300 wm vs 300 rum vs 338 wm

[ShadS]

Hi everyone,

Looking at getting a new rifle to have a bit of fun with. I've looked over many calibers and have decided it is out of these three. I'm continuously choosing one then looking back and choosing another; I cant make a clear decision!. I've heard a lot of good about the 300 wm, however my only problem is that I already have a 7mm08 and i think its just not quite worth having two guns that are that similar. The 300 rum is very nice too, probably on the edge of too much recoil but its got incredible ballistics and projectile selection! Also all these calibers will cost me about the same to reload; "I reload". The 338 wm is nice and that .338 bullet will destroy nicely, however the 300 rum has 400 more ftpds for the same recoil and it pushes an identical weight bullet faster. Rum problem - Barrel life. The main sell point for the 300 rum is that sexy big-*** case, ballistics and in future could be necked up to .338 edge... Also drops 10 inches less than the 338 at 500 yards I think....

Pros, cons and information to help sway me are all greatly appreciated!
Cheers.

 

[WildRose]

Hi everyone,

Looking at getting a new rifle to have a bit of fun with. I've looked over many calibers and have decided it is out of these three. I'm continuously choosing one then looking back and choosing another; I cant make a clear decision!. I've heard a lot of good about the 300 wm, however my only problem is that I already have a 7mm08 and i think its just not quite worth having two guns that are that similar. The 300 rum is very nice too, probably on the edge of too much recoil but its got incredible ballistics and projectile selection! Also all these calibers will cost me about the same to reload; "I reload". The 338 wm is nice and that .338 bullet will destroy nicely, however the 300 rum has 400 more ftpds for the same recoil and it pushes an identical weight bullet faster. Rum problem - Barrel life. The main sell point for the 300 rum is that sexy big-*** case, ballistics and in future could be necked up to .338 edge... Also drops 10 inches less than the 338 at 500 yards I think....

Pros, cons and information to help sway me are all greatly appreciated!
Cheers.

The 300wm and 7mm-08 are light years apart ballistically.

Before determining what caliber will fit your needs best we first need to determine your intended use for the rifle.

 

[ShadS]

Mainly pigs and roos, however possibly buff and large game alike at some point.

 

[WildRose]

Mainly pigs and roos, however possibly buff and large game alike at some point.

I'd say you are asking a whole lot here.

Probably want to stick to the 7mm-08 for the small stuff and just look at the 300 Rum and 338wm for the big game and choose between them.

I have both and with heavy bullets the Rum can be a real bruiser especially if you look at bullets like the Swift A Frame, Nosler Partition or hornady's dangerous game bullets.

If recoil is a consideration then stick with either the 300wm or 338wm.

You might be well advised to talk to some experienced buffalo hunters or outfitters in Australia to see what they recommend.

I know in most of Africa they'd laugh you off at the idea of shooting anything smaller than the 375 H&H at their buffalo but as I understand it the water buffalo you'd be hunting are not nearly as difficult to bring down.

I suspect that either of the 30 cals you mention would be adequate but as always the guys with real experience doing what you are talking about doing are going to be the best source of info.

 

[ShadS]

So you have a rum and a 338? From what internet sources i've found they've said recoil is very similar for them but if you shoot both what are your thoughts? Also whats barrel life like on the rum before it starts shooting inconsistently? And is there much difference in cost of buying ammo for you and is one more difficult to find ammo for? Finally do you have more personal opinions on which you enjoy and find more fun to shoot and which is your favorite for what reasons?

Thanks

 

[WildRose]

So you have a rum and a 338? From what internet sources i've found they've said recoil is very similar for them but if you shoot both what are your thoughts? Also whats barrel life like on the rum before it starts shooting inconsistently? And is there much difference in cost of buying ammo for you and is one more difficult to find ammo for? Finally do you have more personal opinions on which you enjoy and find more fun to shoot and which is your favorite for what reasons?

Thanks

I have both and shoot both. The 338wm has much better barrel life than the 300 rum. Recoil wise the Rum is a bit stouter shooting the heavier loads but I have brakes on both and don't find them to be unpleasant to shoot. For that matter my 375 Ruger is fun to shoot with the muzzle brake I installed on it.

