.300 win mag sniper rifles?

[Brother in Arms]

I have read that some U.S. sniper rifles where .300win mag. What rifle was or is chambered for this cartridge? I know the M70 hasn't been used since Vientam.


Brother in Arms

 

[TX1911fan]

I just bought a Benelli R1 in 300 Win Mag, but I doubt anyone is using it as a sniper rifle. Almost every major brand is chambered in 300 Win Mag.

 

[Nightcrawler]

The US military experimented with a long-action M24 SWS in .300 Win Mag for awhile, but now use .308. (I guess .308 is a lot easier on barrels, the shooter, and has ballistics that are extremely predictable and well known.)

Accuracy International makes a rifle in .300 Mag. The .300 Magnum round seems to be more popular (for sniper work) in Europe than it is here, but I think it's been overshadowed by the Finnish .338 Lapua round.

 

[jeff-10]

I think there was a possible Internet rumor at one time that the US Army used Browning BARs chambered in 300 Win Mag. Depending on the rumor, they were custom made and used in either Haiti, Bosnia or Somalia.

I beleve the Army originally intended the M-24 to available in 300 Win Mag as well as 308 but found it not to be cost effective.

 

[Outlaws]

Secret Service.

 

[aspade]

I don't know for sure one way or the other, but I think I read somewhere that the SS uses 7mm RM.

 

[USSR]

Not sure of the rifle used (other than it is a bolt rifle), but it is used by Navy Seals and the ammo is designated as A191 and fires a 190SMK at 2950-3000fps.

Don

 

[10X]

I saw something on TV a few weeks ago about snipers. They showed current day snipers practicing at 1000 yards. The snipers said they were 300 win mag and showed the cartridge. The action looked like a Remington 700 with heavy barrel and stock.

 

[Strongbad]

The Remington PSS or "700P" is available in 300 WM. So there must be atleast some demand for it.

 

[Geronimo45]

The Walther 2000.

 

[Bitswap]

Current Sniper Rifles

I thought the current batch of rifles use by the military are the m40 in 308 and the barret 50 cal bmg. Police seem to be using a remington pss in 308. I've seen lots of 338's at the high power range.

Military 308s for snipers are reloaded by a special unit. Does that tell you something? They know all about consistency.

I guess any rifle can be a 'sniper' rifle. But how much energy is it going to have at 600 yards (or the yardage your aiming for)? What happens when you start using a hpbt vs a target bullet with .75+ ballistic coefficient?

My pss 308 sure is accurate, but I'd never consider taking it on a 10 mile hike. I figure most times the game is going to be within 150 yards and my blr 308 with a 20 inch barrel and 2x7 scope is fine.

 

[Davo]

I have heard the SEALS used the .300, but have not seen a rifle. Does anyone know what specific model was used?

 

[D&T]

In 1989 and 1992 our company was awarded two military contracts for SNIPER RIFLES - in 300 Winchester...

The first contract was for 50 rifles and the second contract was for 100 rifles. When the "actions" were brought to me, they were all Remington 700 long actions with magnum bolt faces. The side of the receiver opposite the port side that usually has "REMINGTON 700" stamped on it, instead had this on it - USMC SNIPER - XXXXX. With pairs of actions having identical serial numbers. When I asked why there was two actions with identical serial numbers, this was the explaination I was given: (Each sniper is given a "pair" of rifles that are 100% identical to each other in every way. One rifle is for field training purposes, maneuvers and training excersises. These rifles are shot and shot alot! The second rifle, identical to the first, is for actual missions in the fields)...

Once I received these actions, they were completely blue-printed. The barrels that were used were Match grade stainless steel, 27" in length and #6 in contour and chambered for the 300 Winchester. All stocks used were McMillan McHale SNIPER stocks. A tapered base for long-range shooting was secured to the action with 6 #8-40 screws instead of the usual 4 #6-48 screws that pretty much everything else uses. 5-steel rings were used to anchor the scope to the base after each and every ring was line bored and lapped. The trigger that was used on these actions were all adjusted to EXACTLY 30 ounces. The first contract for 50 rifles had my muzzle brakes installed on the barrels but the second contract did not...

so basically without getting into too much more, YES - the 300 Winchester was and is used as a military SNIPER weapon but, so is the 308 Winchester and 50 BMG....

 

[Zak Smith]

I believe Germany uses the AI-AWM in 300. The Sako TRG-42 is also available in 300WM.

I have handled some of those military 300WM loads USSR refers to. It looked the same as FGMM 190gr, but was loaded longer.

 

[glimmerman]

When I worked for G. McMillan Gun Company in Phoenix AZ in the early 90's we built 300 rifles for seal team. 150 in .300 win mag and 150 in .308. All were based on the McMillan M82 bolt rifle with the McMillan A2 stock and topped off with the leupold M4 tactical 3.5-10x40 scope. The deal from the boss was if we got these rifles out in 6 months we could each build 1 rifle of our choice, company would pay for materials (minus scope) and we had to build the rifle on our own time. So i built the exact same rifle we built for seal team for myself in 300 win mag. So YES!!! the military does have and uses sniper rifles in .300 win mag.