300 WSM vs 300 win mag

[puppyhat]

I used to own a 300 win mag, traded it off due to lack of places to shoot it to its capabilities, if I was to get back into a rifle of that class again, it would be a 300 PRC, and not the win mag, belted magnums are annoying to reload, when their is a non belted alternative.

 

[Brown229]

Wanted to gather some opinions on the virtues/vices of the 300 WSM.

When comparing it to 300 win mag, it seems to beat it in quite a few categories, slightly higher muzzle velocity, slightly less recoil can shoot similar bullet weights. Action length is shorter, which could allow a lighter rifle build.

Barring the ammo availability variable, why do most people skip over this cartridge?

I realize there are a significant number of new 30 cals on the block, so would also entertain discussion on why others are better than the two mentioned as well.

I'm a huge fan of the 300 WSM for many years. Has better ballistics for long range shooting over the 300wm. I like the short action of the rifle. Allows a shorter barrel making it lighter and a great western big game rifle. Ammunition a little more difficult to find and more expensive. 300 Remington ultra mag another good round but I prefer the 300 wsm. Ive taken game of all sizes with it(whitetail, muleys, elk, moose, brown bear). Drops them hard

 

[DangerRanger]

For a factory gun in 300 WSM the Tikka is a good option. With factory ammo how a 300 WSM Tikka comes, with its shorter OAL mags is fine, but, if you want to run the 200+ grain bullets with longer OAL to push the performance up then swapping to the longer bottom metal/mags and changing bolt stops is easy peasy and doesn't cost much. In a SA Rem 700 300 WSM build using a 3.100 Baney box, even with the 215-230's will get you plenty of length and performance.

Unfortunately (most?) tikka 300wsm barrels seem to still be 1:11. I’d like to shoot a 215 in one but that’s a bit of a bummer

 

[journeyman713]

For a guy on the fence between the Win-mag and the WSM, you've got to ask yourself one question. Does technology improve over 4 decades? If you have to think about it, just take a look at what you drive, or maybe the the computer/cell phone you are using to view this forum. Was it built in the 60s or 2000s? It would be hard to argue the 60s anything, is better, without some misconceptions. Sure, the 60s stuff has been around longer and is more known, but that don't make it better.

Is there some magic in hand loading a Win-mag, that makes is better? No, adding a little more gun powder, doesn't overcome the poor design of the casings tall, slender, design. The WSM makes more chamber pressure, with less gun powder. Why? Engineering. The WSMs wider design results in, a more instantaneous burn.

Winchester invented both, nearly 40 years a part, the WSM fixed some problems of the earlier Win-mag design. Why don't they bash the old design? Because they invented it too, and still sell it.

Of all the complaints about the WSM, the only one that actually applies today, is available ammo choices, which is improving. When you find ammo you like - get a case of it. Problem solved.

For more detail, Ron Spomer makes a good summary of the two.
Win-Mag vs WSM

 

[bmart2622]

I used to own a 300 win mag, traded it off due to lack of places to shoot it to its capabilities, if I was to get back into a rifle of that class again, it would be a 300 PRC, and not the win mag, belted magnums are annoying to reload, when their is a non belted alternative.

What makes a belted magnum annoying to reload?

 

[WeiserBucks]

I'm a huge fan of the 300 WSM for many years. Has better ballistics for long range shooting over the 300wm.

Care to explain this statement?

 

[wind gypsy]

For a guy on the fence between the Win-mag and the WSM, you've got to ask yourself one question. Does technology improve over 4 decades? If you have to think about it, just take a look at what you drive, or maybe the the computer/cell phone you are using to view this forum. Was it built in the 60s or 2000s? It would be hard to argue the 60s anything, is better, without some misconceptions. Sure, the 60s stuff has been around longer and is more known, but that don't make it better.

Is there some magic in hand loading a Win-mag, that makes is better? No, adding a little more gun powder, doesn't overcome the poor design of the casings tall, slender, design. The WSM makes more chamber pressure, with less gun powder. Why? Engineering. The WSMs wider design results in, a more instantaneous burn.

The WSM makes more chamber pressure with less gun powder because IT'S A SMALLER CASE.

Is there some evidence that short and stubby cases are easier to tune and more efficient, sure. I like em, shoot creedmoors, 6.5x47, 6.5 saum, 7 saum, 300 wsm. In reality, almost all of this stuff comes down to how much volume is in a case and how high of a pressure is the ammo loaded to. The Win mag has more volume and a lower SAAMI max pressure rating.

To think that the average hunter who doesn't handload and is not a sub 3 MOA shooter from field positions would benefit from the "improved technology" of a WSM over a WM more so than the availability and cost of wm ammo is nuts. The only real benefit of a WSM for those folks is reduced recoil and maybe a few ounces lighter rifle.

 

[wind gypsy]

Care to explain this statement?

Heard it on the internet/at the bar/on the range.

 

[bmart2622]

^^^^Thats funny stuff!!!!

 

[Flyjunky]

What makes a belted magnum annoying to reload?

