Kinda torn!!! Build advice

[Hand Skills]

How would y'all rate the 300wsm in range of choices. Looking at a rifle that is already built with premium components in that caliber in the same price range as i would spend building the 300 win im considering with not as nice of an action and stock.

The 300wsm is a great round. Well known for accuracy and tunability.

Factory ammo generally runs right with 300 win mag velocities. Handloaded to its full potential, though the 300WM is at least 100fps faster then the WSM.

It's hard to compare these different cases without knowing what kind of distances you want to be capable at. Theoretically, the 30 Nosler offers about 50fps over the 300PRC, which in turn offers 50fps over the 300 Winnie... It's really splitting hairs, and most people shooting inside 600yrds will not notice the difference. (Most people shooting beyond 600 will not notice it either - it's going to take hundreds of rounds shot at well beyond 1000yrds to appreciate the dofferences in PERFORMANCE)

As others have repeatedly noted, for the average shooter, it really comes down to components and availability. Without ammunition, a rifle is useless!

My 300wsm has a 23" barrel and launches 215gr Bergers right around 2800fps. It makes a fairly portable package, and gives 'elk capable' ballistics to about half a mile (880yd).

No. There's only one right answer.
RUM

There is no denying it!

 

[Kmccord]

Look at a 30 Sherman Mag, you can fire form brass using 300 PRC ammo, just purchase the dies to resize and seat the heavies and not worry about the dreaded clicker.

 

[Nunu]

300 PRC gave me what I wish my 300 WM and and 30 Nosler be.

 

[motrapper]

300 PRC gave me what I wish my 300 WM and and 30 Nosler be.

Yea if you have a factory rifle you cannot extend OAL it helps! But it is much easier to extend the mag Box on a Win Mag and equal or better the 300 PRC Than buy all new supplies for NO Gain!

 

[Nunu]

Yeah, but I already have some 30 WM rifles which I really liked and went on 300 PRC when I decided to built another toy. I end up with toys a hunting and a LR competition rifles in PRC. Did I gain anything from with PRCs? Not much, but for me… what my custom WMs did my PRCs did it better. But that's only me, yours my be different and I respect that.

 

[Montucky Roamer]

I have a 300 prc. It's great and all. Does the exact same things my 300 win mag build did. Bullets matter way more than headstamps. And quality brass is king. ADG, Lapua , and Peterson all make 300 win brass. Adg and Lapua make 300 prc brass. They are both very popular right now in the crowd that buys said brass tho and it's gone before you can blink. 30 nosler is the only GOOD adg brass the I can find RIGHT NOW. 30 nosler is a slight velocity bump over the other two. Popularity of a round can totally backfire. The companies make a lot of brass but it's gone so fast for the popular ones.
For ex...the co-op in Dillon Montana had boxes and boxes of 30-378 weatherby ammo. And no 30/06 or 300 wm or 270 or you get the idea.
Anyway...30 Nosler is another good choice. With .200 freebore tho.

 

[nralifer]

The only advice I could add is that 300 WM ammo is a lot easier to find just about anywhere and is loaded by all major manufacturers as opposed to the PRC. I personally would and have gone with the 300 WM precisely for those reasons.
[/QUOTE
The next step up from the 300WM in my opinion is the 300 Norma, not the PRC. The difference in performance is great enough to justify the change.

 

[richhymas]

Lookjng at building me a 30 cal hunting rifle. Looking to build a lightweight rifle used for deer and elk hunting. Should I go with the tried and true 300 win mag or the 300 prc?

For long action I recommend the 300 PRC as you can load heavier projectiles longer. But if you are looking for light weight and more compact I have been super happy with my 300 WSM shooting the 212 grain ELD-X.

 

[Dragoon300]

The 300 Norma is much better in my opinion, however it takes a man sized bolt face, not a problem for my SRS though.

 

[SSG Graybush]

Lookjng at building me a 30 cal hunting rifle. Looking to build a lightweight rifle used for deer and elk hunting. Should I go with the tried and true 300 win mag or the 300 prc?

