Is the .338 RUM Dead?

[colorado]

Amen!

Often have I thought, and often do I still think, that a stainless steel .375 Wby would be IT. Truth be told, if CZ was making a stainless 550, I think that very likely the .340 Wby Mark V would have migrated toward one of my sons, or found another home. The .375 would be legal on DG, which the .340 ain't; with 235 gr TSX it would do anything the .340 does; with .300 gr slugs it would be anything the .375 H&H is and more; and with .350 gr slugs it would poach deep into .416 territory.

Africa was not on my radar in my early .340 days, but if only ONE rifle could remain after AOC convinces us of the foolishness of our ways, a rifle built on:
(1) stainless steel Montana PH action with
(2) CFR,
(3) true bolt-mounted, firing pin-blocking safety, and
(4) double square bridge with machined dovetail, wearing
(5) stainless steel 26" barrel, with
(6) barrel band front sight,
(7) barrel band front swivel stud, and
(8) integral or barrel-ban rear sight block, in
(9) kevlar stock
would be mine...

I know, I know, nothing the .375 Wby does cannot be done with the .375 H&H

Insert a new quarter in the jukebox and dance again

A 375 H&H (a truly lovely and classic round) is to a 375 Weatherby much like a 30-06 is to a 300 Win Mag.

Both the 375 H&H and 30-06 are classic cartridges who will continue to prove themselves through the test of time. That being said both the 375 Weatherby and 300 Win Mag, shoot a little flatter and hit a little harder without too much more recoil.

Best regards,

Chuck

 

[Ray B]

The 375 Wby is the most factory of the several "Improved" 375 H&Hs. It is quite similar to the 375/8mm Rem Mag and the various 375 Ackley/Mashburn/etc. They are basically a 375H&H fired in an opened chamber, much like firing a 300 H&H in a 300 Wby chamber.

 

[flatwater bill]

I liked the 338 RUM the best of the big 33's. It got rid of the pesky belt, holds more powder than the time tested 340 WBY ( about 9%) had a sharp shoulder for accurate head spacing, wasn't prone to oil denting like the 340 and 375 WBY. It produced almost as much vel as the big Laz Titan and the Lapua, and didn't need half a pound of Retumbo like the 378 based monster, or expensive brass of the 330 Dakota. But the best product sometimes gets out marketed.............FWB

 

[One Day...]

I liked the 338 RUM the best of the big 33's. It got rid of the pesky belt, holds more powder than the time tested 340 WBY ( about 9%) had a sharp shoulder for accurate head spacing, wasn't prone to oil denting like the 340 and 375 WBY. It produced almost as much vel as the big Laz Titan and the Lapua, and didn't need half a pound of Retumbo like the 378 based monster, or expensive brass of the 330 Dakota. But the best product sometimes gets out marketed.............FWB

Agreed. Not worth re-tooling from .340 Wby to .338 RUM, not to mention that my .340 Wby is an old trusted friend, but objectively the .338 RUM is technically a more modern / better round

 

[Alaska]

My Rem 700 custom in 338 RUM
My favorite load 91.0 of RL 22 and 225 Swift A Frame
The 338 RUM is alive a well.

 

[flatwater bill]

Here's something from my reloading manuals.....all with 225 grain bullets (but two manuals) Case Capacity, grains of H2O
1. 338 DE Terminator............125.6 (Lapua improved)
2. 338/378 Wby.......................121.4
3. 338(8.59) Lazzaroni Titan..114.5
4..5. Lapua and Edge..............105.5
6. 338 RUM..............................101.0
7. 340RoyWby..........................92.5
8. 330 Dak................................85.7
9. 33 Nos...................................82.0
10. 338 Win..............................76.4
11. 338-06................................61.0
12. 338 MarEx..........................59.4
13.3 38 Fed...............................46 approx (no 225 listed)
many others.....but quite a few choices. #1 with a 30" bbl has loads for the 300 grain Berger at 3124fps........the usual caveats apply on measurement technique and brass variability............but just for interest.......................FWB

 

[John J]

My Rem 700 custom in 338 RUM
My favorite load 91.0 of RL 22 and 225 Swift A Frame
The 338 RUM is alive a well.