I don’t understand why people think a belted mag is tough to load for? What is so difficult about it?

 

[bmart2622]

I don’t understand why people think a belted mag is tough to load for? What is so difficult about it?

I have no idea!!! I ask myself the same thing everytime I see someone post that nonsense

 

[wind gypsy]

What makes a belted magnum annoying to reload?

1. body sizing near the belt area. Might require a willis collet die in some cases which is an extra step. I've also had a redding FL bushing die seemingly scrape a little extra brass or maybe it was just not sizing all the way up to the belt to where a "false belt" built up in front of the belt and eventually led to brass not chambering without really tight bolt close. This is only after like 3 firings with norma brass. Resulted in a fair bit of brass being worthless well before it should have been.
2. Lots of case stretch on first firing

Not saying its the end of the world. I chose to chamber another barrel in 300wm well after 300 prc intro because I had components already but belts are absolutely a factor I'd consider when making cartridge choice.

 

[bmart2622]

Loaded 1000s of rds of belted mags and no issues

 

[journeyman713]

 

[Jaden Bales]

Last thing I noticed nobody has mentioned is the possible efficiencies of the 300 WSM with shorter barrels. I have a suppressor coming and I'm hoping to get a bit better velocities out of it with a shorter barrel (maybe 20" barrel with 6" can) than I would if I did that with a classic Winnie.

While I was hoping to be upgrading my WSM with Mike at Hells Canyon sooner than I have after this article, here's a piece I did for Rokslide about the 300 WSM I run.

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle could mean many things. Jaden explains how he built his western hunting rifle for big game.

www.rokslide.com

 

[wind gypsy]

Last thing I noticed nobody has mentioned is the possible efficiencies of the 300 WSM with shorter barrels. I have a suppressor coming and I'm hoping to get a bit better velocities out of it with a shorter barrel (maybe 20" barrel with 6" can) than I would if I did that with a classic Winnie.

While I was hoping to be upgrading my WSM with Mike at Hells Canyon sooner than I have after this article, here's a piece I did for Rokslide about the 300 WSM I run.

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle could mean many things. Jaden explains how he built his western hunting rifle for big game.

www.rokslide.com

A WM will still be capable of higher velocities than a WSM at any realistic barrel length.

More efficient and faster are not the same. Smaller cases are more efficient than bigger cases but they still cant produce equal velocity at the same chamber pressures.

 

[Chuckybmd]

Last thing I noticed nobody has mentioned is the possible efficiencies of the 300 WSM with shorter barrels. I have a suppressor coming and I'm hoping to get a bit better velocities out of it with a shorter barrel (maybe 20" barrel with 6" can) than I would if I did that with a classic Winnie.

While I was hoping to be upgrading my WSM with Mike at Hells Canyon sooner than I have after this article, here's a piece I did for Rokslide about the 300 WSM I run.

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle could mean many things. Jaden explains how he built his western hunting rifle for big game.

www.rokslide.com

Thanks for sharing your article! Glad to see that the barrel can be reworked to thread a muscle break!

 

[B23]

A WM will still be capable of higher velocities than a WSM at any realistic barrel length.

More efficient and faster are not the same. Smaller cases are more efficient than bigger cases but they still cant produce equal velocity at the same chamber pressures.

Kind of like the saying in the hot rod world, no replacement for displacement. And to your point, if someone is getting higher velocities, when I say higher I don't mean just barely higher, with the same bullet and barrel length but in a smaller capacity case using less powder it's most always the result of higher pressure. Less powder, same bullet, same length barrel but higher fps = higher chamber pressure. I think a lot of reloaders would be very surprised if they actually knew how high they're chamber pressure/s truly are.

Barrel length was mentioned earlier and for me if I know I'll be using a shorter barrel 22in or less I'll generally opt for the slightly smaller case. IMO, it doesn't make a lot of sense to use a 22 or shorter barrel in something like a 30 cal build and have it chambered in a cartridge that burns 10-10++ grains more powder but, at equal pressure, only gains 20-50fps. That's why I call the 300 WSM the Goldilocks when used in a shorter barreled build. Sure, other bigger cased 30's will certainly shoot the same bullet faster but how much faster and how much more powder do you have to burn to gain that 20-50 fps...

 

[Silveroddo]

I've had a 300 wsm since 2004 or 5 and its been great but between some recent accuracy issues and not seeing a box of shells on the shelf at my local stores since pre-covid I just ordered a Howa in 300 WM to try something different. I'm still sitting on ammo and brass for the wsm and when I've got more time I'll revisit it, but its not very encouraging to see the ammo availability these days.

 

[shax2lex]

I decided to go 300WSM. What got me is I already had a Terminus Zeus SA and 300WSM in as about as big as I could run for elk in the future. Getting ammo other than Federal Fusion, finding brass, and large rifle magnum primers has been tough. I’m definitely going to hand load to get more out of a shorter barrel.

I think if I had to do it again, I would have had a long action Zeus and just had a longer stroke for my 6.5CM match setup. Then I would have gone 7PRC for elk.