NULA - 300WSM - Recoil ?

[Varmint Hunter]

I'm considering the purchase of a second hand NULA in Left Hand from another shooter. I was looking for a .308/280/284 or similar chambering. However, the rifle I located is chambered in 300WSM.

I shoot many heavier cartridges but not in air-weight (5.75 lb) rifles.

How unpleasant should I expect this rifle to be to shoot?

 

[bruce_ventura]

Once or twice a day from standing field position - you could manage it. A recoil shoulder pad will help. 10 rounds from a bench rest or, worse yet, prone position will have reaching for a lead sled. If you hand load, you can load down to about .308 Win velocity, giving you lots of options.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

A quick review of several reloading manuals shows that a minimum book load for the 300 WSM is slightly heavier than a maximum load for the 308 Win so that might work.
What are the odds of finding an accurate 300 WSM load at the minimum level?

Once or twice a day from standing field position - you could manage it. A recoil shoulder pad will help. 10 rounds from a bench rest or, worse yet, prone position will have reaching for a lead sled. If you hand load, you can load down to about .308 Win velocity, giving you lots of options.

 

[Browninglover1]

I shoot a 300 WSM that weighs 8 pounds scoped. It is not unpleasant to shoot from the bench on my shoulder due to nice recoil pad. However, the back of my neck can hurt for days if I shoot more than 15 or 20 rounds through it due to the rifle recoiling quite a bit. If you load it down with the 110 grain bullets it becomes much more pleasant to shoot but then it kind of defeats the purpose of having a magnum cartridge.

 

[clambdin]

I shoot one in 300 win mag your gonna know its there ! I enjoy shooting my 280 Ackley much better !

 

[bruce_ventura]

A quick review of several reloading manuals shows that a minimum book load for the 300 WSM is slightly heavier than a maximum load for the 308 Win so that might work. What are the odds of finding an accurate 300 WSM load at the minimum level?

Can't say. You may need to try a broad range of bullet weights to find a node in the barrel vibration. You may not reach .308 velocity, but you'll probably get close enough. If you need to get even lower velocity, try a pistol powder like Trail Boss.

If it were me, I would take the time to develop a lower recoil load so that I could train with the rifle and scope without developing a flinch. Then I would switch to a full house load for hunting and re-zero using a lead sled. From a field position with an elk in my sights, I wouldn't even remember the recoil.

I do much the same thing with my carry pistol. I train with a 9 mm, and then carry a 40 in the same frame size.

 

[Beng]

Can't you have a muzzle brake installed to tame the recoil a tad?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Can't you have a muzzle brake installed to tame the recoil a tad?

That's a consideration but I much prefer to NOT have a brake on my hunting rifles. I'm leaning towards waiting for another rifle to emerge in a more suitable chambering. The LH thing really limits my options.

 

[Duane Waterson]

I shoot a 300 WSM pushing 215 hybrid in tikka t3 (6 1\4 bare) and with limbsaver recoil pad, its not bad. Could be tikka's design idk, but not bad for lightweight hunting gun.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I shoot a 300 WSM pushing 215 hybrid in tikka t3 (6 1\4 bare) and with limbsaver recoil pad, its not bad. Could be tikka's design idk, but not bad for lightweight hunting gun.

I'm really undecided on this. At the cost of a ULA rifle, even second hand, I really don't want to make a regrettable mistake. I considered a Forbes Inc model 24 which would cost half as much but it appears that their quality control is abysmal and customer service is neither fast nor reliable.

Several of the Kimbers look promising but they aren't available in LH. Hmmmm

 

[TOM H]

I'm really undecided on this. At the cost of a ULA rifle, even second hand, I really don't want to make a regrettable mistake. I considered a Forbes Inc model 24 which would cost half as much but it appears that their quality control is abysmal and customer service is neither fast nor reliable.

Several of the Kimbers look promising but they aren't available in LH. Hmmmm

I have ULA Model 24 build 1989 and from what I understand Model 28 short is for the WSM.

I'm guessing but Past Recoil Pad help lot with recoil at the range instead of a muzzle brake or get one of Forbes Bench Wizard that he sell on NULA site for $50 help with the recoil.

I'm not sure value on a used one as Forbes offers lot of option as custom build.
Rifle Options

 

[roninflag]

Varmint- you do not say what you are shooting at. i shoot/hunt with a 300 rsum out of a 700 titanium. i shoot varget and a 168 balistic silver tip . it is a great rifle for hunting. especially deer and bear. for elk i would substitute a AB or partition. with the nula, for deer i would put a 150 or 168 balistic silver tip and go hunting. shooting from a bench at targets my 300 wm and 300 wsm senderos heavier than a titanium, are not that pleasant compared to a 243 or 6ppc.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Varmint- you do not say what you are shooting at. i shoot/hunt with a 300 rsum out of a 700 titanium. i shoot varget and a 168 balistic silver tip . it is a great rifle for hunting. especially deer and bear. for elk i would substitute a AB or partition. with the nula, for deer i would put a 150 or 168 balistic silver tip and go hunting. shooting from a bench at targets my 300 wm and 300 wsm senderos heavier than a titanium, are not that pleasant compared to a 243 or 6ppc.

Like most of the shooters here I've got a battery of hunting rifles. Most are semi or full custom builds. And, most tend to have quality (heavy) synthetic stocks, fairly rigid barrels and moderate-to-large scopes. All coming in at weights that don't lend themselves to carrying around too much. My varmint rigs are all very heavy.

Recently I got the yearning for an ultra lightweight rifle that would be used for deer, bear, elk or any future hunting that would require difficult or lengthy walking.
I was considering something in 280/284/308 class cartridge and a bare rifle around 5lbs or so. Left Hand, of course.

Oddly enough I tripped onto a LH ULA 28 in 300WSM. Reportedly to be a safe queen that was rarely shot and never in the field. That is a rather unusual rifle to find, especially in 99% condition. At $2,700 I'm just wondering if I should compromise on what I had originally envisioned or to take a chance on the WSM.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

 

[bruce_ventura]

... That is a rather unusual rifle to find, especially in 99% condition. At $2,700 I'm just wondering if I should compromise on what I had originally envisioned or to take a chance on the WSM. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Look at it another way. There's not a big market for this rifle - ULA, 300 WSM, LH. Even if the buyer is LH, it's a tough sell for all the reasons discussed in this thread. All potential buyers face some risk that they will be stuck with a rifle that doesn't meet their needs. There's a reason it has become a safe queen. At what price does the risk become acceptable? Offer that amount to the seller as your best and final offer.