Cheap .300 Win Mag?

[carnaby]

I bought a .300 win mag for my only centerfire rifle (sold the .30-30). Now I'm feeling the pinch of the ammo cost, yow!

I know, I could reload (someday, no time, no money for the setup now), kinda wish I'd bought a .30-06, but I like the rifle and how it shoots now that I have a limbsaver recoil pad

Anyway, anyone know the best place to get .300 win mag ammo? Is there going to be much difference between a $15 box of winchester ordinary stuff and a box of winchester or remington or whatever at $30 for range practice?

This rifle is primarily for hunting and I never plan to take a shot past 200 yards out in the field. I would like to know what my ammo is capable of at 100 yards, so when I'm at the range I know how much of the group size is ammo, and how much is me.

So far, the Remington AccuTip seems pretty good, shoots ok in my rifle, but costs more than the cheaper Winchester stuff. Win also makes some fancy stuff. I'm not worried about sub MOA or anything, just curious what I should expect from simple ammo.

 

[Schleprok62]

Get some and find out... I would think that for what you're doing, the inexpensive stuff should work fine.

 

['Card]

If you're only taking under-200 yard shots with a .300WinMag, I think you'll find that the ballistics of the cheap stuff and the expensive stuff will be similar enough to make little or no difference for practice purposes.

In fact, with that round at that range, I'd say the cheap stuff would also be more than adequate for hunting purposes - unless you're shooting elephants or something.

 

[45crittergitter]

If you watch the Wal-Marts after big game season, you sometimes find ammo marked down to less than half their usual price.

 

[carnaby]

True about cheap ammo for hunting, but at $20 - $30 a box for the good stuff for a quick sight in and at most three shots during hunting season I can afford it

I just need cheap stuff for the monthly range session.

I found some .300 win mag "wolf gold" I bought a few boxes online. I hope it's not ultra junk. I'll report back when I find out

 

[asknight]

The Wolf Gold line is made by Prvi Partizan in Yugoslavia. If they're using Prvi's loading recipes and components, they will be good rounds.

 

[runninmike]

If you live in west of the Mississippi there is available 74 boxes of this stuff from federal for $14.95 per 20 rounds of 180 grain speer hot core bullets, and there is the 150 grain version too available here.....

http://www.outdoormarksman.com/product_info.php?cPath=65_63_37&products_id=31749

I've bought .264 win mag ammo there and they are fairly prompt to deliver.
Best-MC

 

[jaimeshawn]

I got started reloading, because I have a nephew with a 300 Win Mag, that couldn't afford to go shooting.

I got a Lee Loader for about $5 off eBay and started tearing down Indian 7.62x51 for powder and bullets. That allowed me to reload his brass, about 200 rounds, for $20. You do not have to buy a ton of stuff to get started.

 

[carnaby]

Interesting. I didn't realize you could get a simple inexpensive reloader like that.

Where's the best place to get bullets? I saw some on midway for $25-$35 per 100 and some Sierra 150 gn bullets at $16.30/100. They don't show the shipping cost though.

 

[jaimeshawn]

Midway is a great place to buy stuff. My last batch of components was through HiTech. I like the 147gr ball for plinking ($30/500) and the W860 $36/8# plus hazmat, but I'd suggest just pick up your supplies local for your first 100 or so to see if you like reloading. Even if you pay $15/100 for bullets and the same for powder you end up reloading for about $30/100, which is a price that's hard to find store-bought ammo. And if you only invest in a little Lee Loader, you have next to nothing invested in equipment... just watch eBay and don't get in a hurry.

By time you have loaded a couple hundred with the Lee Loader, you will know if reloading is for you. A Lee Loader is a lot more work and slower than a press; BUT for less than $10, it is all the equipment you need to get started. They never wear out so eBay is a perfect place to find one; and you can always sell it for what you paid for it, if you decide this reloading stuff is a mistake...






The same bullet I use is available on midwayusa

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=268378

$8.89/100 plus shipping. Midway I think has a minimum order of $25 so you either get 3 boxes of bullets or something else at the same time. A Franklin kinetic bullet puller for reworking mistakes is useful and cheap.

