Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Ask Rick Bin Questions About the .338-.375 Campfire

EG:

About 8.5 pounds empty.

The data is above. My one (mild) hunting load that shot MOA moved a 225-TSX about 2850. Hotter recipes had it over 2900 with no pressure signs, but accuracy was deteriorating.

Frankly, I have only one range session under my belt. I was hoping to go last weekend, but we got hit with a rainstorm that messed up that plan.

I anticipate nudging 3000 fps with 225s. We'll see what we can do with 250s.

I might go with a little more stock weight in a subsequent build, and maybe swap colors around a little bit, but that's of no real consequence. I've built on 700s enough that I know pretty muvch whjat I'm getting into going in.

rb

Thanks, MtnHunter.

I was hoping for a bigger buck in this unit, but it was real warm, and there was a lot of pressure from elk hunters, which meant the bick bucks were nocturnal.

This was the biggest buck I saw all trip, so I was happy to take him. On the other hand, there were some monsters taken out of the unit, and I never did run into one.

It was a greaat trip, however.

MCS:

The new Ruger .338 RCM is a short-action cartridge, with a case length of 2.015 inches.

The .338-.375 Campfire is based on the full-length .375 Ruger case, which has a case length of 2.590 inches.

I'll put up a pic later if I can.

rb

Rick-nice buck, what state?

Also, any new developements on the big 33 front?

Thx

Dober

Mark:

Thanks. Colorado.

Trying to shake the flu and get to the range, but so far, it's been two weeks of misery. Gonna hafta skip a field trial I wanted to go to this weekend and try and mend, BUT, I just may be able to sneak off to the range. We'll see how I feel.

Worst flu I've ever had in my life. Knocked out my whole family as well. My wife went to urgent care yesterday.

rb

Rick,

Now you know why the wife and I get flu shots every October. She brings stuff home from school otherwise. I know we are geezers compared to you two, but the shots work.

Please tell Mrs. Rick get well soon from me!

regards...

jim

Getting over what is probably the same bug. It is absolutely the worst flu I've ever had too. Currently getting over bronchitis which resulted from it. This is a little over a month later.

Great project by the way. I am hoping Ruger will eventually make a 35 Ruger but doubt they will. Much more likely will be a 338 Ruger, 300, 7mm, etc. Mayhap a 35 Ruger will be my entry into the wildcat foray. Although I'll take a wait and see approach first. And before all the grumpy party pooper trolls weigh in; yes, I know all about the 35 Newton and the 358 Nukalpiaq, yadi yadi yadi, so save the know-it-all drivel.

Thanks Jim! I'll let her know.

Gringo: Yup, sounds like the same bug. I'm two weeks into it today and still doing an awful lot of coughing, as is the rest of the family.

The good news is I have my appetite back and have curtailed the weight loss. I've gone through a lot of orange Gatorade, EmergenC, and chicken broth the loast ten days!

rb

Rick,

Hope all end up well re: the flu. It's raging through here in NY, as well.

As my friend Randy said, someone's gotta have the fun! You definately did Rick. Very nice rifle and buck. I hope you did send that letter to Patagonia - well said!

--Mike

Nice story well told,
But i,m like a 3rd grader (I wan.t pictures) And just in case you need an excuse , there simply is no way the little .338 is enought for a brown bear. You simply have to build one in .358 for that !
Oh and of corse you could,nt use a pidilin little .358 for cape buffalo ! how do you spell four sixteen.
And oh what about elephant ? call it the .458 elephent masher ! whoopie I love spending other peoples money...tj3006

Rick have you been doing any more shooting with your .338-.375 Campfire? Any new hand loads?

Ive enjoyed the thread and congrats on that nice looking new rifle guy!

but I think Id have just had a similar rifle chambered in 375 ruger and been every bit as happy and successful with it...
Ive gone thru WILDCAT INSANITY a few times and as I got older and reflect back I find my 35 whelen,340 wby and 375 H&H do everything Ill ever want to do for ELK hunting, without going thru the effort or expence and hassles you usually have with wildcats

Well, here are the advantages I see to the 338-375 Ruger.

1. 340 Wby performance w/o the freebore
2. Plenty of length to use very long bullets in normal long actions
3. Diameter is of a size that has been shown to feed smoothly for years
4. Easy conversion of any belted magnum action. You won't have to do much if anything at all to the feed rails on a Remmy, nor will you have to get a wide and extended magazine box.

I wish the RUMs had been the diameter of the new Ruger Mags.

Blaine-for what it is worth I've had 4 Schneider 340 tubes all sans free bore, and I've never had any issue with length of the rounds in either of my old 70's and or my 700.

Also the 340 feeds as smoothly as about any round running out there and it goes into a 700 with no work having to be done.

The 340 is simply about as easy as it gets.

Dober

Dober,

My experience with the 340 wasn't as good as yours. In both freebored and non-freebored configurations my Shilen #5 just didn't shoot well at decent velocities. The fix was to rechamber it to 338 RUM. Added 150 fps and shot a 1/4" group.

Also, my feeding critique is not with the 340, it is with the RUMs and WSMs. The 338-375--being of no larger diamter than the belt on a belted mag--will feed great--just like all belted mags do.

Rick,

Have you had any difficulty buying/finding 375 Ruger brass to neck down?

No issues. I got a hold of 100 pieces of new brass, plus 80 loaded .375 Ruger rounds that I could use as a backup if needed (I can always use .375 bullets, and the unknown powder would make a helluva torch.)

I have lots of brass.

I have one more range session I want to do before I write the next installment, but I'll tell you this: I am seeing darn near 3000 fps with 225-grain bullets with no pressure signs. The barrel seems t like it a bit slower for best accuracy (at its sweet spot, she's definitely a shooter! Way to go Mickey Coleman!).

I'm moving to 250s next, where I hope the extra case capacity will further separate it from the .338 Winchester Magnum.

rb

Rick, in my 358 Norma long neck (untrimmed 300 Win brass) and a 23 1/2" barrel, I'm getting right at 2950 fps with a 225 grain TSX. That with 75 grains of Big Game. I would think you could do a bit better than that.

With 250 grainers I topped out at 2800 fps, that with 75 grains of IMR4350.

These 35's are nice cartridges!

Rick:

Yes, I'm a bit leery of creeping ever higher even/especially without any pressure signs.

Two things about a wildcat:

1] The lack of previous load data makes you think every time you pull the trigger; and

2] You have better appreciation of the potential for catastrophe even with standard cartridges.

We call this fun.