300 wsm ablitys
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angus-5024
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I dont know first hand because I dont have a .300 WSM, but the questions has come up before and I think that that caliber is a good 700-800 yard elk rifle and to 1000 yards on deer. Im sure somebody will give you more definate answer.
JM
JM
Tyler Kemp
Well-Known Member
It would need to be a pretty picture perfect shot. A bigger rifle would probably do the job better.
liltank
Well-Known Member
If you load with a 200+grn bullet with a muzzle velocity no lower than 2900, you could put down a deer at 1000 and with a good VLD style(Berger, JLK) you could extend that range another 200yrds. Even with the 210's, 850-900 is the limit on elk. I have one and that is what the ballistics are showing.
Tank
Tank
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
The 300 wsm is an excellent and accurate rifle but not a 1000 yard elk rifle. You could kill one with it at that range with the perfect shot but get a better choice for that one. Deer/antelope yes. I have one for an all around rifle that weighs 7 pounds scoped out and ready to hunt. I consider it a 600 yard rifle on anything in Wyoming. I shoot the 150 etips at 3400 fps with H-414 powder and the 200 AB's at 2900 fps with magpro. Either will kill anything here out to 600 yards very effectively with a well placed shot.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
There are a lot of possible variables that affect the answer to this question.
What rifle and how long is the barrel?
What bullet, what is it's expanding velocity and what is tit's BC?
What is the load performance?
What elevations?
At 7000' with the right load and bullet, out of a 26" barrel, it could be a 1000 yd plus elk killer, but that might be stretching it. I would say realitiically it could be an 800-900 yd der and elk killer above 3000' elevation with a good bullet and load.
IMO, when you make a long shot on game you should know what velcity the bullet will be impaciting at and at what momentum. You should be reasonably assured that the bullet will perform (expand) and penetrate.
So basically it's a math problem. Crunch the numbers and see what they say.
I can probably get close to 3000 fps using RL17 and a 200 gr AB out of my 24 3/8" barrel 300 WSM. At 5000' of elevation that bullet, at that velocity will get to 950 yds with 1800 fps and 51 lbft of momentum. The minimum opening velocity for a 200 AB is advertised at 1800 FPS. And I personally consider 40 lbft of momentum the minimum I would try to make a well placed shot through the boiler room of an elk for full penetration. So for me, since 1800 fps is the bullet's limit, that is the limit I would choose to shoot ANY big game animal, deer or elk. The Bergers have the same expanding velocity as the AB's. They have a somewhat better BC and could stretch that limit a little, but not 200 yds, based on their advertised expansion velocity.
Bottomline, you can figure this out yourself, just do the math. And of course, this assumes that rifle and shooter are capable of the required accuracy.
Good shooting,
-MR
What rifle and how long is the barrel?
What bullet, what is it's expanding velocity and what is tit's BC?
What is the load performance?
What elevations?
At 7000' with the right load and bullet, out of a 26" barrel, it could be a 1000 yd plus elk killer, but that might be stretching it. I would say realitiically it could be an 800-900 yd der and elk killer above 3000' elevation with a good bullet and load.
IMO, when you make a long shot on game you should know what velcity the bullet will be impaciting at and at what momentum. You should be reasonably assured that the bullet will perform (expand) and penetrate.
So basically it's a math problem. Crunch the numbers and see what they say.
I can probably get close to 3000 fps using RL17 and a 200 gr AB out of my 24 3/8" barrel 300 WSM. At 5000' of elevation that bullet, at that velocity will get to 950 yds with 1800 fps and 51 lbft of momentum. The minimum opening velocity for a 200 AB is advertised at 1800 FPS. And I personally consider 40 lbft of momentum the minimum I would try to make a well placed shot through the boiler room of an elk for full penetration. So for me, since 1800 fps is the bullet's limit, that is the limit I would choose to shoot ANY big game animal, deer or elk. The Bergers have the same expanding velocity as the AB's. They have a somewhat better BC and could stretch that limit a little, but not 200 yds, based on their advertised expansion velocity.
Bottomline, you can figure this out yourself, just do the math. And of course, this assumes that rifle and shooter are capable of the required accuracy.
Good shooting,
-MR
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flyin lizard
Well-Known Member
Hey su37 I am looking to work up a 190 gr load for my 300wsm using R 17, I see you use 64 grs. Is that a max load? Could you give me the starting load number?
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
"My" max's for RL17 were 67.5/180 E-Tip/3193 and 65.5/210 Berger/2935
-MR
-MR
flyin lizard
Well-Known Member
Ok,, thanks guys , just looking for a safe place to start from, then watch the signs in "my" gun..
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
I started at 65 with the 180's and 59 with the 210's. I wouldn't recommend 65 gr as a starting load for 180's with other rifles. I had a good idea how my rifle perfromed with H4350 which usually takes about a 1 gr less chareg than RL17 in a 300 WSM. Alliant's max for a 180 Speer BTSP is 66 gr of RL17 and they dont list a heavier bullet. Different bullets of same cal and weight can and will produce different preasures with same charges.
Rule of thumb is to start at least 5% less than epxected max. Wiitn no data available be coservative.
Rule of thumb is to start at least 5% less than epxected max. Wiitn no data available be coservative.
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Michael Eichele
Well-Known Member
With the 208/210 at the right velocity (2900), at the altitudes elk are found even in the late season when temps are a bit cold, it is a legitimate 1K elk rifle. Period. Over 1900 FPS impact velocity and nearly 1700 foot pounds of energy...... Are you kidding me???? Take the shot.
300WSMMAD
Well-Known Member
I have to agree with LongtimeRanger on this.
It would have to be an very very well placed shot @ 1000 yrds with it.
It will put a hole in it, yes, but I would rather put a bigger hole in it and hit
the animal with a truck load more energy just in case the shot aint as perfect as you would have liked.
This is why on a recent hunting trip I opted for my 300 WSM over my 708, pleased I did, in blustry 20MPH + conditions I got a yearling red hind at 430 yrds, it nicked the front shoulder and put her down, the 708 would not have done that, I guess it would have got a way with a nasty flesh wound and died much later, BUT the 708 still has enough energy at that range to kill, WITH A WELL PLACED SHOT!! but in my experience "the perfect shot" is a rare event.
Just my 2c
300WSMMAD
