Big Game for 300 Win Mag

Status
Not open for further replies.
357smallbore

357smallbore

Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
887
Location
Leavenworth KS
I know the 300 Win Mag can take all game in the lower 48. Do you think the 300 is good for Alaska Brown Bear? Gonna do a sheep, caribou, moose hunt there. Want to make sure if a Brownie comes around, I have a stopper if needed. Going to use 200gr Nosler Partitions as my ammo.
 
Yes, it's a great round for Alaska including bears.

Actually, pretty heavy for Caribou and Sheep.

Probably the most used rifle round up here for people who buy a rifle for up here.

If you were strictly hunting bears, there's probably better rounds...

...But at some point you're just adding more toothpaste to the toothbrush
 
Varminterror said:
If you can’t kill it with a 300wm, it doesn’t need killing.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. I have bigger and faster calibers but a few years back I switched to a short light 300 mag mossberg patriot. Light synthetic stock 22 inch fluted barrel. Was 300 bucks with a cheap vortex scope. I just use it for big game now. Far from the most accurate rifle I have. Actually its pretty unimpressive as far as accuracy goes. but out to 400 or so its sufficiently in that 8 inch plate

Well.....bluntly it's by far the least accurate rifle I've ever personally owned. But I like it for hunting around here. My uncle has one in 243 that is almost as bad
 
Several years ago the Alaskan Fish and Game did some testing of different cartridges to be able to advise hunters and fishermen about what to carry for brown bear protection. They concluded that the magnum cartridges 375 and up performed best. But the 300 WM and 30-06 when loaded with 200-220 gr bullets tied and were pretty close behind 375 mag. Lighter 180 gr bullets didn't provide the necessary penetration for the big bears.

While the 375 looked slightly better on paper, and would certainly be a good choice, they recommended 30-06 for most people due to less recoil and more common rifles. The 300 WM was acceptable, but they ranked 30-06 above 300 WM only because the extra speed of the magnum offered no advantage and they felt the added recoil was a negative.

Interestingly they found that the 30-06 or 300 WM loaded with 220 gr bullets out performed rounds such as 338 WM, 35 Whelen, 45-70 and slugs from a 12 ga shotgun. Finn Aagaard, an African guide and gun writer came to the same conclusions for shooting the larger game in Africa.

Making a trip to Alaska is a bucket list item for me, but I'll never hunt there unless I win it big in the lottery. But If I did I'd feel just fine with a 300 WM or even my 30-06 with the right bullets in the chamber.
 
A 30-06 or 300 mag is good for anything in North America. I own both (albeit a Weatherby variant on the latter) and don't feel hampered by either. I've never killed a big bear but I killed a large moose with my 30-06 and it worked great.
 
jmr40 said:
Several years ago the Alaskan Fish and Game did some testing of different cartridges to be able to advise hunters and fishermen about what to carry for brown bear protection. They concluded that the magnum cartridges 375 and up performed best. But the 300 WM and 30-06 when loaded with 200-220 gr bullets tied and were pretty close behind 375 mag. Lighter 180 gr bullets didn't provide the necessary penetration for the big bears.

While the 375 looked slightly better on paper, and would certainly be a good choice, they recommended 30-06 for most people due to less recoil and more common rifles. The 300 WM was acceptable, but they ranked 30-06 above 300 WM only because the extra speed of the magnum offered no advantage and they felt the added recoil was a negative.

Interestingly they found that the 30-06 or 300 WM loaded with 220 gr bullets out performed rounds such as 338 WM, 35 Whelen, 45-70 and slugs from a 12 ga shotgun. Finn Aagaard, an African guide and gun writer came to the same conclusions for shooting the larger game in Africa.

Making a trip to Alaska is a bucket list item for me, but I'll never hunt there unless I win it big in the lottery. But If I did I'd feel just fine with a 300 WM or even my 30-06 with the right bullets in the chamber.
Click to expand...

Would imagine that a 168 gr. Barnes TSX, from either a .30-06 or .300 WM, would whistle through most anything in Alaska.

4d7f15c212c9d25bee60021d2f217020_6.jpg



​
GR
 
Garandimal said:
I like the low-flash powder.
(and that I got a pile of it on Clarence for ~ $22/20 box.)

:D

The M1 Rifle - makes a great hog gun.




GR
Click to expand...
It's nice to find factory loads you like! When you get them on sale it's a bonus!!

