Is the 300 RUM Dead??

[dave300]

Exactly! In fact both your posts on this thread are exactly how I see things, and did long before you built my latest, yep, another 300 RUM.
Having said that, I also agree with a previous post regarding the 300 WM and the 215's, Broz has (I think) put the questions of that calibers capabilities to rest some years back.
I have been fortunate enough to have had done load development for many 300 RUM's both customs and Sendero's. Most of them have been done for a few friends that guide for one, if not the highest producing Elk outfitters in Nevada.
One of these friends spent the time to learn how to shoot long range and has just the one weapon, (Sendero 300 RUM) and when possible and agreeable has his clients use his weapon, it shoots the Berger 230's really well, it did right from the beginning.
I clearly recall him calling me just as soon as he got signal on the first day of the season using his new RUM, having two clients in tow, he was fortunate enough to shoot a double one in the morning and one in the evening.
His comments were I have seen well over 200 Elk harvested and I have never seen anything (in a 30 cal) consistently anchor the Nevada bulls like my RUM, now affectionately named "RED".
This weapon runs right around 3016 fps using Remington brass, H1000, Fed 215m's and of course the 230 OTM's, with a energy of 2206 Ft-lbs at 1000 yards and 18.8 MOA, I agree with the masses that previously posted that this Caliber is far from being dead.
My recent build is a 28" RUM, using RL26, Bertram Brass, Fed 215's and Berger 230's running at 3092 fps delivers 2349 ft-lbs at 1000 yards. Used this exact setup for my girlfriends cow elk harvest at 1130 yards, and a friend whom is elderly and a first time hunters cow elk at 730 yards, both falling upon impact.
Hope this helps you in any decisions your facing?

Who cares what the failing marketing department does over at Remington!!
Who cares about REMINGTON brass, or factory rounds like its the end all be all of brass and rounds and the only one available for the 300 RUM!!
Like I said before by Bertram (which is on par with lapua) or norma which is better than Remington and looky you didnt have to deal with the ****** marketing of Remington to have one of THE best LR hunting rounds available !!!!
And the The fact of the matter is the big RUM's do it like no other "factory rounds" (except the biggest baddest Weatherby's by a very slight margin and having to do it with a bunch more powder) even with ****** marketing, that speaks volumes!!!!!!
Look at the percentage of custom rifles chambered in 300, 338, 7rum, Or some of the baddest wildcats based off of the 300 RUM case,,,
In sportsmans they cant keep the 300 in stock in any model!!

Novelty!!! seriously!! so its as for fetched as a A 50BMG?? 375 Cheytac?? 30-338 LAP AI??? 338 ALLEN MAGNUM
338-KAHN? Aint seen those on the shelf..............EVER!!!!

The 300 Rum is the farthest thing from dead!!!! What's dead is the marketing towards big game rounds and big bullets that actually kill with authority,,, There is so much push and marketing towards lesser and lesser baby rounds that have no business doing work on any big game animal at 800 plus yards!!! Whats dead is the fact that no one looks at impact energy, bullet weight, frontal density or impact velocities at the farther ranges enough anymore!! the rounds that do have enough and shine at those ranges (300 RUM one of very many) to cleanly harvest game animals even if the shot gets pushed off by wind or a lazy trigger squeeze get sneered at because there not the boutique SA round and have more recoil !!!!!

 

[Double Dropper]

OK havent been on in a while but definately a slew of responses. I like the cartridge but yes this is about marketing failure. Components for reloading are difficult to come by up here in Alberta, seems like 300 weatherby brass is everywhere lol, I may have to revisit this soon for the next rifle. Thanks for all the input.

 

[toddc]

No case ever DIES.

Factory support for it DOES.

I have had a lot of RUM based rigs from the 6.5 to the 375.

NO MORE.

Just bought a Savage M112 in 338 Lapua and I am never looking back.

I used to run RUM because of brass price, availability AND too many Lapua supporters. Well Big Green has PERMANENTLY lost my brass business. If Lapua doesn't build brass for it.....I aint shooting it.

Remington is in a sad state of affairs and can't be trusted to support me after I invest money in dies, barrels and cases.

