300 Win vs 300 RUM vs 30-378 Weatherby

[Trickymissfit]

Agree to disagree, no hard feelings!

Please realize that I have nothing against any of the rounds your recommending. I like them all, use them all, build rifles in all of them for customers and they all easily meet my accuracy standards and are great long range big game chamberings.

My recommendations are simply more narrowly focused toward the OPs three listed chamberings and that's all. If I were to recommend which I think would be the best 30 cal. to choose from, it would have to be my 300 Allen Xpress!!! May be a BIT biased.

No hard feelings.

Isn't the .338WSM pretty much the same as the .338RCM? The optimum over all length is going to be much longer than the .300WSM due to the bullet length alone (unless the end use pushes it way back into the shoulder area, and that's not good). The Remington 700 short action is known to be a little on the short side anyway, and one might be better off with a standard length action. Or maybe use a Savage action instead (I measure between .160" and .180" longer). Even the short Winchester is longer by about .100". Have no idea about the Browning, so won't guess.

What somebody needs to do is to make basic WSM brass in something like a 2.31" length. Then you could add about .125" to the shoulder length and finish out with a 2.284" over all length. I think the added .125" length in case capacity would make a serious improvement, but yet still fit in a standard length action. I see this as a win, win! Specially with a .338 caliber.
gary

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Isn't the .338WSM pretty much the same as the .338RCM? The optimum over all length is going to be much longer than the .300WSM due to the bullet length alone (unless the end use pushes it way back into the shoulder area, and that's not good). The Remington 700 short action is known to be a little on the short side anyway, and one might be better off with a standard length action. Or maybe use a Savage action instead (I measure between .160" and .180" longer). Even the short Winchester is longer by about .100". Have no idea about the Browning, so won't guess.

What somebody needs to do is to make basic WSM brass in something like a 2.31" length. Then you could add about .125" to the shoulder length and finish out with a 2.284" over all length. I think the added .125" length in case capacity would make a serious improvement, but yet still fit in a standard length action. I see this as a win, win! Specially with a .338 caliber.
gary

The 300 WSM and 300 Dakota are both based of the 404 Jeff (as well as the 300 RUM. I have case for all 3). The WSM has a 2.100 overall length and the Dakota is 2.550. It has a couple more grains capacity than the 300 WBY and I .275" shorter. The Dakota is about as long as you can get into a standard action with long high BC bullets without seating them back into the case.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Here's a plug for what can be done with a Sendero 300 RUM

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f116/impressed-sendero-results-120196/

 

[Deerhntr71]

I hunt mostly deer here in ND, but want a long range rifle to use on elk, moose and antelope. Maybe the 300wsm would be a better choice or a 7mm or a 6.5. What would you guys think? I am starting to reload so this may be a plus, for maybe even a wildcat. Also, the salesman at one gun shop said I would need to install a muzzle breai on a 300RUM, I have never been recoil shy, don't know if I would want the added noise. I shoot a 300 win with a 24" barrel in a Remington 700LSS with no problem from the bench. Hope this gives you some more information to help with you recommendations. Thanks.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I hunt mostly deer here in ND, but want a long range rifle to use on elk, moose and antelope. Maybe the 300wsm would be a better choice or a 7mm or a 6.5. What would you guys think? I am starting to reload so this may be a plus, for maybe even a wildcat. Also, the salesman at one gun shop said I would need to install a muzzle breai on a 300RUM, I have never been recoil shy, don't know if I would want the added noise. I shoot a 300 win with a 24" barrel in a Remington 700LSS with no problem from the bench. Hope this gives you some more information to help with you recommendations. Thanks.

You could certainly go with a 300 WSM, but I would not buy a factory one because it will be on a short action. I shot a 300 RUM Sendero without a brake and I used a slip on recoil pad which worked fine. Don't really need it in the field. I actually got used to shooting without the slip on pad. I've sold that rifle and had another built and it is wearing a muzzle brake. It makes the shooting much more enjoyable and helps you get back on target much quicker.

You will loose aout 200-400 fps of velocity with the same bullet between the WSM and RUM which means you will loose that much in range. With most loads, the 300 WSM comes up just shy of 1800 fps @ 1K. With a load of RL17 and 215 hybrids, you can easily get past 1K. But like I said, the factory short actions will limit your options a lot in the WSM.

As for a 7mm or 6.5, they are great deer cartridges, but IMO the 30 cals are better for elk. You can certainly kill an elk with a 7 or 6.5 but you better the odds with a 30. Bigger bullets make bigger holes.

