LONG-WINDED WARNING!
I'm planning a 300 Win Mag project with factory rifle options in mind for myself, and I know it's a little weird to be thinking about components for a rifle I don't even have yet, but given recent trends in availability, the rifle seems the easiest thing to come by and I'd like to be ready to load for it when I do buy it. So I figured I'd start researching components and look for advice/experience here early, and buy things as they become available.
My intended use for this rifle is primarily backpack hunts that I'd consider my premium opportunities or for just larger game (limited entry in-state hunts, or out of state for elk, moose, sheep, etc.). My budget is somewhere around $2000-3000 excluding the scope, and I'm considering these rifles: Seekins Havak, Christensen Ridgeline, Cooper 92 Backcountry, Browning X Bolt Long Range McMillan, or Fierce Fury/Edge (open to other suggestions as well). The front runner for me is the Cooper, but whatever I eventually settle on, I'll be buying within the next year.
I primarily hunt California, so I already load Barnes and Hammer's in my other hunting rifles and plan to use a copper bullet in this rifle as well. Because of this I already have several hundred 168 gr TTSX on hand that I'd prefer to use, or would consider either 166 Hammer Hunters or 175 Lehigh Controlled Chaos. I use Lapua brass for all my other loads and managed to snag a box of Lapua for this project not long ago, and I have some Reloder 17 a friend gave me; but otherwise this will be my first magnum rifle so I'm not really setup to load for it and that's all the supplies I've gathered to date. I can get some Reloder 19 from the same friend, as I know it's a good powder for this cartridge, but I'd also like to give Ramshot Magnum, IMR 4350 and 4831, and H4350 a shot.
I'm partial to Federal Gold Medal primers (I use these in both large and small rifle already) but the 215's are near impossible to find right now and will probably stay that way. I'm curious about the CCI's I've been seeing pop up regularly and would be open to trying them.
Thanks for reading! If anyone has experience with the listed rifles in 300 WM, or loaded with any of the combinations of components I've listed, your input is greatly appreciated!
I'm planning a 300 Win Mag project with factory rifle options in mind for myself, and I know it's a little weird to be thinking about components for a rifle I don't even have yet, but given recent trends in availability, the rifle seems the easiest thing to come by and I'd like to be ready to load for it when I do buy it. So I figured I'd start researching components and look for advice/experience here early, and buy things as they become available.
My intended use for this rifle is primarily backpack hunts that I'd consider my premium opportunities or for just larger game (limited entry in-state hunts, or out of state for elk, moose, sheep, etc.). My budget is somewhere around $2000-3000 excluding the scope, and I'm considering these rifles: Seekins Havak, Christensen Ridgeline, Cooper 92 Backcountry, Browning X Bolt Long Range McMillan, or Fierce Fury/Edge (open to other suggestions as well). The front runner for me is the Cooper, but whatever I eventually settle on, I'll be buying within the next year.
I primarily hunt California, so I already load Barnes and Hammer's in my other hunting rifles and plan to use a copper bullet in this rifle as well. Because of this I already have several hundred 168 gr TTSX on hand that I'd prefer to use, or would consider either 166 Hammer Hunters or 175 Lehigh Controlled Chaos. I use Lapua brass for all my other loads and managed to snag a box of Lapua for this project not long ago, and I have some Reloder 17 a friend gave me; but otherwise this will be my first magnum rifle so I'm not really setup to load for it and that's all the supplies I've gathered to date. I can get some Reloder 19 from the same friend, as I know it's a good powder for this cartridge, but I'd also like to give Ramshot Magnum, IMR 4350 and 4831, and H4350 a shot.
I'm partial to Federal Gold Medal primers (I use these in both large and small rifle already) but the 215's are near impossible to find right now and will probably stay that way. I'm curious about the CCI's I've been seeing pop up regularly and would be open to trying them.
Thanks for reading! If anyone has experience with the listed rifles in 300 WM, or loaded with any of the combinations of components I've listed, your input is greatly appreciated!