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What low recoil caliber for 300 wm action?

Lots of things to consider when doing a rebarrel. What's the cost of chambering/threading? Is your chosen barrel gonna fit into your existing stock? If not how much is it gonna cost you to make it fit? At some point, it might be cheaper to buy new? You said something about a 223, why not use that for your target practice and leave the 300 alone?
You may have missed a couple things. My rifle is currently up for sale, plan A is to sell this one and buy a Bergara. That's absolutely the easiest and most cost efficient. But it's a leftie so it probably won't sell as easily as a righty would. In that case, I'm considering rebarreling. My 223/5.56 is an AR. I would like a dual purpose bolt action rifle that kills things and is fun to shoot in the off season. The 300 checks only one of those boxes.
 
One more vote for the 257 Bee. I am fine with brakes for targets, would never use one on a hunting rifle. So much cheaper than re-barreling. load the 130 grain Barnes LRX or a 130 or 150 grain Hornady Interlock. Load it with 4895 starting at 35 grains, measure your velocity, add till you get to about 2600 fps. It will kick like a 308. Will kill critters just fine. You can use the 35 grain load to punch paper, will have VERY little recoil.

Hodgdon Powder Company has found that H4895 can be loaded to reduced levels. H4895
was chosen because it is the slowest burning propellant that ignites uniformly in reduced charges. To create reduced loads, the 60% formula is recommended.
Find the H4895 load in the Reloading Data Center for your caliber and bullet.
Take the maximum H4895 charge listed and multiply by 60% (.6). The load may be adjusted up from there to achieve the desired velocity and accuracy.
This works only where H4895 is listed. DO NOT use in a cartridge where H4895 is not shown.

Example: 30-06 cartridge with 125 gr. Sierra SP bullet. Max load shown in the Reloading
Data Center with H4895 is 53.7 grains. 53.7 X .6 = 32.2 grains. The shooter begins with this load, and may work up from there to obtain the desired velocity and accuracy for his reduced load.
Call Hodgdon Powder Company if additional information is needed, 913-362-9455.
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I appreciate every single one of your comments, I've learned alot in this thread. I'm just now beginning to go down the rabbit hole of long range shooting 😅 I should've also specified that I'm in SE Texas and the farthest I'll be able to shoot here will only be around 500, maybe 600 yards which is probably only mid range for most of you. A brake is the first thing I've considered, but I have a light pencil barrel that most probably won't want to thread. Also because the barrel is so light, I'm probably only able to shoot a handful of shots before it needs to cool down. I don't reload yet but I'm certainly diving head first into that rabbit hole as soon as I recover financially from this rifle (and optic) purchase. So factory ammo will be important (sorry. I should've known to put this in the original post).

My second thought was to sell the rifle and get a Bergara in 6.5 cm, and I'm still leaning that direction. But it may be difficult finding another leftie near me that wants a 300 win mag. In case that's the case, I'm considering rebarreling and rechambering because I do love the action, it already has a 20 moa base on it, a bigger bolt knob, metal bolt shroud, and I've upgraded the aluminum lug to a steel one.

If I rebarrel, according to ammo choices it looks like it's easiest to find 6.5 prc. I'd love something that recoils even less than that, but I'm sure that will be a dream compared to my current setup. Ideally I'll want the rifle to weigh roughly 9-10lbs with a heavy barrel that i can shoot a bunch without it getting whippy too quickly.
A muzzle brake serves two purposes; reduction in felt recoil, and reduction in muzzle rise. The later is often not realized. Being able to spit target on impact is priceless. I have been using muzzle brakes since 2003. You'll be surprise how effective muzzle brakes these days in reducing felt recoil and muzzle rise, there are plenty of effective ones out there at a reasonable price. Your light rifle is an excellent candidate for a muzzle brake install. I have 3 .300 WMs with muzzle brakes. The felt recoil is reduced down to .243s or .308s, depending on bullets load- 180 - 215.
 