I have my 338 RUM build planned when oil prices come back....one day.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Here's something from my reloading manuals.....all with 225 grain bullets (but two manuals) Case Capacity, grains of H2O
1. 338 DE Terminator............125.6 (Lapua improved)
2. 338/378 Wby.......................121.4
3. 338(8.59) Lazzaroni Titan..114.5
4..5. Lapua and Edge..............105.5
6. 338 RUM..............................101.0
7. 340RoyWby..........................92.5
8. 330 Dak................................85.7
9. 33 Nos...................................82.0
10. 338 Win..............................76.4
11. 338-06................................61.0
12. 338 MarEx..........................59.4
13.3 38 Fed...............................46 approx (no 225 listed)
many others.....but quite a few choices. #1 with a 30" bbl has loads for the 300 grain Berger at 3124fps........the usual caveats apply on measurement technique and brass variability............but just for interest.......................FWB

Bill, good to see you on the forum ....Bill, where do the original .338 Imperial Magnum fits here??
I bought a reamer/re-loading dies/Gauges of the .338 Imperial Magnum caliber..would like to build a long distance shooting rifle ..

 

[Saul]

For those of you with a .338 RUM, are you worried about the availability of ammo? Have you taken this cartridge to Africa or are you too worried about losing your ammo? Are you concerned about the availability of properly headstamped brass? Have you had any problems with the rebated rim?

Also, has anyone here actually had any experience with a Lazzeroni?

 

[flatwater bill]

Hey, Gert...................and I thought there was NO cartridge I had not heard of.............must look that one up.........sounds interesting......I will see......Bill

 

[JimP]

A friend in Tucson loved the Lazzeroni rounds. I believe that he have one of all calibers. He only shot factory ammo and never bothered to reload.

As for going on a safari and loosing your ammo, we all have that problem or at least think about it. I load custom ammo for my .340 Weatherby and when I headed over I thought about what would I do if my ammo was lost or if my rifle didn't show up. I quickly put myself to ease with just deciding to use the outfitters firearms and his ammo if either case happened.

 

[flatwater bill]

Gert..............talked with a guy that owns a 338 Imperial and a Lapua and an Edge....he says he loads about 3% less of same powders in the Imperial for similar bullets as the Edge.....says it is also on the 404 case head and not the monster .588 or .620"s.....max length is 2.83" on case, so a touch shorter than the usual long 2.85 cartridges. Capacity must be close to the RUM then.............Bill

 

[meigsbucks]

For those of you with a .338 RUM, are you worried about the availability of ammo? Have you taken this cartridge to Africa or are you too worried about losing your ammo? Are you concerned about the availability of properly headstamped brass? Have you had any problems with the rebated rim?

Also, has anyone here actually had any experience with a Lazzeroni?

I am a little worried about availability of ammo. Worst case, the .300 RUM can be reformed. However, whenever I purchase a new rifle I also purchase 300, or more, pieces of brass. In the case of “odd” or unpopular rounds, I may purchase more brass or some factory ammunition that I can fire to generate brass.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Hey, Gert...................and I thought there was NO cartridge I had not heard of.............must look that one up.........sounds interesting......I will see......Bill

Bill, send me your email address..I want to send you the history of the Imperial Magnum...the parent case for all Remminton/Winchester/Dakota`s caliber designs...

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I am a little worried about availability of ammo. Worst case, the .300 RUM can be reformed. However, whenever I purchase a new rifle I also purchase 300, or more, pieces of brass. In the case of “odd” or unpopular rounds, I may purchase more brass or some factory ammunition that I can fire to generate brass.

