300 win mag VS 300wsm

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yukon.hunter

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Hey team,

what's everyone's preference on the 300 win mag vs the wsm? pros and cons. I own a 300 wsm and love it but I'm going to sell it for a little cheaper rifle. I still want a 300, do I stick with the wsm or go to the belted magnum ???

Cheers
 
I have had three different belted 300 magnums, Wby, Winchester, and Norma Magnum over the years. Never had a moments problem with any of them in performance or reloading for them, and they all outperform the WSM.

Ted
 
Weatherby,Winchester,300 H&H,300 Norma and I cannot say honestly there is a dimes worth of difference performance wise.
Three in the safes right now
A H&H and a 300 Win Mag and a 300WSM.
I shoot the short mag because I love the rifle and it does everything the others do every bit as well.
 
A 300 win mag does not blow the wsm away. Maybe 100 fps difference at most. I will stick with my nice light compact 300 wsm. Nothing wrong with 300 mag either but blow it away; not a chance and I have reloaded for both. The one thing I will admit about the 300 mag is that it seems to be easier on brass than the wsm.
 
I like the WSM if you reload and you want to shoot lighter bullets at fast speed with a short action. I found the performance of the WSM is perfectly suited to the 165g and 168g. I shoot TTSX and love the short mag.

If you want to go with 180s or up take the win mag.
 
My 300 Wins beat my current 300 Wissum by a solid 200 fos. I like the little Kimber Select grade though so I can forgive it a little. You don't buy a Kimber to shoot 1000 yards anyway. Let another 300 WSM go that had a lot more in common with a 30-06 than a Win Mag.
In the field, the difference could be a little or a lot depending on which field you are standing in. My WSM is set up with B & C reticle like most of my general purpose hunting rifles. With a stiff load under a 180 NBT it matches up with the reticle at 200-300-400-450 and 500 at the infinity pin. Decidedly ordinary, that.

A load that I’m using in 3 300 Wins is H1000 and the 190 ABLR. Used with the same reticle it works rather nicely at 300 (and a smidge) 400-500-600 and 650 at the pin. Thats STW country.

That ain’t blowing the WSM away; thats ##### slapping it to its knees. ;)
 
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After owning a couple of WSM rifles [and shooting a moose and an elk with them] I like the compactness of the
package, but noted that even certain factory rounds showed definite signs of high pressure.
I believe this is an attempt by the factories to come close to factory 300 Win Mag performance, and it comes
at a cost. I did find brass life shorter than the 300 Win or my favorite, the 308 Norma mag.

When you start loading any bullet over 180 grains, the WSM lags considerably. In any of my 308 Normas with 24"
barrels, I can drive the 200 Partition or Accubond at about the max speed the WSM will drive a 180.

I have a 26" barrelled #1 Ruger that makes well over 3000 with the 210 LRAB, and shoots it into ¾ moa or less
right out to 500 meters.

So I no longer own a 300 WSM. That being said, I have retained a 325 WSM, which I really like. It is a "thumper"
in the 8mm size, and delivers noticeably less recoil than my 8mm Rem Mag, which, IMHO, is the ultimate 8mm. Dave.
 
I would gladly take eithier.
Or a handful of other chamberings for the matter.
As it happens I have a 300wsm because I found a good deal on a rifle I wanted.
 
Totally agree there is a big difference between a 300 Weatherby and the short magnums but in practical terms on game using premium bullets the difference is pretty slight.
If 5-600 yards is in the plan go with the biggest fastest that you can handle.
Best bullet I have found for the short mag is 165-180 grains. If you want heavier go with the longer rounds.
 
Find the rifle you want and buy it, regardless of what 300 cartridge it is chambered for. They both work really well, both have readily available ammunition and there is ammunition for any sort of hunting you would do with a .300.
 
