.300 WSM or .30-06 ?

[Marksman_994]

Wich one would be best for me? .300 WSM or .30-06?

I plan to hunt moose and deer with my next rifle... I heard very good comment from each calbiers but I gotta ask the experts we meet in those forums that has tried both!

 

[Rembo]

I think these types of questions should be asked in a different way...
maybe like this?

"what is best for me?...a 180 at 2700fps or a 180 at 2900fps?"

What's 200 fps either way going to do foryou?

find a rifle you like and if it's chambered in either one you won't know the difference on game....

 

[Murf]

When I was buying my last rifle I was aware most of my buddies were carrying .300 WM's . After handling several rifles in both 30-06 and 300 I chose the 30-06. The decision came down to "feel". I did not like the fact the mags came with 2" longer barrels. Balance, ease of carrying in bush, weight all seemed to be against the 300. Buying one and then chopping it back would defeat the purpose of the Mag.
Now it seems many hunters are going from 300 to 300WSM. I find that a proper load in a 30-06 is so close in practical terms that I still feel I made the right choice for me. I'll give up the very minor trajectory advantage for the other benefits.

 

[riden]

Murf makes a good point, many WSM's are shorter and teh short action is another important factor.

Fit is #1

 

[todbartell]

if you're asking a question like this, the answer without a doubt is 300 magnum - get an Ultra magnum if you can

also check out : http://www.lazzeroni.com/


we're talking hunting rifles people! more power = more success. Nobody wants to come home without a deer

 

[powdergun]

I shoot the wsm and love it but one thing that is a bit of an issue are the sharper shoulders on the casing. The 30 06 feeds smoother because of the rounder shoulders. If you need fast follow ups perhaps the 06 may be better.

As for the round as was said above 200 fps at hunting ranges doesn't mean much. Also, 30 06 ammo is cheaper and comes in a wider variety.

I'll keep my wsm though

 

[Boomer]

The .30/06 is my hands down favoirtite cartridge, but I'll try and give you a reasonable comparison in spite of my personal prejudice .

Let's consider the trajectory of the same bullet in both cartridges. A .300 magnum normally drives a 180 gr bullet at 3000 fps, and the .30/06 can make 2800. If we plug those numbers into a ballistics program and choose a flat shooting bullet, say the Nosler Accubond, sighted for maximum point blank range you might not be impressed with the .300 magnum for use at normal hunting ranges.

When both rifles are sighted 4" high at 100 yds, the .300 has an advantage of 1/4" at 300 yards, and 3.5" at 400. I don't like to see my bullet rise that high above the line of sight, but it serves to illustrate the point that at hunting ranges it don't make much difference.

What about the argument that the higher impact velocity will kill better? Again if we choose the same bullet in both rifles, let's say the 180 gr TSX, the bullet is designed so that about one third of it's length will expand and form those deadly petals. In tissue the bullet will open fully with impact velocities as low as 2000 fps. My tests have proven to me that bullets can fail at impact velocities above 2400 fps. When an X bullet "fails", the petals break off but the slug continues to penetrate. Penetration is reduced because there is less mass, and the wound diameter is reduced because the frontal area of the bullet is smaller, so the over all effect is a smaller wound volume and the more time passes before the animal succumbs to blood loss.

I believe that 2400 fps is the optimum impact velocity for a bullet on big game. This velocity ensures maximum bullet upset without failure resulting in optimum penetration and wound volume. Loaded with a 180 gr TSX the otpimum range of the .300 is 300 yards, although the bullet could fail at closer ranges due to the higher velocity. The '06 loaded with the same bullet has an optimal range of 200 yards, and by 300 yards the penetration might come up a bit short of the same bullet from the .300 due to it's lower velocity.

Bullet weight is but one element that determines the recoil we experience when we fire a rifle. Powder charge is another. The difference between the .30/06 and the .300 WSM is not that great, perhaps 5 ft/lbs in rifles of the same weight with maximum charges of Re-19 behind 180 gr bullets. The .300 WSM is a short action round, so the rifle is potentially lighter which would increase the recoil to some degree.

Modern cartridge design is all about accuracy and little else. Most of the newer brand of cartridges have minimum case tapper and sharp shoulders. These rounds will not feed as well as a slender tapered cartridge like the '06 or the .300 H&H. My advice therefore would be not to choose the WSM cartridge if the rifle is going to be called on for a fast repeat shot on big game. On the other hand, if you want a long range cartridge, you could do a lot worse.

