bluffhunter

Hi i am in the market for a new rifle for an upcoming black bear hunt this fall, and a possible elk or moose hunt the following year. I have a 270 right now for deer and looking at a larger all around caliber and looking for inputs on the 300 WSM VS the 300 Win. Mag. i like the shorter action of the short mag but the 300 Win mag can shoot heavier 200 grain bullets so i am ready to flip a coin. Will the 180 grain in a supreme bullet do the job out of the 300 WSM for black bear, elk, and moose? and yes i know its all about shot placement. Thanks

mn trucker

if you like the short action get it. the 180 gr bullets will do the job in elk and moose

bigcountry

I have loaded for both and find, I usually can outrun the WSM with a win mag by 50-100fps. Thats just my experience with my guns. I am still amazed at the performance you can get out of a win mag. I can get 3100fps with 180gr partition with good accuracy. I havn't been able to do that with a WSM. Not saying someone on here can't.

I used to load up 200gr bullets for moose and such for my 300win mag and RUM's. But I quit that. 180gr is just fine. I found 200gr full tilt loads out of a 300RUM had much more percieved felt recoil than 180gr. And found it wasn't all needed.

oldelkhunter

LIKE BC said, your getting about 100 fps more with a 300 win mag

bluffhunter

ttt, any more opinions?

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starhunter21

180 gr. factory loads its almost a coin toss (WSM slightly better). I would choose the WSM cause its newer technology, and you can get a lighter factory rifle. Plus I noticed this year that Cabelas sold out of WSM, but had pleanty of 300 Win. This means: 1- a shift to WSM which will make factory loads more available down the road, 2- less WSM so they sold out. I tend to lean towards the first. However, you can hand load a 300W much hotter/heavier. I agree with cma though, if a 180 TSX wont take it down, you best run.

TerryM

Moose are not hard to put down. More moose are killed every year with .308 wins and .30-06 rifles than all the magnums put together. My choice would be a .300 win mag for the extra velocity should you ever hunt elk which would likely give you a longer shot and tougher animal to anchor. It also leaves the option of using 200 gr bullets if ever you want to at better velocioties than a WSM. A .270 and a .300 mag is an excellent arsenal.

JeffS

It is really a matter of personnal preference. It doesn't make any difference if one is 100 fps faster the animal will never know the difference. Both are great rounds and it is more a choice if you want a shorter action or a long one. Each one has a it's own advantages. We have a ruger #1 in .300 WM and it shoots great and if I got another one I would probably get the .325 WSM. It has the ballastics of the .300 but can shoot a little heavier bullet.

gdh

If it helps, I bought a 300WSM with the intended primary purpose of deer hunting with 150 gr. and hopefully elk hunting in the future with 180 gr. Many people use the old tried and true 270 for elk hunting.
The recoil on the 300 wsm is very reasonable.