Get out the Knives - .300 winmag vs. .300 WSM

[SeekHer]

NO---Stay with the .300 Win Mag for the reasons you most often cite, availability anywhere, tons of proven load data and will take heavier bullets even though the .300 WSM will shoot rings around it with comparable 170 to 190 gr bullets every day of the week and twice on Sunday at the ranges you're looking at to compete in...

Now, if you were looking at over 1,250 yard shooting then hands down the .300 Min Mag takes it for the heavier bullet and bigger powder charge...

But, excluding airline baggage loss or something like forgetting the ammo bag on the kitchen table when will you not have enough bullets with you to shoot the course(s) of fire three or four times over and still have some extras and probably be able to do it in two or three different weights--depending on climatic conditions--as well...Both rounds would be available at all the same stores and I don’t think the Win Mag will have that many more stores stocking it then the WSM…

I mentioned once before, the .300 WSM and the .325 WSM are making believers out of very die heart .300 Win Mag fans with their phenomenal accuracy…I won’t be surprised if the next 1K group will be by a WSM (although 1.56” will be nearly impossible to beat for Light gun)…The WSM are to the BR world now, what the PPC round was when it first came out…Slow start, then maybe 10 at a major tournament now maybe 10 aren’t PPC built guns…check the used guns rack at Shooter’s Corner and there are more PPC guns then all of the others combined in same classes…

Some of the hand built tactical rifle makers have stopped making Win Mag version of the M24 or M40 and are now only building them in the WSM calibers…

You know you can always make it a long neck seating in the barrel to take a little longer bullet! Just cut it the .00XX necessary but then you're almost limited to only those bullets for optimum accuracy!

You see I don't really have a preference for action lengths; short, long, magnum, magnum long, H&H or Rigby lengths they all can be made into tack drivers and I shoot what I have appropriate to the game animal of target distance but thankfully I’m not limited to solely, one gun so I can at least have an alternative available…Its taken lots of years and many rebuilds later to get to that situation or I can, as well, go borrow a rig from any of a hundred or so BR and/or tactical shooters if really necessary…

Long throw, short throw, both have their merits and pains…Shorter are usually lighter so if weight is a problem for class entry that might decide it for you when you’re trying to find the four ounces you are over…But so can fluting the barrel or cutting a bit off the end, circumcise it so to speak, drilling a few holes in the stock, fluting the bolt, replacing the bolt handle beside the obvious of changing optics and removing bottom metal…

[Frankingun]

Ammo availability is the deciding factor. I agree with the WinMag. Especially since you will be traveling with this gun, and prolly to many more places than Boomershoot.

[blackeagle603]

being a bit of a romantic, the Hathcock connection is enough to decide it for me.

That and heavy bullet/high BC & SD when comes to killin' time...

I might think differently if I could compete at top level. I'm more of a mind that accurate enough for killing is good enough. Once that is settled I want to get more down range energy for terminal ballistics and BC for wind resistance..

[FelixEstrella]

The belted case isn't that much of a problem if you have one of these.

On the other hand, have you considered a 30-338 Lapua?

[HTRN]

The 300 WSM is turning into the 800lb gorilla of Light gun, and the bullet of choice seems to be 210VLDs, either Bergers or SMKs. My next light gun is going to be a 300 WSM.

That said, it doesn't feed as well as the 300 Win mag(not really applicable in a single shot action), and the ammo isn't nearly as available(the "Walmart factor")..

I would chamber it in 300 win mag, 1-10" twist, and use 210VLDs.


HTRN