300 SAUM vs 300 WSM questions

[Dildobaggins]

So, for the past year or so, I've been pretty obsessed with building a short action 30 cal rifle. A friend is willing to give me a Tikka action that was a 7mm rem mag. I finished my first custom off of a defiance action after going back and fourth between a custom and a Tikka for awhile, and now I can get the Tikka for a $20 FFL transfer fee for some plumbing work I did for him. The gun will be used for some long range plinking and hunting.

So I have a few questions, I can't really find answers to. Forgive me if these are stupid. I'm still quite new to bolt actions.

1.) Why is the 300 wsm vastly more popular than the 300 SAUM? Or so it would seem anyway.

2.) I'd probably get a fixed shoulder barrel from preferred barrels. I wanted to do a krg bravo chassis. Will mag length effect the 300 wsm in a short action, if I'm trying to find a good length off the lands? I don't plan on using bullets any larger than 200 grain. Probably stick around the 150 to 180 grain range.

3.) If it would effect that aspect what is a different chassis option that a Tikka would fit that I can use LA mags on?

4.) Is there more accuracy potential in a 300 wsm vs a 300 SAUM? Can't find any videos on YouTube other than people showing the recoil. Just kinda want the 300 SAUM so I can have some insurance for the mag length. And a little less recoil That was my only concern.

Thanks!

 

[Budrichard]

I can't tell you why the 300 wsm is vastly more popular than the 300 SAUM except that maybe people equated the name with the 300 UM,a killer recoil cartridge for sure.
I purchased a Rem Model 7 AWR in 300 SAUM. With scope about 7#'s, brutal recoil.
It's been sighted in once and never got shot with it on bear hunt, left a bruised shoulder,
purchased all the factory 300 SAUM I could afford when I saw the handwriting on the wall.
Go with the 300 wsm and be done with it.
-Richard

 

[Billdoe708]

I have a 300 saum in a Ruger m77. It's my summer deer rifle. 165 Sierra game king. I really like the cartridge. No tracking, buy my shots are less than 300 yards.

 

[Chabrone]

I think the 300 wsm was first to the market so it was more popular, along with better industry support for ammo components later on ( today is not a great reflection of that but there are also more wsm shooters). Performance wise, it’s not that noticeable but a longer case in the wsm will challenge seating depth in a SA mag. I have a custom 300 wsm in 700 SA in XLR. Shoots good at mag length with 180 gr so I’m happy with it. I personally wouldn’t switch but I think you’ll be happy with either.

 

[SonoranPrecision]

With 300wsm in a short action, it really comes down to the reamer/freebore length. A saami chamber basically has zero freebore, so you can hit the lands with pretty much any bullet, but the longer bullets will start taking up a lot of case capacity. With the lighter bullets it’s not as big of a deal.

As for accuracy between the two, there are plenty of 1000 yard fclass guys using 300wsm, and I haven’t heard of any running 300 saum. So take that for what it’s worth. There also much more brass available for the wsm.

 

[Steel head]

For me it would be simple, even though I think the saum case fits a short action better the 300 saum seems pretty dead where as 300WSM is quite alive in hunting and competition and with ADG brass and others it would be my choice.

With common hunting bullets the regular freebore is fine.
With heavies your going to be stuffed deep.

F class reamers have a freebore like the 300 Norma and definitely are not going to mag fed in a short action.