Plus $14/# for powder from your local shooting supply; and $2/100 for primers; that will enable you to load up 300 for about $30/100


another cheap bullet at midwayusa is:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=270097

That's $45/500 bullets. By the time you get to that point you will decide whether to invest in gear to make the reloading process fast and easy or whether you want to just buy loaded ammo.

http://www.hi-techammo.com/hitech.zkb?root&GENMENU6011&object-menu6

I like the M80 ball for plinking. $30/500 These are a lot higher quality than Indian Ammo pull-downs.

One more piece of advice: By downloading my nephew's 300 Win Mag to 30-06 or .308 loads and filling the case with some batting - it cuts some of the recoil you get with full strength loads, saves you powder, and allows more practice. You can load up to full-strength bear killers for hunting ammo, but for shooting holes in paper - downloading is OK.

 

[carnaby]

What's this Lee Loader you're refering to? I saw a Lee Press on ebay for $20, but the shipping was $60

At Lee online, you can get a press and dies for $60 with $4 shipping. I might just do that.

 

[jaimeshawn]

http://search.ebay.com//search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=lee+loader

You set a search for lee loader and then check it out about once a week looking to see if someone put up a 300 Win Mag Lee Loader on eBay. Some people don't know to put the caliber in the title so sometimes you have to open up a few of the items to see what it is exactly that they are selling - I don't see one for sale right now, but as you can see there are at least 40 Lee Loaders of various types. The trick with eBay is wait and watch - If you are the type of person that has to have something now - buy through midwayusa - but if you can wait and let deals pass if the price goes too high, you can make out like a bandit. Also remember to snipe - you should make your bid about 1 minute or less before the auction closes - unless the guy offers a good "buy it now price" in which case you buy-it-now.


The only Lee 300 Win Mag that I saw was

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7226355030&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

This auction is a week away so the fact that it's currently at $10 for a small C press and 300 Win Mag dies doesn't mean much. The little C press is Lee's weakest product and I wouldn't doubt that someone could break it. I have a Lee C press for the Lee autoprimer that that's about the heaviest duty task that I would give it. I think I paid $13 for it through midwayusa... but I don't remember exactly....

I see Lee Classic Loaders new on midwayusa for $13 to $16 but I don't see the 300 Win Mag offered... I also don't see it on the Leeprecision.com website so it might be no longer made new... like the 8mm Lee Loader.

 

[carnaby]

I'll keep my eye on ebay, but I might just break down and buy new from Lee or Midway.

The retail prices for the various things here at Lee look pretty reasonable.

The little $30 setup that comes with the book seems acceptable. Nice for me to have the book. The die set is then only another $30.

 

[jaimeshawn]

http://www.midwayusa.com/esearch.ex...lector=all_products&search_keywords=lee+press



http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=420763

The Lee reloading manual is awesome - I have one and have read all the articles - Richard Lee wrote a great reloading manual;

The link you attached shows the manual with what is called a "C" press, because the aluminum casting makes a "C" shape.

That is the press that I was talking about being too lightweight for much other than a priming stand.

If you do decide to get a press - get at least an "O" shaped press. The cheapest Lee "O" press is the "Challenger" and they sell one with lube (top item on the first link) and a powder funnel for $35. They also sell Lee RGB (Really Good Buy) 300 Win Mag dies for $10. (second link). At that point you would be out $45 on reloading equipment, which means you should break even on your first 100 rounds of ammo, so that isn't really that bad, but you do need a sturdy workbench to bolt it to - and so the size of area needed for this effort is growing too.

On THR forums there is a reloading forum that you might want to check out. I personally LIKE Lee stuff because I think it is a good value for the dollar, but I will warn you that the Lee/not-Lee issue is like the .223/.308 MBR argument that pops up in this forum. A lot of people have very strong opinions. Also just as you can spend a fortune on a rifle - there are people that insist you must buy lots of equipment to start loading - But, You can start w just a Lee Loader, and no lube, no scale, no chrono, no bullet puller, no calipers, special powder dispenser, no primer, etc.

It is work, but I find handling reloading components makes me feel like a junkie handling his gear - I love it. Some people don't.

 

[carnaby]

So you can reload without a press at all? I don't understand how this works.

I sure appreciate all your advice, and if I can get started with just a set of dies and a ?? reloading thingy ?? even without a press at first, that would be cool.

