300 WSM - Do you feel handicaped?

[idig4au]

For those that use the 300 WSM, do you ever feel that you are limited by it or wish you had just a little more horsepower for medium size game (deer, sheep, goats, etc) at longer distances? How do you guys feel this round performs in terms of both ballistics and energy wise past 400 yards in comparison to the traditional .30 long case calibers?

 

[Ryan Avery]

Heck no! I have a friend that has killed two elk at over 800 and a deer at 900 with a 300 WSM and a 210 berger. What bullet are you using?

You can shoot a 300 Win mag faster but a 300 WSM has enough energy to kill Elk out to 800+ yards pretty easy if you put the time in.

 

[AZ Vince]

300 WSM is one of the most ballistic efficient calibers.

 

[AK Troutbum]

My mountain rifle is a .300 wsm, and it's killed everything you mentioned plus caribou, brown bear, and moose. I've never killed anything super long distance because I don't really like the idea of long distance hunting. The best part of stalking an animal, for me, is getting as close as I possibly can. To each his own, I just really enjoy trying to get close, and the .300 wsm works just fine.

 

[idig4au]

Heck no! I have a friend that has killed two elk at over 800 and a deer at 900 with a 300 WSM and a 210 berger. What bullet are you using?

You can shoot a 300 Win mag faster but a 300 WSM has enough energy to kill Elk out to 800+ yards pretty easy if you put the time in.

I'm planning on using 150 or 168 grain TTSX once my 300 WSM gets finished. But I'm building this up to be a lightweight compact backpack mountain gun for sheep and goats and maybe a caribou thrown in the mix. From what I have read, the 300 WSM is pretty effecient with 180 grain or less bullet weights. I'm after a flat shooting trajectory out to 500 yards or so. That is basically my comfort limit, but will have to see with this rifle as it will be quite a bit lighter then my other hunting rifles.

 

[6mm Remington]

My son has a 300 WSM and he is very tickled with that round. He got a nice cow elk two years ago with it and I feel it's a great caliber. I load a 180 gr. Accubond for him and it shoots very well. I've done bullet testing up to 500 yards shooting them into gallon plastic water/milk jugs to check penetration, expansion, and weight retention, and I've been more than impressed with his 300 WSM. It's been no problem hitting the milk jugs dead center with the first shot.

David
180 gr. Accubond at 500 yards out of my son's 300 WSM. Over 80% bullet weight retention.


Cow elk at 100 yards. Took out ribs going in, angled up and took out the spine, turned the bullet down and it went through the off side shoulder and was under the hide on the opposite side. She never moved.



Recovered bullet from my son's cow elk.

 

[jpolson]

My 300wsm has taken 2 elk in the 400 yard range. Both of them with a Nosler partition. Not a real ballistically efficient bullet. Total distance travel for those 2 elk combined is about 15 steps. Am I giving up something on my buddies 300 RUM...yes...but I know that I am just about maxing out performance for a short action rifle...and I love the weight savings that the short action gives.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

I run simple Winchester 180 grain. I would not hesitate a shot at 500 plus yards. I have personally killed a handful of elk at 400 to 500 yards and a Muley at 423 (ranged). The .300 wsm is my favorite mountain caliber.

 

[Ray]

I shoot a 300 SAUM, which is smaller than a WSM by a little bit. I do not feel handicapped at all. The Model 7 does not like Accubonds, but loves Partitions. 180g make little clover leaves if I do my part.

For long range hunting you need to consider bullet performance at those ranges and lower velocities. With today's ballistic calculators and scope dialing systems you should have no issues hitting lungs at distance. Practice a lot to make sure it all works.

 

[brushape]

looking into the future and rebarreling my 3006, it seems like I can easily run a 300wsm with a 215 berger at nearly the same velocity as a 300 mag but being as its a shorter cartrige i will actually be able to have it feed where as the 300win will have to be single fed with the same bullet. action would be savage 110, is this a flawed Idea?

 

[SDHNTR]

How could you possibly feel handicapped with a 300 wsm? I'd confidently take on anything in North America with one!

 

[jpolson]

looking into the future and rebarreling my 3006, it seems like I can easily run a 300wsm with a 215 berger at nearly the same velocity as a 300 mag but being as its a shorter cartrige i will actually be able to have it feed where as the 300win will have to be single fed with the same bullet. action would be savage 110, is this a flawed Idea?

You might want to do a little research on this. Savage uses a modified action for the wsm cartridges. They modify it for controlled round feed. Trying to run a wsm with a push feed is generally not recommended. Also, savage runs a larger thread on their wsm barrels. I think there are some barrel manufacturers that run the standard threading with wsm barrels...but you would have to check.

The 300 wsm is not as good with heavy for caliber bullets as the 300 win mag. So you will not get nearly the performance. I poked around a couple reloading tables. You will probably lose 100+ FPS.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Here are my sons first two kills with a 300 WSM 168 Berger both DRT.
Elk at 10 feet

Whitetail at 319

 

[tstowater]

I have killed quite a few animals with a 300WSM from 200 to 280 yards. I've always been able to get that close. Would I consider it a 400+ yard elk gun--- without question. I don't think you need a 300RUM or a 30-378 or other similar burners to kill at the longer ranges you refer to. I do believe it is important to know your limits, good shooting skills and shot placement more than anything. I have always shot 180gr bullets and would probably go to a bigger bullet if long range was in the picture.

 

[teflonhunter]

I wouldn't in the least feel handicapped with 300 WSM , but I don't feel limited with 308 Win. out to 500 yds.

 

[luke moffat]

I shoot a 300 SAUM, which is smaller than a WSM by a little bit. I do not feel handicapped at all. The Model 7 does not like Accubonds, but loves Partitions. 180g make little clover leaves if I do my part.

For long range hunting you need to consider bullet performance at those ranges and lower velocities. With today's ballistic calculators and scope dialing systems you should have no issues hitting lungs at distance. Practice a lot to make sure it all works.

That is a sweet little round Ray! If it wasn't for finding brass I would have be looking at it more closely....how much trouble do you have finding brass?

 

[Ray]

Luke, when I decided to pick up this used rifle, I decided to start stockpiling ammo and brass. A year or two later and no green box ammo and no brass. I feel lucky that I have a few hundred pieces stockpiled and a few boxes of green box ammo. My only mistake was not buying a keg of H4350 and a brick of primers.

HSM does sell ammo, but its out of my price range.

 

[JP100]

In what world would you feel handicapped by a .300wsm!!!
I have recently bought one(last year) and its like a freight train compared to anything else ive used.
I cant think of any normal sized big game critter I wouldn't be confident shooting with it out to 500-600 yards at least.

If you cant kill a deer with a .300wsm at pretty much any range you aint hitting it it right and no caliber will help that!

 

[AK Troutbum]

Well, that does it, sounds like everyone is confident using a .300wsm.


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[tm7554]

I didn't feel handicapped until I read all the stuff that Broz posted on the 300 win 215 berger hybrid. Not sure I can stuff that bullet into my Kimber 8400 mag box. Want to try though. That data he has is awesome. Had I read that first I'd have gone Kimber win mag.