i plan on building another hunting rifle and want either 30 nosler or 300 win. Not interested in the 300 rum, just mainly considering these two calibers. Thoughts?
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Need input in next long range hunting caliber. 30 nosler vs 300 win
- Thread starter ForeverZ01
- Start date
Well, they're both 30 caliber cartridges, so it sounds like you have your mind made up on 30 cal...
Well you can use the same powders, primers and bullets in the .30 Nosler, but you may be limited on brass. it will recoil more than a 300wm if that matters to you and depending how you shoot barrel life may be a concern since it will also have shorter barrel life than a 300wm. but hey you already have 3 .300wm it wont hurt to have different 30 magnum. just my two cents.
Montrose
Montrose
Nosler chamberings are too overbore. By the time you get your barrel broke in, a load worked up, and used to the rifle, youve already shot out 15%-20% of the throat. Maybe more. Most barrels dont "settle in" until around 200 rounds? And I assume this will be a long range (700-1000?) hunting rifle? Since it is such a large chambering. And to get solid dope for such extreme shots, you need rounds down the barrel. If this isnt for a long range hunting rig, choose less of an overbore chambering.
Or, use one of the 3, 300 mags you already own.
Or, use one of the 3, 300 mags you already own.
What do you mean when you say it's too overbore? The 26 and 28 noslers have been doing well, they are easier to reload than belted magnums and produce excellent velocities.
your looking at about 200 fps over a 300wm more like 300 weatherby velocitys, the neck is a little longer than the 300wm so that might help. what barrel length are you looking at.
Montrose
Montrose
I know they produce excellent velocities. Because theyre an overbore cartridge.
Overbore = Too much powder per bore diameter
Furthermore, that 30 Nosler isnt going to do anything in terms of hunting that a 300 WM wont do. At any range. Anything that is out of a 300 WM kill range, you wont be able to humanely hit any way.
Excellent velocities, yes…resulting in relatively short barrel life. Overbore meaning you're burning a bunch of extra powder for a modest increase in velocity and non-modest reduction in barrel life.
What issues have you experienced reloading belted magnums? I keep hearing this comment but had not experienced any first-hand, and I've had a 300WM longer than any centerfire. I just prepped some brass for its 10th firing, I've bumped the shoulder once.
The WSM and RUM families did great for a number of years as well. Then the novelty work off, and now Winchester rarely makes a run of WSM brass, and Remington has discontinued RUM brass. Perhaps the Nosler family is here to stay, perhaps not. Me, I'll keep my 300WM, that cartridge is not going anywhere and brass is readily available from multiple sources.
That said, you already have several WMs, if you want to try something different, go ahead. If it's a Proof hunting rifle I expect you won't fire a ton of rounds once you have your dope figured out. So you could stock up a barrel's worth of brass and be GTG. I recently did this for my one WSM-based wildcat, while brass can still be found.
I also have a 300 Win Mag and chose 280 Ackley Improved for my next long action rifle. Almost a 7 Rem Mag with better barrel life and less blast. Very good for long range targets and everything from antelope to elk. Great bullet selection, no belts, recoil is less than what I expected. The Nosler factory ammo has proved to be very accurate and it can be fire formed from 280 Remington (it head spaces the same). Just a great caliber.
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I had a similar dilemma between 300 Win and 300 Norma.
I went with 300 Winchester because I can buy ammo at a store. The new Hornady ELD-X ammo seems to shoot well and is geared for LR hunting and shoots well in my rifle.
I don't see what a faster 30 will do unless you are planning on shooting ELR matches. If you can hit it with a 300WM, it can kill it. Anything beyond the distance you can hit with a 300WM is probably unethical for hunting anyways.
I went with 300 Winchester because I can buy ammo at a store. The new Hornady ELD-X ammo seems to shoot well and is geared for LR hunting and shoots well in my rifle.
I don't see what a faster 30 will do unless you are planning on shooting ELR matches. If you can hit it with a 300WM, it can kill it. Anything beyond the distance you can hit with a 300WM is probably unethical for hunting anyways.
I'm just trying to cover my bases and not be wishing 2 years from now I had gone a different route. The 30 looks interesting and according to case capacity it doesn't appear to have more room in the cartridge to be labeled a barrel burner. 30 nosler case capacity is 89.8 gr h2o and 300 win is 93.8 in h2o according to Wikipedia. Supposedly has more efficient power cone, lol whatever that means. Just some thoughts.
- Feb 16, 2017
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Both will work but I like the Nosler for a hunting rig. I'll take all the velocity I can get when hunting. I love the 300 RUM, but that's just me....
Just to throw fuel on the fire, have you considered the 7.82 Warbird? It shoots a 30 cal. I'm not impressed with the Nosler , my Warbird eats it for breakfast and barrels. I chambered it again using a Proof barrel. Im.getting 3124 using the 212 gr. ELD-X bullets. Brass life is about 8 firings or so. I was able to work up loads within 38 shots. After about 130 shots it has been speeding up. Anyways it out performs the Nosler. It's much cheaper to load your own of course. Just food for thought. Otherwise, stick to a .300WM. Or go 7mm SAUM.
My wife thinks I only have 3 guns
My wife thinks I only have 3 guns
300 WM. Been thoroughly impressed with mine and the factory eld-x ammo from Hornady. Shot a 7 inch group at 950 with it. That would be my suggestion.