It all depends on your priorities.

 

[Eaglet]

Kirby, for whatever is worth I still enjoy a bunch reading your posts and always learning from you and everyone else. I love it when an discussion ends like this one did!

I still would love to get one of your master pieces and one from Shawn Carlock... unfortunately times are not getting any better

Interesting thread!

 

[500mag_guy]

Nothing wrong with the 300 wm you have. I don't understand why anyone would want a 300wsm when the 300 rum is so much more impressive!! Ya barrel life whatever... That's why we have smiths and barrel manufactures.. Take care of the barrel and it'll last ya a good long while.

Hands down +1 for the 300 rum!

I hunt mostly deer here in ND, but want a long range rifle to use on elk, moose and antelope. Maybe the 300wsm would be a better choice or a 7mm or a 6.5. What would you guys think? I am starting to reload so this may be a plus, for maybe even a wildcat. Also, the salesman at one gun shop said I would need to install a muzzle breai on a 300RUM, I have never been recoil shy, don't know if I would want the added noise. I shoot a 300 win with a 24" barrel in a Remington 700LSS with no problem from the bench. Hope this gives you some more information to help with you recommendations. Thanks.

 

[Deerhntr71]

So going with a 7mm RUM would not be better than a 300RUM?

 

[MontanaRifleman]

So going with a 7mm RUM would not be better than a 300RUM?

No, a 300 RUM can push a 215 Hybrid about the same velocity a 7 RUM can push a 180 Hybrid with the about same amount of powder. And the 7 RUM will be much harder on throats than the 300 RUM.

And... bigger bullets make bigger holes.

 

[500mag_guy]

+1 MontanaRifleman word for word!!gun)

+ 35grs more bullet means !!MORE!! energy, ft-lbf

No, a 300 RUM can push a 215 Hybrid about the same velocity a 7 RUM can push a 180 Hybrid with the about same amount of powder. And the 7 RUM will be much harder on throats than the 300 RUM.

And... bigger bullets make bigger holes.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Isn't the .338WSM pretty much the same as the .338RCM? The optimum over all length is going to be much longer than the .300WSM due to the bullet length alone (unless the end use pushes it way back into the shoulder area, and that's not good). The Remington 700 short action is known to be a little on the short side anyway, and one might be better off with a standard length action. Or maybe use a Savage action instead (I measure between .160" and .180" longer). Even the short Winchester is longer by about .100". Have no idea about the Browning, so won't guess.

What somebody needs to do is to make basic WSM brass in something like a 2.31" length. Then you could add about .125" to the shoulder length and finish out with a 2.284" over all length. I think the added .125" length in case capacity would make a serious improvement, but yet still fit in a standard length action. I see this as a win, win! Specially with a .338 caliber.
gary

Very close. I do not know the exact dimensions on the 338 RCM but they have to be very close.

Wyatts makes a 3.000" extended mag box that you can install that offers enough length for the 338 WSM but with tipped bullets or match bullets, its VERY tight and you really have to pay attention to your throat design to be able to reach the lands and still fit in the mag but it can be done.

I built a browning earlier this year in a 338 WSM with a very short throat and it worked very well with the 200 and 225 gr Accubonds.

 

[Fiftydriver]

So going with a 7mm RUM would not be better than a 300RUM?

Better in what way? Barrel life, 300 RUM certainly the way to go. Heavier game, 300 advantage, big game at longer ranges, 300 has the terminal advantage.

If you just want a big, bad *** 7mm, the RUM is great. This is coming from someone that designed and uses the 7mm Allen Magnum which makes the 7mm RUM look a bit tame and I LOVE IT!!!

More practical minds would go 30 cal.... THey would probably be right, probably......

 

[Trickymissfit]

The 300 WSM and 300 Dakota are both based of the 404 Jeff (as well as the 300 RUM. I have case for all 3). The WSM has a 2.100 overall length and the Dakota is 2.550. It has a couple more grains capacity than the 300 WBY and I .275" shorter. The Dakota is about as long as you can get into a standard action with long high BC bullets without seating them back into the case.

I was thinking about case that is 2.284" over all length, but with something like a 1.93 shoulder length with a 35 degree angle. This should do well with a .338 diameter bullet as well as the .308 diameter bullet. With case shrinkage from fire forming, you should still be OK. It'd also be really nice in 7mm!
gary

 

[Deerhntr71]

I have read on other sites that the 7mm RUM is also hard to reload, you really have to watch the pressure, it is not for someone just getting started reloading like me? Is this true and is the 300 RUM the same way or is it easier to load?