300 WSM Opinions

The 300 WSM is the answer to a very simple question. How can we get 300 Win Mag performance in a short action rifle. It does this very well. Additionally it is more accurate inherently.

...and you can load across the .30-30 to .300 WM (using bullets less than 180 gr) spectrum if you're a hand loader. Fortunately, I can pick up a lot of 1x fired brass at my local range as there are few hand loaders but many guys who don't know how to sight in rifles...and .300 WSM seems to be popular right now.

Merry Christmas to all,

Harry

browningguy said:

My mistake, I assumed everyone would use the same barrel length when comparing weights and OAL.

Click to expand...

Roll your eyes all you want but your comment makes no sense at all. If you're going to compare two objects you need to compare them based on actual specs, not what you wished they'd be so you can make your case. The standard barrel length for the 300 WSM is 24", which is 2" less than the standard barrel length for the .300 Win Mag. Short actions are generally shorter and lighter than long actions. Find one example of a 300 WSM that's longer and heavier than the same model in .300 Win Mag.

I like the win mag better but have a browning wsm with a 22 inch barrel that will run neck and neck in velocity to my 24 inch 3oo win mag. I was one that didn't buy into the wsm myths but my chrono doesn't lie. But it doesn't kick like a 3006 either

The 300 WSM is the answer to a very simple question. How can we get 300 Win Mag performance in a short action rifle. It does this very well. Additionally it is more accurate inherently.

Click to expand...

^ +1 Plus it got rid of the useless belt, a vestige from a long bygone era and originally designed for non-bottleneck cartridges.

Laphroaig

Laphroaig said:

Plus it got rid of the useless belt, a vestige from a long bygone era and originally designed for non-bottleneck cartridges.

Click to expand...

The belt is far from useless, and the first belted cartridge, the .400/.375 Belted Nitro Express was a bottle necked cartridge.

don't buy into this theory. My 300wsm is a browning abolt with a 22 inch barrel and is fairly light. Probably in the 7lb range. My 300 win mag is a lss rem and is probably a good 8lbs and ill add one of my o6s a rem sps that goes in the 7lb range too. The 300wsm has substantial more recoil then the 06 and noticeably more then my 300 win. Shooting it with full power 180s in that light gun is about equal to my bdl rem 300wby. Recoil is physics Shoot a 180 out of a barrel at 2900fps and do it out of an 8lb gun and a 7lb gun and the 7lb gun will recoil more no matter what the shape of the cases are. There might me a minute difference because more powder is burned but whats happening here more then that is that the wsm with its short cases is more efficient so its burning its powder a bit faster which can cause a sharper recoil and it makes sure all of that powder is burned before the bullet leaves the barrel so that powder burning all has time to cause recoil vs been burned out of the muzzle where it does nothing. For the most part though that's all bs. For every motion theres an equal motion push a 180 to the same speed in the same weight gun and the recoil is going to be pretty close to the same. My 300wsm puts a lot of power in a real handy package but it lets you know its powerful when you shoot it. Short version is you get 300 win mag power and recoil in a 308 sized gun

Short version, you get 300 WM performance in a 308 size package with 30-06 recoil.

Click to expand...

I love mine. Recoil is not bad at all, I'd say on par with 30-06. It's a slower push, 30-06 recoil is sharper. My wife prefers shooting the 300WSM.

Rifle weight etc plays a role obviously, as Lloyd mentions I've shot two 300WSM rifles, A Nosler TGR and a Rem 700. Both have 24" barrels with decent recoil pads and recoil is much closer to 30-06 than 300 Win Mag in both of those rifles.

Lloyd Smale said:

For every motion theres an equal motion push a 180 to the same speed in the same weight gun and the recoil is going to be pretty close to the same.

Click to expand...

The recoil energy is the same but the felt recoil can be very different, even for rifles with the same weight. The stock design and material can make a huge difference.

I agree. to be fair youd have to use to identical guns.

Theres more to recoil than weight of gun bullet weight, and bullet speed. I can cite an example of two guns of equal weight shooting identical cartridges at equal speed yet having dramatically different recoil. In the first case you might have a custom 18" barreled 308 bolt action rifle with an overall weight of 9lbs. In the second case you have a 18" G3 rifle weighing 9lbs. The G3 will have greater recoil than the 9lb bolt gun. I believe the locked bolt on the first rifle provides more initial inertia and resists acceleration into your shoulder, while the quickly unlocking bolt on the G3 provides little initial inertia and thus adds to the shoulder impact. This is not even to mention the effect of muzzle brakes etc. This is all a different discussion, however I do believe that my 270wsm has significantly less recoil than an equivalent 7 mag. And my rifle is a pound lighter than average. Something is in play, not being obvious.

dvdcrr said:

Theres more to recoil than weight of gun bullet weight, and bullet speed. I can cite an example of two guns of equal weight shooting identical cartridges at equal speed yet having dramatically different recoil. In the first case you might have a custom 18" barreled 308 bolt action rifle with an overall weight of 9lbs. In the second case you have a 18" G3 rifle weighing 9lbs. The G3 will have greater recoil than the 9lb bolt gun. I believe the locked bolt on the first rifle provides more initial inertia and resists acceleration into your shoulder, while the quickly unlocking bolt on the G3 provides little initial inertia and thus adds to the shoulder impact. This is not even to mention the effect of muzzle brakes etc. This is all a different discussion, however I do believe that my 270wsm has significantly less recoil than an equivalent 7 mag. And my rifle is a pound lighter than average. Something is in play, not being obvious.

