loading ammo for them. When Winchester went with the 325 WSM instead of the anticipated 338 version, perhaps Ruger and Hornady perceived an opening there with the 338 RCM. RCBS even produced dies for the 338 WSM before the 325 was announced. I have a set bought at a discount from a LGS. My 2 cents worth. Bob!! 8)

Click to expand...

The legend goes that Winchester punted on the planned .338 WSM and offered the .325 WSM instead because with the relatively low energy density powders available at the time they were unable to match the stated goal of .338 Win Mag velocities. With modern, high-energy powders, and no self-induced bar that had to be reached, I suspect Hornady and Ruger's main cartridge in the RCM offering was the .338 RCM, as something unique and different, with the .300 RCM being offered as something more mainstream that would appeal to whitetail hunters. While arguably too much cartridge for those hunting only whitetail, the .338 RCM is a unique factory offering in some handy 20" rifles, and a solid moose, elk, or big bear chambering with 225 grain bullets.

If you are a reloader, I can see squeezing a few more FPS out of your favorite caliber. I reload and don't feel the need. I figure, I will just sneak up closer? lol. My last Whitetail was at 28 yds with my .308.