15:45 you also have to consider you shave another 200 fps off with the rifle that actually weighs 5 lbs because its only an 18 inch barrel Ron. Weatherby has the velocities just under the table you showed earlier in the 18 inch version.
What a great video. That you for sharing Ron. I had considered the rpm but as a 300 win mag, 338 win mag, and 375 h and h guy; I’ll pass. That advantage might be in the rifle weight vs sectional density. Marketing these days by weatherby, Hornady, nosler, and all the other manufacturers is crazy impressive. I actually wish the 300 h and h would make its way back. But it seems the short actions are today’s sexy ticket. Thanks for sharing Ron!
What do you mean by magnum action when you say you need that in order to run .338 win mag? There are many standard size bolt actions chambered for those magnum case head sizes. Remington 700, etc etc etc
I have to agree with you Ron and the heavier bullet mass makes a .338 caliber a great choice for heavy game. Even up to Cape Buffalo and Elephant with proper bullets and proper placement. Like WDM Bell and his 318 Westley Richards.
But Ron, i mentoined the .338 Blaser Magnum last time you reviewed a 338 on your channel. i am getting 2890 fps out of my standard Blaser barrel with the 225grain Nosler Accubond. Wich is actually a bit over what this 338 RPM has put down on it's package. And the Blaser magnum did not survive for more than a year. It has totally died out... Why in the world would this RPM cartridge survive instead? I love my .338 BM, it gets the job done very efficient and i dont need to hassle with the belted cases or anything. You should absolutely have had the BM on this particular lineup ;) As always, awesome videos man! keep it up
Looks useful for a backcountry rifle. Lots of power in a lightweight rifle. More useful then the flood of little 6.5s and 7mms they keep coming out with.
@@bryanfox2735 Nothing wrong with a 7 mag just stating the obvious which is we have over a dozen cartridges in the 6.5- 7mm range that are very similar with the newest ones only slightly better than the old ones. 6.5 creedmoor, prc , 26 nosler 28 nosler 6.5 270, 7mm weatherbys, 280 rem, 280 ai, 6.8 western etc. They all do very simular things. The 338 rpm does something different atleast. It's a short action with almost 4000 ft pounds of energy it's a a true big game cartridge shooting 200- 250 gr bullets. Pretty close to 338 win mag in a rifle this small and light is impressive. Alot of people hunt in grizzly country and feel more comfortable with a 30 or 338 caliber incase they get charged. Would you rather be going to recover your elk that maybe a grizzly claimed with 140 gr-175 gr 6 or 7mm or a 200+ gr 30 or 338?
To make things fair, a .650 BC bullet in a 300 win is a high bc bullet, so why not compare a 338 250 gr high bc bullet with a .685 bc or step it up a little, a 300 gr Nosler Accubond has a .720 BC and a 300 gr Berger has a .818 BC. The 300 win mag is a great round, so are the 338's and sometimes the bigger hole does great things. For reference I shoot a 338 RUM and I push 225 accubonds over 3200 and 250 gr at 3050 and 300 gr at 2850. I am also loading 225 bullets in a 338 win mag at 2925. I also shoot a 300 RUM and I push 180 grs at 3350 and 215's at 3030 with a .696 BC. If we go back to hunting bullets of old like the Nosler Partion in 30 Cal, the BC will be below .500. As I get older the idea of a .338 in a lightweight rifle is appealing. I might just have to take a ride over the Big Horn Mountains and go visit Weatherby!
Don't think Ill be getting rid of my .35 Whelen and don't see the need for the new cartridge or for that matter most of the stuff they came out with to just get your money...this is getting ridiculous
Truthfully, how many times in my lifetime has there been a real standout cartridge? Maybe 500 S&W, 6.8 SPC? Most others are super marginal improvements in hopes of narrow advantage in competition shooting, or tailoring to a specific gun.
I was looking at the 325 wsm in my reloading manual’s and you know I think that the reason it’s not popular is because there’s not that many bullets in different weights available for that caliber I think that that’s the reason that the 8 mm magnum is dying off also
What attracts me to this is I’m kinda wanting a 338, and I got a Borden action about to be delivered with a non magnum bolt face. So do I go with 30-06, 30-06ai,338-06,338-06ai, 338rpm, or 30 Gibbs…oh the possibilities
I'll take me a 338 rpm 20" barrel and a lightweight 1-6 scope for backpacking hunting over a long barrel 300 in grizzly country any day. Can't think of a better setup for that purpose. Bigger bullets typically kill better on big game which ballistic charts dont show. Most people are obsessed with bc and velocity these days which never hurts but for hunting a elk or moose at 400 yards or under bullet size and mass matter way more then bc and a couple inches trajectory difference. The bullet is the only thing that actually touches the target.