 

[JohnC]

I think it depends on the rifle it comes in - short action vs long - for moose and deer I don't think it makes much difference in practice.

If you don't reload 30:06 ammo is available in a lot more places than .300WSM.

I would definitely choose the .300 WSM over the .300Win mag though. smae ballistics, but a dshorter action, and easier to reload (longer neck).

 

[blargon]

If you want a real big .30, go get a .30-378 weatherby.

Other than that, either of the 2 you listed would be fine for the intended purposes. I'd be more concerned about what rifle to get, and then see what it comes chambered in, although most come in both now.

If you already have a smaller rifle, like a .25-06 .260, .270, then I'd go with the wsm to spread the gap a bit.

 

[NAA]

.30-06 or .300 Win Magnum............... ferget the pesky .300 WSM....

 

[t-star]

you get into the back bush( as opposed to the forward bush) and run out of ammo, and joe's hardware has it, which caliber is he MORE likely to have?- the new fancy stuff all them citee boys are carryin or the PROVEN game getter- you get into some of these places that have a gas station, restaurant, and motel/hardware all rolled into one, and they've got 2 calibers- 30/30 and 06- sometimes it's on the shelf behind the till, sometimes it's under the counter with the fancy lighters that still burn lighter fluid

 

[blargon]

you get into the back bush( as opposed to the forward bush) and run out of ammo

You run out of ammo, your tags should be filled. If you can't hit ####, another box of ammo won't help.

 

[shoshin]

From the ballistics arguments posted it's probably a wash. 30-06 is available everywhere and likely will be so 100 years from now. One question I'd ask is whether you expect the gun to be a keeper and a hand'er down'er. For that, I'd choose a 30-06.

But if you just want a fun rifle, pick the one that makes your bum hum and who cares!

 

[t-star]

there's ALWAYS some reason that you or your party runs out of ammo- informal target shooting, sighting in, or more often than not , left it sitting on the kitchen table, and it's a couple of hundred miles back-more often than not, it's a two week horseback hunt and the tags are filled by the second day- you still have to pay for the full two weeks,and have to do SOMETHING to occupy the time

 

[blargon]

I know, I've heard all the arguments, but I don't agree that anyone should buy a particular calibre just because you can buy the ammo in Billy-bob's store. If everyone thought like that we'd all be shooting .308, .30-06 or .270 and the gun industry would be ####. Just my opinion.

 

[Gatehouse]

you get into the back bush( as opposed to the forward bush) and run out of ammo, and joe's hardware has it, which caliber is he MORE likely to have?- the new fancy stuff all them citee boys are carryin or the PROVEN game getter- you get into some of these places that have a gas station, restaurant, and motel/hardware all rolled into one, and they've got 2 calibers- 30/30 and 06- sometimes it's on the shelf behind the till, sometimes it's under the counter with the fancy lighters that still burn lighter fluid

Better not choose a 270, 308, 303, 7mmRM 300WM or any other common cartridge then.

Choosing a cartridge based on "what happens if you forget your ammo" is about the dumbest criteria of all. Take steps to make sure you have ammunition, period.

 

[Gatehouse]

30-06 vs 300WSM.

It depends on what you like. Does a 300 magnum "kill" any better than a 30-06? Maybe...Many people report that they do, actually. Does it matter? Probably not.

the 300WSM will flatten trajectory a bit, especially at longer ranges. This may or may not be important to you.

I have a 300WSM, and I've had 30-06's. I'll take the 300WSM over the 30-06 anyday, but that is because I find it more interesting. They will both feed fine.

 

[303carbine]

I have talked to lots of oldtimers,they all say the same.
"There is nothing wrong with that 06"

 

[Woodsman]

'06 because I like long and thin vs. short and fat.

 

[mistahmojoryan]

I have Sako 75's in 300WM and 300WSM. The WSM is a better balanced/handling rifle due to the shorter action and a lighter barrel contour. The plus for the WM is it's easier to find 300WM factory ammo and it's cheaper.

The ballistic differences b/t a 30-06 and 300WM/WSM just don't mean anything to me so I'd probably be better off w/ one or two 30-06's anyway but I'd find that boringly efficient.