Click to expand...

The 7mm mag does have 15% more powder than the WSM (both have about the same max pressure). The momentum from the products of burnt powder has to provide a significant amount of the recoil (acting like a rocket nozzle), otherwise muzzle brakes wouldn't work.

To keep the thread on topic, I'll say that my most powerful 30 caliber is currently a 30-06. As someone who hasn't played with the 30 caliber mags yet, if I were going to buy a magnum I'd go with the 300 WSM. My thinking is as follows:

1. With the light bullets (copper) I shoot the 300 WSM matches the 300 win mag. Why not do the same thing with less powder (recoil) if I have that option?

2. A 24" 300 WSM barrel is effectively 1/2" longer than a 24" 300 win mag barrel (because barrel length is measured to the bolt face, but the pressure acts on the bullet from where the powder meets the bullet). Combined with the shorter action I figure a 300 WSM should be an inch shorter and quarter or half a pound lighter than an equivalent 300 win mag. I also like a short LOP, so short bolt throws are good to keep the end of the bolt away from the tip of my nose.

3. The 300 WSM appears to be about the fourth most popular 30 caliber on midway's website (behind the 308, 30-06, and 300 win mag). Heck, the 300 WSM even has more loadings available than the 30-30. I'm personally not worried about ammo availability in the future.

4. If I ever get into reloading, it seems like the WSM would be better (less powder and maybe longer brass life due to the lack of a belt?)

I want to correct myself on the recoil thing, I think the locked bolt when fired pushes up on the rifle instantly, which provides the extra moment of inertia. The unlocked bolt slams into your shoulder at about the same time the rest of the rifle is getting there increasing the felt recoil. Just a correction.

I fell into a Savage111 SS 300 WSM Rifle literally when I was trying to decide weather to go with 300 MAG or 300 WSM. The guy shot up all the ammo he purchased with the rifle (40 rounds) and when he found out how much ammo cost he offered me the rifle for $150. Before the day was over I had a set of dies and a box of 100 C/T Ballistic Silvertips on the way to my house as well as the rifle and empty brass. I did buy a Limb Saver recoil pad just to try one but the felt recoil with a faster type propellant is not as bad as my 30-06 IMHO. It is accurate as I am out to 300 YDS, short barrel, short bolt travel, and plenty of stopping power for my needs. I am plenty happy with mine. Not a 500 NE for sure but plenty good for any game animal in North America that is not armor plated.

Spring of 2004; I was also trying to decide between 300 WSM and 300 WM and decided to go either way depending on what kind of deal I could get. Came across a new Savage Mod. 10 package rifle in 300 WSM at a gun show from a dealer who was retiring and cleaning out his inventory. The price was right and I grabbed it and I'm glad I did. To echo what others have said here; that thing shoots! It's a pre-accutrigger model but a rifle basix trigger solved that and the 3-9x Simmons scope was replaced with a Leupold 3.5-10x; other than that it's just as Savage made it. The 300 WSM, in my experience, is inherently accurate. Both factory ammo and handloads also exhibit very consistent velocity over the chronograph. My favorite handload launches a 150 gr. Nosler Accubond at an average 3207 fps (23" barrel) with only about 9.3 fps extreme spread (slowest was 3202 fps; fastest was 3211 fps). Other WSM owners have said similar things to me and we wonder if it's due to the case design. Took it to Wyoming a few years ago and got my first ever Mule Deer with it and even filled an Antelope buck tag with it instead of my usual .25-06 Antelope medicine. Haven't taken any whitetail with it yet cause I'm usually in the woods with my 30-30 but perhaps someday across a big field when I have to reach out there I know what to use.

I just got my first .300WSM recently. Browning X bolt with 23" barrel. I handload so I wasn't worried about the cost of commercial ammo. So far so good...I think I will like it.

Consensus of all these replies seems to indicate the 300 WSM is here to stay. I bought a new M70 sporter in spring 2014 but did not have a lot of time to develop the perfect load(s) for it. I found a good load with 180 accubonds and IMR4350 that chronographed at 2950 fps.

With a 4x-16x older model Nikon monarch on it, the whole thing weighs 8.25 lbs.

I also own a Weatherby Mark V with HS Precision stock and Zeiss 4.5x-14x Conquest on it. It weighs around 10.5 lbs. It is max loaded with 160 accubonds and IMR7828 powder.

I shot both rifles on the same days throughout late summer and early fall. The 300 recoiled more but not terribly. The big difference simply was the 2+ pound reduction in weight.

The recoil difference was non-consequential when hunting elk, but the weight difference was noticeable, especially during the 4 mile hikes one-way to our hunting area.

I like both, but the weight difference for hunting is a big factor if you do a lot of hiking during your hunt.

i like the 300wsm, it has a lot of power and a short action. Not as powerful as the .300 but you may not need it to be. I have a tikka t3 in 300wsm and I love it.

What chambering is your Weatherby Mark V elktrout? 7mm mag with the 160's?

Yea I think the 300 WSM will be around for along while, to me it makes the most sense of all of the short mags.
It won't be overtaking the 30-06 or the 300 Win or Wby but it will take a solid spot with them.
I'd take it over a 308 in a bolt gun any day.