Here's a velocity string from a 23" barrel 300WSM, 200gr Nosler Accubonds over RL26

Code: 
  [TABLE]
[TR]
[TD]Stats - Average[/TD]
[TD="width: 64, align: right"]2801[/TD]
[TD="width: 64"]fps[/TD]
[TD="width: 128, colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Stats - Highest[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2813[/TD]
[TD]fps[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Stats - Lowest[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2791[/TD]
[TD]fps[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Stats - Ext. Spread[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]21.91[/TD]
[TD]fps[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Stats - Std. Dev[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]9[/TD]
[TD]fps[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Shot ID[/TD]
[TD]V0[/TD]
[TD]V50[/TD]
[TD]V100[/TD]
[TD]V150[/TD]
[TD]V200[/TD]
[TD]V250[/TD]
[TD]Ke0[/TD]
[TD]Ke50[/TD]
[TD]Ke100[/TD]
[TD]Ke150[/TD]
[TD]Ke200[/TD]
[TD]Ke250[/TD]
[TD]PF50[/TD]
[TD]Proj. Weight[/TD]
[TD]Date[/TD]
[TD]Time[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]1[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2813[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2737[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2660[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2576[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3513[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3326[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3141[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2946[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]547.4[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, align: center"]########[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]7:51:16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]2[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2796[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2722[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2646[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2565[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2502[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3470[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3288[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3108[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2920[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2779[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]544.4[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, align: center"]########[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]7:51:46[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]3[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2791[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2715[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2638[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2558[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3459[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3273[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3089[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2904[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]543[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, align: center"]########[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]7:52:13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]1[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2806[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2728[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2648[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3497[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3304[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3113[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]545.6[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, align: center"]########[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]8:17:39[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]2[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2789[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2714[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2635[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3454[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3270[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3083[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]542.8[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, align: center"]########[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]8:18:18[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]3[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2810[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2734[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2655[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3505[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3318[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3130[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]546.8[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, align: center"]########[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]8:18:48[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
I've had many of the 300 magnums at some point. For performance on game I don't think you'd know the difference between the WSM and the Win Mag, most of it really is just splitting hairs so I'd just pick the rifle you like in whichever clambering. On some rifles though, like the Kimber Montana, the WSM is significantly lighter. On others there is no weight difference. Some rifles will hold one more round in the mag with the standard Win mag.
 
I have had both in M70's. The WSM was a 24" the Win mag was a 26". The only thing the WSM had going for it was a slightly more compact and lighter gun. Go with the 300 win. Ammo everywhere and cheaper. Brass is plentiful otherwise. Every manufacturer makes the caliber.

Sure you can load the snot out if the WSM but why? The win mag has the advantage right out of the gate.

300 Win mag for me. Sold the other.
 
I've owned a 300 Win Mag and currently own a 300 WSM, which I had built when it was first announced. I get 2970 fps out of my 23 1/2" barrel with 180 gr AccuBonds and has worked very well for 17 years, and shoots 1/2" groups.
I like that it is a more compact rifle, burns less powder and has less felt recoil, with similar performance. But that's just me.

There'll be very little difference on game. And they are not going to notice the difference!
At the end of the day, it will come down to the rifle you find that you want to buy.

Only question I have is; If it ain't broke, why fix it?
You love the rifle you have now, keep it, as you won't get your money back out of it.
 
Owning an average 300wm and the slowest 300wm in canada id still chose the 300wm over the wsm. No real imperical data to share. I like the beltless design but longer thinner cartridges seem more appealing to me. Ive never had an issue with feeding long cartridges. I have had issues in short cartridges.
 
Like others said, mainly 180gr and heavier I'd go with the win mag, 180gr and under, WSM. I've owned the WSM in a BLR, only sold it because it would blow the living snot out of deer, and wasn't moose hunting like I planned on. Used my dads 700 BDL .300 Win Mag for the first few years I hunted before getting the WSM. Both work great! I tend to shoot the 180 and under bullets. So if I were to get another one it would likely be another WSM. I like the shorter action.

Like someone stated above, it's very similar to the 308 and 30-06 debate. Both are awesome, one has a slight advantage over the other. Is it worth the extra length and weight? Totally up to the shooter to decide what he wants more. Personally I own a 308.
 
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