Y'all got a lot of deer down there. I hunted southern Chillicothe on state land and seen a whole bunch of deer, but the coyotes chased them out so I never got one, but Ohio is what kick started my liking for dropping coyotes!
Absolutely why not. I have 2 338 win mags and I like it short light handy rifle what’s not to like. People are going to hate just because it’s Weatherby same goes for Kimber but my Kimber Montana in 280 ai would’ve one of the last to go. Innovation is good for everyone different strokes for different folks.
Isn’t it funny how people love variety in cars yet hare it in cartridges. I’ll say if the 338 rpm came out instead of the 338 win it would have been just as popular. Yet it’s a few decades late.
I hate rebated rims... I've tried a couple different cartridges with them and the brass has a horrible life span. Primer pockets get smoked and you end up bending the rims after 2 firings... at least the ones I've tried was like that.
Thanks Ron for calling thier bluff. These new cartridges aren't always what they are cracked up to be. Mostly a sales gimmick as PO Ackley often stated in his books comparing cartridges.
There has not been a "NEED" for a new cartridge since African hunters were raving about the superiority of the 7x57 for....elephant. But I would like a 50 BMG necked down to 223.. just or FUN
so I'm not sure why anyone would get a 338 win mag, much less 338 wby rpm, over the 300 win mag? might as well pass on 300 win mag as well and just go with 7mm rem mag or 7PRC ... even bigger SD and a little less recoil I do like the idea of having a bigger hole on something like a big bear, an eland, a wildebeest & similar
I watch your all videos i feel very bad because in India arms rules are very very strict .. your so lucky .. keep it up .. ronsporman ... In your video please say my words how lucky your nation .. this is your subscriber syed masood shah
I will stick with my 338 win mag . Ron I have a question my 338 win mag has 20 rounds threw it with out cleaning it and is shooting really accurate do some guns shoot better dirty? Should I clean it ? If I don’t is it bad for the barrel? I normally clean it after every shoot and get all the copper fouling out.
Yeah what he said, but short answer is you do NOT need to clean the bore after every shoot. You should only clean the bore when you notice a degrade in accuracy. Keep all the other parts as clean as you want but you’re actually not doing yourself a favor and probably hurting yourself more than helping by cleaning the bore that often. Watch tibosaurus’ video though like the guy above said.
What these guys said. Rex explains the importance of copper fouling and such. If you do clean it 100%, you'll want to fire a few rounds to get that accuracy back to where it was. This is also the same reason why new firearms sometimes seem inaccurate at first and then after a few rounds the groups start to tighten up.
@@Mountain-Man27 thanks for the reply I was at the gun range checking my Zero and got 5 bullets all touching! With Winchester ballistic silver tips 200 grain at 100 yards so I don’t want to ruin that, so should I just run a patch through with some gun oil for storage?
@@jayfry905 you won’t lose the accuracy permanently if you do clean it properly. The only thing is that after a cleaning you will need to shoot a few shots before the groups will tighten back up again. I may be doing it wrong but I store my guns in a safe with a plug in dehumidifier so I don’t see the need to run anything through the bore at all after shooting. I’d only do the oil after you’ve cleaned it.
Raise your hand if you were dumb enough to sell your Remington 600 in 350 Rem Mag...OK...go ahead...raise your hands...what? Ok so I am th eonly one...dang...I also sold a Marlin 336 in 356 and an M94 in 307.
If you need more than an a 30-06, get a 358 Norma. If that’s not enough, 416 Remington. Of course I’m just trying to incite a riot. I can justify owning a 270 weatherby, 280ai, 30-06, 300 wsm, and a 350 rem mag. No such thing as too much overlap. It’s all good for our beloved hobby and sport. 338 rpm is a brilliant case design, just late to the party. I’d love a 280ai necked up to 8mm. Or a 9.3x66 necked down to 8mm and Ackley improved.
I wounder how the 338-06 fits in this family of calibers? The Sierra 250-gr SBT Game King is the king of accuracy and power for my Winchester. 338 rifle.
I built a 338-06 while living in Alaska. Often overlooked in favor of the magnum,. launches a quality 250 grain bullet at close to 2600 FPS is more than enough for the coastal brown bears.
