.300 norma thoughts

[countryboy1984]

Hello to all. Up late thinking on what to do. I've talk to a gun smith today from this website. Very friendly fellar. Gonna keep names hush hush for now on the smiths name or name of his company. I messaged this gentleman yesterday after a referral to him. I messaged him about a build in the 7mm dakota. But after we talked to day he has really got me thinking on the .300 norma magnum. I really don't hunt long range here in west Tennessee but I've got shots out to 700yds with no problem. Will I take that shot? No I wont, I will not go past 500yds.. my question is l, how good will this .300 norma do from 75yds to the mention range shooting the NAB or the swift sciroccoo 2? I also looked at the 7mm-.300 win as well as the dakota the .270wtby. I am going a black bear hunt next fall in Canada, and Africa soon I hope. so whitetail's and black bear is my main thing really with fingers crossing on an African trip. If not a trip to Africa it will definitely be a caribou hunt. So any 2 cents are welcomed and a little name calling toward me can be stood for as well Lol.. I have always been a big fan of a .270 wtby and 7mm dakota.

 

[WildRose]

Hello to all. Up late thinking on what to do. I've talk to a gun smith today from this website. Very friendly fellar. Gonna keep names hush hush for now on the smiths name or name of his company. I messaged this gentleman yesterday after a referral to him. I messaged him about a build in the 7mm dakota. But after we talked to day he has really got me thinking on the .300 norma magnum. I really don't hunt long range here in west Tennessee but I've got shots out to 700yds with no problem. Will I take that shot? No I wont, I will not go past 500yds.. my question is l, how good will this .300 norma do from 75yds to the mention range shooting the NAB or the swift sciroccoo 2? I also looked at the 7mm-.300 win as well as the dakota the .270wtby. I am going a black bear hunt next fall in Canada, and Africa soon I hope. so whitetail's and black bear is my main thing really with fingers crossing on an African trip. If not a trip to Africa it will definitely be a caribou hunt. So any 2 cents are welcomed and a little name calling toward me can be stood for as well Lol.. I have always been a big fan of a .270 wtby and 7mm dakota.

It's a great caliber but it's overkill for your application. If it were me and I wanted to go with a 30 cal I'd go with the 300wm.

For your African trip you want to have a long talk with your outfitter well ahead of time about what you'll be hunting and what calibers are allowed. For many of the popular species the .375 H&H is the minimum legal caliber allowed.

 

[BergerBoy]

It's a great caliber but it's overkill for your application. If it were me and I wanted to go with a 30 cal I'd go with the 300wm.

For your African trip you want to have a long talk with your outfitter well ahead of time about what you'll be hunting and what calibers are allowed. For many of the popular species the .375 H&H is the minimum legal caliber allowed.

300 wm will be cheaper with ~ similar results. The 300 Norma Mag is "The Man" when it comes to 30 cals. IMO

Good luck

 

[countryboy1984]

Hello thank yall for yalls replys. I was afraid the .300 norma was a like over kill. I have talked to 2 of the outfitters I've got narrowed down to. Both had stated the .270wtby would be good with a swift or barnes bullets. They also agreed the 7mm's would be good with mention bullets. Also a .300 wsm up would work with a premium bullet. They did state if I was gonna go after an eland they would prefer a .30cal. one outfitter/guide told me he would rather see his customer bring a big enuff gun they can shoot well without flinching. He stated as well he has had lots of youngsters and women come with there outfit shooting a few .260 rem, and allot of .270 win and .308win..

 

[MudRunner2005]

If all you want is for 500 yards, possibly 700 yards, the 7mm RemMag will do everything and more, that you're asking of it. A lot of people aren't familiar with how far cartridges can affectively shoot because they might have been surrounded by over-gunned people who's views might have taught them that you need a .300 RUM to shoot 1000 yards, when in reality, even the significantly smaller (compared to a RUM caliber) 7mm RemMag will effectively shoot to 1000 yards with no problem. The .300WM is another great caliber.

