is the 300wsm a good choice for big game

rob2974 · 12-01-2003, 06:35 PM

im still trying to decide between the 300 win mag and the 300wsm please help....

chuck403 · 12-01-2003, 06:53 PM

No experience with either but I' m going to be getting a 7mm mag here right quick. I' m sticking with the tried tested and true 7mm REM mag. The shells are cheaped that the new wsm' s are. Also I like the looks of a longer cartridge. And I don' t know for sure but those fatter ones might restrict how many your mag. will hold.

frizzellr · 12-01-2003, 06:54 PM

If you are a fan of hype and dishonest advertising campains then the 300 WSM is probably the best thing since sliced bread. If you live in the real world and trust a proven track record then the 300 Win Mag is the way to go.

zrexpilot · 12-01-2003, 06:57 PM

Quote:

If you are a fan of hype and dishonest advertising campains then the 300 WSM is probably the best thing since sliced bread. If you live in the real world and trust a proven track record then the 300 Win Mag is the way to go.

Ditto !

akbound · 12-01-2003, 07:22 PM

Hi rob2974,

If my plans included really heavy and/or dangerous game I would choose the .300 Winchester Magnum, (if my choice was between it and the short .300' s). Both it and the Weatherby version do a much better job with bullets heavier than 180 grains. The 200 grain Nosler Partition, for example, not only has as flat a trajectory at really long range as the lighter 180' s....but it will also out penetrate any lighter bullet of similar construction. And carry more energy with it as well. The new " short" magnums are very efficient in their use of powder and get it done with a little less barrel length. But the larger magnum cases most decidely handle the truly heavy bullets better. And a " full size" .300 with a good, heavy, bullet acts more like a medium magnum....(ie. the .338 Winchester Magnum or .340 Weatherby Magnums).

On truly " heavy" game....it does make a difference!

Good luck with your decision!

seattlesetters · 12-01-2003, 08:07 PM

Personally, I think the .300 WSM is superfluous at minimum, pointless at worst. The short, fat case is a good idea and may be a bit more accurate than longer caes, but if you need something the size of a .300 mag then you really do want all the capacity for both powder and long bullets that you can get.

That being said, I think short mags in 7mm or less make great possibilities, with numbers from 6mm - .277 being ideal. I' d love to see .25 cal or 6.5mm short mags...if we had those cartridges, deer hunters could put away their cannon and still be able to tote a sensible " Magnum" around the woods.

_____________________________

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brother hal · 12-01-2003, 09:07 PM

I purchased a Winchester SS Model 70 in the 300 WSM two years ago. Since that time, I have taken 2 elk with the gun. Both one shot kills, using 180 gr Win Fail Safe bullets. The gun is very accurate (touches 2 of 3 bullets at 200 yds although I did add a custom HS Precision stock with the action glass bedded for additional accuracy), the recoil is a little worse that my 30-06, and I like the shorter action. I have used 300 Mags, with no complaints, but I prefer the WSM. Will the tried and true 300 win mag kill anything the WSM will? Sure. And the opposite is also true. Just a matter of personal preference.
Good Hunting,
Brother Hal

rob2974 · 12-01-2003, 09:24 PM

Thank you Hal, I can tell you are a true hunter and value your oppion...

bigbulls · 12-01-2003, 09:25 PM

Not to sound like an a$$ but you guys crack me up with this tried and true vs. hype and untested stuff. What about the so called tried and true .300 Win. mag when they had the 300 H&H.? It wasn' t so tried and true then was it? Something new and different when it was introduced wasn' t it? How about the ultra mags and the STW' s, Lazzeroni' s (long and short)? They are pretty repetative when compared to each other arent they? But, for some reason folks can' t praise them enough.

Personally I prefer the case design of the short magnums much better than the long belted cases of the " tried and true" cases. If you handload the regular magnum will outperform the short when you get into heavy bullets but it isn' t enough to make any differance to any animal that takes a bullet through the chest. I really feel that the short cases are a much superior design to the old belted cases.

Yes it' s a new case design but remember that everything was new and unproven at one time or another. Even the 30-06.[

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Vapodog · 12-01-2003, 09:39 PM

Any of the .300 mags (as well as the .30-06) are fine big game rounds....

Pick one and go hunting friend!!!