I have had good luck with 154 grain SSTs in my 7mm Rem Mag on deer. Cabela's closed them out at $20/20. I bought six boxes. Some people think they blow up. I always had exit holes on humanely killed animal's.

Big hog, elk, or bears I would use more bullet.
 
WisBorn said:
It's nice to find factory loads you like! When you get them on sale it's a bonus!!

I have had good luck with 154 grain SSTs in my 7mm Rem Mag on deer. Cabela's closed them out at $20/20. I bought six boxes. Some people think they blow up. I always had exit holes on humanely killed animal's.

Big hog, elk, or bears I would use more bullet.
Click to expand...

If I'm goin'ta haul the M1 Rifle... all Ten(10) pounds of it...?

...it has to do things the .270 WCF may have trouble with.


The Barnes 168 gr. TSX, in a semi-auto rifle, is comforting in troubled times.

:D




GR
 
JeeperCreeper said:
Yes, it's a great round for Alaska including bears.

Actually, pretty heavy for Caribou and Sheep.

Probably the most used rifle round up here for people who buy a rifle for up here.

If you were strictly hunting bears, there's probably better rounds...

...But at some point you're just adding more toothpaste to the toothbrush
Click to expand...

I agree with this assessment.

I'd take my .375 RUM if I were going after big bears, but I wouldn't feel undergunned with a .300 WM in the (highly unlikely) event that a problem bear needed dispatched while hunting for other critters. In my case it would be my 8mm Rem Mag, because that's the cartridge I opted for in my "medium" hunting rifle. 8 mag is a bit hotter than .300 WM but basically in the same class, and I wouldn't hesitate to use that for the hunt you're doing.
 
I'd put the 8mmRemMag ahead of the .300WinMag class. If they are in the same class, the .300 is in the back of the room for sure. !! 8mm RemMag, Now THAT'S a cartridge! The .300 isn't even much further ahead of the '06, unless it has at least a 24" barrel. On the other hand, it's certainly not "worse" than a '06. !! I'm not sure about the enthusiasm for relatively light, (168grain) "magic" bullets in .30 cal. A good round nose of 180 grains or more will perform as well if not better than expensive magic bullets. Anyhow, 200 grain bullets would be a good choice, but again, I'd use a round-nose over a Patrician. They tend to blow off the front section, if the range is short, and then you have the short shank of the bullet to "carry on". I think some kind of bonded bullet would be superior, or again, just a plain-jane RN like the Remington Core-Loct. (Lokt?) Yeah, I'm old school.
 
Ugly Sauce said:
I'd put the 8mmRemMag ahead of the .300WinMag class. If they are in the same class, the .300 is in the back of the room for sure. !! 8mm RemMag, Now THAT'S a cartridge!
Click to expand...

It's definitely got a bit more "oomph", but realistically, it's still appropriate and inappropriate for the same game animals. It can launch a 220 at the same speed a .300 WM gets with a 180 and make a few hundred more of those ft lbs often held as a meaningful measure of terminal ballistics, but it really doesn't matter a whole lot in the end. Both are more than powerful enough for any typical big game animal, and neither is really an appropriate dangerous game round.

Don't get me wrong, I like that it's a bit more potent, and also chose it because it's a little different and stands out in a sea of .30 caliber magnums. But the reality is that it doesn't really afford me any advantage in the field. And the bullet selection in .323" is less than fantastic, especially those which can handle 8 mag velocities. I pretty much only run 200 gr. Accubonds and 220 gr. Gamekings.

And don't ask me why the 8 mag and 10mm (and 7x57) have such appeal to a guy who generally despises the metric system. I have no answer!
 
@357smallbore enjoy your hunt in Alaska!
I have never been to Alaska but it is on the bucket list!!
My friends that have hunted Alaska have used 300 mag rifles.

This being THR and we help everyone obtain new rifles :D It seems like the 8mm Remington Magnum maybe highly recommend for the hunt (I have always wanted one):)

Once again enjoy your hunt and be safe.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
All Around Caliber for North American Game
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
mbt2001
M
W
  • Locked
Anyone shoot the Encore in 30-06, 7mm, .300 Win Mag
Replies
5
Views
511
AK_Maine_iac
A
J
  • Locked
What's a 300 Mag in Alaska Good For?
2
Replies
48
Views
2K
HiFidelity
H
T
  • Locked
300 Win Mag ok for Bear?
Replies
11
Views
8K
Cosmoline
C
M
  • Locked
New hunting rifle. what caliber?
Replies
24
Views
1K
cratz2
C
Back
Top