 

[jaimeshawn]

The Lee Loader is kind of like a set of dies with a couple special pieces added. This is how it works:

The way it works is you put one piece of brass case on a steel platform that holds the case base and then put a depriming tool http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/parts/1556.jpg inside the case and whack it with a small hammer. The depriming tool is just a rod with a small pin that knocks the old primer out.

Then you place the case in the size die, and smack the base of the case with your same small hammer until it is flush, and as the case slides in the die, it sizes it... or rather it neck sizes it, which is really fine with bolt action rifles. It's actually better to just neck size because it works your brass less.

Then you turn the die over, and place the case removal rod in the sizer die, and smack it with your small hammer, and it knocks the case out.

Then you put one primer on this spring loaded priming stand, http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/parts/1549.jpg set the case on it, and put the rod down inside the case and gently whack it down. The primer will slide in the pocket with a few whacks, and the spring loaded thing is designed, so the primer can't get crushed and go off.

Then the case goes back on the steel platform, the sizing die goes over it, and you use the scoup provided in the kit, to load powder in the case. The scoup is sized so it works with most mid-range rifle powders (IMR4895, H4895, etc.) You scoup once and pour the powder in the opening of the sizing die and this acts like a funnel to get the powder in the case. You drop the Bullet down the same hole and the primer-spring thingy has a rod on the side of it that you use to seat the bullet. The rod is long enough that your ammunition will be set below the maximum over-all-length.

That's it. There are no other pieces to buy except components (powder, primers, bullets). The Lee Loader comes with instructions.

---

A common reloading setup with press and dies and powder measure allows you to full size your ammo so it can be used in auto-loading rifles and rifles other than the one it was last shot in; It also lets you control seating depth so you have flexibility with bullet weights and shapes; It also allows you flexibility with amount of powder used. It also makes the process faster and easier.

For example, I lube the brass case with my fingers; size/deprime and then tumble my brass clean. Then I check the brass, and cull any that I don't like. I also make sure the primer holes are clear of the crushed walnut. These two steps were done in batch mode.

Then in one case at a time mode: Prime the case with my Lee C press and auto prime; Throw the powder charge with my Lee Pefect Powder Measure; Seat a bullet with my Lee Classic Cast and seating die. I act as the turrent in a turret press by moving the case to all stations and then loading the next one. This is much faster and easier than a Lee Loader, but I have a lot more invested in my setup.

 

[carnaby]

Well, I jumped in and bought the Lee Anniversary Kit with the book for $81 and a set of the dies with the neck sizing collet thingy.

I figure I should be able to load the .300 win mag for about $0.20 per round, since I have plenty of cases that I've been saving. I hope this works out

 

[Farnham]

I just loaded 50 rounds of .308 with my Lee Anniversary kit that I've had for a couple years now. I'm up to 3 sets of dies, but other than those and a can of Hornady One-Shot (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, Lee Lube sucks), It's all original, and I've probably loaded over a thousand rounds of .308, some 7.5 Swiss, and a pile of 9mm (I refuse to load 9mm with a single stage press again, though).

You made a good buy, and if it don't work, let me know, I'll buy it off you and put that press next to the one I have now. Save me changing out dies.

S/F

Farnham

 

[FatalMove]

Bangs or Bucks

Seems hard to believe that when shooting a .308 vs a .300 win mag

With a 150 grain bullet the .308 recoils like a pop gun and sends its lead out at 2820 muzzel velocity and costs $11-$13 a box

The .300 win mag sends the same 150 grain bullet at 3300 muzzel velocity. Awful lotta kick and money for shells for only 500 fps more speed.

Only when you use the heavier bullets does the magnum shine like 180gr
Or if you are gonna kill Elephants.

If your pockets aren't deep or your shoulder's not strong. Trade it for a .308 or 30-06 or .280 or .270 .25-06 they all shoot to 200 yards handily and wont hurt your sissy shoulder or break ya in the wallet.

FataL][V][ove

 

[rangerruck]

if you have an Academy in your area, get the monarch ammo, it is made in Serbia, and it is about 10 to 12 bucks per box. i think it is made by the same folks tha make wolf gold brass.