Hunting & Fishing 300 WSM recoil in light rifle?

[RidgeRebel]

Thinking of purchasing a Browning X-bolt in 300 WSM. However I am a little concerned the recoil might be a bit much in the light rifle. Anybody shooting a 300 WSM in a light rifle? Is it managable without a break? I hunt deer and elk every year here in UT and I was thinking this might be a good light rifle to take on the longer hikes. I was also considering the 270 WSM in the same rifle with the thought of the recoil in the 300. Please help me decide on a caliber.

Thanks
Bob

 

[timjoebobbradley]

I weigh around 150 pounds, so not a very big guy. I have a Sako 300 wsm and I do not find the recoil to much, but I do not use it as a bench gun. It is my hunting rifle, I would have to guess it is around 8-9 pounds with the scope.

 

[6mech]

I would go with the .300. My son has the lightweight Savage (no break) and it's definately not unmanageable, especially in the field. I helped him develop a hunting load for it and it is a bear off the bench, but still a fun gun to shoot. With the .300 you will be set up for anything in North America.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Im used to heavier rifles for both hunting and competition, so I may be a bit biased when it comes to recoil. The 300wsm is a perfect big game rifle, if you can handle the recoil. If you load it with some 150-165 class bullets it shouldn't be too bad. The 270wsm is another great one, I would feel confident with either one.

 

[roggom]

If you are set on the 300 WSM, then get it. You can always load down if you need to.

 

[Badger300wm]

I have a model 70 in 300wsm and a weatherby vanguard in 270wsm. Comparing the two as far as recoil the 270 is more comfortable off the bench for sure. I think though that the stock design has at least something to do with it, both are the cheap plastic stocks but weatherby is definatly a better design.

 

[Name Enough]

I have a Browning A bolt in 300 WSM in a Sporter stock from Richards Micro Stocks with a 23" barrel. Hot loads can knock you hat into the creek. Light loads are manageable. I load 180 grain Nosler Partitions (yea I'm old school - same bullets Dad used) on top of 65.5 Grains of 4831 SC and get 2775 FPS. This load gets me .5 MOA at 100 yards.
If you are hand loading please use caution - read the manual and ladder up.

 

[dumbgrunt]

I have a Browning a bolt with a wood stock. The gun is a tack driver with 150's and 168 a max. The one issue i have with the 150's is the sharp kick. When I load up 168's the kock is still there but turns into more of a push. And I'm sure if you went with the 180's it would be even more of a push. Love the gun its my go to hunting rifle.

 

[Mech45]

I have a Kimber Montana in 300WSM and with my 168gr Barnes TTSX reloads recoil is no problem. It has a nice recoil pad on it and I am 6ft 200lbs, in my opinion it's a excellent caliber and rifle. Most of my other rifles are .30 cal so that was the main reason I went with the 300WSM, if that weren't the case I think I would look at a 7mm WSM. I haven't shot one but I have heard good things about it's ballistics and accuracy. I had my Kimber and a Weatherby 30-378 on my last Elk hunt in Montana, I took the 30-378 out the first day of the hunt and the 300WSM every day after that. It was much easier to carry around the Kimber then it was the Weatherby, being a flatlander from Indiana the elevations in Monatana really kicked my butt. HTH

Chris

 

[6mech]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that you could always install the decellerator butt pad. My son has one on his .300WSM and I have one on my T3 lite in .30-06, it really makes a difference.

 

[hk401]

I have a sako a7 300wsm, It does kick after 20 rounds, , but one shot to kill a deer that wouldn't be the problem.

 

[wilecoyote]

tried on a BDL : more bearable than .30-06 steel-buttstock Garand, in my memories_

 

[thrusty]

300WSM won't be unbearable as a light hunting rifle until you decide to burn a couple boxes of ammo through it on the range sighting it in.

For lugging around the woods and taking a shot or two at a deer or elk, you won't have too much trouble with recoil. You'll be glad you had the caliber for the larger game in the end.

 

[Cserv]

Agree with others, I had 300WSM model 70. Hunting was no problem, didn't notice the recoil being any worse than my 270. From the bench, round after round, whole other ballgame.

Eric

 

[Avgjoe]

I also have a light 300 WSM for my deer rifle. Don't know as I have ever even noticed the recoil when shooting at game. I prefer to not shoot it from a bench as it is tiresome. And I am becoming more recoil sensitive as I age. I love mine.

 

[Compact45]

I have a H&S PHL in 300 WSM and other have said the recoil is manageable and light enough for extended carry. The 270 WSM is a great round too.

 

[Rolltide]

My Kimber Montana 7WSM is a perfect balance of light weight without punishing recoil.

 

[Redman0603]

I had a GAP Non typical in 300wsm with 22inch barrel that kicked pretty good if shooting alot at the range but for hunting it was fine. I now shoot vias breaks on all my hunting rifles and it makes the recoil about half of what it would be. I love the 7wsm as well.

 

[Cascade_Sherpa]

I have a Sako Finlight in .300wsm and it is a wonderful carrying rifle, balance is very good for a 26" barrel. It is one of my favorite hunting rifles. I've never felt the recoil while shooting it at elk and deer but it is one of my least favorite rifles to shoot at the range because of the painful recoil. And of course my accuracy suffers from that because I begin to flinch. I bought a lead sled so that I could try out several boxes of different hunting ammo but found that I just don't like shooting from an apparatus... so I went back to shooting and wincing from the stout recoil. The finlight is very similar in weight to the kimber Montana, about 6 lbs.

 

[Cascade_Sherpa]

Yep. I shoot Winchester XP3 180 grain ammo, its loaded pretty hot and only takes a short string of shots to heat the pencil tube barrel.