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300 win mag..the most versatile big game caliber.

58K views 139 replies 35 participants last post by  mfuff 
#1 ·
yesterday was shooting "old winnie" and have to say i believe the 300 WIN MAG to be the absolute best most versatile round, for all of North American big Game. Some will give that honour to the old 30-06, but i don't think so. The old winnie will do everything an 06 will do, and more..i can load mild, low recoil loads at 30-06 velocity's for deer, or i can run em hotter and heavier, to hunt the big bears, or to stretch across a wide canyon for elk.for deer only i'd choose a 25-06, but for All of North America i'd choose the 300 winnie hands down. There are bigger and better calibers for the big bears..but recoil becomes an issue for many..So for an all around North American big game rifle...my vote goes to the 300 Win mag.
 
#27 ·
300 Win Mag wins hands down, I like the 300 WSM better, but if I had to choose one over the other the WSM looses. You can’t compare the BC’s of a 270 to a 300, the 300 handles larger bullets and has a better bullet selection, for that reason the others are inferior. The 30 cal’s dominate because of bullet selection and the Win Mag handles all but the 240SMK. The other big reason I like the 300 Win Mag more so than any other 300 magnum is you can go into just about any Wal-Mart, Dicks, or any other half @#$ed so called sporting goods store and buy ammo.

One gun for all North American hunting, 300 Win Mag gets my vote. It’s not my favorite chambering but for this thread it’s what fits the bill.
 
#28 ·
Loggy said:
Many modern 06 loads such as the Hornady Lite Mag factory fodder brings the ole 06 very close to the 300 winnie. I think a case could be made for the 338 Winnie to be the ULTIMATE!! Then ya got sumpin marginally better that has the capability to do it ALL without any argument!!
I agree 100%. If you need more gun then an 06 then you might as well go for the .338 win. Nothing wrong with the .300 win, but if your going to take that recoil you might as well go for the .338 and take out any question. That said I have never hunted brown bear. If I booked a brown bear hunt tomorrow I would not run out and buy a 30cal. I would be torn between a .338win, .358 Norma, or a .375 H&H/Ruger. Any of those 3 will put down whatever you need.
 
#29 ·
I believe that the .300 Win is a great all around cartridge. I have never owned one but it is a great round for all North American game.

I myself have a .300 RUM and I love it. I have hunted deer with it for the past 4 years and the weight doesn't bother me. I actually think that my Model 99 .300 Savage weighs more!

I think that the .300s are hard to beat for a flat shooting, hard hitting big game round. The .300 Win, .300 Weatherby, .300 RUM are excellent all around guns. I would tend to lean toward the RUM or the Weatherby for long range grizzly or moose hunting.
 
#32 ·
lol...i'm enjoying the post...not arguing...lol..respect all opinions...but i'll still take my 300 win i actually use a 25-06 for deer..pretty often anyway...but the thing i like about "ole winnie" is if i'm heading up on the mt here in PA he does a terrific job...never let me down...if i were out west this past fall..he would have really shined..a bear hunt for PA black bears..terrific..especially if i run into a big 600 lb bear..(a whole lot more animal than the 150 lb average bear) but ole winnie would handle both in style..or if i finally take that alaska hunt of a lifetime...he's right at home up there...he's..so, so accurate...very easy to reload..and should i need to run to the nearest store to buy ammo ?..no problem..a very popular caliber...and chambered for practically every model rifle offered except for those cute little short barreled rifles...lol..(no offence fella's couldn't resist that one!!)
 
#33 ·
The "all around" rifle is always a fun topic to discuss. I think the .300 Win Mag is a good choice. I've shot deer, black bear, caribou and moose with that round and it did a good job. My vote however goes to the .338 Win Mag for most versatile. Either one is overkill for deer and antelope sized game. But for the bigger stuff, the .338 is a better option, especially when you get into moose and big bears. I have shot 6 bears, 9 caribou, 6 moose and elk. There is a noticeable extra margin of killing power when you go to a .338/250 grain bullet set up. When I go to Alaska for griz and caribou in September this year, I'm toting a .338 with 250 grain bullets. The .338 can also be pretty flat shooting with some of the 180/200 grain options that are available also which I don't think it gets enough credit for. These are good choices for the smaller stuff. In most models the .300 or .338 will be identical weights, barrel lengths etc. Again I'm not knocking the .300 Win Mag as it would probably be my second choice. I just think the .338 is a tad better all around.
 
