308 vs 300mag

mdbuckle

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
20   0   0
Location
Self-Isolation
I am considering getting a tikka tactical but I am stuck as to which caliber to get. I will mostly be using it for the range but I will also use it for an occasional moose hunt. Is a .300 win mag too much gun for all day at the range? .308 is cheaper... Any insight, or suggestions would be of help.
 
I agree with Cat. The .308 will drop a moose without much problem, shooting at 1000 yards, the .308 will get there. On the other hand, shooting all day in the range with a .300 mag will wear you out.:D
 
realy the only time you will get worn out with the 300 win mag is if you shoot like 5 boxes of ammo in a row. well if you get the big muzzle break :D
ttyal
Riley
 
Under 1000...Can't go wrong with .308 w/double less wear on the barrel & less the huge recoil a 300 gives...Go .308, AKA the general purpose caliber!
 
"Can't go wrong with .308 w/double less wear on the barrel & less the huge recoil a 300 gives"

Can someone tell me how much barrel life I could expect with a 308 vs 300WM vs 7mmRM? No rapid fire, bolt action regular use...
 
JNG said:
"Can't go wrong with .308 w/double less wear on the barrel & less the huge recoil a 300 gives"

Can someone tell me how much barrel life I could expect with a 308 vs 300WM vs 7mmRM? No rapid fire, bolt action regular use...

I would hazard a guess at about twice , at least.
Some of us get tired dragginmg gear , yes, and some of us get frightend from bad experiences from magnums and have shoulder or other injuries.
Then there are some of us that realize we cannot win a match with a 300 mag, and resign ourselves to the fact that we will just have to keep winning with the wimmpy .308 Winchester!:D
Cat
 
308 is great for paper to a thousand and moose out to 600, but the killing power falls off pretty quickly after that. For long range moose the 300 would be the better option hands down.
300s do NOT need to be hard on a shooter.
Cat have you had a chance to shoot Brians new toy??
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
308 is great for paper to a thousand and moose out to 600, but the killing power falls off pretty quickly after that. For long range moose the 300 would be the better option hands down.
300s do NOT need to be hard on a shooter.
Cat have you had a chance to shoot Brians new toy??

Nice rifle, Rick, but I can't get my head around a muzzle brake!
Tp many years of tr duty with a .308 and unbraked sporteers maybe?:D
I also load for a fella with a 338 lapua TRG that has a brake on it.
My son shot that rifle when he was only 14, said it kicked like an 870 remington with trap loads! Super accurate as well, 3 shots less thaan 1" at 200 yards.
Cat
 
I sold my .300wm and kept my .308.

I loved the .300wm though!!

For recoil it felt like a 30-06 in a 6 lb rifle with the Vais brake I had on it it felt like a .243.

For range the .300 is better than the .308 but how often do most of us shoot 1000yds or further? I did once with my .308 and it handled it really well.

I had about 3500 rds through my .300 before it started spreading the groups.
 
Cat the brake IS real noisy and obnoxious, just like it was supposed to be by order, but if you can get over the nasty blast, I think you will be surprised about how little recoil the rifle delivers. Not suggesting you want or need a brake, but more just for interest sake, if he will let you shoot it.

Max I think Jerry is close, but I have found with a brake installed on a 700P in 300 win , it shot more like a 700P in 223 than 308 maybe a slight bit more than 223 but not much. Long Range Canuck has a 300 I just built him and shoots 223 in a heavy Savage. PM him for his thoughts.
Brakes do tend to tame light rifles more noticeably than heavy 1s I believe, as the heavier rifles tend to deliver less recoil due to the weight. Also I have found that lighter calibers do not benefit as much as the bigger 1s do.
 
Muzzle brake effectiveness has to do with muzzle pressure and gas volume. The more of each, the better a brake can work.

% reduction from a 300WM will be greater then a 308 in equal rifles simply because there is more 'blast' from the WM to make that brake move forward.

Cartridges that have high recoil, but low muzzle pressure and gas volume, will not see much benefit from a brake. Example would be a slug SG or a 45-70.