@@JAKDRZR I think the 338-06 actually outperforms 35 Whelen, but not by enough that it justifies the price difference. It's a lot cheaper to buy a 35 Whelen rifle and ammo. Since A-Square went out of business nobody makes factory rifles or ammo for the 338-06. You'd have to go through a gunsmith or through a custom shop to get a rifle, then you'd have to handload or go through a custom shop to get ammo.
@@levivoyles5924 go look at 225gr bullet weight. The whelan is 200+ fps out of the muzzle 2800+ fps. Vs 338-06 2595. The whelan is more efficient and out performs the 338-06.
You convinced me. I have a .300, and really don’t need it here in Texas. A .270 or, at most, a 7 mag is all you need. I have a friend from Africa whose family owns a farm with a hunting camp. We were talking guns one day, and I was surprised at their calibers of choice! Of course if they don’t get their game this week, they can always go back next week, not like if you are there on safari from the USA. His “normal” hunting rifle was a .308! I asked him “Well, what if you have to shoot a buffalo or hippopotamus?” (apparently hippos destroy crops and make a nuisance of themselves, as well are dangerous. He had talked about that) he said “We use our heavy rifle.” I asked what that was, thinking I would hear a .458, .416 or .375 at least. I was shocked that he said “.300 Win Mag.” without blinking or hesitation. He said it had proven to be all they had ever needed.
I talked with a buddy of mine about hunting in Africa. I mentioned thinking of taking a 338 WM for larger wildlife, and a 6.5 creed for smaller antelope. When I mentioned 338 WM he laughed - said it wasn't necessary. He figured a 300 WM would do just fine for most of the larger animals, and that the 6.5 creed would indeed be a good choice for the smaller antelope. Now, one could have a lengthy philosophical debate with the dude about one's choice of caliber, but the dude lives and hunts there, so he probably knows what works.
maybe i’m not all in the “know” but…. i don’t know anyone at all that shoots a 220 gr. bullet in a .300 winchester for hunting… i don’t even know anyone that shoots a 200 grain bullet in one for hunting.. …. all the hunters that i know either use a 150 or 180 gr. bullet with a few others using 165’s .. i may be wrong but i think this comparison should have had the .300 shooting the 180 accubond because that is the best normal option..… I would be willing to bet that is the load 90% or more of the elk and bear hunter’s use in the .300 winchester.. this comparison uses the best possible scenario for the .300 win and just what you get for the .338’s.. in my opinion this isn’t a fair comparison in any way…
Exactly. Certainly not enough to become proficient with the rifle. Stick to a smaller cartridge .308/7mm-08 .30-06/.280/.270 etc. and shoot it so much that you can practically do it in your sleep and you’ll be far better off.
If they offer the cartridge in a rifle that weighs at least 6 3/4 pounds then maybe, 7 - 7 1/2 would be better. It just seems like not a lot Gun for such a heavy caliber.
I'm surprised the 340 Weatherby wasn't on the table. It was my first Mark V. The recoil is stout but not unbearable. I also own a Weatherguard in 338 WinMag 😊. I would like to build a custom rifle in 338-06, because that round has always intrigued me. 😊
Me too. My 340 Accumark is my elk rifle, and has a bit more oomph, but at the cost of weight of the 9 lug action. Carrying 2# less gun in the Rockies would be nice, but I'm so used my 340 handloads and ballistics that the extra expense doesn't cut it.
I built a Remington 700 in 338-06 back in the mid 90’s. With a 215 gr. Sierra Game King I’ve been able to take anything that falls within the cross hairs. Never understood why this caliber never took off.
People just have an aversion to things that are not .30 caliber or below at least here in the US. Same reason the .35 Whelen and the various 9.3mm cartridges never took off here despite being eminently practical and generally not bad on recoil except in very light rifles.
I have built four of them. Last one is 33806 Ackly Improved. 200 accubond is 2885fps. Nosler partition in 210, 225 fly well and are very effective. Brown bear and elk excellent.
Personally I always figured the 338-06 was one of the most useful cartridges ever made. I was on my way building one, but ended up doing a 9.3x62 instead.
The 338 RPM fits in a 06 case head and length action without going to a magnum action. So I have a switch barrel in 6.5RPM with a heavy barrel for long range work and a sporter barrel in 338 RPM. Both are incredibly accurate as well. One Defiance action and two Krieger barrels. Can’t get better.
I'm waiting for Hornady to neck down the .375 Ruger to .338. That's a dream cartridge for me, I might even get rid of the rest of the rifles for a .338 PRC.
