Recommended hunting bullet for Tikka T3 300 wsm

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Long_Shot

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Hello Guys, I'm looking for some opinions on what bullet to choose for a mule deer hunt I'm going on in a few weeks. I'm shooting a Tikka T3 .300 WSM. I was leaning towards 180 grain Nosler AccuBond. Does anyone know how I can find out the rifling twist on my barrel? Apperantely certain twist rates are not recommended for some bullets. I'm not sure if this applies to the AccuBond bullet. I'm also going to be reloading these rounds so load info is welcome also. I'd appreciate any input : ) I'm using H4895 powder.
 
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Generally all are 1 in 9 or 1 in 10, which is perfect for anything one might put down the barrel of a .30 caliber for hunting.

Couple weeks ago, my son-in-law dropped a nice 4x4 mulie at about 300 yds, one shot with his T3 300 WSM and Fusion 165s.
 
You don't need anything like an Accubond for mule deer, any basic cup and core bullet will be fine. 180gr is a great all around choice for your 300WSM and should shoot fine out of your rifle.

Mark
 
If I were getting a load tailored for a Mulie hunt, I'd start by looking at 165 gr. in a basic bullet. Maybe a Speer Hot-cor or a Sierra gameking or a Hornady BTSP. I'd get that sucker going at about 3000 fps, and I'd be happy, as long as the accuracy was 1.5" or better at 100 yards.
If I were looking for a more "do all" load, then I'd look at the accubond or the partition in 165 gr. If I went up to 180 gr, I'd look again at the cup-and-core bullets.
That's just me, though. A 30 cal 180 gr Accubond is more than I would think is necessary to kill a deer. They fall easy to .243's using Sierra Gamekings.
 
I would go with 165 gr Federals. They cost a bit more than a cheap box of Winchester super X but you only need to buy one box a year.
 
I disagree with the cup and core bullet theory. I prefer a bonded bullet, out of magnums, for all loads. The reason for this is that a non-bonded bullet will fragment if you hit an animal at close range, causing more meat damage. Why not go with the accubonds? That would be my load, I use 140 grain accubonds in my .280 and 7mm RM. Got a mule buck last wednesday and he didn't complain :p and little meat damage. Where as the WT I shot last year at 40 yards, with a non-bonded bullet and a 7RM, had almost a whole quarter lost to meat damage.
 
i also shoot a 300 wsm ...i tried a lot of different bullets ..and ended up with the WINCHESTER SUPREME ACCUBOND 180 gr ..i tried the 150 gr. xp3 for more velocity but accuracy went out the door ..try different bullets and your rifle will tell you which load is more accurate in YOUR barrel ...i have shot deer 'caribou,bear and moose with the .180 gr. bullet and no meat lose ever ...shot placement is the answere ..

ps. no shoulder shots ....shoulder shots only on bears to nail them on the spot ..


 
Thanks for the input guys. Very helpful. I have other bullets for plinking 150 grain hornadys. Here I'm just looking for a pure hunting round. Not really looking for versatility.
 
180 grain Barnes Triple Shock, loaded by Federal, shoots very well out of my Sako (same barrel as your Tikka). The perfect all around bullet for the .300 wsm in my opinion. I am tempted to try the 168 grain TTSX Vortex ammo by Barnes when I have the chance as well. I have no idea why anyone would use a cup and core bullet from a magnum cartridge during a hunt.

You might want to consider practicing with the same grain of bullet that you will use for your hunts.. I find Federal Fusion 180 grain to be quite reasonable and accurate. Powershock (Blue Box Federal) was absolute garbage in my opinion.

Don't think you could really go wrong with the Accubond either, in 180 grain.
 
The best load I had for my Tikka 300WSM was a 168gr TSX, pushed by a healthy amount of RL-19.

168gr TSX gets my vote.
 
I'm leaning towards the Barnes Tipped TSX. But the 180 grain is no where to be found in the valley. So may have to stick with the nosler accubond. I would prefer to stick with the 180 grain bullet this time around.
 
Long_Shot said:
I'm leaning towards the Barnes Tipped TSX. But the 180 grain is no where to be found in the valley. So may have to stick with the nosler accubond. I would prefer to stick with the 180 grain bullet this time around.
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You don't need a 180 grain for mule deer. The 300 WSM and the Barns 168 gr TSX are a match made in heaven.
 
There is no load data for Hodgdon H4895 powder for any bullets above 165 grain. What powders would you recommend for either a 168 grain or 180 grain Barnes tipped tsx bullet?
 
IMR 4350 is a good option and so is IMR 7828. Frankly Reloader 17 "will" be the fastest with a 165gr or 180gr bullet. For a good gun like yours I would look at the accubond, it is a very strong bullet that would be a suitable pill for any critter in N.A. and will create a larger wound channel then the ttsx.

That being said the world record bull elk was taken with a 165 barnes in a .300

Either bullet will work fine with a 180 being the weight in my .300wsm. In my eyes the most accurate powder load is the best choice, speed only counts when you hit your target.

my$.02
 
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