Caliber Choice 308 vs 300Wing Mag and Optics Question

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countyboy

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Hi Everyone

I think I have decided to go with the Remington 700 SS 5R and I was all set to go with 308 but I am wondering if I should go with 300 win mag.

My goal is to shoot tight groups out to 300 yards max of my range and further if I find a safe place out to the magical 1000 yards. I plan to get a 20 MOA base.

1)I currently have a 308 and thought it would be nice to be able to use same cartridge for both but 300 win mag seems kinda ###ier (pardon my juvenile emotion). Any thoughts? I don't reload yet and it seems that the ease of getting match grade 308 outweighs the extra power and cool factor of the 300 win mag. Also would I gain much effective range?

2)Optics (I know wrong forum... but you guys do what I aspire to do so I want to ask in here) I don't want to spend $1000+ for a scope right now (having trouble mentally justifying a $1000+++ scope!). I am thinking of either the Bushnell 3200 5-15x40 Mil Dot for $400ish or Bushell 4200 6-24x50 for about $800. once I have the money for a really great scope I would swap it to my 308 Win Model 70 and put a kick @ss scope on the 700 5R. Currently I have a 15 year old bushnell banner 4-12 on my model 70 so anything should be an improvement. That said bushnell seems to have worked ok for me over the years.

Thanks for your time.
 
The paper won't know if you punched it with the relatively cheaper / less punishing 308 or the more expensive / more punishing 300winmag. Especially within 300 yards.
 
308 would be the better of the two to start with.

I can also offer you Sightron SII side focus that will offer much better optics then the ELites - more adj range too. I use alot of Elite scopes but am really enjoying the new Sightrons. Pricing is similar to the Elite tactical.

SIISSBS451444D.jpg


http://www.sightron.com/index.php?action=view_document&did=1201816362&cat_id=15&id=23

SIIBSS652050MD.jpg


http://www.sightron.com/index.php?action=view_document&did=1201816362&cat_id=15&id=32
 
300WM is a pig on powder. You fill it with 61 grains of IMR4895 powder to get the same velocity as 41 grains in a 308. Or fill it with 70 some grains of a slow burning magnum powder and get a typical magnum load. So with 300WM that's less than 100 loads per lb of powder and over 160 loads with 308. That's a lot more powder to punch paper. And some ranges won't let you shoot 300WM on them. I'm told the military range around here frowns on it. I think it would be a poor choice for your only target rifle. I'm not sure about the 1000 yard performance, but if you shoot a lot of 300 yards, 223 would be a great choice. Now you're talking 23 grain of powder per shot.
 
Go with the .308 to start with. And don’t get all hung up on the effective range everyone talks about. Effective range is the max range the bullet still sustains enough energy to make a clean kill shot. Paper punching can be done with a .223 at 1000 with the right set up. But I would not try to kill a coyote at 1000 with a .223. In my opinion this is outside the calibers effective range. If you want a Bushnell go with the 4200 Tactical.
And welcome to CGN.
 
300's are brutal on powder AND barrels. I would only consider one for very long distance shooting. Too many bad habits to be formed from shooting canons like that.
 
Obtunded said:
300's are brutal on powder AND barrels. I would only consider one for very long distance shooting. Too many bad habits to be formed from shooting canons like that.
Click to expand...

Bad habits, like smiling until your face cracks :rockOn:


You said it right in your first post, it is a ###y round. Especially compared to 308. For your stated purposes, 308 will serve you better, but C'MON!!!

I love mine, but I would barely flinch if you started punching me in the face (I'd fall down eventually, but no flinches). If you are at all recoil sensitive, even in the slightest, the magnums aren't for you.
 
.300 WM if your rifle will double as a hunting rig for big game.... otherwise you are punishing your body and your pocketbook needlessly.

And even at that, I have a .308 set up for target shooting, and my 300 mag is just for hunting.
 
Hunting big game with a .308 works too. I use my .308 for Fclass and moose hunting.

Of course I am looking at getting a .338 winmag in order to retire my .308 from its hunting duties. But it still works.
 
.308. For many different reasons too, most especially if you don't reload. You can't shoot accurately without accurate ammunition, so if you don't make it yourself you're going to have to buy it; much, much easier done with a .308 Win than any other cartridge out there.

