Nothing at all wrong with using old well proven cartridges, such as .270, 30-06 7x57 ect.I vowed to stay old fashioned and stick with the rem mag
Any love for 300 winmag?
- Thread starter JimmySticks
- Start date
I do have a .270 and a .25.06 to
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
have shot heaps of deer with the .300`s. They are not for everyone but quite often a lot of calibres are not for everyone.
The 300wm case does have a few niggles and maybe the 300PRC is overall the better cartridge. Saying that I am on my fourth 300wm which by quite a bit the lightest of them and the nicest to shoot offhand or resting. It has something to do with the overall build quality, stiffness, materials and balance. Possibly my favourite rifle.
edi
edi
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
300 Win Mag flattens out the 308 / 30-06 and gives another 40 yards of point blank range, especially with the heavier weight bullets. But you are still only talking a 200 odd grain bullet. They have their place when shooting big deer and antelope such as Elk or Kudu at longer ranges.
In the UK, mostly our open ground are well under 200kg and thus 270 class rifles are more than capable with less recoil, cost to run etc.
For boar, most are shot at close range, where the velocity of a magnum just causes bullet blow ups. Most boar will fall perfectly to a 308. If you want bigger, you need a bigger bullet such as in the 9.3x62.
If you are going to Africa, especially the traditional Safari countries then a 375 H&H is the go to option.
There are now in South Africa and Namibia a number of ranches promoting long range shooting - it seems as if you are driven to a high point. Sit down with a cooler of beer, and then pick off animals at 400 to 500m with a sniper rifle chambered in 300 something or other.
If that sort of hunting floats your boat then that’s your choice and money.
Personally I would much rather be on foot and get in close to the game.
In the UK, mostly our open ground are well under 200kg and thus 270 class rifles are more than capable with less recoil, cost to run etc.
For boar, most are shot at close range, where the velocity of a magnum just causes bullet blow ups. Most boar will fall perfectly to a 308. If you want bigger, you need a bigger bullet such as in the 9.3x62.
If you are going to Africa, especially the traditional Safari countries then a 375 H&H is the go to option.
There are now in South Africa and Namibia a number of ranches promoting long range shooting - it seems as if you are driven to a high point. Sit down with a cooler of beer, and then pick off animals at 400 to 500m with a sniper rifle chambered in 300 something or other.
If that sort of hunting floats your boat then that’s your choice and money.
Personally I would much rather be on foot and get in close to the game.
, tis a 'Big-Boys' tool...
JimmySticks
Member
In conclusion, if I stay with 300wm, I might find it hard to get a good one, or sell it again of I don't like it. But I may find I love it and keep it forever.
I guess like most things in life we pays our money and takes our chances.
see what works, or doesn't, and what we like, or don't. Hopefully learning something from the experience.
Thanks for all the replies folks, genuinely helpful. Seems like a decent forum this!
I guess like most things in life we pays our money and takes our chances.
see what works, or doesn't, and what we like, or don't. Hopefully learning something from the experience.
Thanks for all the replies folks, genuinely helpful. Seems like a decent forum this!
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
Ask @BE Precision
Long range target stuff mostly using 208 a max
It got thrashed but did well. Was still shooting half MOA with 148 yew tree - that was spectacular on deer!
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
I figured it was either hot from culling or range shooting as its rare otherwise to wear a barrel out.
Ask @BE Precision
Long range target stuff mostly using 208 a max
It got thrashed but did well. Was still shooting half MOA with 148 yew tree - that was spectacular on deer!
It could have still done a job but chunks would have started to come out. .300 WM is a hot rod
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
Yes agreed, I have a few.
Rutland lad
Well-Known Member
Well that’s interesting reading.
I have had two 300 WM rifles, a Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter followed by a Mauser MO3 Extreme with that barrel as a starter.
I homeload, so I was given a recipe by a good friend which was a ‘mild’ one for a WM, shooting a 180 grain Barnes RSX at about 2600 fps. I shot everything with it from muntjac to highland reds. And the muntjac didn’t ’blow up’, they were certainly dead with a shoulder shot but all went into the food chain. The point is the right bullet choice will save a lot of ‘blow up’ ever happening.
We move on 10 years, and between us we accepted that we were running the WM at less velocity than it was designed for, so we reloaded the same bullet now travelling at 2950 fps. It groups well (see attached photos) and has a huge amount of knockdown power.
To explain further, I have a 308 barrel for the Mauser which shoots 150 grain Fox Classic Hunter bullets at 2620 fps, giving superb accuracy and muzzle energy of 2,288 ft/lbs or 3,102 NM.
