New Rifle choices, need opinions, .300WBY, 300RUM, or 338RUM??

[Lapua Baer]

I am talking from experiance. I shot an elk at 740 meters with a 200 grain accubond out of a 300 wby improved. I was by myself with no spotter and the snow was light and fluffy ( couldnt see hit if missed). I shot one shot and the elk didnt even flinch. At this point I was trying to think, high or low. I guessed high because I thought if it was just low maybe I would have seen something or he would have jumped. I dropped my scope one minute and was getting ready to shoot again and he dropped dead in his tracks. Upon inspection there was only a drop of blood on the snow and the bullet was 30 caliber in and 30 caliber out. I have shot many animals at similar distances or farther with sierra match kings and they work awsome in those situations. Second example is my cousin who likes to hunt but not a big long range shooter was shooting 500 yards. My grampa was a big sharps shooter and has a 6'x8' 3/8" or so plate steel he would shoot across the meadow. Well any ways Ryan was shooting this plate out of an 06 and those accubonds were stuck in the plate, they didnt shoot all the way thru but they punched a hole with the boat tail sticking out the back.
Dont get me wrong, I still use them for my jump out of the truck and shoot quick guns. They work great and keep the blood shot down, but at long range guarantee they wont work like a Sierra Matchking.

 

[backwoods83]

Well this thread isn't about bullets, and I do not use the 200grn 30cal or 300grn 338cal accubonds but my experience with other weights is completely backwards to yours, for me they act like a Partition or Ballistic Tip, more so like a ballistic tip just slightly more controled. My best friend shot a 225# hog at 140yrds with a 165grn from an 06, upon cleaning and quartering I collected 6 pieces of bullet, one being the base, another the white tip, and the rest just copper fragments. They don't seem very controled to me, but I started using amaxs anyway, they work and they're cheaper.

 

[ishootkittens]

A buddy of mine shot a deer last hear with a .284" 140gr ballistic tip last year and it rip it apart. Granted the shot was at 29 yards... and he hit the shoulder... but there was about 9-10 holes in that exit wound. It was carnage to say the least. I just like my exit hole to be 1 hole haha.

 

[Sako7STW]

I think some are missing the idea of my new gun. I know my STW is perfectly adequate for shooting Elk at 600, I have not shot an Elk at that distance but I have an Antelope and it was devistation and would not hesitate on a Elk. The REASON for the new gun is a new stock design over the conventional stock. I cannot restock my Sako for less than than I could buy/build me a new one. Why not have 2? Why not have more HP than my STW while I am at it so I can hunt dangerous game country without worry?

Right now I am leaning very hard at 2 new options.

.340 Roy Mark V Stainless Alaskan used in primo condition $899

.338 RUM Remington XCR II NIB $799.00

So what do you all think now??

Thanks for tyhe replies so far, great info!!

 

[WildRose]

I think some are missing the idea of my new gun. I know my STW is perfectly adequate for shooting Elk at 600, I have not shot an Elk at that distance but I have an Antelope and it was devistation and would not hesitate on a Elk. The REASON for the new gun is a new stock design over the conventional stock. I cannot restock my Sako for less than than I could buy/build me a new one. Why not have 2? Why not have more HP than my STW while I am at it so I can hunt dangerous game country without worry?

Right now I am leaning very hard at 2 new options.

.340 Roy Mark V Stainless Alaskan used in primo condition $899

.338 RUM Remington XCR II NIB $799.00

So what do you all think now??

Thanks for tyhe replies so far, great info!!

Both are good rifles. I actually like the XCR stock and with a little stiffening it could be a great stock.

Neither models comes with a long barrel so you'll not be able to burn all of that powder for either load so there's going to be a lot of blast, noise, and muzzle flash.

Another thing I'd say you need to consider is that both of these rifles come in at under 9lbs so recoil on either in the calibers you list above is going to be pretty darn nasty even with a good muzzle brake and recoil pad.

Personally I'd step back down to the 300wm in the Remington or 300wby/300wm in the Mark V if you are going to go with a rifle this light.

 

[375fan]

I think some are missing the idea of my new gun. I know my STW is perfectly adequate for shooting Elk at 600, I have not shot an Elk at that distance but I have an Antelope and it was devistation and would not hesitate on a Elk. The REASON for the new gun is a new stock design over the conventional stock. I cannot restock my Sako for less than than I could buy/build me a new one. Why not have 2? Why not have more HP than my STW while I am at it so I can hunt dangerous game country without worry?

Right now I am leaning very hard at 2 new options.

.340 Roy Mark V Stainless Alaskan used in primo condition $899

.338 RUM Remington XCR II NIB $799.00

So what do you all think now??

Thanks for tyhe replies so far, great info!!

Of these 2 choices, I'd go with the RUM. Going to need a brake or good recoil pad. As Wildrose said if your going to go with light rifle then back off to a 300wm. My .338rum that I had built weighs 12 pounds scoped and braked, it is a pleasure to shoot but a bit heavy when packing all day or climbing in steep country.
My goat chasing/lite rifle is a 300wm, 9lbs scoped(NF 2.5X10 set in Mark 4 rings and bases) loaded and braked. This is still a little heavy but is sweet to shoot and can still reach out to 800 confidently.

