300 win. Mag or 300wsm

[Neil P]

I am looking at getting a new hunting rifle for elk hunting. I am looking for a long range gun that still has good stoping power. I am waffling over the 300 win. mag and the 300wsm. They are both very simular but I was wondering if anyone has any opinion if one is more versitile than the other.

The only thing I can see is that the smaller cartridge might be easier to cycle.

Thank you for any input

 

[wonksy]

WSM all the way!!!

Lighter, Faster handling rifle with a shorter bolt cycle and the same ballistics!! It's a no brainer in my opinion!!!

 

[Eagleye]

No Elk will ever know the difference. However, the 300 Win Mag is a long established case that is loaded a bit "soft" from the factory, making it seem no better than the WSM. If you reload, the Win Mag wins, since it is a bigger case.
The real difference is about 100 FPS in favor of the 300 Win with a 180 grain bullet. Not a lot, but if you are shooting factory loads [and many WSM loads are loaded pretty hot, in my experience] then Just buy whichever feels best to you. The short action ploy means little or nothing in practical terms. I have a 300 WSM and a 308 Norma Mag. If I head out elk hunting, I will grab whichever one I like best that day. Just a small point. The larger case deals with heavier bullets a bit better [200 grain and up] since the bullet does not intrude on powder space quite as badly as thw WSM. But if 165/180 grain bullets are what you will use, the real world difference is negligible. Eagleye.

 

[ahlsy]

I'm a WSM guy. I've shot 300 mags and cant believe the difference in recoil with the WSM. It's like shooting a 30-06. That being said, the WSM doesn't do very well with bullets over 180gr and you can usually only get 2 in the mag, but my thinking is, if you can't do the job with 3 rounds, the 4th or 5th probably won't help either.

 

[whitetail wheeler]

acually you will get about 50 to 150 ft per sec faster with a 300 win mag and after 200 yds it takes of better then the short mag and less money plus every store sell 300win mag ammo if you don't re load look at hogdon reloading datta and compare ive had 300wsm 325wsm 300winmag now i have a 300win mag all pretty much the same though all will give a good kick all will drop game, thanx trevor.

 

[Wookie316]

300 Win Mag for sure. Didn't like the WSM I had.

 

[Mighty Peace]

If you reload, go for the 300WM, if you want a lighter weight / short action rifle go for the 300WSM. A Sako Finnlight would be a nice rifle for the 300WSM. Nice thing with the Sako m75 or m85 rifle is you get 4 rounds in the magazine plus 1 in the chamber for a total of 5-should you need it..(My motto is really 1 shot-1 kill) Both calibers with 180gr Accubonds or TTSX's will harvest any big game animal cleanly if you make your shot.

Seen a 300WSM Finnlight for sale I believe $1100 on another forum site.

My first rifle I bought was a Sako m75ss 300WM anlong with a buddy also 12 years ago...love it. I thought I was a 1-rifle guy but got bit by the rifle bug in 2004. I had a Sako m75 Greywolf 300WSM I bought last spring in mint condition for a great price and sold it to a friend (for the same price) in my moose camp as he wanted to upgrade from his caliber he was shooting.

My reloads for my 300WM are impressive to say the least.

 

[Spot-n-Stalk]

Neither. Both will bounce off an Elk like rubber balls. You might as well bring a slingshot.

.338 Win Mag or .375 H&H is the way to go. Personally I would opt for .470 Nitro, just to be sure.

 

[Mike Oxbig]

I think that for the extremely small loss of speed (if any at all) the shorter action more than makes up for it.
I read somewhere that after a certain weight (180gr IIRC) that performance is hindered due to the standard rifling. (I think it was in one of my reloading books, I'll have a look later.)

 

[wonksy]

Neither. Both will bounce off an Elk like rubber balls. You might as well bring a slingshot.

.338 Win Mag or .375 H&H is the way to go. Personally I would opt for .470 Nitro, just to be sure.

 

[Mike Oxbig]

Neither. Both will bounce off an Elk like rubber balls. You might as well bring a slingshot.

So you're the one who's been shooting at the Iron Elk statue in my yard!
Cut it out you're scaring the dog!

 

[blargon]

Get whichever one is available in the rifle you like...

 

[Spcamno]

Neither. Both will bounce off an Elk like rubber balls. You might as well bring a slingshot.

.338 Win Mag or .375 H&H is the way to go. Personally I would opt for .470 Nitro, just to be sure.

I have once used my 375 H&H for deer and all the hunters we meet that day think I'm crazy.

Regardless, those caliber you mentioned is not necessary for elk however there is no such thing is overkill and if recoil is not an issue and you can shoot that caliber accurately I don't see why not especially people like me with the "big bore syndrome"

 

[Spot-n-Stalk]

I have once used my 375 H&H for deer and all the hunters we meet that day think I'm crazy.

Regardless, those caliber you mentioned is not necessary for elk however there is no such thing is overkill and if recoil is not an issue and you can shoot that caliber accurately I don't see why not especially people like me with the "big bore syndrome"

I have only one leg, so whatever I shoot, I like it dead there and then

Saves me a lot of trouble tracking if you know what I mean.

I also find that when I'm shooting off-hand, that it's easier to keep my balance holding a heavy rifle

 

[MTM]

Get a 338, head and shoulders better than a .30 for Elk.

 

[Calum]

I have once used my 375 H&H for deer and all the hunters we meet that day think I'm crazy.

Regardless, those caliber you mentioned is not necessary for elk however there is no such thing is overkill and if recoil is not an issue and you can shoot that caliber accurately I don't see why not especially people like me with the "big bore syndrome"

You are crazy, and yes there is such a thing as overkill...ie edible meat damage.

 

[Spcamno]

I have only one leg, so whatever I shoot, I like it dead there and then

Saves me a lot of trouble tracking if you know what I mean.

I also find that when I'm shooting off-hand, that it's easier to keep my balance holding a heavy rifle

Agreed!

I know this video has been posted before but I wouldn't mind fire couple of rounds out of it just to try it out
[youtube]-EVqT3XEzss&feature=PlayList&p=3D99D769F34E5EA5&index=0&playnext=1[/youtube]

 

[Conan_568]

I have a 300 Jap make Weatherby that shoots inch groups.
Some say the Jap versions are the best.
My deseased hunting partner had a 300 Win Sako and he took a 1200 lb. cow Elk with it, 1 shoot to the Noodle.
We got over 600 lbs. of meat, and the meat packers said it was the biggest cow Elk they'd ever seen.

If you're going to reload, go with the 300 Win, it's a great cartridge.

Now I hunt Elk with this Shiloh 45-110 Sharps rifle, with my 338-378 Wby Accumark as backup.
Actually the 338-378's gets used for shooting Gophers after the Elk hunt.
This Sharps would put a 540 grain lead bullet through an Elephant.

 

[Spcamno]

You are crazy, and yes there is such a thing as overkill...ie edible meat damage.

Well, I have to confess I know its overkill but surprisingly the flesh damage is not as bad as many would think.

I was using 235gr bullet on the 375 and that deer was shot just under 100 yards and the exit wound was may be a little over 3" but I have use my 300WM with 150gr bullet shot a deer at a little over 200 yards but I have blown a fist size hole on the exit wound on that deer.

I am not sure if its the bullet or the speed of the bullet but to me on both incident the meat damage was more severe on the 300WM than the 375.

 

[Republic of Alberta]

If you don't reload go take a look at factory ammo prices then make you choice. Both do EXACTY the same thing.