First 300 Win Mag/What To Get

[freebird]

Wanted to know what would be a good choice for my first 300WM. I would like to stay under $1000 for gun only and save up for some good glass later. Would like to get into some long range shooting. The most long range shooting I have done so far is what I could get away with my .308 AR-10.

Can I get a decent 300wm for under 1k and if so what brand would many of you recommend me going with? I have seen some beautiful Browning X Bolt White Gold with Walnut Stock Rifles out there but they are over $1,000. Should I buy new or try to find a clean used one out there. Go with a wood stock or synthetic stock? What barrel length is preferred? 26"? Just wanted to get some feedback from some who have previously been down this road.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[redneck2]

Well, wonder how long it will be before the mag haters show up and tell you how stupid you are for wanting and obsolete, hard kicking, overpower belted magnum? Certainly less than 24 hours.

I'd probably look at Winchester and CZ first. I personally tend to shy away from Savage, though that's more a personal bias than anything rooted in fact. I would not get a Remington unless it was older/lightly used. I had a Ruger M77 and it was everything I wanted.

I have a Weatherby Vanguard (Howa) in .243. Just a nothing special hunting rifle with a synthetic stock. Does everything I need.

I think quality has advanced so much that it's more personal preference than anything else. It seems most current rifles are capable of very acceptable accuracy.

I like Brownings a lot. I've had several. All functioned well and were well made. As for wood/synthetic, that's a personal decision. I keep my guns in very nice shape. Hate scratches and dings. If you're like me, wood looks good but I don't have to baby synthetic. Also, some synthetic stocks are pretty flimsy.

Me? I'd cruise the used gun rack and find something for a screaming deal. It's off season and you should be able to find a deal..I don't get stuck on nameplates. I got my Weatherby for $400 O.T.D. It was unfired.

Just get a good scope.

 

[farmerboy78]

I too have been looming at the .300 wm for some hard hitting extended range work. Me personally, I would look at the savage and remington police/sniper lines. I'd stay away from browning, I've seen too many that weren't accurate enough for what you are wanting. I'd would try to find a good used remington 5r milspec. That's the direction I'm looking, and I'm a die hard savage fan.

 

[BearW]

I have a Remington 700 with 26" barrel. It has 5r rifling. It's stainless with green web synthetic stock. The thing is a tack driver with my reloads. It's not bad at all to shoot with a brake on it either. Even funner with my tbac can on it. It is heavy tho with scope and bipod. Comes in at 12.4 pounds. It doesn't leave my deck.

 

[jakk280rem]

I'm going to assume, yeah I know, that your 1k budget doesn't include a scope. The Winchester is a solid choice. Tops the list for sure. The Browning X-Bolt hunter can be had for under 1k. Alow me to throw the Browning BAR out there as a possibility. Very nice gun for 1k. The Ruger 77 Hawkeye is a fine rifle and could save you a couple hundred over the others. Comes with rings too.

Barrel length. There are two major reasons to shoot a 300 win mag. To maintain bullet velocity and impact energy within a bullets design parameters at extended ranges, and to fire a heavy bullet at common hunting ranges while maintaining the bullets' optimum expansion velocity. A longer barrel can help add a few yards in the first instance. If standard ranges are in order, a longer barrel won't do much for you.

 

[Reloadron]

Personally I like the older Winchester Model 70 and older Remington Model 700 rifles. My brother recently inherited an older Savage which was setup for match shooting and that rifle surprised me as it is a hell of a fine shooting rifle. As to any arguments for or against the 300 WM? You buy what you want as it will be your rifle. I won't even get into any of that nonsense.

Ron

 

[ExAgoradzo]

Well, the 300WM will bounce off a blacktail at 20 yards, so you MUST get the 458 Lott.

Winchester is an obvious one. A CZ is one I've looked at for sometime as well. Don't overlook the Ruger. The Standard has a 24" barrel. My dads 270 shoot lights out everyday of the week.

Greg

 

[Ks5shooter]

T/C Venture weathershield,.wait for the $75 rebate and use toward your optics. I own four Ventures and they are all tack drivers. 3 shots 3 bucks in 3 years in Pa.

 

[nastynatesfish]

I'd look into the savage long range hunter. Or a used sendaro

 

[jmr40]

Is this going to be primarily a hunting rifle with some casual long range shooting, or primarily a long range target gun? Do you hand load? Define long range.

