Opinions appreciated .300wm rifles and loads.

[Arthur]

Thanks in advance for the info.

I have a Savage 10 in .308 w a MCM stock. It shoots very well and I have no reason to upgrade in that caliber. I do however live in rural Utah and have the
opportunity to shoot unlimited distances. I am looking to extend the distance at which I can hit a target.

Is the .300 the next logical step? If so, will a 1/10 twist barrel stabilize the 230 gr bergers?
Will the .300 really shoot well to a mile or is it akin shooting a .308 to 1400(1 hit out of 10 shots)?
How long should the barrel be to get the most out of it?
I plan on sticking with Savage. I like the model with the HS stock. Anyone with any info on that model?

Lastly, would a .338lm be a better choice?

Have not logged in for a while but always enjoy the site.

 

[Foweis]

Would also like to hear some input on this.

 

[Roddd]

What's the max distance you can shoot? Is it for shooting steel or will you also hunt with it? You can also try posting in the ELR section here, those guys really know their stuff.

 

[Arthur]

What's the max distance you can shoot? Is it for shooting steel or will you also hunt with it? You can also try posting in the ELR section here, those guys really know their stuff.

The geography here does not restrict my range limitation. If you are asking how far I, myself can shoot? That is what I aim to find out. It will be mostly for shooting rocks, steel and paper. I use a lighter weight rifle for hunting. There is a chance it would be used on a coyote if the opportunity arose. If I do not receive enough replies here I will re-post in ELR forum.

 

[George63]

would a .338lm be a better choice?

.

IMO, yes - I found .75 to load for 300 win and .95 to load for 338LM

I also found the 300 win to be impractical without a brake, so at that point why not go to the 338

 

[Kilmore]

The .300 win mag will get you to 1300 with a 190 grain bullet and out to 1500 yards with a 220 grain bullet. The Mil spec Mk248 Mod1 is hot and will cook your barrel pretty quickly. About 800 rounds to burnt toast. The .338 Lapua will get you out to 1600 and last around 2000 rounds. Depends on the load and barrel quality. We have made repeatable hits out past 2200 yards with reloaded gun matched .338 LM ammo. It will buck the wind better than the .308 and .300 but is expensive to shoot. The .375 bears some consideration as it is a good flyer for ELR. If you shoot a coyote with a big bore magnum, bring a shovel and a bucket to pick it up. I shoot a Surgeon .338 with a 27 inch barrel, the DTA's have 20 inch barrels and do very well. If you plan to suppress the rifle, consider a long barrel to avoid pressure at the muzzle. A guy blew up a can using it on a 16 inch barreled .338 LM.

 

[Km22]

The .300 win mag will get you to 1300 with a 190 grain bullet and out to 1500 yards with a 220 grain bullet. The Mil spec Mk248 Mod1 is hot and will cook your barrel pretty quickly. About 800 rounds to burnt toast. The .338 Lapua will get you out to 1600 and last around 2000 rounds. Depends on the load and barrel quality. We have made repeatable hits out past 2200 yards with reloaded gun matched .338 LM ammo. It will buck the wind better than the .308 and .300 but is expensive to shoot. The .375 bears some consideration as it is a good flyer for ELR. If you shoot a coyote with a big bore magnum, bring a shovel and a bucket to pick it up. I shoot a Surgeon .338 with a 27 inch barrel, the DTA's have 20 inch barrels and do very well. If you plan to suppress the rifle, consider a long barrel to avoid pressure at the muzzle. A guy blew up a can using it on a 16 inch barreled .338 LM.

800 with the mk248 mod 1? I'm about 1/4th the way there then!

 

[bhart89]

Don't overlook the 6.5 when wanting to step up from the .308. If you want more led on target than I would skip the 300 WM and jump up to the .338 LM. The only reason I would consider the .300 WM is if you already have a .300 WM rated suppressor.

 

[sakobob]

i shoot a 300 and have made hits to 1720, as have many 300 shooters on this sight, but
if you have unlimited range go 338 or more. because first time to a mile you be getty then it will be old hat,
and then 2000 and then. . . . well you see what i mean, so do yourself a favor and start with something that will get
way out there and you won't have to come back in a year and ask"what is the next step beyond a 300 for ELR"
don't get hung up on using the savage action, keep in eye open in the classifieds for a elr rig.


but thats my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.

 

[Km22]

I have both a 300 win mag and a .338 LM. If I was in your situation, I'd definitely go with a .338LM. You said yourself that you have unlimited range, so why not maximize your potential... That is unless you go up even farther in the calibers. It's definitely hard on the wallet to shoot, so you better reload

 

[mdmp5]

When you mentioned unlimited distance, ask yourself how far you would reasonably want to shoot. You may be able to shoot 2000+ yds, but is this something you want to to consistently, or is it more of a novelty? The furthest I have ever shot is a mile, and that was with a 338. Mind you, it wasn't exactly very easy to hit the 12" target. I was consistently shooting 1000 yds with both my 300 and 338, and they were pretty close in performance, with the 300 edging out the 338 slightly. But if ELR is your thing, I would have to recommend the 338 over the 300, and 338 may even be on the low end for 2000 yds