Any point in the .300 Win?
- Thread starter Hugegoat
- Start date
Sorry, but it is possible, the WSM uses less powder to do the job. Less powder, less recoil. I fear you are a victim of "back in my day" syndrome. The WSM cartridges are superior to their long action counterparts in every way, not by as much as some may think, but more than people locked into "old school" thinking will admit.
Now that that is over with... the difference between the two, in actual use, assuming the rifles weight is the same, will be barely noticeable to most shooters.
And at any rate..... I would still use a .308, I was trying to make a point about overkill with the Flak jacket comment in my previous post .... very few game animals in Canada wear them.
This is from Chuck Hawk's rifle recoil table... so you don't have to take my word for it...
As you can see the slightly faster WSM cartridge, even in a lighter rifle, has less recoil
In .270 (where the WSM really shines) the felt recoil may actually be slightly higher than the .270 winchester. This is due to a higher muzzle velocity increase (100fps or more) than is seen on the .30 cal models.
I stand corrected....I'm certain that .4 pounds of recoil makes the 300WSM suitable for six year olds. In my real world that means no difference but I guess in the paper world you are correct.
I fear you too are a victim of creative advertising.
I love the .300WM so pretty hard not to love the WSM as it's a virtually identical performer but definitely not some miracle cartridge that defies the laws of physics. Nothing old school about me....just a realist!
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Sorry, but it is possible, the WSM uses less powder to do the job. Less powder, less recoil. I fear you are a victim of "back in my day" syndrome. The WSM cartridges are superior to their long action counterparts in every way, not by as much as some may think, but more than people locked into "old school" thinking will admit.
Now that that is over with... the difference between the two, in actual use, assuming the rifles weight is the same, will be barely noticeable to most shooters.
And at any rate..... I would still use a .308, I was trying to make a point about overkill with the Flak jacket comment in my previous post .... very few game animals in Canada wear them.
This is from Chuck Hawk's rifle recoil table... so you don't have to take my word for it...
As you can see the slightly faster WSM cartridge, even in a lighter rifle, has less recoil
In .270 (where the WSM really shines) the felt recoil may actually be slightly higher than the .270 winchester. This is due to a higher muzzle velocity increase (100fps or more) than is seen on the .30 cal models.
This is like quibbling over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin!!
The difference is so slight, that no one could possibly tell the difference. Like the man said. Similar rifle weight, similar velocity = similar recoil. Don't give me any of that "back in my days" crap! I shoot them all, any difference is in the mind of the shooter, not in actual effect. Regards, Eagleye.Yea, right!! You are going to have a hard time convincing me with such a statement. No Rifle bullet, regardless of energy, throws anything off it's feet. And an animal shot through the lungs with a properly expanding bullet dies quickly, not after running a ½ mile. Here in North America, the Elk is generally considered the "toughest" member of the deer family to stop in his tracks. Well, I've shot a lot of Elk, and seen a lot more taken, and I can assure you, no elk Properly shot through the lungs with a decent bullet that expanded, ever went 800 yards. 80 yards, yes, but 800? Hearsay is just that, hearsay. All of the hunting fraternity with a bit of grey at the temples have heard of these "lungshot" animals that travelled vast distances, or were not recovered at all. I call BS in every case, unless the bullet failed to expand, or blew up on a rib, or before it penetrated the cavity. One other possibility, that can occur rarely, is the passage of the bullet above the lungs, but below the spinal column, and missing the ribs on both sides. This shot will usually fail to be lethal, and an animal can escape unless shot again.
In any case, experience can be a harsh but very enlightening teacher. Regards, Eagleye.
Hello again everybody! Newbie questions again
So last time I asked whether I should get a .308 or .30-06 caliber rifle. Most of the answers came up with they were almost the same and I would be happy with either. I decided on the .308 as it was cheaper to shoot factory ammo and also smaller (so more can be stored).
But after that, I would like a STRONGER caliber round, just for general purposes. Is their any point in getting a .300 Win or .338 weapon? Or should I just go ahead to a .45-70? And please no suggestions about a .50 caliber, as I'm not looking to spend over 5k on a rifle.
Thanks again!
Depends what you are going to use it for and under what conditions.
I think you need to do a bit more research before you buy anything. See if you can find a ballistics table and look at the trajectory of the cartridges you are considering. Specifically look at bullet drop and retained energy at 200 yds, 300 yds, 400 yds., or whatever your needs are. Then consider your application you should be able to answer your own question.
You do need to at least try to figure some of the stuff out for yourself. All you're gonna get on internet forums is other people's opinions, which may or may not be valid to you, your rifle, and your conditions. You need to have a basic understanding so you can start to recognize good advice from BS. Because there's a lot more BS advice out there than anything else, and why waste time on it?
Here's some ballistics info from www.winchester.com for the 45-70 and the 300 winmag:
45-70 at 400 yds: 1105 fps, 810 ft. lbs, trajectory -95.5 inches.
300winm at 400 yds: 1952 fps, 1523 ft lbs, trajectory -22.5 inches.
SO - if you were looking for a long range rifle, the 300 winmag would be considered a little better choice, in most cases, by most people. But maybe a 100 yd range is all you need, in which case the 45-70 would be fine.... maybe. It really depends what you need it for, and what you want to do with it. Your .308 will do anything that needs doing for now, take the time to learn and make an informed decision before you blunder into your next acquisition is the best advice I can think of for you at this stage.
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If you want a more powerful calibre knock your socks off. Be aware that, generally speaking, a magnum doesn't give you a real world range advantage. While there is no doubt that a .300 Win Mag will deliver a lot more energy than a .308 Winchester, the later is still very capable of killing big game at longer distances than most hunters should be shooting (present company excluded I'm sure ) For most of us, the only real advantage a magnum offers is less hold-over when aiming at a distant target.
Having said all that, my experience is that, unless making a huge jump in cartidges (ie. .308 Win to 375 H&H) the fit of the rifle, and the amount of practice shooting it are more critical than the calibre. As an example, I find I enjoy shooting my .338 Win Mag more than my .270 Win... Go figure.
) For most of us, the only real advantage a magnum offers is less hold-over when aiming at a distant target. Having said all that, my experience is that, unless making a huge jump in cartidges (ie. .308 Win to 375 H&H) the fit of the rifle, and the amount of practice shooting it are more critical than the calibre. As an example, I find I enjoy shooting my .338 Win Mag more than my .270 Win... Go figure.
