Best 300wsm rifle under $1000?

[xcutter]

Okay, Indiana recently passed a law allowing us to hunt with rifles. I was looking at purchasing a rifle chambered in 300wsm. I need some recommendations. I'm looking to spend around $1000 on just the rifle.

How many rounds can you shoot before the barrel needs replaced on these rifles?

What's some good hunting rounds?

I was looking at the Savage Bear Hunter.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

 

[hunting1]

For a $1,000 there are plenty of options. A few bucks more you can get a Winchester EW, Kimber Montana, even a Montana Arms. I shoot 180 NAB in mine with 4350. I have a few hundred rounds and going strong so it would be a while before you wore out a barrel.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Do you have other plans for the gun? Seems a 30cal in Indiana for longevity/affordability one wouldn't need to look past 308/30-06. 300wsm is a nice little caliber but more expensive to shoot if this isn't destined for some longer shots on bigger critters.

I like Tikkas in the stock class gun.

 

[Bubblehide]

I have a Tikka T3 lite SS, and love it. It shoots E-tips exceptionally well.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Tikka

 

[xcutter]

I should clarify my intentions for this rifle. I want to be able to take it elk hunting and hunt whitetail with it. That's why I'm leaning towards this caliber.

 

[elkguide]

Kimber Montana in .300 WSM is an awesome combination. Love mine. Unless you're shooting heavy handloads and a lot of them you won't likely shoot out the barrel. I've seen plenty of rifles with 1500 to 2000 rounds before they start to lose accuracy.

(Now if you want to talk about say a .264 Win Mag, now that will burn out a barrel after 600 or 700 rounds.)

 

[elkguide]

I probably should add that if I were picking just one rifle it would be chambered in .300 Win Mag.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I should clarify my intentions for this rifle. I want to be able to take it elk hunting and hunt whitetail with it. That's why I'm leaning towards this caliber.

How far are you shooting in your desires? I do like the 300wsm, I almost bought one but ended up building a 280AI instead. Just trying to be devils advocate for a second. 30-06 is pretty solid out to 450yd turf to maintain 1600ftlbs of recommended energy (use your own opinion on recommended energy, just a talking point). Are you going to practice to shoot 500+yd to get the extra usage out of this caliber? Being from MI I hear of lots of guys that pick up 7mags, 300win, etc. for the "out west" hunt but never practice longer range shooting and couldn't reasonably shoot a 500yd cross canyon shot to use said caliber's abilities and in the meantime blow the crap out of the offside shoulder of a deer they shoot back in MI at 70yds...

 

[xcutter]

I want to have the ability to shoot longer ranges. But realistically I don't see my shooting farther than 400 yards. I do have access to a 400 yard range for practice. I'm open to suggestions.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Kimber Montana, and don't look back. Super accurate right out of the box, 3 position safety, and CRF.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I want to have the ability to shoot longer ranges. But realistically I don't see my shooting farther than 400 yards. I do have access to a 400 yard range for practice. I'm open to suggestions.

Go price out some 300wsm ammo vs 30-06 for starters. Even when reloading getting 300wsm brass is harder/more costly. As noted I do like the 300wsm just something to consider if you aren't really going to utilize the performance it offers.

 

[mcseal2]

I'd really advise you to try shooting a 300WSM in a rifle light enough you would want to take it elk hunting before buying one. They do have quite a bit of recoil which can make it harder to shoot accurately. If you are set on the 300WSM you might want to look at one with a muzzle brake if it kicks you to hard. I'm a big fan of Limbsaver pads also. You might find you want to go with lighter recoiling rifle though.

When I was in high school I had a buddy going to gunsmith school who built me a custom 300 win mag. It was a pretty heavy rifle, had a good recoil pad on a laminate thumbhole stock that reduced recoil even more. I shot it at everything from crows to coyotes to deer for several years. My shooting with it started going downhill and I thought I might be shooting the barrel out. It turned out the problem was me flinching when I shot it due to the recoil. It took several years to fix that problem. I still have to be careful I don't start it up again if I shoot enough my shoulder gets sore.