In 30 cal, a 300 wsm. Especially for a lightweight rifle. It's the smallest of the mags. And it did set the record for 1000 yards/10shot group at like 1.13", about, recently. I love my 270 wsm. It's killed a cow elk and numerous mule and whitetail deer, all 1 shot kills. It's too devastating at close ranges, so much so have switched from 130 gr classic hunters and BT's to the LRX solid. Another great choice. And to 500 yards it's flatter then a 300 wm with a 200 gr with a max load.
But am doing a 33 Nosler at the moment. And the 7 prc will be next for me. It's about the perfect hunting cartridge imo. It's a 7 rem mag in a new modern case basically. Plenty of energy to 1000 yards with a g1 bc bullet of .65+. It checks all the box's without any extra recoil. Am doing the 33 Nosler for brown bear country hunts. 22" barrel with 160 or 185 ttsx. For intermediate ranges.
I recently built a remage 7 rem mag with a 8T 26" OMR CF barrel and with a 180 vld-h at 2944 fps, its .5 or better consistently. I've had great luck with OMR and Criterion barrels.

 

[BPollard]

In 30 cals. The 300 weatherby is the king. 180s to 215 s. I have 300 wsm and 300 WinMag great guns that is the dilemma.

 

[Wedgy]

In 30 cals. The 300 weatherby is the king. 180s to 215 s. I have 300 wsm and 300 WinMag great guns that is the dilemma.

I think the RUM tops the weatherby

 

[nralifer]

In 30 cal, a 300 wsm. Especially for a lightweight rifle. It's the smallest of the mags. And it did set the record for 1000 yards/10shot group at like 1.13", about, recently. I love my 270 wsm. It's killed a cow elk and numerous mule and whitetail deer, all 1 shot kills. It's too devastating at close ranges, so much so have switched from 130 gr classic hunters and BT's to the LRX solid. Another great choice. And to 500 yards it's flatter then a 300 wm with a 200 gr with a max load.
But am doing a 33 Nosler at the moment. And the 7 prc will be next for me. It's about the perfect hunting cartridge imo. It's a 7 rem mag in a new modern case basically. Plenty of energy to 1000 yards with a g1 bc bullet of .65+. It checks all the box's without any extra recoil. Am doing the 33 Nosler for brown bear country hunts. 22" barrel with 160 or 185 ttsx. For intermediate ranges.
I recently built a remage 7 rem mag with a 8T 26" OMR CF barrel and with a 180 vld-h at 2944 fps, its .5 or better consistently. I've had great luck with OMR and Criterion barrels.

I agree with the 300WSM, but to maximize its effect I suggest using a Badlands 195 gr BD2 bullet in a 1:10 twist 24" barrel and load these to 2850 fps. It's G1 BC is 0.675 and being all copper will perform better than any lead core bullet in terms of reliability of expansion and penetration. At standard sea level conditions it still retains over 1100 ft/lbs of energy. Performance is even better at 4000 ft and above. Would recommend a 3.2 inch action. Short actions limit its potential significantly

 

[SSG Graybush]

I agree with the 300WSM, but to maximize its effect I suggest using a Badlands 195 gr BD2 bullet in a 1:10 twist 24" barrel and load these to 2850 fps. It's G1 BC is 0.675 and being all copper will perform better than any lead core bullet in terms of reliability of expansion and penetration. At standard sea level conditions it still retains over 1100 ft/lbs of energy. Performance is even better at 4000 ft and above. Would recommend a 3.2 inch action. Short actions limit its potential significantly

I agree with the 300WSM, but to maximize its effect I suggest using a Badlands 195 gr BD2 bullet in a 1:10 twist 24" barrel and load these to 2850 fps. It's G1 BC is 0.675 and being all copper will perform better than any lead core bullet in terms of reliability of expansion and penetration. At standard sea level conditions it still retains over 1100 ft/lbs of energy. Performance is even better at 4000 ft and above. Would recommend a 3.2 inch action. Short actions limit its potential significantly

So the boat tail bearing surface junction seated to the case neck shoulder junction creates a coal of 3.2"?