300 Win Mag - don't seem to be able to edit the title.
I have a 30-06 rifle that is for me the perfect deer and hog rifle. However, it gets claimed by my wife when we hunt together. So then I end up using a .243 with 100gr bullets. Last weekend a large hog (250-275#) walked out and it just didn't get the job done. I also have seen poor results with it on a roughly 200# black bear. So, looks like I need/want a new rifle.
I'd just get another 30-06 but I already have one for most of the time, and sometime in the future I'd like to get into moose/elk hunting. I am no longer interested in having a gun that is on the low-power side of OK. (ie 243 for large hog, maybe 30-06 for a moose.) I am thinking about getting a 300 win mag. It looks like the starting 165 gr bullet loads are at 30-06 levels which is what I typically want (less recoil). Yet could still be loaded higher with 180-200 grain bullets and work well for larger game at longer distances.
Is anyone getting good accuracy with loads in 300 win mag pushing a 165 grain bullet in the 2700-2800 FPS range? Is the recoil on par with 30-06 at that loading even though it requires a bit more powder? I typically load with IMR4350 or Varget, but would branch out. H4895?
Looking for actual experience, I'd be OK with 1.5" groups max.
Thanks in advance.
I have a 30-06 rifle that is for me the perfect deer and hog rifle. However, it gets claimed by my wife when we hunt together. So then I end up using a .243 with 100gr bullets. Last weekend a large hog (250-275#) walked out and it just didn't get the job done. I also have seen poor results with it on a roughly 200# black bear. So, looks like I need/want a new rifle.
I'd just get another 30-06 but I already have one for most of the time, and sometime in the future I'd like to get into moose/elk hunting. I am no longer interested in having a gun that is on the low-power side of OK. (ie 243 for large hog, maybe 30-06 for a moose.) I am thinking about getting a 300 win mag. It looks like the starting 165 gr bullet loads are at 30-06 levels which is what I typically want (less recoil). Yet could still be loaded higher with 180-200 grain bullets and work well for larger game at longer distances.
Is anyone getting good accuracy with loads in 300 win mag pushing a 165 grain bullet in the 2700-2800 FPS range? Is the recoil on par with 30-06 at that loading even though it requires a bit more powder? I typically load with IMR4350 or Varget, but would branch out. H4895?
Looking for actual experience, I'd be OK with 1.5" groups max.
Thanks in advance.