.308 vs. .300 WIN MAG. Is the extra cost worth it?

[emilio613]

Hi guys, so I am going to keep this super short. I am looking to purchase a precision rifle, and after discussing with my father on the subject (SUnday morning breakfast chat lol), he asked me, if I thought that having a .300 win mag rifle was THAT much better than a .308.

Essentially his argument was, is the extra cost of ammunition (and the rifle I want - TRG42) really that much more advantageous than the other option I was considering, the .308 (specifically a Savage BAS-K 308), especially when surplus ammo is available for range practice.

Or should I NEVER use surplus ammo in a precision target rifle (in the 308 case)? In which case, lebaron sells both 308 and 300 winmag at the same price per box of 20 (I went in and asked).

Just curious, is there any HUGE advantage to having the 300 win mag? Is the drop significantly less at 1000 yards, for example? Is the flight of the bullet straighter and more consistent than 308? (I was reading a bit on another forum, and someone had reviewed the 300 WINMAG as one of the best long distance rounds).

Will I notice an enormous difference using the 300 winmag, over the 308? (in distance, power, accuracy - even though that depends on the rifle a lot too...)

Let me know guys, this kind of help/info could GREATLY aid me in making a decision as to which rifle I buy.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[sunray]

In like rifles, the .300 will have considerably more felt recoil and it'll cost you more to shoot(despite LeBarons). Not so much if you're reloading(you should be if you're not). It does use considerbly more powder though. The cartridge is used by long range target shooters(depending on the match) far more than the .308.
Ballistics charts don't go to 1,000 and the match bullets are of different weights, so it's difficult to compare the two. However, in hunting ammo with like bullet weights, the .300 does have a fairly serious edge out at 500. Doesn't drop as far.
You need to decide if the increased felt recoil and expense is worth it to you.

 

[David L]

I you are getting a trg 42 :go with the 338 lapua and reload specially if you are looking for the 1000 yards

 

[emilio613]

In like rifles, the .300 will have considerably more felt recoil and it'll cost you more to shoot(despite LeBarons). Not so much if you're reloading(you should be if you're not). It does use considerbly more powder though. The cartridge is used by long range target shooters(depending on the match) far more than the .308.
Ballistics charts don't go to 1,000 and the match bullets are of different weights, so it's difficult to compare the two. However, in hunting ammo with like bullet weights, the .300 does have a fairly serious edge out at 500. Doesn't drop as far.
You need to decide if the increased felt recoil and expense is worth it to you.

Recoil is not the big issue for me. I am not that small of a guy and am ok with recoil. I will probably going to be dealing with a muzzle brake anywho. The added recoil is not the issue. It is how you said, the COST that I want to reassess. Is it worth it, is what I am wondering. If the bullet travels in a much more reliable and straight line than a 308, then maybe it is worth it.

Out of curiosity, what is the added cost? I would reload, but I don't know if I can afford all the equipment. I've never reloaded before and am a bit intimidated by the thought.

 

[emilio613]

I you are getting a trg 42 :go with the 338 lapua and reload specially if you are looking for the 1000 yards

really? Isn't it ridiculously expensive, even if you reload?

 

[RayMan]

How far do you want to shoot? If it's less than 1000 yards, then .308 Win will serve you fine.

If you want to shoot beyond 1000 yards, and are just punching paper, then maybe a 6.5mm cartridge would be a better choice, since .260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.5x47mm Lapua will have have approximately the same trajectory as the .300 Win Mag, but at less recoil and cost (if you reload).

Say you still want a TRG platform, though: Buy the TRG-22, and re-barrel it in a 6.5mm cartridge. (Or shoot out the .308 barrel first if you're new and working at shorter ranges.) Since the three I mentioned use a .308 Win case head, and can feed from the magazines, not much else needs to be changed. Even after re-barrel, a TRG-22 will cost less than a TRG-42.

Finally, if you're going to practice precision shooting, surplus ball ammo probably won't cut it. You're also going to need to shoot a lot if you want to get good, so unless you're loaded and buying factory ammo all the time, you're going to have to have a press and start on reloading.

 

[emilio613]

How far do you want to shoot? If it's less than 1000 yards, then .308 Win will serve you fine.

If you want to shoot beyond 1000 yards, and are just punching paper, then maybe a 6.5mm cartridge would be a better choice, since .260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.5x47mm Lapua will have have approximately the same trajectory as the .300 Win Mag, but at less recoil and cost (if you reload).

Say you still want a TRG platform, though: Buy the TRG-22, and re-barrel it in a 6.5mm cartridge. (Or shoot out the .308 barrel first if you're new and working at shorter ranges.) Since the three I mentioned use a .308 Win case head, and can feed from the magazines, not much else needs to be changed. Even after re-barrel, a TRG-22 will cost less than a TRG-42.

Finally, if you're going to practice precision shooting, surplus ball ammo probably won't cut it.

Cool, that was what I was looking for in terms of an answer. So, below 1K yeards, 308 is sufficient you say.

I am new to the sport, so I think like you said, shorter distances (600 yards) might be my max for now.

Is ball ammo (surplus) good for anything then in terms of bolt action rifles? Or is it mostly for m14s or whatever people are shooting these days that takes a 308?

So are you saying, stay away from 300 winmag? And what is the cost savings of a 6.5, compared to 300wm?

Are there lots of factory loads available in 6.5, or is it mostly reloading focused?

