338 RCM for hunting larger game - Result

[JG26Irish_2]

I am a student of bullet effects on game and am always interested in how different bullets perform on game. I enjoy reading reports from others and as such am posting this report for you all to read. This is from a WV Deer Hunt in 2025 using my Ruger M77 Hawkeye compact magnum in 338 RCM. It was loaded with Hornaday factory 225g SST loads that chrono 2738 fps at the muzzle. This is with a 22" bbl and that is about 93% of the performance of a 338wm (26" bbl) all in a light, handy package. Yes - it is too much gun for deer but I was also hunting bear that week and I just wanted to get some real world data on its performance on large game and I wanted a doe for the freezer.

I am planning a 2026 Texas Nilgai hunt and my guide had advised me to not use SST bullets on Nilgai since it is a non-bonded, fairly frangible projectile and in his view was prone to fragmenting too much and might not put down a Nilgai effectively. I also spoke to my African PH about SST's and he loves them and uses them a lot on African PG hunts with both 308 and 375HH loads which are his client loaner guns. He said, he would not hesitate to deploy SST's on game like Wildebeest or Eland, both of which are as tough as a Nilgai IMO.

I was hunting in WV in Eastern woodland where the shots are rarely over 100y due to forest and terrain. I shot a large mature doe at 89y with my 338rcm and it dropped the deer in its tracks and the only movement was its tail flipping up for one second. Not even a kick. DRT. The deer was quartering to me at about a 45 deg angle. I forgot that I had zeroed the rifle at 200y and aimed at center of the shoulder but hit about 2.5" higher, just above the shoulder. The bullet entered and hit a rib and just under the spine but somehow blew the heart apart, liquified both lungs and exited the left side of the deer a bit behind the ribcage. Entry wound was small and unremarkable. Exist wound was almost impossible to find, indicating to me that the bullet probably broke up. The carnage in between was devastating. I could not locate even a small piece of lung tissue that was identifiable and as I said the heart was destroyed. The chest cavity was full of blood and the gut was busted (yuck).

Would I use it on Nilgai? No but that is because I cannot get factory ammo with bonded bullets and am not set up to reload for it yet. Also, the rifle is not a super accurate gun and is only able to hold 1.5-2" groups for me and that is not enough for me to shoot 300y with enough confidence to do the job. But, it is fast becoming my favorite deer rifle.

As a deer, elk, bear, moose gun, the 338rcm in my view is very effective at least at close range. I am planning a 2027 Eland hunt and might consider it for that job if I can get some better bullets loaded by then. I also have a 338wm that shoots better and a few other options.

Photos attached. WARNING - the heart shot is not pretty.

 

[wildwilderness]

Thanks for sharing. The 338 rcm is an interesting cartridge especially for bigger game. A nice modern case design with efficiency that outperforms the 338-06, and does everything a 338wm does at close range.

 

[ftrovato]

In my experience, with premium bullets the 338 caliber is simply spectacular near and far.

 

[AZDAVE]

My wife has shot a ton of plains game from Springbok to Wildebeest with her 338 RCM using the 185gr GMX. Have found in the 225 and lighter bullets it runs close to the 338WM. in a lighter more handy rifle. Have loaded 225 CX and barnes bullets and they shoot well but she hasn't had time to shoot any kritters with them as her last couple hunts have been with her 375.