300 Win Mag or 300 Ultra

[AKBman]

I currently shoot a Ruger M77 MKII in 300 Win Mag, it is not set up for long range shooting, it wears a Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x36 that I put on it for use in Alaska. I am considering buying a new rifle, and I am trying to decide whether to stick with the 300 Win or maybe move up to the Ultra Mag. I want a rifle capable of harvesting an elk or an Oryx out to 800 meters. This has been brought on by the frustration of a recent hunt for Oryx here in the New Mexico desert.

 

[ZSteinle]

I would say stick with the win mag. The difference in performance between the two is negligible in my opinion but the difference in the amount of powder burnt burnt and felt recoil is substantially higher. If you handload the win mag looks even better. QL states a long throated 300 win mag loaded with a 240SMK (which i know isnt a hunting bullet but just using it because it weighs a ton) with a 26" barrel and 78 gr. of retumbo will have a muzzle velocity of 2780FPS and max pressure of 60,620 psi. 300 ultra with same bullet also with a long throat to keep things fair will push the 240 SMK with again a 26" barrel and 98 grains of H50BMG will have a muzzle velocity of 2821 fps and pressure of 65,396psi. Which dosent seem correct to me at all (unless i am doing something wrong here the 300 win mag seems like the clear winner.) In my opinion i think the 300 ultra is just too much case to be taken advantage of in a hunting weight rifle.

 

[AKBman]

Thank you sir! I will be looking for a decent rangefinder that will reliably range at that distance. I have a Nikon Prostaff 550 and it is iffy at much beyond 350.

 

[Tumbleweed]

If you don't see yourself shooting game past 800-1000 yards the 300 Win will be great. Barrel life is better, you will burn less powder and will have less recoil. Right now, IMO probably the best long range bullet for the 30 cal rifles from 300 Win and up is the Berger 215 Hybrid. You should be able to handload it somewhere at or above 2800 fps. My 27" 300RUM launches the 215's at 3185fps. That brings me to my next point. There is a BIG difference between the 300 Win and the 300 Rum when we are talking about performance. Yes, less barrel life, more powder to burn and you will want a muzzle brake. I wanted a rifle capable of cleanly taking elk to 1200 yards, that's why I switched to the 215 recently. It just depends on what a person is trying to accomplish.

 

[brentc]

I've got the 215's coming out of my 26" 5r 300WM at 2940 fps and the 230s coming out at 2800 fps. Both of these loads are more than adequate for delivering kill shots beyond 1000 yards. If you absolutely must drive them harder you'll need to step up to the RUM.

As others have mentioned, there are considerations for the RUM with powder and barrel consumption over the smaller WM. If you need the added performance and can deal with these considerations, then by all means, get a RUM

 

[Broz]

Another vote for a the tried and true 300 win. I have taken elk on several ocassions past 800 yards with great results.

This season we have taken 11 big game animals in only 12 days. All with the same 300 win. Distances are from 200 yards to 1285 yards.

You might find some interesting reading in this thread I posted.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/cmparing-berger-210-vld-215-hybrid-88657/

I use to shoot the 30-378's and have owned a few RUM's too. I now am back to the 300 win and love it. Not to mention the added barrel life is very nice.

Jeff

 

[AKBman]

I have been shooting a lot of the 208gr AMax bullets as I got a smoking deal on them, but I wouldn't trust them on anything larger than a deer. There are places here that are like the S. E. corner of Oregon, a guy could target shoot 2000 yards if he wanted to. The Ruger has given me some amazing accuracy, just doesn't have the glass, and not sure if the factory rings are up to the 800 yard distance. The RUM will likely be the route I choose, just because I eventually I will want more than 800. This will be a 3 to 4 year quest, in the meantime I will save for some glass that will get me to at least +800.

 

[Broz]

The RUM will likely be the route I choose, just because I eventually I will want more than 800. This will be a 3 to 4 year quest, in the meantime I will save for some glass that will get me to at least +800.

Hmmm, you mean like the rocks I shoot past a mile and the antelope we took this year at 1005 and 1285 yards with my 300 win. ?

To me there is no majic in the RUM, just shorter barrel life. If I want to take game farther than my 300 win will go, I will take a 338.

Jeff

 

[AKBman]

You guys don't want to make this easy do you? Did I mention I have an addictive personality? Hahahaha, I really do appreciate the replies.

 

[Korhil78]

Just stick with the 300 win mag. Put a new/better stock on it, upgrade the trigger and glass and you will have a good 1000+ yd rifle. Broz actually talked me out of a 300 RUM a while back and I am glad that he did. I did some research myself as well and you will be lucky to get 800 rds out of your barrel before having to get a new barrel put on. If you have a hard time finding a load that shoots well in your RUM you will be eating up barrel life trying to find your load. Not so with a 300 win mag.

 

[Sully2]

If I werent intending on using a Win 300 Mag...it would be a Win .338 Mag..!

 

[AKBman]

New stock and glass are a must, I just about have the factory Ruger trigger where I want it. I am a bit of a miser, so sticking with the Win Mag would be easy. Just wish the Ruger had a 26" barrel. This too allows for a lot more bullets, brass, powder, and primers.

 

[Tumbleweed]

If you don't see yourself shooting game past 800-1000 yards the 300 Win will be great. Barrel life is better, you will burn less powder and will have less recoil. Right now, IMO probably the best long range bullet for the 30 cal rifles from 300 Win and up is the Berger 215 Hybrid. You should be able to handload it somewhere at or above 2800 fps. My 27" 300RUM launches the 215's at 3185fps. That brings me to my next point. There is a BIG difference between the 300 Win and the 300 Rum when we are talking about performance. Yes, less barrel life, more powder to burn and you will want a muzzle brake. I wanted a rifle capable of cleanly taking elk to 1200 yards, that's why I switched to the 215 recently. It just depends on what a person is trying to accomplish.

I should bring a little clarification to my post. 800-1000 yards would certainly not be a limit to taking game with 300 Win and high b/c top notch bullets. I was thinking elk when I posted and used the word "game." For deer, antelope and medium game your range would be well over 1000 yards as Jeff has recently proved. For me, hunting elk at sea level I personally want to be looking for around 1400-1500 ft/lbs of energy on the animal. Out of a 300 Win pushing a 215 Hybrid at say 2,850fps that would put forth the energy I am looking for at 950 yards max. Compared to my RUM with the 215 at 3,185fps my max distance with the same criteria is slightly over 1200 yards. I'm a number cruncher sometimes to a fault So, it depends on the size of game, what you feel is enough kinetic energy to get the job done which is determined by bullet selection, velocity and your altitude/atmosphere. As a side note, I have around 1300 rounds through my RUM and it's still shooting very well at distance, not sure how much she has left in her though

 

[Derek M.]

My first 300 WM was a Ruger MK II. It sucked rocks. Got a Browning with the BOSS. It was okay. This was many years ago. It's a great cartridge.

When the 300 RUM came out, I bought one and sent it to Shilen the next day for a rebarrel and have no regrets. I have a muzzle brake on it and recoil is manageable for me with 210 grain bullets and a full case of Retumbo or Re25.

I prefer the RUM. Mine has a 28" barrel and I like the power and how flat it shoots the 180 bullets. I got lucky and bought a LOT of Federal cases when they were available some years ago.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the win mag. I prefer the RUM. It's where I draw the line, i.e., no need for a 30-378 Weatherby.