Wich .300 magnum?

[huntokanogan]

I have been hunting with a Rem. 700 mountain rifle in a .270 win for years and am very happy with it. I hunt mule deer mostly and 300 yard shot are not uncommon. I actualy took a deer (believe it or not at 512 yards) with it a few years back. Though I am not really a proponent of long range hunting and think thats too far for most people to shoot. Long range hunting, unless people are good enough to shoot that far leads to a lot of game being injured in my opinion.
I am looking to step up to a 300 magnum. I am considering a 300WSM, 300 Win. mag, or maybe even a 300 RUM. Whats the pro's and con's of each round? I don't plan on shooting much over 300-400 yards and want a gun that is light enough with a short enough barrel to shoot free hand comfortably. I have a buddy with a 300 RUM in a Sendero and its a nice gun but just too big of a rifle for what I use it for. Also I don't really want to spend a thousand dollars on a gun.
What are your opinions on the rilfe/cartridge combination that I should go with? Any input would be greatly appreciated! thanks!
What do people think about that FN patrol rifle in a 300WSM with a 24" barrel? At 9lbs. it sounds a little heavy.

 

[nwolf]

I'm not sure why you would want to move up from a 270 if thats all the farther you are planing to shoot. As far as killing power, you wont be gaining anything. Dead is dead. But since you asked, you cant go wrong with a Howa in 300 win mag. Good price, nice trigger, and not a bad stock if you get the one with the bedding block. As for the weight, you dont want a light magnum. I watch big ole boys shoot four or five rounds out of their light magnums then sit back rubbing their shoulders. They always ask how I can sit there and burn through 100 rounds in mine without flinching. Easy, my rifle weighs 16 lbs. If you get beat to death by a light rifle while sighting it in you WILL be thinking about it every time you pull the trigger. THAT leads to injured animals. Those of us who hunt at long range carry heavy rifles that are easy to shoot accuratelly. Get a magnum if you want, but if it starts to hurt after 10 or less shots, take the butt pad off and fill it with lead shot. You wont mind the extra weight.

 

[Jumpalot]

If the furthest you will shoot is 400 yds. and the largest animal is Mule deer, then you already have the perfect rifle. No need whatsoever to step up to a 300 magnum. A 270 shooting a 140gr. Accubond will work just fine.
I shot a 270 for years and thought I needed more power so I went and bought a 300 WM. Not sure I ever noticed a difference in killing power. I did notice the difference in recoil and expense to shoot the 300 though. Mule deer aren't that hard to kill so no need for the extra power.

 

[huntokanogan]

Appreciate the responses, though neither addressed any question I asked. I know there's no reason to move up from my .270 (which shoots best with 130 grn.) I've killed many deer, an elk and two bears with it. I'm always going to keep my beloved .270 and continue killing with it but here you go guys: The reason I'm making to move is simple....I want to! It's just time for a new gun to play with. thanks.
I dang sure don't want a 16 lb. rifle for hunting with, try making a free hand shot with that!

If anybody has any info on the rounds I asked about, make a post.

 

[angus-5024]

I do agree with the other fellas on here when they say that there is no NEED to move up, but theres no reason not to have a .30 cal too.
For your parmeters the 300 WSM would be my choice. you can use a shorter barrel and it is widely available in factory rifles and ammo. for your budget I would go with a Tikka T3 lite or the winchester M70 Extreme Weather. You get a much better stock on the M70, but no detachable mag. If it was me I would get the M70.

 

[436]

I'm pretty much in line with everyone else here... but if I was going to work on a lighter 24" rifle in .30 mag... I think I'd really go to the Remington .300 RSAUM which is nothing more than a fat 308 Win, capable of shooting in the same S/A actions. It's just a few "pfs" off the .300 WM in most bullet weights up to about 190gr's, in 24" inch barrels. And it's a cartridge I have some experience with shooing it in 1k matches over the years... As a hunting round in a shorter light weight rifle; it's a sleeper and much misunderstood.
Here I've added a thread for some back ground on the cartridge Tactical-Life.com » Remington's 700P LTR .300 RSAUM
436

 

[JARHEAD1371]

Though I am not really a proponent of long range hunting and think thats too far for most people to shoot. Long range hunting, unless people are good enough to shoot that far leads to a lot of game being injured in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

It all comes down to personal responsibility. If someone can't shoot 600 yds at a target then they have no business shooting at game at that distance. It's the same with all other forms of hunting. Just stay within your limits.

Also I don't really want to spend a thousand dollars on a gun.[/QUOTE]

As with everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

At 9lbs. it sounds a little heavy.[/QUOTE]

My custom 7SAUM weighs 15 lbs and I carry it anywhere I need to go. It's all what you are used to, the Eb-stock pack helps as well. Standing shots are very doable, if that's what you are into.

