Just finished Bryan Littzs' newest book......YGBSM Currently shooting both calibers; 300wm in a M86 and 338lm in a TRG42. 190smks in the 300 and 300scenars in the 338; there is basically zero comparison between the two. The 300 is a tack driver to 1200yds then turns into a shotgun while the 338 gets to 1500yds (end of the range) without a problem wilst running a mild load of 91.5gr Retumbo at 2750'/s. Is the 230 Berger as good as advertised??? Just hoping I didn't waste a bunch of $$$ on the move up.
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300wm........338lm
- Thread starter chariotdriver
- Start date
Yeah, distance and energy are the key between the two. Inside of 1400 yards the .300WM can be very effective and economical, but at the same distances the .338LM hits harder and bucks the wind better. Then beyond 1500 yards there's no comparison. In the last five or six years the .338LM has become quite popular and I see a LOT of shooters jumping from .308WIN to .338LM without the intention of taking it past 1000 yards in the first place. That to me is generally a better role for a .300WM and doesn't require quite the commitment of .338LM with ammo costs.
I own both and honestly the 300WM with 230's for me is the bee's knee's... I cant say I frequent >1500 yards often so the 300 WM is the ticket, fairly inexpensive to reload, easy to reload and does its job. Plus FL sizing is MUCH easier on the 300... FWIW Now the 338 is just that, good at everything aside from cost.
The 230 is a very good bullet, guys are reporting the 215 Berger that they're getting higher speeds from that than the older 210 Berger for a much improved BC.
The 190SMK is a football going 3000fps and I know you can get the 210class to 2950 without any trouble from a 300WM. I have a very mild load shooting the 208 Amax from a 26" barrel and it's going 2850. It hits like Thor's hammer at 1200 and 1500. I've already had it out to 1980yd and it turns somewhat unpredictable past a mile.
Really, you need a new projectile than that 190SMK. Functional BC on that is not much better than a 120gr 6.5mm bullet, in fact I'm pretty sure that Berger makes a 185gr bullet with a BC ~10% higher. Look closely at the 208 and 225 Hornady, 210/215/230 Bergers. Perhaps the 230 Berger is too pricey, and that's totally reasonable, but you don't need to go from 190SMK to 230Berger to see a major jump in performance past 1200yd. Just look into the Hornady 208 Amax, 208 OTM, 225 OTM, or spend the coin and look into the Bergers.
The 190SMK is a football going 3000fps and I know you can get the 210class to 2950 without any trouble from a 300WM. I have a very mild load shooting the 208 Amax from a 26" barrel and it's going 2850. It hits like Thor's hammer at 1200 and 1500. I've already had it out to 1980yd and it turns somewhat unpredictable past a mile.
Really, you need a new projectile than that 190SMK. Functional BC on that is not much better than a 120gr 6.5mm bullet, in fact I'm pretty sure that Berger makes a 185gr bullet with a BC ~10% higher. Look closely at the 208 and 225 Hornady, 210/215/230 Bergers. Perhaps the 230 Berger is too pricey, and that's totally reasonable, but you don't need to go from 190SMK to 230Berger to see a major jump in performance past 1200yd. Just look into the Hornady 208 Amax, 208 OTM, 225 OTM, or spend the coin and look into the Bergers.
The football comment is some funny stuff. It was a good load back in the day; I need to get with the times.
My 300wm is old with a 1:12 twist but it still shoots varmints out to 1k with ease. I've tried bigger bullets and might as well be throwing rocks, plus it has a can on the end and a baffle strike would be less than optimum. Should have just had a new bbl installed because there was a bunch of coin dropped on the 338, scope, reloading tools, etc.
Hrm, that does make a bit of an issue for you but there's not much way around changing the tube out. The 185 Berger Tactical has a published BC ~0.56 IIRC which is a 10% increase over the 190SMK and for a direct replacement that's a substantial increase in performance without a new barrel.
The 300WM is not going to compete with the 338LM at a mile, the 215/230 Bergers make that argument closer but for just hitting targets out long it's tough to argue with "no replacement for displacement"
Changing out the barrel will turn your 300 from a 1200yd caliber to a VERY reliable 1500-1700yard hitter.
The 300WM is not going to compete with the 338LM at a mile, the 215/230 Bergers make that argument closer but for just hitting targets out long it's tough to argue with "no replacement for displacement"
Changing out the barrel will turn your 300 from a 1200yd caliber to a VERY reliable 1500-1700yard hitter.