Those of us who have actually used both the 300 Win Mag and 338 Win Mag on game (including multiple elk each) know that the 338 hits noticeably harder, regardless of what the SD, BC, and KE numbers say. 35 Whelen fans say the same thing. You can’t determine effectiveness on game from ballistic tables.
probably the best thing about their 338rpm is that it comes with a 20/22" barrel! almost all of their rifles have that 26/28" barrel which is ridiculous aside from bench shooting.
The rounds that are made from the 404 Jeffery base, modern beltless magnums, are not rebated rim cartridges. The case is just the same as the case head. Compare them to the Ackley improved series of cartridges, the most famous being the 30-06 Ackley improved, and you have the proper comparison of the beltless mags. The Remington Ultra's, SA's and Winchester short and super short are all on the 404 parent case.
I knew it lol I told someone they needed to compare it to the 300 win mag. awesome video Ron thank you. Now let's dive into the 6.5 × 284 Norma. I'm looking at a new rifle for me snd it's in that caliber so it's time to learn all shout it so lets compare it to something new thats came out in the last couple years.
You forgot one pro for the 338 over the 300. The 338 burns the powder a little bit more efficient, so they are a better choice if you want a little bit shorter barrel to put a suppressor on. The 338 rpm is available with 18" barrel, ready for suppressor. That is a big advantage for me and my kind of hunting.
I guess not being much of a hunter, I just don't get 95%of new cartridges. I figure if I cant kill it cleanly with a 308, 30-06, or 7mm rem mag I probably don't need or want to hunt it.
I think the problem is going to be the price and that it is only shooting the same as the good old reliable 338 Win Mag so why waste the dollars buying something that only Weatherby is the most likely producer of, I have not seen value for money when it comes to Weatherby cartridges or cases. My two cents worth. Still great info though Ron. Cheers from the Land Down under. Terry
My input is yes ! It brings more high power to standard action that has standard bolt face , think about it can always switch barrel's to most any smaller cartridges ,
All this high BC craze is ok for the target shooters but is absolutely irresponsible and unethical for hunters. Just an excuse for slobs to not have to put in the hard work to get close to game and wound more than they take by launching bullets with too little energy to cleanly kill our majestic game animals. Just like everything else with the new generations, lack of respect for anything and laziness. It's not a damn video game people!
I have a tikka t3x in 6.5x55 Swede and it's a laser beam. Custom hand loads, it drops everything it points at and does so with way less powder than a mag cartridge. You're telling me that because it has "high BC" bullets that it's unethical to use for deer? It's the perfect deer cartridge cause it doesn't wreck a bunch of meat. If I need something bigger for a moose I'll grab my 300 wsm but that's another animal altogether
Cold and aloof, I get what you're saying, but let's not conflate a high BC bullet with the, long range shooters. BC is really nothing more than design. The group that believes they can buy shooting skills are, or can be, a problem for all of us. I watched that crowd start about 20-25 years ago and it's only gotten worse.
I get it but I think the same argument was made when scopes showed up on hunting rifles and when compound bows showed up. The guys buying a 4500 dollar backpack rifle are putting way more effort in than most of us, let them take a tight shot in a breeze in the mountains and have more confidence doing it. I think it leads to less animals getting maimed by shots people were going to take anyway. Here in Utah morons have been potshotting at half a mile for decades on end, long before high bc bullets showed up.
If you can put the time, money, and effort into making a 500 plus yard shot ethically in a big game hunting situation you are among an elite few in the hunting world. Point Blank Range should be the limiting factor for the common man with cartridges and bullets that are effective at less than 500 yards. Just the opinion of a common man who used to love hunting. I don’t claim to be an expert. I try to be ethical. My personal limit I restrict myself to what I can take with a 7mm REM Mag with a 175 grain bullet. For whitetail I normally use a 308 shooting 173 grain Hornady bullets and I have a rifle that lets me stretch PBR out to 325 yards but I have never shot anything except ground hogs and coyotes at close to that distance with the 308. I think we are going the way of Europe and soon only landowners and the very rich will be able to hunt. As a common man maybe I need to trade my hunting gear for what is more suitable to defense and range shooting sports. Actually at my age I should just let the young ones worry about it and be thankful I lived when I did.