Energy wise the Rum shooting heavy bullets is going to beat the 338 wm by a good bit and is flatter shooting but both are excellent big game calibers.

On barrel life the Rum can last a log time, easily exceeding 600 rounds as long as you don't shoot it hot and then keep shooting.

For someone who isn't planning on shooting a lot it will last a lifetime. Most hunters will never burn a barrel out because they just don't shoot enough.

 

[ShadS]

Ok, if i were to get either of these rifles I would use a brake too. What would you compare the recoil to of both these guns? Whats the recoil like prone using these guns?

Thanks!

 

[WildRose]

Ok, if i were to get either of these rifles I would use a brake too. What would you compare the recoil to of both these guns? Whats the recoil like prone using these guns?

Thanks!

It's going to vary a great deal depending on the load, the type of brake and the weight of the rifle.

With a good brake though any load you can come up with should produce less felt recoil than shooting a 30-06 with the same weight bullet and no muzzle brake.

There are some long rage groups in Oz so your best bet would be to contact some of them and see if you can attend a shoot and get some guys to let you give their rigs a ride.

 

[375fan]

Based on what your going to use rifles for, of the 3 you mention I recommend you go with the 300wm. I have 3 300wm and 2 300rum in varying configurations. With a good brake on a 300wm recoil won't be bad at all. You can shoot long distance , out to 1000+ with the 300wm no problem. I like my 300rum with 28in barrel but it is a dedicated long range rifle , have a 300rum ( factory Winchester)with light weight 26in barrel, whatever it can do my one 300wm with 25in #4 barrel can do just as well.
Cost and availability of components make 300wm cheaper to shoot too.
As someone who has been to Africa twice and I have killed 3 cape buff, let me say you will need a 375 caliber at the least for buff, (40 cal up is little better choice in case things get hairy) 375 is legal minimum in Africa for buff.i

 

[WildRose]

Based on what your going to use rifles for, of the 3 you mention I recommend you go with the 300wm. I have 3 300wm and 2 300rum in varying configurations. With a good brake on a 300wm recoil won't be bad at all. You can shoot long distance , out to 1000+ with the 300wm no problem. I like my 300rum with 28in barrel but it is a dedicated long range rifle , have a 300rum ( factory Winchester)with light weight 26in barrel, whatever it can do my one 300wm with 25in #4 barrel can do just as well.
Cost and availability of components make 300wm cheaper to shoot too.
As someone who has been to Africa twice and I have killed 3 cape buff, let me say you will need a 375 caliber at the least for buff, (40 cal up is little better choice in case things get hairy) 375 is legal minimum in Africa for buff.i

Completely different type of Buffalo. Not nearly as hard to kill nor nearly as likely to try and kill you if you fail on the first shot. Water Buffalo are positively passive in comparison to the Cape Buff.

 

[375fan]

Completely different type of Buffalo. Not nearly as hard to kill nor nearly as likely to try and kill you if you fail on the first shot. Water Buffalo are positively passive in comparison to the Cape Buff.

I have to admit I have no experience with water buffalo. If they are as you describe then a 300wm with good 200-220 gr bullet should work I would think, but I'd still like to have a 375

 

[geo4061]

I got my first large caliber rifle a few days ago. It's a 300 RUM pushing 230 grain Berger at 3000. It has a Defensive Edge brake. This rifle is an absolute joy to shoot! It has alot less kick than my 30-06 or 270 without a brake. I love this rifle and caliber. The only issue I have is finding brass, primers, and powder. Thumbs up for the 300 RUM!

 

[Wedgy]

My girlfriend likes shooting my Sendero braked 300 RUM with 210's more than her 30-06....and she's a girlie girl. Before I added the brake I didn't really like shooting it and I'm not a girlie guy. The 230's without a brake ?? Not for me.

 

[ShadS]

Thanks for all that info guys! How heavy is your 300 rum geo? I am going to be shooting this gun prone and sitting all the time so i don't want the recoil to be that bad it will make me flinch and be innacurate... Definitely putting a brake on whichever rifle I get. My only concern with the 300rum is that recoil? My rifle should be around 11 pounds, being reasonably heavy and with a good brake it should be less than a .308?