I can't decide!

M

mdbuckle

Inactive
I am stuck between two calibers... the .308 or the .300 win mag. I am looking at getting a Tikka Tactical and I plan on doing a fair bit of shooting with it. I plan on using it for moose also which is why I am wondering if I should go with the 300win. Is the .300win too much gun to shoot all day long? What about cost of ammo? Is reloading a difficult skill to learn? I have a lot of questions! haha:rolleyes:
 
Reloading isnt very difficult to learn, I wouldnt suggest starting out by yourself tho. Its best to have someone kind of "watch over" you till you get the hang of it. Cost of ammo- well, for hunting application if you buy the best off-the-shelf ammo, there wont be a terrible difference between them, tho Im sure the .300 will be a bit more than the .308. Personally, I am not much into Magnums. I am biased to the .308 & .30-06. I fell that either of the 2 will fill your needs for the lower 48. If you want to hunt whitetail with the same rifle, go with the .308; I feel the .300 is too much for that. For a dedicated moose gun I guess the .300 would be a better choice.
 
I've got to say I like my 300win and I have no problem shooting it. I have a buddy who shoots all over the place including Canada and Africa and he now has only three Rifles all in 300 Win, he uses them for everything just varies the load and bullet to suit the animals. Just remember a good big one always beats a good little one Lol:D
 
"Is the .300win too much gun to shoot all day long?"

For most people, yes.

Reloading allows down-loading from factory "Oomph" for more pleasurable shooting at a range.

If one's primary purpose is deer-hunting, insofar as hunting, the .308 is a wise choice. Lots of cheap ammo for practice, and the Federal Premium High-Energy ammo is superb for hunting. The FPH-E cost is trivial, compared to all the other costs involved.

Art
 
I live in Newfoundland, Canada. I will be hunting mostly Moose and sometimes caribou. I think the .300 may suit my needs... I am not conerned about recoil, but I am with accuracy. Is reloading much cheaper?
 
Less than half price usually when you reload, you also have the choice of bullet and as some of us have said you can down load to give a lighter recoil. I personally don't have a problem with mine and shoot 165 gr and 185 gr Sierra gameking together with for bigger animals the Nosler 180 and 200gr Partition. All of these have produced very tight groups using reloader 22 powder and Winchester cases with Winchester magnum primers. In fact the only limit on what I can shoot, even at 3-500 yds is ME:) the rifle and ammo is more than capable of doing it. The other thing Ive noticed is that unlike the smaller cals / cases like 270 25-06 even 308, the report is more of a boom than the sharp crack from the others, it is easier on the ears and doesn't disturb the game as much, probably for that reason, seeing as how they can hear much better than us anyway.
 
I own three 30 .06's and one .300 winnie. I usually deer hunt with the 30.06 because it does the job well. The 300 mag has a 26 in barrel and is just too bulky to carry in the woods where I hunt. I have it set up for long range open shots. Where I hunt there are only a few places for that. Most of my shots the past five years has been 80 yards down to 25 feet. The 30.06 or 308 would probably be all you need.

:)
 
Yeah you are right. I am looking to upgrade from my Winchester 30-30 lever action. That has taken more moose then I can count. I think a .308 will be pleanty. Ammo is cheaper and I think it will be a bit more enjoying to shoot.
 
.308 isn't an upgrade over .30-30 when talking moose vs .300 wm. Yer just choosing bolt action over lever...

.300 wm is the better cartridge for moose, even if you are used to limiting your shots to those the 30-30 can handle.

Question though - If you've taken more moose than you can count, what're ya asking our opinions on moose calibers for? Most TFLers have never seen a moose let alone shot one. (Though some of us have - many, many a time.)
 
"Question though - If you've taken more moose than you can count, what're ya asking our opinions on moose calibers for? Most TFLers have never seen a moose let alone shot one. (Though some of us have - many, many a time.)"




I am not concerned about the caliber for moose hunting. I am asking about calibers for target shooting. I am wondering if the .300win is too much gun for everyday target shooting. I have never seen a .300mag, or shot one. I am familiar with the .308 though.
 
Since you are talking about target shooting, the 308 and the 300 both fall off considerably at about 250 yards.
The 308 will use 1/2 the powder and a boat load of recoil less than the 300.
If you re-load, it will cost about 1/2 the price to shoot, allowing you to shoot twice as much on the range.
If you were going to hunt moose with it, I would suggest the 300.(not that the 308 is a worse caliber, but just for the extra punch)
Since shot placement is EVERYTHING in hunting, it really makes no difference to the moose which one kills him.(and either one will kill him with the right shot)
I re-load for both calibers and they both use the same bullet, but the brass for the 300 is much more expensive, and it uses about twice the powder, which makes it very expensive if you are talking about shooting a lot at the range.
The re-coil of both calibers will also figure in to how much range time you can shoot.
 
If you can't decide between those two, then why not split the difference and get the most popular hunting cartridge ever made, the .30-'06 springfield?

Is the .300win too much gun to shoot all day long?
Click to expand...
Yes.

But it's arguably better for meese. I don't think that it'd do any better on moose than a .30-06 within 300 yards, but some might.
 
I am not concerned about the caliber for moose hunting. I am asking about calibers for target shooting. I am wondering if the .300win is too much gun for everyday target shooting. I have never seen a .300mag, or shot one. I am familiar with the .308 though.
Click to expand...
Ooooh! Then I'd agree - .308 for all day at the range shooting and an occasional moose hunt.

I would not give up my .300 wm though!!! ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top