.300 magnums

[njc110381]

Hey guys. I'm after a bit of advice on what to go for now. I've talked to my RFD and he's managed to get a refund on this Winchester I ordered as it's been six months since I ordered it and there's still no sign of it coming out of the factory! Now I'm not sure what to do. I've got .300 on my ticket so I've got lots of options. H&H mag which I feel is too rare maybe, Weatherby which is kind of the same, a win mag which is common as muck but doesn't like heavy bullets, and then the RUM which I think is too much and the WSM which I know little about?

 

Looking at loads, the WSM gives higher velocities with light bullets, and slows down as they get heavier. It equals out at about the 150grn mark (according to Lee max loads). What does it shoot like though? I quite like the idea of the shorter action but the round is pretty new and I'm not sure I trust it! Time proven stuff is always good!

 

On a side note I want to load whatever I get lightly. I can load both the WM and WSM with H4895 to give =/- 2500fps and up with 135grn bullets which I would like to do for every day use (I shoot Roe!). Not that this really comes into it I doubt, but I thought I'd mention it. I'm going to run it like a .308 and stoke it up when I go abroad.

 

So, to shorten all that down a bit, which should I go for? I'm starting to like the idea of the WSM because it's different!

[BIG 30]

Hello Mate,

 

I had a similar dilemma and in the end decided on the 300RUM, Though I do a bit of Continental Wld Boar Shooting as well.

The mainstay of my UK shooting is Roe Stalking and I have found that if you roll your own and get the bullet selection correct, you can drill them and get very little meat damage(in my case by using 200 grain softpoints), If however I use 185 Grain Accubonds, they Hit Red Stags like the Hammer of Thor himself!!

 

As I understand things, Anyone of the Calibres you mention is extremely capable, but just thought I would give my two penneth.

 

P.S

The only downsides to the 300RUM I have found are a reduced Barrel life and a liking for powder, neither of which are getting any cheaper.

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

[Ronin]

In a stalking rifle - ie lighter weight, any 30'cal magnum will be kicky without a brake.

 

Most shoot 150's and above very well although obviously come into their own with heavier bullets and are more suitable to larger bodied deer (red / sika) than roe.

 

I personaly would go for a 300 WSM, and use 150 - 180g bullets but I note that you have roe only, you would have to be real careful with shot placement to avoid shoulder damage.

 

As an aside:

 

If you are struggling for a rifle, I have an "as new" Howa stainless magnum action here that I have a lovely custom wooden stock for, which was bought as a "project" gun.

 

It requires a barrel and I havent decided on what calibre to re-barrel it to (270, 7 or 300 WSM)

 

No hard sell just saying it is here in my cabinet if that is the kind of thing your looking for.

[njc110381]

Since that first post I've been doing some serious searching on google and I've pretty much settled on a Win Mag. The WSM sounds good but is new, the RUM just sounds painful, so I've gone with the one that's been around the longest. The Win mag has a lot of load data floating around for it too which is a bonus.

 

Next question, is the Remmy SPS Stainless any good?

[Vermincinerator]

I put 7 sucessive shots through Craigs 300 Rum and it wasnt as unpleasant as i thought it would be.

I used to own a Win Model 70 Stealth in 300WSM which although was very accurate i struggled to get near published velocities before pressure signs reared their ugly head.

3100 fps was the max i got with a 185grn bullet and that caused a heavy bolt lift so i backed off a grain and velocity was just over 3000fps for 4 shots with one dropping down to 2998.

 

Ian.

[njc110381]

I think the RUM may just be too big for what I want. The added velocity is going to make it easier to shoot at range, but then look how far a standard (if you can call it that!) Win Mag shoot out to. I don't need any more for quarry shooting. It's fun I guess, but it's just too much gun and it would make it harder for me to find factory ammo and components. The WM is easy to buy for all over the world. Also, what mods are proofed for RUM as standard?

 

The WSM is an interesting one, but again factory ammo could be rare abroad. I just want to keep it simple to avoid making life hard for myself. The Win Mag is common and non military, which covers both of my needs.

[casts_by_fly]

the win mag would be my choice too, give your constraints.

 

Without them, the 338-06 would have been the choice.

 

Thanks,

Rick

[njc110381]

Oh Rick, please don't get me started! If things were easier here I'd still have my .375H&H and I wouldn't be the slightest bit interested in these crappy little pop guns!

 

The H&H is an icon calibre. I miss it very much!