stubblejumper

I am not saying that heavier guns are better for hunting,but rather thatI find iteasier to be accurate with them.Of course if you are going to carry a gun great distances,it is desireable to have a lighter rifle tomake the rifle easier to carry.It is always a compromise.

retrieverman

I have owned both and still have the 300WSM. You can't go wrong either way.

Solitary Man

Duckbutter, you make good points. I should probably qualify my previous post by saying that here in Mississippi there's not much gun totin' going on. There are no mountains to climb and there's no spot and stalk hunting that I know of. Practically all hunting (I'm talking about deer hunting) is done from stands or blinds and that'show I hunt. So, a heavy gun (within reason) is not a hinderance to me and is what I prefer.

If I were in a different situation and did a lot of walking with a rifle, I'm sure I'd want something lighter. But that still doesn't change my belief that a heavier gun is easier to shoot accurately.

ELKampMaster

First of all, per the thread topic, either 300WM or 300WSM is good and way better the typical"is this okay for elk?" threadss that we get around here.

Second, Duck, I DON'T consider you to be nuts (or any other label) for liking the light weight rifles. If light weight and plastic and higher dollar = higher qualityfits your view of things, then fine. If that fits your needs/preferences at this station in life then that is fine, and absolutely nothing wrong with a 300 Wby. Go for it.

Third, you are right one will be able to hold a light rifle without a rest longer, not a lot longer, but longer. On the other hand, if it is an off-hand shot, then it is a close shot and if it is a close shot on elk, thenthe window don't last long. Furthermore, my observation is the longer people take to shoot (don't go to extremes here) the less likely they are to get something. Close target--offhand--acquire sight picture--think kill--fire. That don't take me long, and if I have plenty of time, then the odds are very, very high I will abandon offhand for some sort of a rest (trees or knees).

Fourth, you have bumped into a group of Western hunters that do see it differently than you and apparently that comes as a surprise, especially perhaps since the West isn't big tree stand country. That happens, listen, take it for what it's worth, file it away (or not) and move on. It don't make it right or wrong. Just different.

Stubblejumper is right, it is all a compromise. Neither camp has all the advantages. There are benefits that accrue to both extremes. There are disadvantages that accrue to both extremes. There are even pro's and con's in the middle! A heavy sporter does NOT have a bull barrel (You're getting carried away there). For me 2-3 pounds extra in a rifle is nothing versus the benefits that I personally get from it.For myself and several others here, the point-set-hang-fire "feel"of a heavier rifle is heartwarming.

I've had all sorts of folks in elk camp, some durable, some not so durable, and have found myself with their rifle slung over myheador strapped to my pack while they walked behind tuckered out, my "overweight" rifle slung or in my free hand plus I was leading the packhorse and thenwhacked game on the way out. Whatever your needs are, go for it --- HOWEVER, know that cuts both ways.

Reminder:Got mags that are light like you describeAND mags that are heavier like I prefer. My heavier onesare my long standing game killers of choice. Mylight weight plastic Sako 338 generally gets used by my weight sensitive/recoil INsensitive/rarely-practices-with-itson (nothing much gets by him either). So he would like your style of rifle. OTHERs don't.I anticipate that I will "come around" to his/your view in later years (no, that doesn't say its an old man's gun, refer to my sons preference).

Nuts and other labels don't have anything to do with it.
I'm just relieved to see a "which 300 mag for elk?" discussion.
Refreshing.

James B

I probably am Nutz but liking heavy rifles is one of the lesser reasons that I may be considered so.I do 99 percent of my hunting from ambush spots. My shots come from pre-determined spots and I have plenty of time to prepare for the shot and rig up a rest. Getting to that spot usually involves horseback or some other means of transporting my gear. I am no longer able to climb mountains or hike miles across country so the weight of a rifle is of no concern. But for shooting, the heavier the rifle, the better I like it. Steady and more comfortable to shoot. Also quicker to recover from the recoil to see the results of the shot. But hey thats just my way of hunting and there was a time when ultra lite rifles were my passion. I also like the longer barrels. Same reason.

Duckbutter48

I too like this discussion and think we have made points on both sides of this. If I didnt have a 300Wby it prob would the WSM for me since Im a big fan of the short actions. When I deer hunt in WV its mainly alot of walking up and down the ridges(I cant call em mountains compared to what you guys haveout west)so I like to carry as little weight as possible. I know thats not exactly the same as elk out west but anything that has alot of walking especially up and down isnt that much different on the legs.

One other thing though when I say lighter guns, I dont mean plastic stocks. That is one thing I'll never be a fan of.

Jamesyour not nutz, just old(just kiddin) but I can see why the lighter rifle doesnt matter much to you. Maybe when recoil is an issue for me I will see things more the other way. As for now I use my pads on the bench and dont pull the trigger enough in the field for it to be an issue.

300winnie

.300 Winchester "Long" Magnum

Doe Dumper

Duck I hunt the same way as you. Generally stand day 1 and shoe leather city the other 12 days. Often times leaving at first shooting light and getting back after dark. When I am slipping the briars and logged areas (my hunting area is Wetzel County coastallumber property) I prefer the heavier gun due to being able to hold steadier trying to keyhole shots thru small holes. Weight doesnt bother me but some it does. I mt bike race and run year round so I always run out of light before I run out of go so that may be part of it. I am recoil shy anyways so weight helps with that also.

Im like James...my weight of guns is the least of the reasons I been called nutz

300grains

300 WM is my choice. Easy to get ammo everywere, and likes all kinds of bullets.

snibbcc

i just used my new model 70 300 wsm this year for deer and loved it. i do all my own loading so buying cartridges is not an issue. i dont load any bullets bigger than 180 grains right now but i might experiment this summer. all in all im very satisfied with my purchase