 

[RayMan]

Surplus ammunition is great for increasing the shot counts of your barrel and decreasing the number of good loads you can put through before accuracy degrades...

The price savings between 6.5mm and .300 Win Mag will only factor in if you reload... if you're buying factory ammo, there's almost no difference. There are a selection of factory 6.5mm cartridges. (There is probably less choice in 6.5mm compared to .30 cal.) Most of them are precision rifle-oriented, and probably not that available in Canada.

That should be a non-issue, though, because, if you want to shoot more than once every few months, you're going to have to reload... If you have more sense than money. Personally, if I dropped $3-4k on a rifle, $2.5-3.5k on nice glass, I'm going to want to shoot it as much as I can.

 

[bearhunter]

One thing that really impresses me is how good many small cartridges are and how capable they are and how little REAL difference there is on target, paper or meat.

Extra power is meaningless if you can't handle it. If you can, by all means do it, especially if you want to use heavier bullets at longer ranges. That's the real advantage the 300WM has over the 308W.

Stick with the 308W until you are proficient out to 350 meters. That will take in 99.9% of most hunting situations. If you feel that you want more, for whatever reason, go for the 300WM or whichever big boomer turns your handle.

If it comes down to cost, the 308W is of course cheaper, a lot cheaper.

 

[smokechecker]

Personally, I love my 300 win mag. If you go this route though, invest in a high-end recoil pad!! After 6 years, my factory pad is shot....no pun intended!

 

[emilio613]

Personally, I love my 300 win mag. If you go this route though, invest in a high-end recoil pad!! After 6 years, my factory pad is shot....no pun intended!

Yea see that's my dilemma. I love the 300wm on paper at least, the characteristics compared to the 308W.

But I don't think I need to be shooting further than 500 meters, ever. So maybe a 308 is enough for me ?

 

[t-star]

i have only 2 rifles- a 308 and a 338- the 300 is just a 308 on SPEED- and you get 2 extra rounds with the 308- inside of 500 yards, you just haveto stalk a little closer- your mpbr is about 267 with 180 grain bullets- it's probably about 325 with a 300 mag- the 06 runs 287- most of the big magnums only hold 3 due to the belt

 

[emilio613]

i have only 2 rifles- a 308 and a 338- the 300 is just a 308 on SPEED- and you get 2 extra rounds with the 308- inside of 500 yards, you just haveto stalk a little closer- your mpbr is about 267 with 180 grain bullets- it's probably about 325 with a 300 mag- the 06 runs 287- most of the big magnums only hold 3 due to the belt

Sorry, noob here.... mpbr... Most probable ___ range.... or??? (I'm guessing here lol)

Ok, so a 308 for now, and if I ever need something more powerful, then move into 338LM and reloading, is that more or less what you suggest?

 

[t-star]

mpbr- MAXIMUM POINT BLANK RANGE- a range at whch your vertical deflection ( up and down variance) is no more than 3 inches either way- basically an almost guarenteed hit to a VITAL area- and when you decide to "move up" to the 338-340 series, also look at your powder effectiveness- ie verlocity gain per grain of powder burned- and also look at the 375's - there's a whole new spectrum up that way- but then you're into FLATTENING , not just shooting

 

[maynard]

If you are looking to get into long range competitions there are a few things you should know before laying out your hard earned $$$.
1) is your local range templated for the caliber you wish to shoot?
2) Muzzle brakes are not allowed in TR/F Class events, but are allowed in Precision Matches.
3) handloading is a must for long range shooting.
4) you may think can handle recoil without a problem, but most matches are 50-70 rounds a day.

If you are looking to get into long range shooting contact your Provincial Rifle Association and attend a match or practice day and ask lots of questions.

 

[emilio613]

If you are looking to get into long range competitions there are a few things you should know before laying out your hard earned $$$.
1) is your local range templated for the caliber you wish to shoot?
2) Muzzle brakes are not allowed in TR/F Class events, but are allowed in Precision Matches.
3) handloading is a must for long range shooting.
4) you may think can handle recoil without a problem, but most matches are 50-70 rounds a day.

If you are looking to get into long range shooting contact your Provincial Rifle Association and attend a match or practice day and ask lots of questions.

I think for now, it would be just for my own pleasure, before I get into competitive shooting. It would be at local ranges on their open days, and possibly hunting.

As I said, I might just go with a 308 for now, but I do like the fact that some other calibers shoot flatter, like the 300winmag (or so I assume).

 

[maynard]

If you took the possibility of hunting big game out of the equation, a fast twist .223 shooting heavy bullets will get you out to 1000 yards without a problem.

 

[emilio613]

If you took the possibility of hunting big game out of the equation, a fast twist .223 shooting heavy bullets will get you out to 1000 yards without a problem.

Yup, I had considered that before too! However, hunting big game is a must in this equation

 

[agent_mango]

Yup, I had considered that before too! However, hunting big game is a must in this equation

You've always got to consider the tradeoffs you make when you want one rifle to do two jobs. If you bought a decent but inexpensive 308 or 300 WM sporter and a box or two of hunting ammo you could hunt big game at the usual hunting ranges, and if in addition you bought a fast twist 223, you could get a lot of long range practice with no recoil pain and much lower reloading costs.

 

[dizzy]

your dad is right a Sako TRG 42 is not HUGELY more accurate than the Savage 308. I was in the same boat as you. Started with a Savage 10fp, added a sako trg 22, then the sako trg 42 300wm, Savage is now gone. 308 gets the most use.