300 WSM ??? 338 Win Mag??? also what about the 308?

[DANTEC]

338 WIn is very fine caliber for hunting with plenty of good bullet and a lot of power but even with good bullet that not a long range caliber

Ruger with all weather stock is not really confortable to shoot

300 WSM is more a fashion caliber with no real advantage on 300 WIN MAG for hunting except more costly case

338 WIN can be more flexible with bullet from 200 to 275 gr

good shooting

DAN TEC

 

[J Schulze]

WSM brass is cheaper than 300 win mag. easier to make

 

[David P. Herne]

Once you get to barrel lengths of > 26" and to loads incorporating the Scandanavian-made propellants, the .300 WSM is very close to being as powerful as the .300 WM. It's also a significantly more efficient cartridge than the .300 WM and based on numerous studies, it's inherently more accurate! So if its 'fashionable' its because it friggin' works!!!

Regards,
D.H.

 

[BountyHunter]

The WSM is very accurate, but no more so than a 300 Win Mag in equal set up. More 1000 yard matches have been won with 300 win than almost any other cartridge.

The big advantage the WSM has is that it is a short action cartridge, versus long action for the 300 Win with virtually idential ballistics and no belt on the case. That makes it very fashionable and practical for hunting guns.

Just working and testing a few loads today with a Coyote in 300 WSM and most were under .5 at 100 with 190 berger and H4350.

The WSM will really top out at 210-220 gr bullets with most rifles and in my opinion is best at 190 and under, but every one has an opinion.

The advantage the 338 has it can go up to the 250 gr rather easily.

Different calibers and different roles.

BH

 

[Brent]

BH,
The WSM is very accurate, but no more so than a 300 Win Mag in equal set up. More 1000 yard matches have been won with 300 win than almost any other cartridge.

Do you really think it's been around long enough to say which is more accurate yet? After all, how many years does the Win Mag have on the WSM to start with, and which one is used a ton more?

Ya know, Boyd is trying to change that common misconception too.

I'd go with the 300WSM and never look back. If he gets it in a Savage I'd bet it'll probably shoot right out of the box better than em all too! You get a nice trigger, nice bedding, floating and interchangable bolt head. Switching barrels and can be done at home without a smith so much as looking at it. WHY NOT?

The 300 WSM would sound like the flattest shooting, cheaper to load for than a 338, less recoil, best all around gun for what he's hunting and likely to hunt in NA. And I almost forgot, probably more inherently accurate too.

 

[baldeagle713]

The 300wsm has my vote if those were the only choises.
EZer on the pocket book.

 

[Boyd Heaton]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Ya know, Boyd is trying to change that common misconception too. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>You are correct

 

[BBQ Warrior]

Well I went shopping this weekend with a friend. Hes looking for a larger rifle for Mule deer and bear. We found a couple rifles he liked, one was chambered for the newer 300 WSM and the other was 338 Win Mag.
Has anyone had any experience with either of theese two calibers? I know that they are not suited for benchrest stuff, but I thought maybe someone might have some ballistic info on theese two.

Unfortunately around the area we hunt for muley's, its very common to have to do a kill shot at about 200 to 400 yards. I have done it with my 7x57 but its not the best choice out there.

Hes leaning toward the 338 because of price, and I cant blame him it was a Ruger 77 MK-II weather warrior stainless w/composite stock for $360.00 new (hold over from two years ago, up here the 338 isnt the most sought after round)

Thanks for any info.

also I have been tinkering with the idea of a Savage model 16 with the accutrigger chambered for the .308 round (what they call a varmint rifle, has a larger stock and heavy bull barrel). Has anyone had much experience with the savages? and opinions in the 308 round?

Shawn

 

[BountyHunter]

Brent,

As for accuracy, I think that both are equal. The accuracy comes 95% from the barrel, trueness of the action and the quality of the loading. Having loaded both for 1000 yard comp, I can say that both have their unique issues that you must overcome, but both are very accurate.