 

[bigngreen]

I put a Hollands brake on a 338 RUM XCR and it was not bad at all to shoot, I used a stiff load of Retumbo and a 300gr OTM to test and I was surprised how nice it was to shoot. Brakes work best on lighter rifles with high muzzle pressure and this is a case where it certainly has both. Hollands has a brake that fits it nice and looks good on that trim a barrel and does not look like a potato shoved on your barrel.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I think some are missing the idea of my new gun. I know my STW is perfectly adequate for shooting Elk at 600, I have not shot an Elk at that distance but I have an Antelope and it was devistation and would not hesitate on a Elk. The REASON for the new gun is a new stock design over the conventional stock. I cannot restock my Sako for less than than I could buy/build me a new one. Why not have 2? Why not have more HP than my STW while I am at it so I can hunt dangerous game country without worry?

Right now I am leaning very hard at 2 new options.

.340 Roy Mark V Stainless Alaskan used in primo condition $899

.338 RUM Remington XCR II NIB $799.00

So what do you all think now??

Thanks for tyhe replies so far, great info!!

I have a 340 Wby Alaskan that I purchased this year and 2 weeks later went out and got my elk at 450 yards with factory 250gr Nosler Paratitions. 26 inch barrel + Accubrake is a bit long but the recoil is entirely manageable. In fact, I took this rifle over my unbraked 340 just due to the recoil issue. I can't wait to try some reloading for it and make it even better.

So, you can guess where my vote goes.

 

[Sako7STW]

Well I have been Talking to the dealer that has the 340. I have worked him down to $775. It has a Vias brake on the end of a full length 26" bbl for a total 28". It also has Leupold bases which I could care less about as I plan on using Talley's. I plan on switching the stock out for a laminate thumbhole stock like those on Stockeys site. So this sounds like a nice option and would be a very nice rifle.

but then......

For almost the same dollar amount I can get the XCR 338 Rum. If I did this route I would mount it in a Blackhawk Axiom TH stock. If the recoil reduction is not enough from the stock then I could have a brake installed and it would be very nice to shoot I would think. I dont have the double recoil reduction option on the Mark V.

I know I am over thinking this but with a limited budget, I want to make the right choice the first time.

 

[Dr. Vette]

My braked 340 feels no worse than my unbraked 270 Win, even with a Wby Sporter stock on it. I can't imagine needing to change it to a different stock or to lower the recoil even more. If you're interested in the Weatherby I'd even shoot it first with the current stock to see if you want to change, but I can see the benefits of swapping to a thumbhole stock and bedding it there.

I also really, really like the 60 degree bolt throw of the Weatherbys. No worries about hitting the scope when you cycle the bolt.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[Sako7STW]

The Dr. hit the nail on the head. Honestly, the ONLY reason why the Mark V is on my list and that I haven't already went and bought the .338 RUM is the bolt. On my son's Savage his bolt hits the butler creek caps and pinches his fingers. The same happens on my daughters Rem 700 .243. I dont have this problem with my tri-lug Sako as it too has the short bolt lift. I love it. My Dad and my bro both shoot Mark V's, one a .257 B, and the other a .300 B. and they are such fine rifles. I just wish the .340 had the RUM's performance.

So really what my decision is boiling down to is 60 deg bolt that I love and ok laminate stock or Blackhawk stock that I really want and the performance I want but crappy bolt. There is a big difference between a wan't and a love.

Yes, there is a padded room with a nameplate that reads my name on it, I have had to visit it often over this!!

 

[rbTanzan]

A couple of points to remember:

1. Since you have a 7mSTW, something with a significant increase in power and potential for large animals should be considered. That means the 338 is really the choice over the 300's.

2. The 338 Lapua has the most capacity for hot handloads. If you don't like it for practice you can load it down to 338 WM or 340 Weatherby. But the Lapua has extra capacity for premium hunting loads.

Personally, I don't shoot over 400 yards in Africa, and most everything is under 300. This makes the 338 WinMag with a 225 TTSX (.514BC) the cat's meow. I like a light rifle and have had two scoped Tikkas in 7.5 pounds. They jump a little but are accurate. Recoil with a Limbsaver is a joy, and I wouldn't want a brake on a hunting rifle. These days I mostly carry a 416Rig, 350 gn TSX at 2825fps. It has all the distance I need, and backup power for anything. From that perspective, the Lapua looks like a nice pairing.

 

[backwoods83]

The 340wby can be loaded to within 30-40fps of the rum with 250 and smaller pills, and still only about 80fps slower with the 300grn pills when loaded out far enough to get the bullet up out of the powder space. The RUM only has about a 6.5grn larger capacity, and both are 65k psi cartridges, so the 340 does it with less powder and has better brass and a more efficient shoulder design. Also as mentioned the 54* bolt lift of the MKV is quite nice.

 

[bkordon]

Hello,
I own/have owned both the 300 RUM and the 338 RUM and in my opinion, the 300 RUM will do anything you need it to do. I actually got rid of the 338 mainly because in comparison, it was just less enjoyable to shoot.
The 300, again, in my opinion is a little more versitile, with bullets ranging from 130 gr to 220 grain. For me, the optimum bullet is 200 grains and i use it for everything from Antelope to Elk. It gets a bit windy in Central and Eastern Wyoming, and the heavier bullet doesnt drift quite as much at longer ranges.
I hope this helps.