Honestly the 7mm RemMag will be more than enough to 500 and be virtually flat shooting out to 300 yards, with a 25 yard zero. Sounds stupid to have a 25 yard zero, but an engineering buddy of mine did some thinking one day and tried it, and it worked with his 243. I crunched the numbers with my 7mm RemMag, and with a 25 yard zero, I am shooting 3.8" high at 150 (which is still easily within the vitals of anything coyote-sized or larger), and it only drops 0.3" at 300 yards. That's about at flat as you can get. At your max yardage of 500, it only drops 23.2"....Which is only 4.4 MOA, or 1.3 Mils.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

It's a great caliber but it's overkill for your application. If it were me and I wanted to go with a 30 cal I'd go with the 300wm.

.....

I concur with WildRose, if you intend to hit Africa with a MER of 500yds the 300WM has got to be the top choice.



t

 

[gillettehunter]

The first question is what is the biggest animal you are going to hunt with this rifle? If your looking at the big 5 in Africa then you need a .375 for them. Legal minimum. If eland is the top then a .30 cal is a great option. With 5-700 yds your max the .300 WM is a frontrunner. I would not be afraid to thump a eland with a .28 caliber IF I had a good broadside or quartering away shot and I was using a premium bonded bullet of some sort. A step down from the Eland are other tough animals like Wilderbeast and Zebra. Probably a .28 caliber is the minimum I'd suggest. I've been to Africa 2 times and just booked for this year. 1st trip I used a .300 WSM. Worked fine. 2nd I used a 7mm mag and had no troubles. This year I'll likely a 7 SAUM. I'm taking a newbie to Africa this year. She has a eland on her list and is probably going to use a .308.
Bullets are the other important part of this equation. A long range bullet is probably not the best choice for the Limpopo in northern RSA where a long shot is 150 yds. The animals are often going to be in the brush. Completely clear shots are less common. Most African PH's prefer a bullet that goes through the animal. Blood coming out both sides makes for a easier tracking job. If you go to the east cape of RSA then you may have the chance of some longer shots.
There are plenty of "right" answer's to your question. Some will work better for each application. A reasonably fast .28 caliber to a .300 WM sounds about ideal. Instead of a rehash on bullets I'll suggest that there have been a couple of discussions about them for African animals on Africa hunting.com. They also have diagrams of the vitals on african animals. They tend to sit further forward so your PH is likely to ask you to shoot your animals in the shoulder. Best of luck. Bruce

 

[countryboy1984]

I've wanting a new caliber in my collection. I've got a 7mag I've got a .300 win mag. As far as the biggest animal as to what I will hunt in africa is a kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck, and sable. I k ow the minimum requirements for the dangerous game in africa, I'm not meaning that to come off in a smart butt attitude. I've really looked hard at the .270wtby and 7mm dakota. I'm retiring my 7 mm rem I've got now to give to my son as it was a hand me down from my late grandfather when he left this world. I agree the 7mm rem is a wonderful cartridge without a doubt and I'll agree with what some of you will say, why change something if it already works. my reasoning is I just want something different and custom in my gun cabinet. I've got a few orginal civil war muskets, one belong to my 3rd great uncle. A 1897 marlin .38-55. Along with a few more nice ones. but 95% of my hunting will be whitetail unless I visit a friend for some of his feral hog clearing.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I've wanting a new caliber in my collection. I've got a 7mag I've got a .300 win mag. As far as the biggest animal as to what I will hunt in africa is a kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck, and sable. I k ow the minimum requirements for the dangerous game in africa, I'm not meaning that to come off in a smart butt attitude. I've really looked hard at the .270wtby and 7mm dakota. I'm retiring my 7 mm rem I've got now to give to my son as it was a hand me down from my late grandfather when he left this world. I agree the 7mm rem is a wonderful cartridge without a doubt and I'll agree with what some of you will say, why change something if it already works. my reasoning is I just want something different and custom in my gun cabinet. I've got a few orginal civil war muskets, one belong to my 3rd great uncle. A 1897 marlin .38-55. Along with a few more nice ones. but 95% of my hunting will be whitetail unless I visit a friend for some of his feral hog clearing.

Sounds like a .260 AI would suit your needs just fine, if 500-700 yard whitetails and hogs are your main targets, and you want something unique but highly effective.