For the record 300 WM recoil is vastly overstated by many. It just isn't that bad, but it is there. I've owned several in the past and currently use a 300 WSM for some of my shooting. Having owned both in the past I'd take the 300 WSM over the 300 WM by a wide margin. You give up about 50 fps, but since it needs about 12-15 gr less powder recoil is noticeably less. A 26" barrel will give less than 50fps additional speed over a 24" barrel. Not worth the trade off to me. If I were shooting 1000+ yards I'd go with 28-30" in order to see a noticeable gain in speed.

The intended use is needed to decide. I don't like to lug around more than about 8 lbs on a hunting rifle. A dedicated target rifle can easily be 12-15 lbs. For some people 400 yards is long range and others want to shoot at 1000+.

A good quality bolt rifle in 308 will get you to 1000 yards for target shooting. With proper loads it is suitable for elk size game out to at least 400 yards and at least 500 for deer size game. You'll need to hand load, but properly loaded it'll do it.

Not going to discourage you to try a 300 mag, but a 308 will do more than most people have the skills to use. A 300 will get you well beyond 1000 for targets, to around 700 yards on elk size game and with enough punch for deer out to near 1000 yards. I'm not advocating shooting at game at those ranges. Just stating what the cartridge is capable of if the rifle and shooter are.

This is a photo of my Winchester 70 in 300 WSM. This is one of the Classcs made 1992-2006. This is a 2006 rifle. I was shooting it last week off the sticks at 400-600 yards. I don't know exactly what the street price is for the current 70 EW which is similar. Should be near $1000. Even if it were a bit over my budget I'd find a way to increase my budget.

 

[critter]

I have a somewhat older pushfeed Win mod 70 synthetic stock. Set up for hunting. Mine has done quite well for me for several years. It is plenty accurate for long range shooting, but has a thin barrel, so the groups would open up quite quickly.

I would think a similar gun with a bit bigger, heavier, stiffer barrel would be better for long range target shooting. Worse for woods toting, however.

I use only handloads in mine and they are tailored to it to get good accuracy and down range deer performance. Also works wonders on hogs and coyotes. YMMV.

 

[CaliCoastie]

You opposed to used? Sako. New? Ruger, tikka.
Some other calibers are interesting as well, like that 300wsm. Good luck.

 

[grubbylabs]

I looked at a Sako yesterday, it's on my short list. After picking up my Tikka T3 I would also consider one of those. My Tikka has been a great rifle.

The Sako I looked at came with a mid weight barrel profile just like my Tikka in .243. A little heavier than your average hunting barrel but not as big as a target barrel. Nice compromise.

I have a win 'odel 70 push feed in 300 win. It was a light gun, so I had a break put on it, now it's nice to shoot.

 

[Grumulkin]

My Encore does pretty well. The rifle itself probably ran about $650 and the scope another $900 but you wouldn't have to go that expensive on a scope; you could do just as well with a used Leupold scope in the $350 range.

As far as other options go, I've had Remington 700s, a Tikka T3, a CZ and Weatherbys; they all have done very well.

 

[db_tanker]

I have a Browning medallion II 300wm and love it.

but...I'd suggest a savage (any model) 300 Wm for one simple reason.

IF you don't like it...guess what? you can swap out the majority of the necessary parts and make whatever you like...mostly in own garage.

I got the Browning simply because I always wanted one. Now...I'd probably go with a savage myself. Of course the Browning will always be in my safe.


D

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Remington 700P in 300 win mag would be a good option for out of the box.

 

[freebird]

Thanks for all of the great information and advice. Looks like I have a lot of research to do now. I don't hunt much. Use to in Iowa where Deer are Deer. In Oklahoma...well? Nuff said. LOL. Looking mostly for a long range target gun right now. I reload but the largest I have done is for my .308. Will have to set up differently going with the Win Mag. If any of you have pics of your WM's I would love to see them. Or if there is a place where they are already posted on the site help point me in the correct direction. I love the beauty of wood stocks but would be really afraid of scratching the heck out of it and it would become a safe queen. Thanks again for all the great advice!

 

[TTundra]

I have an addiction for the .300 win mag. It is a great and versatile cartridge. Never let anyone sway you in regards to barrel length either. Being that you play with powder you can do a lot with this platform. Heres a few of mine in different config.