Jerry

PS a 300WM with a good brake and stock design will kick like a SKS. Not much at all.
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
Cat the brake IS real noisy and obnoxious, just like it was supposed to be by order, but if you can get over the nasty blast, I think you will be surprised about how little recoil the rifle delivers. Not suggesting you want or need a brake, but more just for interest sake, if he will let you shoot it.

Max I think Jerry is close, but I have found with a brake installed on a 700P in 300 win , it shot more like a 700P in 223 than 308 maybe a slight bit more than 223 but not much. Long Range Canuck has a 300 I just built him and shoots 223 in a heavy Savage. PM him for his thoughts.
Brakes do tend to tame light rifles more noticeably than heavy 1s I believe, as the heavier rifles tend to deliver less recoil due to the weight. Also I have found that lighter calibers do not benefit as much as the bigger 1s do.

I have in fact shot that rifle, And a few sporters with brakes on them Rick.
My son had a 708 for a bit that had a boss brake on it, and in the past i loaded a whole bunch for two fellas that owned 700's in 300WM with brakes.
I found that the blast jarred my teeth!
The heavier rifles are not bad as far as recoil goes, it is just the blast and the noise I don't like.
My 300WSM I am putting togther is going to have a recoil reducer in the stock and a mess of lead in the forend, the limbsaver plus the PAST redcoil shield and a Shooting jacket .
I should be able to tolerate it for a few shots, but have extra shank om the barrel incase I cannot and have to put it into something I can shoot well!
Cat
 
Last edited:
alberta tactical rifle said:
Cat the brake IS real noisy and obnoxious, just like it was supposed to be by order, but if you can get over the nasty blast, I think you will be surprised about how little recoil the rifle delivers. Not suggesting you want or need a brake, but more just for interest sake, if he will let you shoot it.

Max I think Jerry is close, but I have found with a brake installed on a 700P in 300 win , it shot more like a 700P in 223 than 308 maybe a slight bit more than 223 but not much. Long Range Canuck has a 300 I just built him and shoots 223 in a heavy Savage. PM him for his thoughts.
Brakes do tend to tame light rifles more noticeably than heavy 1s I believe, as the heavier rifles tend to deliver less recoil due to the weight. Also I have found that lighter calibers do not benefit as much as the bigger 1s do.

I was thinking CAT when I requested it!!!!:p :p :p :D :D :D


You don't have to PM me for my thoughts on this, but I think it is darn well time I got a discount for advertising!!:p :D My .300 win mag has (i would say )a hair less recoil than my savage vbss .223.....Loud and obnoxios??? depends on where ya stick your head, If your dumb enough to stand at the end of a breaked barrel well then I guess the concussion blast from the rifle will not do any brain damage.:p :p :D But I do show proper respect with it and don't pull the trigger unless hearing protection is worn by all!!! courtesy :D I can shoot this rifle all day and guarantee no marks....if ya want a video PM me with your real e-mail and I will show ya my wife shooting it and the happyness in her face say's it all......actually the fact Rick will be building her one in the near future should be testement to the low recoil, not that she cant handle a rifle that isnot comped, thats why I am so well behaved when she is around. This rifle is built to last a lifetime of shooting and with the recoil level in this rifle I could probably shoot it on weekend leave from a nursing home with no Ill effects....can't recomend it enuff. I say if you can have big ass calibers without recoil or slight recoil with no performance loss why wouldn't you do it?
 
mysticplayer said:
Muzzle brake effectiveness has to do with muzzle pressure and gas volume. The more of each, the better a brake can work.

% reduction from a 300WM will be greater then a 308 in equal rifles simply because there is more 'blast' from the WM to make that brake move forward.

Cartridges that have high recoil, but low muzzle pressure and gas volume, will not see much benefit from a brake. Example would be a slug SG or a 45-70.

Jerry

PS a 300WM with a good brake and stock design will kick like a SKS. Not much at all.

This is very apparent when working up loads in a braked 300WM. The starting loads kick harder than the top end loads.
 
Back
Top Bottom