Meigsbuck, if you need I can bring you in contact with a supplier of the RUM brass and virgin brass to fire form for your RUM

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

A Love Story...

It was September 1989, essentially 30 years ago, when I fell in love. I cannot explain why, but I was swept by an uncontrollable passion and an unshakable certainty. This was the one!
Now, almost a third of a century later, after 30 years spent together, with the benefit of experience, I know that all the promises were not fundamentally untrue, but that they were also not as life-changing as they seemed to be.
Yet, I am still in love...

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From that moment on, I HAD to have a .340 Wby. My first one was a full custom rifle I commissioned from the ground up with Griffin & Howe on a wonderfully tuned-up ZKK 602 action (the only true magnum length Mauser action available in the early 1990's), with beautiful metal work (quarter rib, integrated claw mounts, barrel band front sight, fully regulated 3 leaves rear sight, etc. etc.), French walnut, hand rubbed linseed oil finish, etc. and I took it everywhere:

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.340 Wby in Newfoundland, circa early 1990's

This rifle was destroyed in transit at the Phoenix airport. The stock could have been replaced, but the barrel was bent...

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Since then, my .340 has been a stainless Mark V that has served me well...

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I now KNOW that the .340 Wby 250 gr only flies 10% faster than the .338 Win 250 gr (2,950 fps vs. 2700 fps), which is real but hardly earth shattering;

I now KNOW that the .340 Wby 250 gr only offers an increased maximum point blank range of 23 yd compared to the .338 Win 250 gr (291 yd vs 268 yd), which is real but hardly life transforming;

I now KNOW that there is nothing the .340 Wby does that the .338 Win cannot do, even though the .340 Wby 250 gr hits 25% harder than the .338 Win 250 gr does (4,800 ft/lbs vs. 3,900 ft/lbs), which is real but many of us have become weary of "energy" alone as a predictable killer;

I now KNOW that the .340 Wby 250 gr recoils 30% more than the .338 Win 250 gr (43 ft/lbs vs. 33 ft/lbs in a 9 lbs rifle), which makes it considerably more difficult to shoot well;

But every time I grab the .340 Wby something inside me feels warm and confident and I KNOW that whatever I will point it at, will fall...

I am still in love...

PS: I had been thinking for a long time (many years actually), that I wanted to dig that iconic article from my old G&A stash, and I had even tried a few times, but unsuccessfully. I just spent 3 hours in the attic to finally unearth it, for your reading pleasure. This is a cult article for the lovers of the big .340 and to the best of my research it was not on the internet yet. I hope you enjoyed

@One Day...
The 340 weatherby may be a fine and dandy cartridge but in the 7# ultra light pictured it would be an absolute beast recoil wise.
The show of the shooter hitting a concrete block is hilarious. I can do the same thing with my old 303. It doesn't prove anything but gee it's good advertising.
Sorry to hear about your beautiful rifle getting broken, at least you still had the action.
The 340 seems to be the pick of the bunch in the 338 range..
Enjoy and have many more happy hunts.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Don't like any of them........never shot them and have no urge/desire to.....

@ spike.t,
I have the same feelings. I don't like getting belted silly now days so I will stick with my Whelen. Kills things just as dead. But hey each to their own.
Bob

 

[RayAtkinson]

most that have used the .338 Win. feel that all the larger 338s have to offer is recoil..I think that's a fair comparison as far as a hunting round goes..I shot the 340 on one safari and found it killed no better than my .338 win. and was fine up to 400 yards on an occasion or two...I don't see the RUM going anywhere but down hill much like the 8mm magnum..

 

[Tanks]

I actually do not see the appeal for any caliber between .30 and .375 for Africa. A .30 caliber from .308 to .300 RUM will kill any living PG at any distance (specific round depending on PG and distance). For DG one has to go to .375 and above anyway.

Of course, if one is in love with a particular caliber like a .35 Whelen, that I understand.

 

[Saul]

If I had a nickel for every time the 35 whelen were mentioned on these forums...