Always love the Ron Spomer videos! The .338 caliber is rather interesting. While the U.S. Army is adopting the .300 Norma as the sniper round against people. The .338 Norma is the chosen round for anti-vehicle sniping. During testing the Army determined the .50BMG was just too much, in too many ways. Hence the two Norma cartridges were determined to be just right! At least for the Army, just right. It would be interesting to see what Ron Spomer says about the Norma cartridges.
.50BMG Rawfoss is still a thing, and also .416 Barrett for long range. .338 Lapua Magnum also. .338 Norma Magnum is made for a longer bulett then standard .338 LM, but army use special custom rifles for .338LM that can load special .338LM with longer bulett and extra fast twist barells.
just my perspective. At 13 - I bought Guns & Ammo. It was right in front of the Playboy area. And 338 Win was proper medicine for Moose. Ave weight - 1200 - large average - 1800.
As far as I can tell, if someone likes it, chooses to buy it, then everyone else’s opinion doesn’t matter. I can’t get on board with those who complain like a bunch of Karen’s if everyone doesn’t shoot the same thing that they like. “All you need is a 270”, “that’s dumb, my favorite cartridge has been around since the 1920s and it’ll move a 140gr pill 3,000 fps, so technology is dumb”. It never ends.
People sure do love to whine and complain and put down others who don't do or say the same things they do! Childish people, childish.....Grow up and be a positive for society not a negative.....
The modern bullet manufacturing techniques, including various bonded and monolithic designs, has made the long held wisdom concerning sectional density less relevant. Smaller powder charge from the 338 RPM will create somewhat less recoil energy, so those very lightweight rifles from Weatherby might not rip your shoulder off, the way a very light 300 Win Mag will. It would also probably be a lot easier to load down a 338 RPM for less recoil. Personally, I would rather see it in 35 caliber, because of the options it brings to the table. It would be an alternative to the 35 Whelen.
I'm hoping Weatherby will come out with a 30 cal version.I am a big fan of the Winchester version,but I do hate the belt.I think the backcountry 2.0 would be even better in the 30 cal.,but that's just my humble opinion.
I bet they’ll get there, but competition with wsm doesn’t sound like much fun, not much new ground to cover would be my guess. A new 338 built around current bullets is pretty interesting, I bet it gets a following like the 6.5 which had a lot more competition.
This cartridge peaks my interest. It only really makes sense in a Weatherby rifle though. Cause the weight doesn’t change between a true magnum and the RPM in any rifle other than the Mk V since in the Mk V they have two actions; the six lug and the nine lug. You can get the RPM cartridges in the six lug which is a pound lighter than the nine lug but you can’t put the traditional magnums in the six lug action. That’s the main reason for the RPM cartridges.
The belt on a case does control headspace, but that had little reason to use a belt, it was feeding in bolt guns for dangerous game. At the time belted cases came out double guns were popular for dangerous game guns. Two quick shots, they used rimmed cases for ease of extraction/ejection. When they tried these cartridges in bolt guns they often jammed up because of rim lock. They experimented with case design and found the belt prevented rim lock. I don't know if they tried a rimless case or not. They might have but liked the rimmed design well enough to extend it out and cut a groove for extraction was the way to go. Perhaps they thought rimless cases would be to much of a change for traditional minded hunters. Perhaps they decided on belts was it helped in bolt guns but was still easy to use in double guns. I never liked the belted cases because the extra diameter of the belt takes to much room in the magazine. Making the case rimless you could get an extra cartridge in the magazine. While hunting dangerous game that extra round might be the one you need to save your life.
I say do whatever suits your needs. I've always been more partial to the bigger, heavier, slower bullet crowd like 35's, 45's, and 50's. One of my top favorite calibers is the 45-70. Depending on the ammunition, it can be a light shooter or a heavy hitter. Then again, I typically hunt area's that aren't as open so I'm always taking a shot 200 yards or less. As far as a 300WM goes, I've seen that round down some impressively large animals, mostly on film, except the one time in person I saw my dad shoot a 1,256 lb bull bison 62 yards away. That round left one helluva hole and passed threw that bison, hitting a rib on the entry and taking one out on the exit. That was just a regular 180 grain federal blue box loading too.
When in my teens and most of my 20’s I liked faster stuff. Then I went through all the mid range 6.5 mm cartridges. Now my whitetail rifles are two 9.3x62 mm’s, 416 Taylor improved, and a 416 Remington magnum. While they are overkill for whitetail I get to atleast live out my African hunting fantasies since I can prolly never afford to go there lol.
@@markwhitteck6055 Yeah this 450's are real popular, especially in states with cartridge restrictions. I know quite a few people who use that caliber and all of them have reported it being successful.