The WinMag shoots a 180 grain Barnes TSX at 2,950 FPS also giving superb accuracy and muzzle energy of 3,481 ft/lbs or 4,719 NM. This is a huge increase in power regales of what detractors say, and can be translated into a practical result.
I have shot fallow deer at 200m with 6.5x55 and .308 rounds. Yes, they die with a classic heart/lung shot.
At the same range with the WM they drop on the spot. On the hill with recovery always in the back of your mind, the WM gives me and the ghillie the confidence to take a shot that might be marginal with other calibres.
Indeed in Scotland last year I shot three reds in quick succession on an awkward hill - after the first two dropped on the spot the ghillie said ‘take the third’ which I did. He then said ‘I’ve never seen then drop like that - their legs just collapsed under them’
This is in my honestly held opinion the difference between a larger powerful calibre and other more common ones.
Please shoot one before buying; yes there’s more recoil and they’re expensive to run UNLESS you handload - but, they’re a very useful tool to have even on UK deer.
Sometimes they are in the middle of a field at 250+ metres and you need to drop them right there.
I wouldn’t want to be without mine. Much more versatile calibre than people would have you believe.
I have had two 300 WM rifles, a Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter followed by a Mauser MO3 Extreme with that barrel as a starter.
I homeload, so I was given a recipe by a good friend which was a ‘mild’ one for a WM, shooting a 180 grain Barnes RSX at about 2600 fps. I shot everything with it from muntjac to highland reds. And the muntjac didn’t ’blow up’, they were certainly dead with a shoulder shot but all went into the food chain. The point is the right bullet choice will save a lot of ‘blow up’ ever happening.
We move on 10 years, and between us we accepted that we were running the WM at less velocity than it was designed for, so we reloaded the same bullet now travelling at 2950 fps. It groups well (see attached photos) and has a huge amount of knockdown power.
To explain further, I have a 308 barrel for the Mauser which shoots 150 grain Fox Classic Hunter bullets at 2620 fps, giving superb accuracy and muzzle energy of 2,288 ft/lbs or 3,102 NM.
The WinMag shoots a 180 grain Barnes TSX at 2,950 FPS also giving superb accuracy and muzzle energy of 3,481 ft/lbs or 4,719 NM. This is a huge increase in power regales of what detractors say, and can be translated into a practical result.
I have shot fallow deer at 200m with 6.5x55 and .308 rounds. Yes, they die with a classic heart/lung shot.
At the same range with the WM they drop on the spot. On the hill with recovery always in the back of your mind, the WM gives me and the ghillie the confidence to take a shot that might be marginal with other calibres.
Indeed in Scotland last year I shot three reds in quick succession on an awkward hill - after the first two dropped on the spot the ghillie said ‘take the third’ which I did. He then said ‘I’ve never seen then drop like that - their legs just collapsed under them’
This is in my honestly held opinion the difference between a larger powerful calibre and other more common ones.
Please shoot one before buying; yes there’s more recoil and they’re expensive to run UNLESS you handload - but, they’re a very useful tool to have even on UK deer.
Sometimes they are in the middle of a field at 250+ metres and you need to drop them right there.
I wouldn’t want to be without mine. Much more versatile calibre than people would have you believe.
Attachments
Norfolk Deer Search
Well-Known Member
Pointless overrated calibre, had one six months then sold it!
I've got one approaching end of life, I do like it but don't love it, ballistics, energy and our biases aside, you need to shoot a rifle to become proficient with it, especially at extended distances, I've found a stalking weight rifle in 300 WM is a wee bit nippy, and just for clarity in a previous life my goto rifle was an AI 338 LM, so I'm not frightened of a wee thump.
I've recently changed to 7mm PRC, good ballistics, reasonable recoil, I'm starting to love it.
If you don't have 100% faith in your kit you'll blame it every time you miss or pull a shot!
Just my tupence worth
I've recently changed to 7mm PRC, good ballistics, reasonable recoil, I'm starting to love it.
If you don't have 100% faith in your kit you'll blame it every time you miss or pull a shot!
Just my tupence worth
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
Oh NDS @Rutland lad has it down pat and he is correct,I`m gonna say that you are very wrong.
The ammo is expensive and the rifle needs to be weighty even before you put that larger moderator and big heavy scope on . Inside 400 yards or more its simply not required the .270 is way cheaper and longer lasting . Personally speaking i do see merit a slightly heavier bullet and a tad more overall weight of the gun to help with recoil. I used to run a 7-08 to complement a .243 and many years later i now run a 243win with a .260 rem ( 260 is similar to a creed) . 243win and .308 win cannot be overlooked for finding ammo you could not be in a brilliant spot for finding ammo anyplace if you don't load
Aye very true, I have similar experience with 300 WM shooting barnes TTSX 165 grain, if you hit them they drop like stones on the spot.
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