Hunting & Fishing 300. Win mag for long range hunting

[Matt_3479]

Looking to start my first build very shortly an im torn between 2 calibers with one being the 300. win mag. The slightly smaller 7mm rem mag is option number 2. I am an avoid moose hunter and is the reason for this build. I missed 2 opportunities at the largest bull i have ever seen last year cause of my rifle. I practice out too 500-600 yards with my factory rifles and have shot up too 800 on occasion on targets but i dont get the accuracy i would hope for that i can confidently take game at those ranges.

800 yards is my Max range and that is why i haven't stepped up in calibers. I am only interested in the these two. If you hunt with a 300. win mag what kind of build do you have? what is your load? what do you hunt? longest kill? pictures of rifle or game?

 

[noahmercy]

Re: 300. Win mag for hunting

I shoot a 300 Win Mag for everything elk-sized and bigger. I use 180 grain lead-core bullets (no solid copper/ homogenous slugs) exclusively. I've found that my rifle loves 75 grains of RL22 and a light crimp from a collet type crimp die. My favorite bullet is the Nosler Partition. It expands well down to very low velocity, yet retains enough weight (regardless of if it loses its front core) to penetrate reliably even when encountering heavy bone. Accuracy is more than acceptable, with groups slightly under 3/4 MOA from my Ruger M77 MkII out to 385 yards (the furthest I've shot it). That's with a 6X42mm Leupold M8 on board.

There may be powders that will get higher velocities, and the Partition may not shoot as flat as a boattail, but I pride myself on getting close to the animals I shoot, so it isn't an issue for me. Also, my hunting guns are simple tools, and I keep load development to a minimum...this load is as accurate as match ammo from my rifle, velocities are respectable, and it uses a bullet renowned for its reliability. I have a great deal of confidence in it and have no doubt that if I <span style="font-style: italic">did</span> poke a moose or elk standing in the next time zone that it would perform in a stellar fashion.

Were I forced to shoot a boattail, I'd grab some Nosler Accubonds or Hornady Interbonds. Both bullets have grouped well for me in testing and I have heard good things from fellow hunters who have used them on game. I've witnessed too many questionable results and outright failures with gilding metal, copper, and other homogenous bullets from the 300 Win Mag at long distances to feel comfortable using them. I'm sure others will chime in with differing opinions, and that's fine, but I'm not going to change my mind based on what I've seen.

 

[MikeeBooshay]

Re: 300. Win mag for hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Noah Mercy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I've witnessed too many questionable results and outright failures with gilding metal, copper, and other homogenous bullets from the 300 Win Mag at long distances to feel comfortable using them. I'm sure others will chime in with differing opinions, and that's fine, but I'm not going to change my mind based on what I've seen.

</div></div>

My experience has not been the same.

Last year, we ran a test, with four very good shooters, in two man teams, with 12 different kinds of ammo. Approximately 70 whitetail does were shot over a 2 day period, at ranges from 400 to 725 yards, all using 300WM. Most were shot between 400 and 450, only a couple of long pokes.

Only 2 animals were lost, all shots taken thru the shoulders, trying for a thru the shoulders shot. Interestingly, both lost animals were lost with same bullet. No recovered bullets, except one SST that shattered on the shoulder, animal DRT, but no thru and thru.

Our conclusion was with the 300 WM, at these <span style="color: #CC0000">ethical</span> ranges, bullets mattered very little. Shot placement ruled the roost. Ie... if you could should an ice cube and hit the boiler room, dead critter. Yes, SMK's were used, yes Barnes, almost any quality of bullet high or low,

Personally, I like the Barnes stuff, but they do not shoot well in all rifles. I think making a quality shot, at a range you can do so, is more important. I think far too many people are tempted to take a long shot, because they have a magnum whatever, rather than fully considering the ethics of the shot, or miss.

 

[Matt_3479]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

I was thinking of using a 300. win mag in a mcmillan stock, brux 26-28" barrel, blue printed 700 action, jewel trigger, throated for 210 bergers pushed between 2950-3000 fps for those 800 yard shots

 

[jrpilot]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

That would be a great combo. My brother has dumped many big game animals with his 300WM and a 208 AMAX. Last year he shot a nice bull elk @ 682 with the 300WM. He is getting 2955fps with a 24in barrel using H-1000.

 

[Matt_3479]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

24" barrel at 3000 is impressive. I was thinking the a-max was a little thinner jacket then the berger and would hold up as well?