If you just want a large magnum caliber, then the 7mm STW or .300 Ackley would be 2 unique ones to have in your collection.

 

[WildRose]

I've wanting a new caliber in my collection. I've got a 7mag I've got a .300 win mag. As far as the biggest animal as to what I will hunt in africa is a kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck, and sable. I k ow the minimum requirements for the dangerous game in africa, I'm not meaning that to come off in a smart butt attitude. I've really looked hard at the .270wtby and 7mm dakota. I'm retiring my 7 mm rem I've got now to give to my son as it was a hand me down from my late grandfather when he left this world. I agree the 7mm rem is a wonderful cartridge without a doubt and I'll agree with what some of you will say, why change something if it already works. my reasoning is I just want something different and custom in my gun cabinet. I've got a few orginal civil war muskets, one belong to my 3rd great uncle. A 1897 marlin .38-55. Along with a few more nice ones. but 95% of my hunting will be whitetail unless I visit a friend for some of his feral hog clearing.

That helps.

I'd say visit our 7mm STW forum here at LRH and give it a good read.

I've got an African hunt coming up this year as well and I'll be carrying my Win M70 Sharpshootr in 7mm STW along with a M77 375 Ruger. That combination will keep me legal for dangerous game and well equipped to stretch it out on plains game.

If Buffalo were not on the menu I'd probably just take the Sharpshooter and one of my Classic Stainless M70 300wm's or the same in 300 Rum which I have one of.

If you just want something to be different and that's a blast to shoot along with being more than enough gun for anything in N. America and most of Africa the 7mm STW is a great choice.

 

[jsthntn247]

A 458 Lott with Manners eh stock and #2 contour. Would be a light weight all around carry rifle.

 

[just browsing]

If all you want is for 500 yards, possibly 700 yards, the 7mm RemMag will do everything and more, that you're asking of it. A lot of people aren't familiar with how far cartridges can affectively shoot because they might have been surrounded by over-gunned people who's views might have taught them that you need a .300 RUM to shoot 1000 yards, when in reality, even the significantly smaller (compared to a RUM caliber) 7mm RemMag will effectively shoot to 1000 yards with no problem. The .300WM is another great caliber.

Honestly the 7mm RemMag will be more than enough to 500 and be virtually flat shooting out to 300 yards, with a 25 yard zero. Sounds stupid to have a 25 yard zero, but an engineering buddy of mine did some thinking one day and tried it, and it worked with his 243. I crunched the numbers with my 7mm RemMag, and with a 25 yard zero, I am shooting 3.8" high at 150 (which is still easily within the vitals of anything coyote-sized or larger), and it only drops 0.3" at 300 yards. That's about at flat as you can get. At your max yardage of 500, it only drops 23.2"....Which is only 4.4 MOA, or 1.3 Mils.

The difference in drop between a 7mag and .300 win mag at 300 yards is going to be negligible at best.

 

[jonthomps]

As others have stated, the 300NM is overkill - and pretty expensive to shoot - for those ranges. However, a 300WM would be an awesome choice!

 

[MudRunner2005]

The difference in drop between a 7mag and .300 win mag at 300 yards is going to be negligible at best.

I know. I've expressed that sentiment on here numerous times, but the butthurt supporters keep preaching the WM is somehow magically better. You know, because of that old cop-out "Well if it wasn't the best, the military wouldn't use it..." Which is complete BS, because we've all seen those old crappy piece-patched together M4's they make them use, along with those horrendous Beretta M92 sidearms that jam worse than a Remington 742 submerged in a mud puddle... Basically I don't like that phrase when it comes to basic duty weapons, because every department and every branch of the armed forces buys their main-issue duty weapons from the cheapest supplier, NOT according to who makes the best product. They give them set standards, and who is cheapest wins the contract. The only people who get to pick their weapon from the best of the best is SF, Seals, SO, etc...

On paper the 2 are so close ballistically, it makes the ****ing contests that happen on here completely null and void. I prefer the 7mm caliber, but I still own a bunch of .30's as well, including a .300WM.