600 yard MOA Moose rifle build - 300 WSM or 300 WIN Mag? Sako/Tikka/Weatherby/Kimber?

Ive decided I want another rifle for longer range moose hunting where 500 - 600 yard shots can be easily made due to forestry cuts. ( and yes I can ethically shoot at that distance because I regularly shoot target at longer distances and practice regularly)
Im going with either 300 WSM or 300 WinMag and looking to push 200 grain pills (most likely Nosler partitions or Barnes TSX)

I want to keep the rifle under $2000. (I already have a Swaro Z5 scope waiting for it)
For out of the box accuracy Im considering the following - Sako 85, Tikka T3 with upgraded stock, Weatherby, Kimber, Cooper or Forbes.
Weight is not a big issue as we ride our ATVs to lookout spots and sit - so I dont expect to be walking long distances in the bush with this rifle

Anyone notice any big differences between 300 WSM vs 300 WinMag for 200 - 220 gr pills

Any recommendations for out of the box accuracy in reference to brands I have mentioned
is 5-600yds going to be the absolute max range? after lots of practice and taking some animals at this range are you going to push your hunting and shooting skills further?
 
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Not at 600, but it gives you an idea (this was from a cut-block, not a range - and those are 1" squares):
496Yards.jpg

Now that is some fine shooting. Thanks for posting!
 
is 5-600yds going to be the absolute max range? after lots of practice and taking some animals at this range are you going to push your hunting and shooting skills further?

once I'm comfortable at that range it's possible ... And then again ... since moose season is only once a year, by the time I make enough clean kills at this range ....
 
Having loaded both - the 300 Win Mag gets the nod......300 WSM doesnt do well with the 180-200 grain bullets as far as load density / compressed loads go. This is cause the action is short and the bullets are long.....no where to seat the bullet 'cept in the powder room! The 300 Win Mag has more than enough energy at 500-600 yards to do the job.......provided you are using proper bullets....Barnes LRX / TTSX are my go to bullets! I'm Not an accubond fan but others like them. Another great choice is the Swift Scirrocco II.

If your serious about the weatherbys definaltley look at the 30-378, 300 weatherby, and the 300 RUM. and of course any of the big 338's. I use a 338 RUM (hunting) and 338Lapua (long range) and they will be a better long range round for your intended purposes. Bigger heavier bullets, better SD, roughly the same B.C. but carry a lot more energy at those longer ranges. Dont pass up on the 225 TTSX in the 338 as this is my go to bullet in the RUM and this year hammered a Spike elk at 475 yards and got just over 48" of penetration.

Going forward.......whatever you pick - .300 win mag on up....use the heaviest, best B.C controlled expansion bullets you can find and shoot accuratley. Also remember the worst possible shot could come in any hunting situation............ yup thats the one rioght up close and personal (<50 yards) you will need a bullet that can and will stand up to that kind of abuse!!! and also perform way out yonder whent that shot presents itself!!

Good luck in your decision!! (nice problem to have)

Thanks for the input!
 
For your application forget about lightweights like a Kimber or Forbes. You want to be around 8.5-11lbs all in with some barrel contour to speak of. Not saying either rifle isn't capable (I've owned plenty of Montanas and currently shoot a NULA) it's just ridiculously easier to hit at range with a meatier rifle. With the scope already bought and paid for 2000$ is a lot of cheddar to play with. SuperCub gives some sound advice in his post above.
I'd suggest an XCR-II in .338RUM myself, ditch the factory tupperware for a Mcmillan stock of your choice and use the rest of your cash for reloading components.
Thanks .. (I had been looking at a NULA - they look amazing!), and I agree - a heavier rifle is the way to go
 
Thanks everyone for your input so far ... I think the 300 WinMag is the cartridge of choice. So now I need to find a rifle that has the accuracy and mag length for those 200 gr pills
 
Thanks everyone for your input so far ... I think the 300 WinMag is the cartridge of choice. So now I need to find a rifle that has the accuracy and mag length for those 200 gr pills

As per my initial post, the Mil-Spec 5R has everything you need, including the mag length.
 
Ok... So I'm gonna stick my nose in. I built a WSM on a LA so that I could seat the bullets at the neck shoulder junction. Gave up nothing in case capacity. Only ever ran the 180 tsx @ 3100 fps. 66 gr of IMR 4350. This combination was very effective. Theory was that if it worked in precision rifle it'd work on a hunting rig... Longest moose was @ 746 yds. Don't let standard COAL make your decisions for you. My opinion for what it's worth, Piper.
 
Weatherby Backcountry in 300 Win Mag or 300 Weatherby Mag shooting handloaded Nosler 200 gr Accubonds will get the job done ! BUT can you ?:confused:;) RJ

If I went with a Weatherby I would go with an Accumark because of the heavier barrel and extra overall weight which makes a big difference if you do a lot of target practice.