So far I am trying to get and keep my WSM shooting as good as one of the other local boys who has won the nationals and shooter of the year with 300 win mag several times.

I think that the WSM case tops out in the 190 gr bullet range with the 210 gr bullet at the absolute tops. The 300 win mag will go to 220 easily.

Each have advantages and disadvantages though.

BH

 

[David P. Herne]

Bounty Hunter,
Brent took the words right out of my mouth. And to drive home the rebuttles to your argument, consider why these short, fat cartridges emerged? Hmmm . . . probably because their template - the 6mm PPC - has long been considered by authorities such as Ed Matunas as 'world's most accurate cartridge' (2002. Nosler Reloading Guide. 5th Ed. Bend, Oregon. p. 115.). I'm just surprised it took the industry powers so long to realize this.

D.H.

 

[*WyoWhisper*]

I started as a HUGE .308 fan.. I have always been.. I never thought I would find a cartridge I liked more than a standard .308.. hell basically if used properly the isn't any NA game it couldn't kill. (except for dangerous game).. I picked up a 300 WSM that a guy couldn't get to work...

well, I got it to work!!!! It shoot the 168's and 175's at 3000 FPS into .2's or less. I think it might be time for the ole' .308 to move over....

I'd go 300 WSM.... it is new but sooooo much potential!!!

 

[BountyHunter]

Houston Boy

Not sure what has been rebutted yet as Brent points out that the 300 wsm has not been around long enough yet to say which is more accurate. However, think you will find that there will not be a spit of difference, depending on the day and the guy behind the gun.

Boyd and I are both using the 300 WSM in comp and doing fairly well. I also have an accurate 300 wsm coyote used for hunting and a factory class competition, so I have a fair amount of experience with the cartridge. I was one of the first to build a 300 wsm comp gun in the east anyway and won HG overall last year and group in state this year, but I can tell you it is not the cartridge that allowed that.

In theory the 300 WSM has an advantage with the shorter fatter (PPC style case) but after sorting hundreds of wsm cases, that advantage is countered by the poorer quality of the Winchester WSM cases and they require more sorting. Winchester cases have wide range of weights, case head size and thicknesses. Better quality win mag brass are available right now, but that might change in future as Winchester is tightening up on the wsm cases.

Fact is right now it is easier to take a 300 win mag, set it up and get it to shoot competively. The 300 WSM requires a lot more work. That is not just from me, but other top shooters that also shoot both calibers.

Also the 300 wsm tops out accuracy wise with the 210 bullet and many find the 190 is best while the 300 win mag seems to like the 210 and maybe 220s. Slight advantage to win mag here with the higher BC bullets.

Like I said, I like the 300 WSM as a hunting round in a short action but it has not been proven to be more accurate in similar guns at least yet and I doubt it will.

BH

 

[*WyoWhisper*]

Now I have a question...

let's say you have two identical guns...

1K BR stock both have jewel triggers, 28" barrels, etc. etc..

One is chambered in 300WSM and the other in 300WM. Both shoot high .1's and low .2's at 100 yards... shooting the 190 smk at 2800 or 2900 fps..

explain why the 300WM will out shoot the WSM.

basically thats what you are saying.. or am I reading it wrong?

 

[Boyd Heaton]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Fact is right now it is easier to take a 300 win mag, set it up and get it to shoot competively. The 300 WSM requires a lot more work. That is not just from me, but other top shooters that also shoot both calibers.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Not trying to **** in the corn flakes here,but..Both of my guns are cut with a plain old JGS reamer.Not a match reamer.No tight neck,no neck turning,no primer pocket uniforming,no flash hole deburring.I do nothing to the brass.I use Norma brass.I also use 210gr bullets...I have shot the 210's in A match as low as 2700fps.And as high as 2900fps.I had 30 rounds down the barrel when I shot the first match this year.I missed small group of the day by less than an inch but did win my relay for group.That sounds pretty easy to load for to me....IMHO...

[ 10-16-2003: Message edited by: Boyd Heaton ]