Which 300?

[Paul Stubbs]

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new rifle. I want it in a 300 for bigger animals such as elk although I will use it for deer here in Oklahoma at times.

Question is: 300WM or 300WSM

The reason I'm even considering the wsm is for the weight savings. I hope to have this come in at 8.5# or even less. That's hunting weight.

If I'm wanting to possibly shoot longer ranges, how much difference is there? Which should I go with?

I love my 300 WBY - it's tipped over every Elk I ever pointed it at!

 

[John Klingenberg]

Not to muddy the waters but 7 rem mag and 7wsm are good choices too. The 7s really shine with better B.Cs than the 300s and they're just a shade less recoil. The 7WSM rifles they're practically giving away. Off the shelf ammo is not good but if you're a reloader it's not an issue at all. You can form cases in a single pass from 300 or 270 WSM brass

 

[Deleted member 25294]

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new rifle. I want it in a 300 for bigger animals such as elk although I will use it for deer here in Oklahoma at times.

Question is: 300WM or 300WSM

The reason I'm even considering the wsm is for the weight savings. I hope to have this come in at 8.5# or even less. That's hunting weight.

If I'm wanting to possibly shoot longer ranges, how much difference is there? Which should I go with?

What range do you plan on shooting elk? If it's 900 yards or less I'd seriously recommend a 7saum or wsm.
I know its annoying when someone recommends another caliber that wasn't mentioned..
Given your light weight criteria I can promise that you will be much more proficient with a 7mm shooting 180's.
A 30 cal will give you very little benefit over a 7 unless you're going ELR.
Just something to consider, if you're set on a 300 check out a Christensen Ridgeline in 300 PRC.
It weights 6.7 lbs and is actually designed for long range precision with factory ammo

 

[HOT TUNA]

.300 wm

 

[BountyHunter]

My vote will go for the 300 WSM. There is a reason why the F class guys love it! As stated by the other members you can use a shorter action and therefore save weight. Great proformance and projectiles available. Negatives: The 300 WSM will burn your barrel quicker compare to the 300Win Mag. If you are into reloading, componants like brass might be harder to find. Everything else in my opinion will be positives.

Another alternative is the 300 Norma Magnum. This is a real barrel burner(800-1000 rounds)but an excellent hunting cartrage with better preformance than the 300 Win Mag.

If weight is a factor for you, use a Proof Research barrel on the new build. There are plenty of reasons why special forces are using Proof barrels.

Absolutely incorrect that the WSM is harder on barrels. I have seen guys go 4000 rounds of wsm in 1k br and win the nationals. Same guys win mags would go 1200 tops. Everyone of my wsm barrels went minimum of 2000 rounds and no win mag will do that!

 

[Gcan]

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new rifle. I want it in a 300 for bigger animals such as elk although I will use it for deer here in Oklahoma at times.

Question is: 300WM or 300WSM

The reason I'm even considering the wsm is for the weight savings. I hope to have this come in at 8.5# or even less. That's hunting weight.

If I'm wanting to possibly shoot longer ranges, how much difference is there? Which should I go with?

Define "longer ranges". It's amazing how many rifle choice questions here are framed as already considering a second rifle for "longer distances" when the right question is, "I'm planning on building a rifle. I want to be able to cleanly and ethically harvest Elk sized animals out to X yards, but also be able to hunt lighter game such as deer. I'd like a 30-caliber but am not married to it. Weight is important and would like to be all in at 8.5 or less lbs. Available factory loads to accomplish these needs is important but will load too. I will probably not shoot more than a few hundred rounds a year in parctice and hunting only. I am will to spend $$$ for gun and glass."


I hunted with a 300WM for 30 years. Good choice. Having said that, if I were making the choice today between those two it would be a 300WSM hands down. Easy to load for. Super accurate. Short action. You will never need a barrel for either cartridge as a hunting rifle.

If money was not the issue, and there were other 300 choices in the mix, in my opinion there is nothing the 300 WINs, Norma or PRC can do that the 300UM cannot do better. Barrel life in a hunting rifle is not a consideration. And in a Christiansen or Proof carbon rifle at 8-8.5lbs or less in hunting weight, you will never worry bout 100 to any distance you would ethically consider a hunting shot.

 

[Locknload]

I have both, and you actually have to work at getting a 180 or above in weight to get the WSM to equal a WM. I had to go to VVN 560 to get a 180 to just over 3,000 which the WM will do just coasting. You put that WSM in a light weight gun and it will make your nose bleed, I gurontee... I have seen a number of those light weight but stompers for sale at Tulsa. Story is always the same, no fun was had by all.
Ed

 

[CVCOBRA1]

I reload 300 win mag.
I use a Hornady 208 gr ELD great BC shooting out past 1000 yards with .5 MOA. Cases and ready made Cartridges cartridges readily available (not in 208 gr) but others. Have taken lots of white tail, pigs, and at least 14 turkeys over the years (have not lost any meat on the turkeys. Through base of neck or through back as they peck at the ground)

300 short mags less available where I have shopped

Would think would be great on Elk but have not had a chance.

Everyone always told me I was over gunned with my 300WM on these big midwest whitetails. Always had them in the back of the truck though. I will have to say this is the first time I've heard of the 300WM used on turkeys. Would make it easy to pack that breast with stuffing if they took a step at the wrong time.....

 

[tigerwerkes]

I have gone back and forth between the two on abolts, 700's, and m70s over the years and if I anticipate any kind of hiking I grab the wsm in abolt ss with 22" barrel. It's so nimble and quick from the sling that I just have a ton of confidence in it. Believe it or not it actually shoots bug holes with factory ammo...but only 1 mag at a time before it needs to cool. Does the WM have an energy advantage? Certainly, ...but the advantage only lies in an extreme portion of the possible opportunity envelope that statistically you will never encounter. I'll take comfort and confidence everyday over outer margin theoretical advantages. I have found that after a few years of shooting, I have plenty of ammo and I shoot the WSM a LOT more because it's so comfortable, so the advantage for me of the WSM over the WM just keeps growing.

 

[Alfredo]

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new rifle. I want it in a 300 for bigger animals such as elk although I will use it for deer here in Oklahoma at times.

Question is: 300WM or 300WSM

The reason I'm even considering the wsm is for the weight savings. I hope to have this come in at 8.5# or even less. That's hunting weight.

If I'm wanting to possibly shoot longer ranges, how much difference is there? Which should I go with?

Go 35 whelen , good up to 300 yds

 

[Wolf76]

Ok, to each their own but factually it's not false. Data shows it. They just about mirror each other.

Here the info from Hodgdon reloading center online. Notice the wsm and wm both have 24" barrels. These were the fastest loads available for either cartridge with a 200gr bullet. Still not a close contest.

 

[tigerwerkes]

Uh...I dont have a dog in this hunt but even I don't think a soft point vs a partition is much of an apples to apples comparison. I can attest that nosler gives me about 50-70 more fps against just about every other bullet mfg in same gun with all other load parameters equal.

 

[Sirrated]

Weatherby

Yup,,, Totally agree with that,,,Weatherby, you wont regret it.

 

[Dialing Long Distance]

A 30 cal will give you very little benefit over a 7 unless you're going ELR.
Just something to consider, if you're set on a 300 check out a Christensen Ridgeline in 300 PRC.
It weights 6.7 lbs and is actually designed for long range precision with factory ammo

I concur...