If it shoots good, get a brake or suppressor. If not, pick a cartridge and still get a brake or suppressor unless you go 6.5 Creed because you're seriously recoil averse, and it's plenty for everything in TX except maybe Nilgai and long range Mulies out west.

Personally, I like 264 WM, 284 Win, 6.5 or 7-300 WSM; throated and rifled for heavy for caliber bullets and mono bullets.
A can was my first thought. But really if whitetails and hogs are all you'll hunt with then as much as it pains me to say a 6.5 CM might be your best option. If the manbun cartridge doesn't suit you then a 7-08 or even 308 win will suffice. Heck I started long range shooting with a 308 win and still take that set up out to 1200 yards with it's 1-12" twist barrel. A 1-10" twist will get you farther with 200 gr class bullets. That's if you can sell the rifle. If not a 300 wsm with a muzzle brake and/ or can would help.
 
A faster lighter bullet will yield lower recoil (some might be powder dependent). Use a 150-168gr as it WILL have less felt recoil than 180 and up at the same pressure.
 
A muzzle brake serves two purposes; reduction in felt recoil, and reduction in muzzle rise. The later is often not realized. Being able to spit target on impact is priceless. I have been using muzzle brakes since 2003. You'll be surprise how effective muzzle brakes these days in reducing felt recoil and muzzle rise, there are plenty of effective ones out there at a reasonable price. Your light rifle is an excellent candidate for a muzzle brake install. I have 3 .300 WMs with muzzle brakes. The felt recoil is reduced down to .243s or .308s, depending on bullets load- 180 - 215.
I wish my 15.5# 243win recoiled less than my 300wm or 264wm for that matter and both weigh 4-6#'s less.
 
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Huh? I do not want to misconstrue your response, but are you saying your 15.5 llbs .243 Win recoils more than your your .300 WM or .264 WM? Something is not right.
it does for some reason and the 243 has a brake on it! i will say the throat is short as factory superx 100gr gets engraving from the lands before it goes down the tube!
 
it does for some reason and the 243 has a brake on it! i will say the throat is short as factory superx 100gr gets engraving from the lands before it goes down the tube!
I find it hard to believe that a 15.5 lbs .243 Win with muzzle brake propelling a 100g bullet has more recoil than .300 WM and .264 WM. Something definitely not computing. Oh well, it is what is I guess.

I have Ruger No. 1 in .243 Win without brake that is lighter than 15.5 lbs, but does not generate recoil greater than my .300 WM propelling 215 Berger or .264 WM propelling 156 Berger.
 
I find it hard to believe that a 15.5 lbs .243 Win with muzzle brake propelling a 100g bullet has more recoil than .300 WM and .264 WM. Something definitely not computing. Oh well, it is what is I guess.

I have Ruger No. 1 in .243 Win without brake that is lighter than 15.5 lbs, but does not generate recoil greater than my .300 WM propelling 215 Berger or .264 WM propelling 156 Berger.
the 243 is an ar and it's my only ar that generates an unusual amount of recoil. buy ya, doesn't make sense? probably still overgassed is why. my 300wm ammo is hsm 210berger vld-h and the 264wm is win super-x 140sbt or power point i'd have to check). if @bamban shows up he'll confirm or at least give thoughts. trying to get him to bring his 7rm he built not long ago to shoot a mulie.
 
the 243 is an ar and it's my only ar that generates an unusual amount of recoil. buy ya, doesn't make sense? probably still overgassed is why. my 300wm ammo is hsm 210berger vld-h and the 264wm is win super-x 140sbt or power point i'd have to check). if @bamban shows up he'll confirm or at least give thoughts. trying to get him to bring his 7rm he built not long ago to shoot a mulie.
I also have an AR-10 in .308 Win (I need to weight it, might be a 15-pounder, too) that shoots the 175 Buffalo Bore.
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