#35 ·
WELL there would be only two that I would consider and both are win mags..the .300 and the .338..myslef I would give the .338 the edge, but with good quality bullets the .300 would do just about the same thing..you'd be hard pressed to beat either with one gun..or cartridge.
 
#36 ·
hmmm...ya know alway's wanted a 338 winnie...kinda like a big brother to the 300...mabye i should have named this post what do you think is the most versatile cal for all north american big game...i'll buy the 338 idea for all big game...but i'll pass on the 308 ...fine here in PA for deer but not for ALL big game...i remember a big black bear in lycoming county, years ago, that soaked up two shots from a 308 and just simply ran off...we helped the guy track that thing for 3/4 of the first day before they found it..it was quartered hard away from him.. although the 30 caliber bullet held together just fine his rifle just didn't have enough smoke to drive the bullet up through..he should have never taken the shot...my 300 would have fully penetrated with that same shot...without a doubt
 
#37 ·
I don't think the .300 Win mag gives enough over the 30-06 to be worthwhile. I think the .300 Weatherby mag beats the snot out of the .300 Win and that's the one I want. My taxidermists wife hunts with a .30/378 Weatherby and that beats them all.
 
#38 ·
i would agree although..once you get much bigger than the 300 win recoil becomes a problem for alot of folks...but if you can shoot them accurately the weatherby has a definite edge...i disagree on the 30-06 theory though...if you handload the 300 beats the snot out of the 06 by a couple hundred feet per second..most of the guy's on here touting smaller guns are justified in their claims , most are probably pa deer hunters..but even hunting black bear here in PA the common deer rifle is more than adequate for a 150 lb black bear but should you come across one of the big boy's ..it becomes a whole different animal...there is a TREMENDOUS !! difference in the body structure of a 500lb boar and a 150 lb sow..seasoned bear hunters know what i'm talking about..the solidness and muscle mass of the big ones will put every bullet to the test..we drive for bear..kill a couple every year and i encourage the guy's..leave the 25-06's and 270's and 243 ect at home..i prefer 30-06 on up..with stout bullets..another example was a western hunt my uncles and cousins were on..my cousin took a quartering away shot at a nice bull elk..with a 270 range around 275 -300 yds..the bull humped up and took off....my uncle was watching through the scope of his 300 win mag, and told my cousin to shoot again..but my cousin couldn't see it anymore because of some brush..so my uncle shot him again..the elk was facing away on the second shot..it dropped on the spot..upon examining the elk they found the 270 entered behind the ribs, on the left side but never exited...the 300 on the other hand entered one of the hams on the right side and fully penetrated the length of the elk and came out and exited in front of the shoulder on the left side...the first shot probably would have done him in, but it illustrates the difference between the two cal..i seriously doubt the 270 would have had enough snot for the second shot
 
#42 ·
I know that the Jack O'Conner fans will tell you that the .270 will take every animal in North America but that is only under perfect conditions. My grandfather used to joke that his .300 Savage would kill any animal in North America, some you just need to be REALLY close to.

In order to penetrate through thick muscle mass and bone of a large animal you need speed and weight which combine for kinetic energy. When it comes to cartridges, there is a vast array of velocities and bullet weights out there for all different types of hunting conditions. For instance cartridges like the .220 Swift and .223 offer the speed and flat trajectory but with 40-50 grain bullets they don't offer the knock down power and penetration. On the other end, rounds like the .45-70 and the .444 Marlin offer heavy bullet weights that penetrate and close ranges but the ballistics are severely lacking for making long range shots at big game.

I believe that the .300 magnums are a great compromise between the two. They all offer mid range bullet weights (150-220 grains) and are all very flat shooting and can still pack a punch at long distances. The .270 is a great round however at ranges past 350-400 yards I wouldn't trust it only under perfect conditions (broadside, no wind, etc). My dad has taken elk with a .270 and I know guys that have taken moose with a .270 but they were all under 100 yards and broadside.

