.300wsm

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Saltydog235

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Got an itch for a new rifle. Purely a hunting rig capable of taking anything in NA short of the big bears. I want a .30 Magnum as well. The more I read on this cartridge the more I'm liking the sound of it.

If you own one or have experience with one I'd like to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. And please hold the a .308, 30'06, .270 etc. will do all you need. I know that, already own them, well except a .270 since I'm not a fan.

Still trying to decide on the platform, do I want a beater or something nice. Torn between a Tikka or just sucking it up and buying a Sako. Thought about the XBolt but I hate that magazine they have. Hunted tonight with my Sako 75 and had forgotten what a great little rifle it is.
 
Basically a .300 win mag. I guess the only cons are quite often you can not find loaded ammo or brass for it. I rarely ever shoot my .300 WSM. I built it for a 1k bench gun and only shoot it on the real windy days.
 
The advantage a 300WSM has over other 300 mags is less recoil and the ability to be used in a short action rifle where weight can be kept down. While many loads overlap; with the same bullets a 300 WSM will always be about 50-100 fps slower than a 300 WM if the best loads are used. It'll always be 150-250 fps faster than a 30-06 with the same bullets for comparison. It is also very efficient and works well in 22-24" barrels whereas the other 300 magnums really need 26" to be useful.

With that in mind I see no sense in putting together a heavy, long barreled rifle in 300 WSM. It was designed for mountain hunters looking for a lightweight rig with more punch and range than 30-06 with manageable recoil. It does that very well.

If a 30-06, 300 WSM, and 300 WM are all the same weight the 300 WSM is exactly 1/2 way between the 30-06 and 300WM in recoil. Or you could put together a 7.5 lb 300 WSM that has roughly the same recoil as an 8.5 lb 300 WM. The loss of 50 fps and doing it with 10-12 gr less powder makes a noticeable difference in recoil.

I'd be looking at a Kimber. They are the only manufacturer that seems to understand that a 300 WSM is at it's best in a lightweight rifle. The Tikka would probably be a contender too if you're wanting to keep weight down.

I fell into 300 WSM almost by mistake. I ran across a steal on a used SS Winchester 70 Classic with a ruined stock for next to nothing a few years ago. I bought a cheap stock and used it for a while until running across a deal on a McMillan Edge. I have less than $1000 invested in the whole rig, rifle, stock, and scope. It weighs slightly under 7.5 lbs ready to hunt. It is the rifle on the left with my very similar 30-06 and 308. Load some heavier 180gr Barnes or 200-220 gr Partitions in it and it'll easily take those big bear too. With lighter bullets it'll make a great long range rig for smaller big game.

 
When I got my first WSM I had to get a new loading tray, the fat little WSM was to big for my old tray, and a new collet for my kinetic bullet puller. A friend who got a 270 WSM also had to get a new decapping die, he likes to decap before cleaning his cases. Other than that all my reloading equipment I have worked with the WSM and it has been a pleasure to load for. I ran Barnes 180 grain bullets in 300 but have since rebarreled that to 7 WSM. I've not found my rifles, nor has my friend had issues, with finding a good load fairly quickly with a number of different bullets.
 
I personally like the 270 WSM in that line. 150-160 gr. solids or partition bullets are capable of taking anything in North America.
If I were going 30 cal, I would go 300 Win mag.
 
I would disagree that recoil is less, having shot a 7WSM next to my 7mmRM. The recoil velocity of the WSM was much faster than the RM. Brass availibility and cost (2x) is a problem. I would recommend a 7mmRM or a 300WM. Brass availability goes to the Rem. A 7mm 160gr Partition at 3000fps is stout and has the Sectional Density of a 30 caliber 180gr.
 
The WSM is build short action at least on the ones I shot are. It's not big issue but bullets like the Barnes 180gr the BT will be in the below the shoulders and it be the same with 180gr Partition if OAL is 2.860".

It may use less powder than 300mag but if you want to shoot longer type bullets you may be better with long action.
 
I've got one in a Savage and a Tikka. Tikka is little too much recoil for me but husband shoots it and me the Savage. Loaded with imr 4451 and pretty much any 180 grain bullets they are both moa rifles all day long. Not heavy barrels or bench rifles so barrels heat up a lot but we bought them mid summer and were shooting in 98 degree weather. I'm very fond of the caliber.
 
My 300WSM is a Win M70 Fwt Classic. Due to shoulder problems I added a Limbsaver pad, and later a muzzle brake. My hunting load is Win case, Fed 215 primer, Barnes 168gr TSX, and a max load of Varget. It's a tack driver with 3 shot groups of 3/8" or less at 100, 3/4" at 200 and 1 to 1 1/2 at 300 depending on wind and how well I'm shooting that day. If you choose the Barnes bullets, pay attention to their suggested over all length. They like a long jump.

Mike
 
I bought one in a model 70 super shadow 2 years ago. I really like the round. I killed a decent sized doe with it last year. I put a Nikon Prostaff 4-12 on it and with my Nosler partition 150's over Superformance she shoots on a rope out to 350 yards.
 
Iv'e got a Sako 75 in 300wm and love it. I found a LNIB sako 75 in 30-06 and thinking about pulling trigger on that one too. Older 75's are tough to beat.
 
I have a Savage 300WSM topped with a Zeiss Terra 3-9 scope. Handload for it, started with 180 grain Partitions and just this year moved to 175 grain Barnes LRX over MagPro. Settled on a load that groups 3/4". The original butt plate was this hard plastic thing that I replaced with a Limb Saver. It made the rifle very pleasant to shoot.

It's great elk medicine.
 
When I started to hunt, it was .243Win and .30-06 until I got a little older and bigger and then I had a hankering for some magnums. I was not impressed with the 7mmMag and really wanted a larger slug, so I got a .300WM. I liked it okay, but could never get the accuracy out of it so I sold it and got a .300WSM barrel for my Encore. Got better accuracy, but the casehead thrust on the Encore was worrisome to me, so I sold that as well. Then I went to the .338WM followed by the .340 Weatherby Magnum. I liked both, but the cost, weight and recoil were a tad much. I wanted more than the .30-06, but not a heavy magnum. Eventually, I found the .338-06 and to me, it filled all the desires. Can still be a lightweight hunting rig without excessive recoil and terminal performance that is at least as good as the .30 caliber magnums.
 
Got a trade lined up on a Remington XCR in a B&C stock, Timney trigger, Warne rings and a Khales Helia C 3X12X56 plus ammo. Trading him my Elite Hunter full set up and some cash. He never shoots the gun and I never shoot the bow.
 
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