 

[soundwaves]

l would go with the 300 win mag. the reason is that it has penty of power. dont need the 300RUM. the down side with the RUM is the recoil, you need to hold the gun tighter than usual and that can throw off accuracy, and make you uncomfortable with taking shots.And the the 300WSM is a verry handsome round

 

[HARPERC]

If I was going to buy a new .300-I'd look seriously at the model 70 Extreme Weather SS. If side by side your choice is barrel length. The short magnum is in the 24" barrel and lists as 4 ounces lighter. If you want to squeeze a few more FPS the .300 Winchester Magnum
comes with a 26" barrel. How many more FPS will vary.
If you need more compelling arguments as to why you don't need a new rifle I can get you my ex-wifes phone number. (joke)

 

[Jumpalot]

Well if you're going to "step up" to a 300 magnum then go big or go home. Get the RUM!!

 

[matt_3479]

I found a nice browning last year chamber in a 300. WSM. It is light, short 23" barrel, same power and velocities as the win mag, short bolt throw, and accurate!!!!!. I was impressed with this round. I would like to own a 300. Win nag or RUM but after this little guy I see no point. For what you want, the 300. WSM all the way

 

[Buano]

I'll try to focus on some of your questions:

The RUM cartridge is great if you are planning on 800+ yard shots & don't mind a heavy rifle with a brake. With your parameters I would scratch it from the list. The weight, cost, & muzzle blast are totally unjustified at these ranges.

The .300 wsm & .300 Win mag are ballistic clones, so close together you can ignore the differences. Either of these is a step up from where you are now. The .300 Weatherby (that you didn't list) slightly outperforms both the wsm & win mag. All three of these can be fired from medium weight rifles without planning for a trip to the chiropractor & dentist. Ammunition is cheaper for the wsm & win mag than for the Weatherby. After looking at each I ended up with a used stainless Win model 70 in .300 Weatherby, mostly because I got a GREAT deal on it & the .300 Weatherby was a meaningful step up from my 7mm Rem mag. (For a big-game rifle I generally ignore the cost of ammunition as there isn't a lot of it fired after load development & you know the drop-chart.)

For rifles in your price range I would look at nothing but Savage. They have the best expected out-of-the-box accuracy of any moderately priced firearm, have great triggers & a good stock, & they are no longer the world's ugliest rifles. A stainless Savage Model 16 FCSS in .300 WSM weighs in at 7.17 pounds and has a list price of $834. Blued Savages are about $150 cheaper.

I like the Tikka T3 rifles in non-magnum calibers but they are too light for shooting a magnum well. I see people adding weight to the stocks of Tikkas to make them more "shootable" — even in .308. It makes more sense to opt for a gun that weighs a little more to start with & has the weight where it matters than to buy an ultralight & add lead.

Plan on using a LeadSled for bench work. The added 100 pounds of lead lets you practice away without getting beat up & developing a flinch.

Hope this helped.

 

[FreeTrapper]

Personally, I would look at a standard weight and type of hunting rifle for my .308 caliber magnum for any long range hunting. There is no reason to carry a rifle that weighs over 8.5-9 pounds for open country deer hunting. I would lean towards the 1963 vintage 300 Winchester Magnum in Remington M-700, equipped with a 4-12 Leupold or Nikon and leupold one piece base and thier rings.

If accuracy is paramount, (and we all know that it is) I would glass bed the action and adjust or re-trigger the pull weight to 2 pounds, no creep.

For mule deer, I would develope my hunting load around the 165 grain bullet. If all goes well with the finished products, you should be shooting .5 moa @ 100 yards. Sight-in +3" @ 100 yards and get to it!

I recommended this caliber because you mentioned cost as a factor and there are many good used rifles in this caliber available. With the super magnums, one might think that this old 30 cal. workhorse is retired but I assure you that it performs with the best of them under reasonable 30 cal. magnum expectations and recoil is friendly!

If you have been handloading for any length of time, you know that working pressures in any good rifle/cartridge combo can be increased with absolute safety by carefully working up a load. The 165 grain bullet can be a long range deer hunters dream in this caliber!

The other 30 cal. magnum that I have considerable experience with is the Weatherby and if I went back to such a rifle these days, it would be in 300 Win. Mag. Just my opinion, but look into the advantages that this caliber has to offer and you'ld be hard-pressed to ignore it.

 

[Biggs300]

For years, I've owned a 25-06 which has been my go-to deer rifle. Recently I bought a Browning .300 win mag Stainless Stalker and couldn't be more happy with the accuracy, balance and weight of the gun (under 8 lbs. w/scope). The barrel isn't fully broken-in yet and with cheap rounds (180 grain Rem. Core-lokt's), I'm getting groups of just over 1 inch at 100 yards. I will be doing some fine-tuning with Federal 180 grain Nosler PT Partitions and Accubonds to find which one of the two is more accurate. I will be using one of these rounds on a backpack elk hunt in Co planned for later this year.

I thought about getting a .300 Rum but, an old elk hunting guide I know told me that if I was going to subject myself to the recoil punishment of a Rum, I might as well buy a .338 win mag. The .338 win mag is his personal favorite for large game, including bear.