 

[Phil1]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: matt_3479</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was thinking of using a 300. win mag in a mcmillan stock, brux 26-28" barrel, blue printed 700 action, jewel trigger, throated for 210 bergers pushed between 2950-3000 fps for those 800 yard shots </div></div>

Stick with the 26" and you'll have a great setup.

 

[Huckleberry75]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

I shoot a Browning A-bolt stainless stalker with 26" bbl. It is only a hunting taper "ie pencil bbl", but it groups 3/8" @ 300yds. Myself and about 10 guys all hunt elk with pretty much the same rig and nearly the same load data. We all run ~71 gns of IMR-4350 or R-17 with a 180 gn Sierra GK BTSP, RP brass and CCI primers. Running about 3000-3100 at the muzzle, some of the guys have killed cleanly at 1200yds. My personal longest to date with this set up is ~400. Hit her just behind the shoulder and the bullet shredded the boiler room. She went ~10 steps and took a long nap.

I have heard good things about the Amax, and a couple of my guys swear by the Accubonds. You just need to try a few combinations of loadings and see what the stick likes to eat.

I would certainly stay with a 26" bbl.

 

[Matt_3479]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

Thats awesome accuracy for a Browning A-bolt. i know browning can put out some great rifles as for i own a 300. wsm a-bolt but my accuracy begins to break off at about 600 yards max! im more comfortable with the 500 yard range with this rifle. I dont like the trigger on them though

 

[Huckleberry75]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

That trigger is easy to tweak. Mine breaks at about 2#.

 

[Apollo12]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

I'd run a 26" barrel and shoot a 180 Barnes, your GTG to 400-450. I was using a 300 win for a long time. Now I use a 338 win and a 210 Barnes for everything from elk to deer. Ive taken game cleanly at 400 with it, practice at those ranges is the key.

 

[Jig Stick]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

I built exactly what u are considering. McMillan Adj A3-5 stock, Jewell trigger, BAT heavy repeater action, Badger bottom metal, Krieger 1:10 26in barrel. It shoots well under moa. I'm getting 2900fps using 76.5g of Reloader 22. The 208 Amax scream out of it. I'm working up loads now with H1000 and the Berger VLDs. I'm sure you'll be happy with the winmag.

 

[Matt_3479]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

thank you for the reply's. I have a pretty big hunt coming up in a months time and i have to wait till after that before i can get myself started on this but hopefully after that i will be able to get started. I would like to have this rifle at like 10-12lbs total but in all realistic it should be between 10-12 lbs before scoped.

i think i have everything worked out. McMillan A3, Brux 26", Remington BDL blueprinted action, jewel trigger, pillar bedded, 300. win mag throated for 210 vld's. Only thing i haven't decided on is a Muzzle Brake. im not recoil shy, just want as much precision as possible and figured with a brake there is next to zero chance on a flinch.

i dont like the look of most brakes, i like brakes that are kind of flush with the barrel and i dont know anything about them

 

[CoCaDoRi]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

you can do nearly all you want with the 300WSM. You may even get a longer barrel life from it... jus sayin'

 

[HPLLC]

Re: 300. Win mag for long range hunting

I used to have a Winchester M70 Laredo (pre64 style action/HS precision stock) it was threaded, crowned, cryoed and bedded. I added a muzzle brake to cut recoil, and a 10X42 SS scope back when they were $300. The trigger pull was dropped to 2.5 lbs.

My load was 150grain noslers (not a very optimized long range load at all) but I think velocity was ~3200FPS so it was pretty flat, and it printed 3-round cloverleafs that measured .2" CTC at 100yards. It would print three under an inch at 300yards.

I carried it zeroed 2inches high at 100yards, and anchored a wounded deer (wounded by someone else I was hunting with) at 475yards with the rifle. It was a standing shot-unsupported except for my support arm elbow on my hip. I held head high ~front elbow windage as the deer was paused momentarily moving diagonally away. The round impacted about heart high on the deer. It was one of those shots, that I probably couldn't make on a range, but for some reason in the field the gun came up and sat still where I wanted it so I squeezed the trigger.

I just checked that in JBM and it suggested I would have been ~25" low with that zero/bullet/velocity.

I liked the gun but became convinced I needed a picatiny rail and a tactical stock, and thinking about how much money I'd have in the gun by the time I changed rings and bases and replaced and bedded the stock, I sold it. It was probably a mistake. The rifle was bad ass in my opinion.