@@andrewcleveland Don't blame yeah there, I'd like to shoot at least just one large game animal with my 50 cal, even though it's an impractical weapon to use for that purpose, why the heck not at least once 🤷.
@@toddk1377 exactly lol. I mean you only leave once, so I like to try all sorts of calibers on deer. I even change up loads 2-3 times each deer season in my rifles just to see how different bullets perform. I just like to tinker. Plus I like being the guy with the oddball calibers. No one ever ask to borrow ammo, or borrow one of my big boomers either 🤣🤣
It makes sense to me as someone looking to put together a single premium rifle to hunt everything from whitetails up to brown bear. Yes the 338 win mag would work the same but it is nice that to have a weatherby option tailored to their rifle action.
same. actually, I've been trying to figure out how to start a 338 WBY RPM load with lighter bullets than factory ammo, but there's no load data for such & I don't know how to safely create a brand-new load.
No it’s not worth it and neither is the 33 nosler either, most of these huge and new cartridges and even the older ones aren’t actually any improvements on the mainstream old staple cartridges, 270 win and 30-06 and 308 7-08 7 rem mag and 300 win mag and 300 wby are really able to cover most and if your gonna shoot dangerous game 375 H&H 458 win mag or 458 Lott
If I weren't broke (have been for a couple years now...hoping it will get better in 2025 but not holding my breath), I'd get a backcountry 2.0 in 338 WBY RPM. PS - as far as the recoil goes...you can no longer simply plug a few numbers into an online calculator and determine the recoil. with stocks that are designed to absorb recoil, with butt pads like the one on the Peak 44 stock or the Backstop pad from Jim Harmer, and with muzzle breaks or suppressors (aka silencers aka minimizers), recoil ain't what it used to be
Sounds like a well designed cartridge for the intent of making lightweight rifles. I will never have one, nor do i need that power level. If i ever decide to elk hunt, i will either get a 338 Federal or just use heavier bulket 30-06 loads. It seems like these highly specialized cartridges are just a flash in the pan. Anything that proprietary is usually kapit after awhile. Anybody remember the Marlin Express cartridges? 307 Win and 375 Win? 30 TC? Especially when a cartridge is simply a ballistic twin of another established "standard" cartridge, it usually seems to fail. I sometimes wonder if engineers and ballisticians are simply trying to show off their smarts when cooking up new cartridges. Sure it is fun to oick something more tailored to you, but this profusuon of new cartridges in the last few years is getting ridiculous. Obviously, you could do it all with 30-30, 30-06, 280 AI or 7 Rem Mag, maybe 338 Win Mag, 45-70, and 243 for a dual purpose cartridge and light recoil for new shooters. But is fun to shoot something a little off the beaten path. If you will excuse me, my Krag needs some exercise......
I like all my Weatherby's, rifles and shotguns, but I believe Weatherby missed on this one. Sure a light rifle is a great thing to carry. But a new expensive rifle in a cartridge that will be expensive and hard to find, just won't appeal to most hunters. Plus, let's not forget that when the 338 Win came on the seen it was shinning with 250 grain and 300 grain bullets. Big bullets for big heavy game at close and relatively close range. That is why Winchester released it in the model 70 "Alaskan", think moose, brown/grizzly and polar bears. I'll stick with my 338Win, 338RUM and 340Wby. If I need bigger one of the 375s or the 416Wby comes out. Maybe some day the 35s will be rediscovered.
35's are a good size to weight ratio. I've bagged a few deer with a 35 Remington and I was surprised how well it performed. From the numbers on the box, it didn't seem to be much of an upgrade over a 30-30, but it was definitely an upgrade from the looks of the wound channels.
Weatherby has always been a joke. Who needs them? I wish they never existed. .338 Win Mag is the king. I doubt that more than 1% of people ever bought Weatherby guns or ammo. They are an afterthought. You can hunt anything, big or small, with a .338 Win Mag. It's not too small for anything.
Watch who tee who’s video on it. The accubrake is excellent for recoil it’s not bad at all. The rifle shaves over a pound off by being able to use the 6 lug instead of the 9 lug action is why. The .338 rpm was chosen because the bigger bore diameter doesn’t lose as much velocity in an 18 inch barrel as say something smaller.
on a side note: the Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 in 338 WBY RPM is currently out of stock. I'm wondering if that's because they're sold out (i.e., demand exceeds supply) or b/c they're just not making any (or very few, i.e., little to no demand)?