1899 - I may have to take a closer look at the Remington Mil-Spec 5R ... I have never had a great experience with Remington - poor out of the box accuracy and workmanship. However the Mil- Spec 5R may be different so it may be worth doing a bit more research
 
600 yards is way too far for any cartridge to make a clean kill regardless of the shooter's skill. Energy just isn't there at those distances. And the kill zone on Bullwinkle is a lot smaller than any target's bull. Think about 9", not 24.
A 180(nobody loads 200 plus) WSM does have a slight advantage, but both drop over 30"(the Win drops a meter) at 500 with under 2,000 ft/lbs. of energy.
Otherwise, one hunting rifle is the same as any other.

Blah, blah...still proving I'm a retard in writing and posting it on the intrwebz.....blah...blah....

Please stop talking.
 
any good 300 WM hunting rig should take you there with 210 gr. Berger Hunting VLD factory load from HSM (you can buy it in Canada) - well over 2000 fps and over 2000 ft lbs @600 yd
 
ER Shaw makes nice rifles as well. I priced out a 264 wm a while back and although it was over your $2000 mark it may be still worth a look
Cooper makes a great rifle as well and since you're more or less sniping than hard hunting a nice gun shouldn't get to beat up. I'm not dissing your hunting style in anyway. I hunt thick heavy bush so I bang my guns around. If i had open areas I could drive to I'd use prettier guns
300 win mag gets my vote
 
For what its worth if you are looking at an accumark then take a look at prophet rivers site...they have a few on for just over $1900...........they wont be at that price for long with this dollar and weatherby stating that they are closer to $2100 MSRP on their website!!

And im going to go and stick my neck out and make this statement as far as hunting bullets go.......dont bet your sucess on the berger bullets for hunting....they are not controlled for expansion and will fail miserably on closer shots. This past fall I ran into a guy at a local gunshop and he was looking for a high BC controlled expansion bullet for his .300 Win Mag.........he and his hunting partner were drawn for moose and both were using the Berger hunting bullets and a shot at a 48" plus bull came at around 200 yards. the shot was true but they didnt recover the animal.......they even went back 3 days in a row to look for birds.....all they found was hide!!!! This tells me the bullet didnt make the rib cage and all they were in was rolling praries and hills......minimal forest. So the revovery should have been easy.

Like I said in my past post look at the Barnes LRX, TTSX, Switf Scirrocos II's, Accubonds..........these will all hold together if a shot presents itself up close.... yet will open and penetrate when the velocity has dropped off at further yardages. And to justify this theory I have harvested 17 elk in the past 20 years.....along with 8 moose, and countless deer. You cant defy Physics and terminal impact velocities are often overlooked when it comes to big game hunting and bullet choices!

Not trying to steer the page away from original topic but this needs to be considered for the 500-600 yard shooting......not all shots come at that range.....sometimes the sun shines on a dogs ass!!!!


Just one mans opinion.....
 
600 yards is way too far for any cartridge to make a clean kill regardless of the shooter's skill. Energy just isn't there at those distances. And the kill zone on Bullwinkle is a lot smaller than any target's bull. Think about 9", not 24.

I have a customer who can shoot smaller than 9 inches at 900 yards... and dropped a moose at 852 yards with one shot. 338 Edge and 300 grain. He is not the only one out there.



Some recent comments in another thread about the prolific sunray!

Again with Sunray's seagull imitation; swoops in, squawks, drops a load of Guano and flies away to the next.

I have to agree... it doesn't matter what the subject is, whether he has any knowledge of it, the Guano gets left...

I don't think Sunray knows how to search his own posts in order to revisit them. Lol!
Its just stop, plop, and go!
 
I think if I were building a rifle specifically for moose at 500+ yards, I'd be looking at a cartridge in the 338 UltraMag or 340 Weatherby class myself. The 300's of the same families would be my choice if I were stuck on a 30.

I'd want very flat trajectory in a load that carries lots ​of energy at that distance.
 
Yea 500 yards with the right gear is not a tuff shot by any means
and yes at 500 yards with my little 6.5 x55 I'd stop a moose no problem
just dropped a 980 lb elk at 350 I have been hunting elk and moose for over 40 years and moose fall over elk don't
im shooting a 6.5 x55 and running a 140 grain at 3040 hot leaving the muzzel I have the same energy as as a 300 win mag 190 grain at 1000 yards
and I penetrate better every time . I always leave a big hole and the 300 dosent push through
this year
elk at 350
elk at 600
elk at 850

last year
562
650
lots at 350 - 500
 
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