There are so many variables when it comes hunting big game. Things such as the angle the animal is facing you, distance, the bone mass of the animal, the bullet weight and construction of the bullet you are shooting. I believe that a .300 magnum or larger will eliminate many of these variables from being a problem. My dad shot a mule deer buck running straight away from him at 200 yards with his .338 Win Mag. The bullet entered the hind quarter on the right side, penetrated the entire length of the 250 lb buck and the perfect mushroom was found just inside the hide on his neck.

I have seen so many crazy things happen with different calibers in different situations but have never seen a problem with an animal being shot with a .300 magnum getting away. Quartering toward shots on a grizzly, no problem. 500 yards at an elk, piece of cake. 400 lb black bear running straight away, done.

Again, I love guns like the .270 and 30-06 and they have their place but for the best "all around" cartridges, the .300s get my vote.
 
#43 ·
the 7mm rem mag will do for anything under the sun.Whatch those guys on the best of the west bear and elk at 800,900 yards drop in there tracks.You guys don't need 200,250grn slug to kill stuff 168's and 180's will dispatch everything efficiently.bullet choice is very broad for the 7mag
 
#44 ·
Not dogging the 7Mag at all cause I have one and love it, but I'd love to see the gut-shots and blown off legs footage that is on the cutting room floor of those shows.
Those guys are good but they do not fill our tags and we have to use what works for us at ranges we are comfortable with.
Sectional density wise, those heavy 7mm bullets are the equal, if not better than the 200-250gr 30cal bullets.
Long and heavy for caliber lets them buck wind and penetrate deeply at extreme distances or angles.
 
#45 ·
7mm WSM is actually superior with factory loads than the 7mm Rem Mag on paper

http://www.winchester.com/learning-center/Pages/Ballistics-Calculator.aspx

Plug some numbers on the calculator above, it's pretty neat.

With same ammo and weight bullets the 7mm WSM shoots flatter and has more velocity/energy long range than all the others the (300 mags/270 mags/ and the 7mm Rem Mag).

Don't know about recoil, I've only shot a 7mm Rem mag, 30-06 and 270 Win, but I'm sure its similar.
 
#46 ·
Yeah, except for Hornadys new super performance ammo, factory loads are usually on the lower end of what they advertise and I have found that 7mm Mag ammo is sometimes the worst.
Handloading can really bring out the best in just about every cartridge.
You're right about the 7mmWSM. It really is a solid performer but it is the least popular of the WSM line.
 
#48 ·
here are the plain cold facts...30 caliber all MAXIMUM LOADS.!!...hornady..180 gr BTSP....308 2500fps.....30-06 2700fps....300 win mag 3000fps.... 300 wby mag, one load listed at 3200 most loads 3100fps..7mm mag 1 load listed at 2900 so good luck getting it, most loads 2800...nosler..308 win..one load listed at 2690fps but at 108% CASE CAPACITY!! VERY VERY MAXIMUM COMPRESSED LOAD..30-06 one load at 2872fps AGAIN 104% CASE CAPACITY VERY MAXIMUM...300 win mag 3160fps at 95% case capacity not bad....300 wby mag 3198fps again 90 % capacity not bad...7mm mag 175gr 2970fps again not bad... 270 win...??...hornady show's two loads at 2900 fps but with only a 150 gr bullet...so it's not really a good comparison...the proof is in the pudding, when you really need the most from your rifle..to push through heavy muscle and bone the bigger 300 mags have the extra smoke to get the job done..as noted the only caliber that can come close might be the 7mm mag...given the choice, i'd choose the bigger 300's
 
#49 ·
Well, what the box says and what the chronograph says are sometimes two different things because those loads are developed in 26", 28" and sometimes 30" test barrels at the factory and shot out of shorter barrels in our guns. Handloading for our individual rifles lets us know what is really going on.
Anyway, I'm with you on the big 30 magnums as being my first choice because I know what they have done for me.
 
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