300 RCM? Junk Caliber or GTG?

[Huntolive]

I'm thinking of trading an old rifle for a like new Ruger M77 Hawkeye 300 RCM.

While I really do not want to get into any new calibers and I already have 300 Win Mag 7 mm Remington Magnum and 300 WSM, trade may be to my advantage.

But I want to know more about what I'm getting into.
If it were the Ruger Guide Gun I would already have done the deal.
I'm also getting a little cash in the deal.
But let's not worry about what I'm trading I just want to find out more about both the caliber and the values and qualities of this particular Ruger m77 all-weather black and stainless steel rifle.

Thanks.

 

[LoonWulf]

I'm thinking of trading an old rifle for a like new Ruger M77 Hawkeye 300 RCM.

While I really do not want to get into any new calibers and I already have 300 Win Mag 7 mm Remington Magnum and 300 WSM, prayed maybe to my advantage.

But I want to know more about what I'm getting into.
If it were the Ruger Guide Gun I would already have done the deal.
I'm also getting a little cash in the deal.
But let's not worry about what I'm trading I just want to find out more about both the caliber and the values and qualities of this particular Ruger m77 all-weather black and stainless steel rifle.

Thanks.

It wont do anything for you besides providing ish trade fodder.
Theres nothing WRONG with the RCMs, but they didnt take off mostly (imo) due to being way to late to the field, and not REALLY doing anything different.
The 6.5PRC is basically an RCM, they just didnt want to tack the name on it.

 

[jmr40]

The only reason the 300 RCM exists is because Ruger didn't want to have to pay a royalty on each 300 WSM rifle they made. It is a long story, but Winchester stole the idea for the WSM's from someone who sued Winchester. Part of the lawsuit settlement called for the inventor to get a royalty for each rifle and box of ammo sold for a certain number of years.

Before the lawsuit you could get Remington, Savage, and Ruger rifles in 300 WSM. After the lawsuit Ruger came up with the RCM line and Remington the short action ultra mag cartridges to avoid the royalty. Winchester was required to keep making the WSM's. But the lawsuit really hurt the WSM's. The Ruger and Remington versions weren't as good, and Winchester didn't really push them hard after losing the lawsuit.

It is a good round, but won't quite match 300 WSM. Think of it as a short action that will match hot 30-06 loads. Which isn't really that bad. I don't know how easy, or hard it is to get brass or ammo and that is something to consider. From a short carbine length rifle it might be something different than what you have. I don't see resale or trade value ever being all that much either.

 

[cougar1717]

It is neither junk, nor GTG. It doesn't fit either camp. It lives in caliber obscurity as an also ran that never took off; a work around.

CDNN had been trying to liquidate their stash of 300RCM M77's for years. I don't see any on their website so the must have finally sold them all.

Hornady makes brass for it. For how long? - who knows!
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021372331?pid=171256

A quick ammoseek search shows that Hornady is the only major manufacturer making ammo for it.
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/300rcm

I'm not here to tell the OP what to do. It's just not a very desirable caliber and the problem is that if the OP ever wanted to get out of the 300RCM rifle, the trade value is terrible since the number of people who want that rifle in that caliber is very small. That is why someone is willing to trade a LNIB 300RCM M77 for an "old rifle."

 

[H&Hhunter]

The RCM’s are completely redundant and an answer to a question that was never asked. When they were first announced my prediction, right here on THR was that they were destined for obscurity and were a total flop. That being said there is nothing wrong with them, they just don’t do anything that isn’t already being done by plenty of other rounds.

The only thing that would have made these rounds launch was if Ruger had designed them to fit into some kind of revolutionary new rifle system. But they were designed for the the M-77 which IMO is lack luster at best and offers unreliable and inconsistent accuracy at worst. Due to real life experience with multiple M-77 rifles I’m not a fan.

 

[earlthegoat2]

You have a 300 WSM.

That one right there makes the 300 Win Mag and 7mm Mag you already have null and void.

It would do the same for the 300 RCM on top of all the other reasons to not get into that cartridge.

 

[greyling22]

You could rechamber the 300 rcm into 300 wsm. I've never done a chamber reaming, but they're pretty close, so it should be possible. WSM is a little larger.

 

[mshootnit]

Idk I think if I was going 30 cal I would not be aftaid of it, but I reload too.
I would plan on getting several hundred brass at the same time I got the rifle.
It is a very nicely designed cartridge.
You should not have any problems with a stainless synthetic Ruger M77. I like the heck out of them. They are built to hunt.
This rifle/cartridge combo is in no way junk, it just didn't catch on because people already had plenty of WSMs and 300 Win mags.

 

[mshootnit]

Precision Hunter Ammunition - 300 Ruger Compact Magnum, Eld-x, 178 Gr
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/868405008

 

[CraigC]

I don't have a .300 but I have a walnut/blue .338. For me, .338-06 performance out of a light 20" rifle made for the perfect elk rifle.