Lightweight .300 wsm or .300 win mag and why

[palerider3]

I am looking for a new elk rifle and trying to decide between a WSM and a win mag. I am pretty set on 30 cal as I have several other rifles in 30 and I like having commonality with them. I'm not looking for a real long range gun. I have plenty of target rifles and this would mostly used for backpack elk hunting and shots would be 500 yards or less. I am an experienced handloader so factory ammo isn't a concern. I'm really thinking about a Tikka T3 lite. What are the advantages of the short mag and what about the original Win Mag? What are everyone's opinions on the Tikka? I've never had a truely lite rifle before, how does everyone shoot with their light rifles? Thanks guys. Sam

 

[Duane Waterson]

Tikka uses same action for both calibers. So weight savings does not make a differancefor the short mag. I have one a 300 wsm shoots great, but not saying I wouldn't get one in a win mag.. 6 one way half a dozen in the other your preference.

 

[LDHunter]

I've been hunting and shooting with lightweight rifles for over 40 years and it's all what you're used to.

Recoil isn't bad if you use a high quality stock like a McMillan and shooting a light rifle accurately isn't harder than shooting a heavier one to me but then that's about all I've hunted with for most of my life so I'm used to them.

I don't know much about the Tikka's in Magnum variations but if they don't have well designed stocks that absorb recoil well then you might be in for a rude surprise the first time you take that magnum rifle to the range.

I have a few lightweight rifles in the SAUM chamberings and they all have McMillan stocks and I consider recoil to be quite pleasant considering how fast they move bullets but then the SAUM chamberings never really caught on and finding brass can be somewhat tough and resale might not be good because of lack of popularity.

You will find that your options become MUCH more limited when you step into the world of lightweight rifles and cost of quality lightweight magnum rifles can be very steep.

Just a warning...

 

[MudRunner2005]

.300 Ackely Improved Magnum......Because it can, and it will, and you most likely won't see another one at basecamp, so it's unique.

Also, since brass is formed by simply shooting new .300 Wby brass into a .300 Ackley Imp. Mag. chamber, if you loose your ammo, or something weird happens, you can always just go buy some .300 Weatherby ammo and shoot it with fairly accurate results.

 

[WildRose]

You can't fix what ain't broke. The 300wm is the Toyota Land cruiser of standard factory magnum cartridges. It ain't fancy it just keeps doing exactly what it was designed to do every time you ask it to.

No matter which platform you go with you are talking a matter of no more than 6 ounces weight savings going with the short magnum vs the original.

If the cool factor is what drives you then the wsm is a good choice but there's certainly no advantage performance wise in the short mag over the standard.

 

[FEENIX]

I am looking for a new elk rifle and trying to decide between a WSM and a win mag. I am pretty set on 30 cal as I have several other rifles in 30 and I like having commonality with them. I'm not looking for a real long range gun. I have plenty of target rifles and this would mostly used for backpack elk hunting and shots would be 500 yards or less. I am an experienced handloader so factory ammo isn't a concern. I'm really thinking about a Tikka T3 lite. What are the advantages of the short mag and what about the original Win Mag? What are everyone's opinions on the Tikka? I've never had a truely lite rifle before, how does everyone shoot with their light rifles? Thanks guys. Sam

Sam,

Tikka T3 lite is an excellent choice. I helped a buddy break-in/sight-in his .300 WM last weekend and he was holding various factory ammo under 1 MOA. His best was out of Hornady Superformance 180 SST, at 3/4 MOA at 200 yards.

I too don't have much experience with light rifles. As already noted, no advantage between the two.

Having said that, I recently purchased my 1st shortmag in .300 WSM and am very pleased with it thus far.

Good luck and happy safe shooting/hunting.

Ed

 

[FEENIX]

You can't fix what ain't broke. The 300wm is the Toyota Land cruiser of standard factory magnum cartridges. It ain't fancy it just keeps doing exactly what it was designed to do every time you ask it to.

Amen to that!

 

[idaho elk hunter]

Short Mags will go the way of the dinosaurs. EXTINCT. At least that's my thoughts.

The 300 WM will be with us until the DEMOCRATS TRY to get them.

 

[FEENIX]

The 300 WM will be with us until the DEMOCRATS TRY to get them.

I little prayer is in order ...

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]I heard a sweet elderly lady next to me saying a prayer. It was so innocent and sincere that
I just had to share it with you:


" Dear Lord: The last year has been very tough for me.
You have taken my
favorite actor - James Garner;
my favorite actress - Lauren Bacall;
my favorite Comedian - Robin Williams,
and finally, my favorite author -Tom Clancy.


I just wanted you to know that my favorite politicians are -
Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton.

Amen"[/FONT]

 

[palerider3]

I have been leaning towards the 300 Win Mag anyway and think that's the way I will go. Still a little undecided on the Tikka though. All I hear are good reviews but I guess I am a little Leary or a 6lb 300 mag. I have always hunted with an 8lb gun I'm starting to think that I'll buy a lightweight .308 for the longer backpack hunts.

 

[TJAY]

I will give the Tikka vote of confidence. I use one in 338 Winchester and love it. The only mod I did was to put on a Limbsaver recoil pad.

 

[palerider3]

What is everyone's opinion on the Kimber Montana in .300 wm?

 

[dkhunt14]

The 300 WSM case is here to stay. It is not going to go the way of the dinosaur. Guys are actually finding out that are accurate and brass lasts forever. In 1000 yard benchrest the belted cases like the 300 Weatherby, 300 WIN Mag and the 308 Baer have disappeared in the last 5 years. Almost nobody shoots them. The 300 WSM is just so easy to tune and so accurate. It holds most of the Heavy gun records in aggregates and single target for the 30 cals. It is becoming real popular in F-class also and holds some records. Another advantage is in a long action I can let bullets out to seat in the rifling and still eject them out of a gun. In the last 5 years this case has really come on and will continue to get popular. Matt

 

[Duane Waterson]

+ 1 on sims recoil pad! I have one on my wsm along with steel recoil lug. I don't believe kick is very bad in either caliber in a t-3. My opinion. But some my say I'm just highly tolerant to recoil.