 

[Steel Talon]

Wanted to know what would be a good choice for my first 300WM. I would like to stay under $1000 for gun only and save up for some good glass later. Would like to get into some long range shooting. The most long range shooting I have done so far is what I could get away with my .308 AR-10.

Can I get a decent 300wm for under 1k and if so what brand would many of you recommend me going with? I have seen some beautiful Browning X Bolt White Gold with Walnut Stock Rifles out there but they are over $1,000. Should I buy new or try to find a clean used one out there. Go with a wood stock or synthetic stock? What barrel length is preferred? 26"? Just wanted to get some feedback from some who have previously been down this road.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

Winchester model 70 is the only choice.. AFAIC.

 

[Bart B.]

If you're looking for a long range target gun in 30 caliber, there are better choices than the .300 Win Mag; especially if you're going to reload your own ammo.

By target, do you mean paper ones? What level of rifle plus ammo accuracy do you want at long range; 2 MOA, 1 MOA or near 1/2 MOA?

Belted magnums are seldom seen any more in long range matches using paper targets. Way too much recoil for precise shooting when hand held when aimed. And belted cases are not all that easy to resize and reload for best results. If you want a 30 caliber one, a rimless .300 WSM with a 26 to 28 inch barrel with a 1:12 twist fit to a Win 70 action in a wood stock will do as well as any other and probably cost a lot less for best accuracy.

 

[Casefull]

Belted magnums are seldom seen any more in long range matches using paper targets. Way too much recoil for precise shooting when hand held when aimed. And belted cases are not all that easy to resize and reload for best results. If you want a 30 caliber one, a rimless .300 WSM with a 26 to 28 inch barrel with a 1:12 twist fit to a Win 70 action in a wood stock will do as well as any other and probably cost a lot less for best accuracy.

I have both rifle calibers and reload for both. I would agree with Barts suggestion. If you wanted to use 200 plus grain bullets a case can be made for the 300wm because of the extra capacity for the longer bullets. I know the Op asked specifically about the 300wm. You cannot go wrong with either round. I would look hard at a used Rem 700 for your use. You could always put a custom barrel and stock on that action for a super accurate rifle if future wants dictate.

 

[MCMXI]

The .300 Win Mag is one of my all time favorite cartridges. At one point I owned three .300 Win Mag rifles but now am down to two, a Kimber Montana and an AI AWM. I bought a really nice Remington 700 Police model with an HS Precision stock back in '96. I shot it for a few years and then had the action trued and a barrel installed by Krieger. The barreled action sat in an AICS stock and it was a shooter. Don't let anyone tell you that the. 300 Win Mag is hard to load for... it's not. You might want to look at a Bergara B-14 Hunter.

 

[freebird]

WoW! Thanks all of you. Now even more choices Some really good options you all have passed along. The Winchester model 70 is a sweet gun. Time for some more research. I like some of the TC and the Tikka T3's too. Is the T/C Dimension a decent gun? I like the shape of the grip/stock but it only comes in a 24" Win Mag. I would prefer at least a 26" barrel and the cheaper price range worries me. It is in the $600 price range. Can a decent long shooter be had in that price range? If so that would allow me more leverage on getting a better scope.

I will have to look into the WSM's I know the kick of the WM can be pretty brutal at times. Is not the WSM's more expensive to purchase/reload?

The more I look at the Winchester Model 70 though the more I am loving it! Is the Winchester Model 70 Sporter the same as just a Model 70? Is that a good gun? I saw this one for $799 would this be a decent gun? Thanks again for all the great information and other caliber options to consider. I very much appreciate all the feed back.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=547908104

 

[Casefull]

Is not the WSM's more expensive to purchase/reload?

Not really. You will save about 7 grains of powder for every round you load for the same velocity round over the 300wm. Not a big deal but it does add up if you shoot a lot. My 300wsm is a Kimber Montana. It pushes 180g barnes ttsx out at 3190fps. That is with superformance powder. It is my most accurate load and is 1 grain under maximum.

 

[Bart B.]

Freebird, that Winchester 70's stock is good for use afield while hunting, but not so good for target use in position or benchrest methods. A straighter stock could be fit and you would then be able to shoot it more precisely.