So SCREW EM. I don't want the RUM to die.....just its PARENT. Let Lapua start building 404 based stuff and let ol Remmy die the nasty death it deserves.

 

[Double Dropper]

Pretty tough to go hunting with 338 Lapua, not too many sporter weight rifles for that caliber. That being said a 300 Lapua......hmmm if they started building that!!

 

[toddc]

Who cares what the failing marketing department does over at Remington!!
Who cares about REMINGTON brass, or factory rounds like its the end all be all of brass and rounds and the only one available for the 300 RUM!!
Like I said before by Bertram (which is on par with lapua) or norma which is better than Remington and looky you didnt have to deal with the ****** marketing of Remington to have one of THE best LR hunting rounds available !!!!
And the The fact of the matter is the big RUM's do it like no other "factory rounds" (except the biggest baddest Weatherby's by a very slight margin and having to do it with a bunch more powder) even with ****** marketing, that speaks volumes!!!!!!
Look at the percentage of custom rifles chambered in 300, 338, 7rum, Or some of the baddest wildcats based off of the 300 RUM case,,,
In sportsmans they cant keep the 300 in stock in any model!!

Novelty!!! seriously!! so its as for fetched as a A 50BMG?? 375 Cheytac?? 30-338 LAP AI??? 338 ALLEN MAGNUM
338-KAHN? Aint seen those on the shelf..............EVER!!!!

The 300 Rum is the farthest thing from dead!!!! What's dead is the marketing towards big game rounds and big bullets that actually kill with authority,,, There is so much push and marketing towards lesser and lesser baby rounds that have no business doing work on any big game animal at 800 plus yards!!! Whats dead is the fact that no one looks at impact energy, bullet weight, frontal density or impact velocities at the farther ranges enough anymore!! the rounds that do have enough and shine at those ranges (300 RUM one of very many) to cleanly harvest game animals even if the shot gets pushed off by wind or a lazy trigger squeeze get sneered at because there not the boutique SA round and have more recoil !!!!!

The last paragraph of this post is right up there with best post EVER.

The move to SMALL LRH stuff is a joke brought on by the popularity of PRS and steel.

Steel doesn't move with the bullet in the air, doesn't bleed and doesn't suffer.

10 yrs ago we would have laughed someone off of this forum for asking about a sub 308 capacity 6.5mm as a LRH round. Now its touted as the laser of death.

I have played with small stuff for the last 30 yrs as I like my 338s in the 40lb range and my 30s in the 20lb range. So I usually keep a 22-7mm that's more portable for short range and limited LR.

I had 2 does take a step while bullet was in the air this year. Running an AR-10 and saw them move while watching trace so I sent another one FAST. Was able to harvest both but it just reminded me that a 6.5 ANYTHING isn't a LRH rig except under IDEAL circumstances such as a BEDDED animal.

Any animal on its feet, or even bedded with other animals near it (or a coyote that gets upwind of it) can cause a perfectly sent shot go BAD real quick. Back of diaphragm with a 6.5 is a disaster, the same shot with a 338 MIGHT be a disaster but the odds are stacked a lot heavier on the 338 side.

We want to grow LRH as a sport but so many of these new guys think that nothing can go wrong. Stuff happens at LR and ya need something to cover that margin.

 

[toddc]

Pretty tough to go hunting with 338 Lapua, not too many sporter weight rifles for that caliber. That being said a 300 Lapua......hmmm if they started building that!!

I've been hunting with 338s for 30+ years. This M112 is the lightest I have ever had. Most of mine have weighed over 20 lbs I don't hunt in the mountains though lol.

 

[Double Dropper]

I've been hunting with 338s for 30+ years. This M112 is the lightest I have ever had. Most of mine have weighed over 20 lbs I don't hunt in the mountains though lol.

I do hunt the mountains unfortunately lol, need something in the 8.5 pound range and hits like a Kenworth. gun)gun)

 

[toddc]

I do hunt the mountains unfortunately lol, need something in the 8.5 pound range and hits like a Kenworth. gun)gun)

You could build a 8.5 lb Lapua. It would hit like a Kenworth out front and a Mack in the shoulder. You would probably need to get your PETERBILT after shooting one.

