Deer Load Performance

[Joshsrugershooter]

Hey I just registered... I live in Southwest Mississippi and I hunt Whitetails. I shoot a Ruger M77 MK2 wood stock in .300 Winchester Magnum. It wears a Leupold VX2 3x9x40. I can shoot it well. Last year i used Factory Ammo .. Federal premium with a nosler accubond 180 grn.. i just sighted it in this year with Federal Premium 150 grn Trophy Bonded Bear Claws. i shoot deer at ranges from 45 to around 280 yards. Is this load a good choice? also how do yall feel about the ruger bolt action.. will this new load i changed too.. well tell me about it please

[James B]

I would use nothing but 180 grains bullets for deer with the 300 Mag. It will do less meat damage.

[Joshsrugershooter]

i also sighted it in at 50 yards is that ok for shots from 50 to 150 yards

[James B]

sight it in about 1-1 1/2 high at 100 yards. You will be good out to 200-250 yards.

[Pygmy]

Josh.... Any factory load will kill deer well in the .300 Winny, but as James says, a stout 180 grain bullet will do less meat damage...150 grainers in the .300 mags are notorious for ripping up a lot of eating meat...If you shoot 'em in the ribs, it really doesn't matter much, I guess...

You mentioned that you might have shooting opportunities as long as nearly 300 yards..With that in mind, I'd suggest that sighting in at 50 yards is kind of a waste of your rifle's flat trajectory...Sight in about 3 inches high at 100 and you can use a center chest hold all the way outto 300 yards or somewhat farther....

[tbonecpa]

I agree with Pygmy, 3" high at 100yds with most 300WM bullets is a great set up. It looks something like this:

50 yds - 1.25" high
100 yds - 3" high
150 yds - 3.5" high
200 yds - 2.5" high
250 yds - zero
300 yds - 3.5" low

A quick fix is to adjust your scope up 10 clicks and check it at the range. That adjustment should change your gun from zeroed at 50 yds to 1.25" high at 50 yds. Then it's pretty much "point and shoot" from 0-300 yds. Good luck

[Solitary Man]

Welcome aboard from another Mississippian here. I'm in the northwest part, however. Like the others, I don't like using bullets lighter than 180 in the .300 WM. I will use a 165 on occassion, but 180 grs. and above is what I prefer in mine.

As far as the Ruger is concerned, I'm not too crazy about them. I had a 7mm mag a few years ago that wasn't very accurate. I ended up selling it. I bought a .243 Compact for my son last year and it doesn't shine in the accuracy department either. Worse yet, the bolt is the roughest I've ever operated. I fault myself for not checking it out more thoroughly before I bought it. I doubt I'll ever buy another Ruger 77 and when my son get's old enough to shoot something bigger (probably next year),the one I got now will be sold.

[Joshsrugershooter]

i also sighted it in at 50 yards is that ok for shots from 50 to 150 yards

[Pygmy]

Yes...

[Joshsrugershooter]

thats what i figured..