Sierracharlie338....
Sierracharlie338....
I'd stick with 300wm for all the reasons already listed. I'm all for some extra velocity but I just don't see that benefit outweighing the negatives (already listed), in *this* case. JMO I like my 300wm for hunting and, in an emergency, I can grab some decent factory ammo in just about any gun store in the northern hemisphere.
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Not willing to sacrifice the ft-lbs for a smaller caliber. Where I hunt they hit the briars if you don't put them down.
And what exactly is it youre hunting, that would run off from a 7mm RM and drop from a 300 WM?
I hit an 11 point whitetail this year at 306 yards with 300 win shooting 210 Berger vld and cut the arteries off the heart with the bullet, deer ran 30 yards, I want them to never take a step. There has been too many deer lost on this place. Hence my unwillingness to sacrifice ft lbs.
Unfortunately you wont likely get good guidance. Most of the people posting will be 300 Win mag, 300 RUM, 7MM mag owners and don't want to think they are no longer shooting the coolest, toughest, newest caliber out there. They will all get the job done well, just go with your gut and make it tacticool.
How far a deer runs "dead on his feet" after being hit- all else being equal (range, bullet placement, etc)- has more to do with his will to live than what bullet hit him. If you want to anchor them in place then shoot them in the head, neck, or possibly high shoulder (nexus of front legs, neck, and back bone). Pick a caliber that allows you to put the bullet where intended every time. In most cases than means less gun, not more. Energy doesn't make up for poor bullet placement. There is no bullet big enough to make up for a miss.
As as to the difficulty of loading for belted magnums, what I have heard is that it is a function of them headspacing on the belt and not on the shoulder of the case. Is this an actual consideration for practical hunting accuracy? I don't know, but I've never had a white tailed deer escape a well placed bullet from my 270 win.
As as to the difficulty of loading for belted magnums, what I have heard is that it is a function of them headspacing on the belt and not on the shoulder of the case. Is this an actual consideration for practical hunting accuracy? I don't know, but I've never had a white tailed deer escape a well placed bullet from my 270 win.
Oh man, gotta love this thought process.
DRT (dead right there) shots happen from either a CNS hit, an extremely fast expanding bullet going at warp speed, or breaking major structural bone. Foot pounds of energy has little to nothing to do with it. From your description I can tell you why you had a run, you made a heart/lung shot when you should have been aiming for the high shoulder. It's shot placement, that's what matters. A 210 gr bullet from a 300 win mag is a reliable whitetail killer but it's not a prescription for DRT, they're going to run a bit. If you want to turn your 300 win mag into an anchor in the spot machine then run 150 ballistic tips at warp speed, you'll make a mess but they won't go far.
Having shot hundreds and hundreds of whitetails with all manner of rifle from 45-70, .375 H&H mag, 338 win mag, various 300 mags, etc. on down to bow and arrow I can tell you that the bigger rounds usually result in longer tracking jobs than the smaller and faster rounds. The quickest kills, hands down a 7mm rem mag with 140 ballistic tips at 3250 fps, they just don't run from that.
If you don't want them to run then don't shoot them in the heart with a 210 gr. bullet.
Yup decided in the 300 win. Came across 200 rounds of rws loaded ammo for a dollar a round and decided it would work great for a new build.
Drive an initial false shoulder? Please elaborate. The bullets in them are 184 rap-x and I have considered tossing the bullets, neck sizing and pushing some 178 eld-x in the. And leaving them long to make sure I am not hot on the charge.
I've killed a boat load of deer with many different cartridges, DRT is very unpredictable. If DRT is a necessity, brain/spine shots are the only guarantee.
Otherwise, use the appropriate round and learn to track fataly wounded game . There's not an animal on earth that can survive destroyed lungs , just may take a little extra effort to recover them .
Otherwise, use the appropriate round and learn to track fataly wounded game . There's not an animal on earth that can survive destroyed lungs , just may take a little extra effort to recover them .
So...Let me get this straight, your going to pull the factory bullet drop in a completely different bullet and call it good?.....If that is your plan do us all a favor and don't post in the reloading section why won't my load shoot..... SMH.
You are simply doing the oldest of Sillywet moves and contemplating building Mexican Match,which is an ancient standby. Standard fare to yard out shit projectiles(typically MilSurp Ball Ammo) and replace same with a bullet of repute. Have done it bazillions of times,though my preference is to yank the expander and grab .003" of constriction with a bushing die,to add uniformity and reduce ES/SD.
A false shoulder is something very different and the best way to afford finite control of headspace. It involves bumping necks to a greater bore diameter and then bringing them back down partially and using a portion of the increased neck diameter as a positive headspaced shoulder to index Virgins with.
1000 words.
Using 308 donors to yield 243AI Virgin form loads. As a rule,I tend to source Virgins in a greater bore size when possible,just for finite headspace control,out of the gate. Precision is bolstered as is case life.
Belted cases are amongst the worst offenders in excessive headspace Virgins.
Hint.
ive already got the round I want, don't see the need to do what you have done in your picture
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300Norma is my vote even though you only mentioned the WM and Nosler. The Norma will be catching on in popularity and supplies over the next couple years.
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