If you want a super high performance target cartridge that'll outperform a .308 and are willing to pay the many different prices that come with that decision, there are better choices to be made than a .300 Win Mag.

If you want a higher performance hunting cartridge, a .300 Win Mag might not be your best choice (e.g. maybe a .264 Win Mag or 7mm Rem Mag would be better? maybe a .338 Win Mag or .375 H&H or .416 Rigby would be better?)
 
308 Win definitely. You will have alot of fun getting alot more rounds downrange and still have lots of barrel life left. That and the fact that a 308 is very easy to load accurately.

I have 3 tactical style rifles-2 in 308 Win and 1 in 300WM. 1 308 has 4500+ rounds through it and the other was just rebarreled-my 300 WM has maybe 600 rounds down the tube-that ought to tell how much range time each gets!

The 300WM is just as accurate for sure, but I had it built for want and not for need!

You won't be disappointed with a 308 Win.
 
I think you shoould stick with the .308 if your just starting out also. Like everyone says $$$ is one of the big factors but .300 Win Mag recoil is pretty tiring during a morning of shooting prone or from the bench. I didn't think I was recoil sensitive but shooting my .300 Win Mag without the brake on makes me flinch after a dozen rounds or so.
 
If you are a handloader, you can tame down the .300 until you work up your recoil tolerance, if you won't be happy with anything else. If you do not handload, factory .300 Winchester ammo is on the rude side. This can make precision shooting tedious and factory .300 Winchester is unlikely to shoot as well as factory .308 match.

When target shooting, flatness of trajectory is less important than when hunting because you are shooting at a known distance. As long as you have enough adjustment in your scope, trajectory takes a back seat to accuracy. I have managed to shoot some very pleasing groups well in excess of 1000 yards with my .308.

With respect to glass, get the best you can afford.
 
i don't have a 300 mag for a reason- it's simply a 308/06 on SPEED- stalk a little closer and there goes the advantage- but i have a 338 win mag, which represents a MAJOR step up in both over a 308- i do east slopes of the rockies from sundre down to the border, on horseback- have been doing since the 70's - my saddle gun is a savage 99 in 308's carrying 180's- trust me the 308 is more gentle in every department, plus you typically get an extra 2 shots- 5 as opposed to three with any of the magnums- and it's a LIGHTER gun to boot, unless you're carrying one of the m14 clones
 
I asked myself the same question when I was going to buy a rifle. Ended up with a PGW Coyote in .308 and just got a Norc M305. Not disappointed in either. You can buy cheap ammo at Canadian Tire if you need to. Many, many choices to reload, relatively cheap and easy on the body. Win win in my books.
 
yukoncoyote said:
I asked myself the same question when I was going to buy a rifle. Ended up with a PGW Coyote in .308 and just got a Norc M305. Not disappointed in either. You can buy cheap ammo at Canadian Tire if you need to. Many, many choices to reload, relatively cheap and easy on the body. Win win in my books.
Click to expand...

you mean 308 win wins? :D

how much you paid for your coyote?
 
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308 it is for me... now I just need a good price on a 5R anyone know a good shop

Thanks guys... I think I will make the smart but perhaps less exciting choice and go with .308. Now I just need to find a good deal on a 5R. Anyone know a good shop that will give me a good price in Ontario Kingston/Ottawa area(I guess anywhere in Canada will work)

More stuff:

I think it makes the most sense since I already have a Winchester 70 HBar in 308 and want to get an M14 some day. I do plan to mostly target shoot and 308 would be sufficient for hunting here in Ontario (once I find my outdoor card app and send it in). A wide range of cost effective ammo is nice too. I am really really rusty right now so using really expensive ammo is just a waste.

As far as recoil, I hate to admit I am some what sensitive to it. I have just got back into shooting after 15 years away and I find my Win 70 HBar in 308 (without recoil pad) quite sufficient for recoil. 300 Win mag is more than I probably want. Although I did have a 338 win mag at one time.

I like the sound of 308 being fairly easily to reload ( I am really looking foward to reloading) and the cost being reasonable. (223 might be the cheapest but I want the most flexibility for the money I can get.
 
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