I shoot a 223 or 204 at little stuff now mostly. The old heavy 300 has been re-barreled to a 264 win mag I deer and antelope hunt with in flatter country. I've used light rifles in 270 win, 270WSM, and 7mm Rem Mags on mountain hunts and all performed very well, sold the others but still have the 270 win. My biggest elk fell to a 270 win at over 400yds, if you pick the right bullet and stick to broadside shots elk don't require a huge cartridge. If you want to take tougher quartering shots on elk more gun is probably needed. Deer size game I'm not afraid to take a quartering shot with a tough 140gr bullet started at around 3000fps from a 270 win or similar round. I get about the same trajectory and wind drift as a 180gr bullet from my 300 with much less recoil, and I can still shoot that class cartridge well from a lighter shorter rifle.

If you want a 300 I'm not against them, I'm having a light 300 win built now with a brake and good recoil pad for a moose hunt I have coming up in a few years and will likely use it for all my elk hunts in the future too. The 300WSM is a great and very capable round just make sure you can shoot it well. Just make sure you can handle the recoil of whatever you choose. Flinching is something you never want to start doing, to hard to fix.

 

[Cahunter805]

30-06 in a Rem 700, Winchester extreme weather or tikka. Go to your local shop and handle a few different rifles and see what you like and feels best.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Tikka with a Brake

I recently went to the range to check velocities with two tikka 300 wsm's. Mine is braked the other is not. I couldn't believe how damn hard his kicked!

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Tikka with a Brake

I recently went to the range to check velocities with two tikka 300 wsm's. Mine is braked the other is not. I couldn't believe how damn hard his kicked!

But then you're into needing hearing protection when hunting if you don't want to jeopardize your ears. If you need the performance of the 300wsm and have a light gun yeah you'll need to brake it (also more cost) or deal with the kick, IF you need that performance... I don't think the original poster would go wrong with a 30-06 though based on what he's said unless he's got his heart set on the 300wsm.



Nice magneto by the way!

 

[Ryan Avery]

But then you're into needing hearing protection when hunting if you don't want to jeopardize your ears. If you need the performance of the 300wsm and have a light gun yeah you'll need to brake it (also more cost) or deal with the kick, IF you need that performance... I don't think the original poster would go wrong with a 30-06 though based on what he's said unless he's got his heart set on the 300wsm.



Nice magneto by the way!

Guns are loud with or without brakes. Most hunter aren't shooting more than 1-2 rounds a year without hearing protection. Hell I would put a break on the 06 too.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Guns are loud with or without brakes. Most hunter aren't shooting more than 1-2 round a year without hearing protection. Hell I would put a break on the 06 too.

Yep guns are loud, my ears ring normally as is, I don't need louder but to each their own. For what its worth some reports I've seen show some brakes are 10 dB or more in volume at the shooter's position (10 dB more means double the intensity). The volume difference is basically the difference if you have ever been near the muzzle of an unbraked gun when it went off versus behind it, its notable louder in a painful way.

I just use a slip on limbsaver when doing range work to knock down the felt recoil some on my hunting guns. A brake would fine on a target gun or one I didn't plan on any quick shots from (speaking for myself only of course).

 

[BigDog00]

I bought a Rem 700 in 300 WSM a couple years ago and love it. I did change out the cheap plastic stock to a B&C Alaskan stock, but other than that its stock. It shoots great (sub MOA) and honestly I could shoot it all day long (none of my rifles have brakes). I also have a Rem 700 BDL in 30-06 and I can't get more than 4 or 5 rounds out of it before I start to flinch. I know Remington's have gotten a bad rap lately for accuracy issues, but I have 3 different 700's and they all shoot great. I would go to a shop and handle a few different brands and see what fits YOU the best.

 

[mcseal2]

The 300 win I'm having built is being done by Rifles Inc and they have a brake that they claim is quieter than most. It's the same diameter as the barrel and only adds 1". That rifle will likely be the last I build. I had a Vias on the 7 mag I had and it's another that isn't supposed to be to loud. It was louder than without it, but I never noticed it hunting without ear protection. I darn sure used it all the time when not hunting though.