Best Ammo for my new GAP Non-typical .300 WSM?

[Sid Post]

GAP hunting rifles work fine with factory ammunition. In terms of reloading, maybe the OP has $$$ and NOT MUCH TIME so they would rather spend the $$ for good factory ammunition and go shooting instead of fiddling around with a reloading press?

[Camshaft]

I'm pretty sure cor bon offers a custom reloading service for a nominal fee.

[mjm0073]

Sid nailed it. I dont have time to reload and I don't get to shoot that much so it makes more sense for me to buy factory ammo. Maybe one day i will reload but not right now. Any thoughts or experience you folks have with factory ammo is appreciated.

[bogger01]

also,the nosler custom ammo with the 180 accubond is nice.and you can try these guys as well

300 WSM : Conley Precision Cartridge, Custom Ammunition

[USMCSSGT]

I just started reloading for my 300WSM, and am trying the berger 168 & 185 VLD hunting bullets for my mule deer hunt. Some have expressed concerns about the VLD's on elk, because they expand fast. For elk or larger, I will be using a bonded type bullet.

Don't use VLD target bullets, because they have thicker jackets and don't expand.

[LongBomber]

If you are going to use factory ammunition you really should buy 5-8 different factory loads to see what gives you the best combo of terminal performance and accuracy. You should run them out to at least the furthest you plan to hunt and ensure the accuracy holds out to those ranges.

Just because you dropped some large $$ on a rifle does not mean it will shoot every load well. A custom rifle will still have load preferences. Factory ammo will work (obviously...) but you will still need to try a few different loads to find the best.

[Sid Post]

Something to consider with the mail order and semi-custom reloading shops, what happens when you need to buy replacement ammunition on the road? It may not be an issue for for those that exclusively hunt locally but, the people who fly and loose ammo know what I'm talking about (How would you like to fly to Africa with a ~$10K double rifle only to shoot some 20 year old well worn bolt action that had ammo in camp after practicing and training for a year on a DR)?You don't mention where you live so, it's hard to know what local shops are around you. If someplace like Cabela's or BassPro are near you, check what they normally stock so you have some idea what sort of short notice replacement ammunition is available locally.


In terms of what specifically to buy, it depends on what you are hunting. In general, I would suggest finding something with good performance on things like deer and another for tough animals like Elk, Bear, etc.

A final thought, you might want to call GAP and see what they recommend.