 

[Double Dropper]

In all honesty I doubt I would shoot past 650 yards. I have two 300 winnies and think with a premium handload it should be lots for elk. But another 30 cal lol whats wrong with that??

 

[Lrt307]

In all honesty I doubt I would shoot past 650 yards. I have two 300 winnies and think with a premium handload it should be lots for elk. But another 30 cal lol whats wrong with that??

I have had great success with 7mm running 180 JLK's. I have killed elk @ 988, 902,875,751, and a handful of 5 and 600 yard shots. With good bullet placement it just works. The 300 Rum I have a 676yd failure poor shot placement and bullet hole plugged is what I am chalking it up to. After that 1 @ 690 yards, 1 @ 557 and 1 @ 1376 yards. This thing is baaaad! I was way impressed on how quick and clean it kills but in all honesty a 7mm 180 will effectively kill any big game in Nort America.

 

[Double Dropper]

What is a JLK??

 

[Lrt307]

What is a JLK??

Its a bullet. Swampworks it used a j4 jacket and nearly idetical to berger vld in performance , accuracy and dimenision. They are a bit narower at the tip of the ogive and carry a bit more bc. .735 bc on their advertised 180 vld.

 

[Bravo 4]

I agree about the trend to go smaller now a days. I also agree that a smaller cartridge has a hard time competing in the long range hunting game.
Example: this year I made a horrible mistake while hunting, a total bone headed rookie move. I got bull fever and dialed 1 moa wind the wrong way!!! At a little over 800 yards that put the 415 grain .408 Cheytac bullet into the back of the rib cage. A 140 gr Berger VLD from 6.5 Creedmore would have twice the wind deflection, this would have resulted in a gut shot animal.
I believe that just because you can doesn't mean you should, and I usually plan worst case. This usually means go bigger for me. It payed off for me in this scenario.
Now, am I saying that a .408 is needed...good grief no! I'm looking into downgrading, to one of the super .375's. Ha!

 

[toddc]

I agree about the trend to go smaller now a days. I also agree that a smaller cartridge has a hard time competing in the long range hunting game.
Example: this year I made a horrible mistake while hunting, a total bone headed rookie move. I got bull fever and dialed 1 moa wind the wrong way!!! At a little over 800 yards that put the 415 grain .408 Cheytac bullet into the back of the rib cage. A 140 gr Berger VLD from 6.5 Creedmore would have twice the wind deflection, this would have resulted in a gut shot animal.
I believe that just because you can doesn't mean you should, and I usually plan worst case. This usually means go bigger for me. It payed off for me in this scenario.
Now, am I saying that a .408 is needed...good grief no! I'm looking into downgrading, to one of the super .375's. Ha!

Even if you don't make a mistake, at 800 yds a lot of stuff can go wrong. Animal moves, wind switches at 200 and you cant see it, bullet, case or load is flawed. Magnetic pole of the Earth decides to switch. Whatever happens a 408 will have a lot more insurance than a 6.5 both on the place it hits AND what it does when it gets there.

LRH used to be populated with guys figuring out how to run really big bullets as fast as possible.

Now I see more threads about how to build a lighter gun so that it won't be a chore to pack. When I first got on here we would have had a conniption fit about some of the posts that are commonplace nowadays.

Anything past 500 yds, run all the lead ya can as fast as ya can and quit worrying about what PRS shooters are shooting STEEL with.

Steel doesn't move, bleed or suffer. While steel is incredibly tough, all ya gotta do to make a hit count is make it go PING.

Worst part is that the guys who need the most INSURANCE for marginal hits are the ones most enamored with lightweight, low recoil and stuff they can buy FACTORY AMMO for.

As a board we should be pushing for more horsepower for LRH. Yeah a 6.5 Creed CAN kill at 1200 yds.....I've done it.....but whether I want to admit it or not I was playin with the LR Gods and sooner or later you will get slapped back to reality.

Here's to a move back to the 30, 338 and 375 rigs from 10 yrs ago and lets keep the Creeds and the like where they belong.....on the range or for shorter shots.