300WSM vs 300WM in a long action hunting rifle?

[46and2]

All of the extended Wyatt boxes require milling on a Remington 700.

The 4.0 requires a bit more.

 

[mauser284]

200gr.+ bullets are no challenge at all in 300WM. I was shooting 190gr. bullets out of my 300WM in the early to mid 1990's. People in F-T/R are shooting 185gr. Juggernauts(sp) out of 308Win/7.62 Nato. Hot 190's were the norm for the Marine Corp, Navy and Army too. See the Mk248 Mod 1 for more info.

All kinds of guys run the 208gr Amax like a fish swims in water in the 300WM.

I shoot 185gr. Jug's in 30-06, 210gr round nose, 190SMK's etc......

In fact I have always said it is absolutely stupid and idiotic to load a 150gr. bullet into a 30-06 or 300WM unless you have no choice. Why? Because a 308Win can do 150's all day long loading them into a 30-06 or 300WM is just a waste of powder. Even in the 1990's around 1993 or 1995 outside of playing around with some light weight Barnes TSX 150's or 168 in my 300WM because I did not know any better I never run lighter than 180gr. I was 20 years old in college when I realized it was stupid to run anything lighter than 180gr. in a 300WM.

Magnums should be about shooting the heaviest bullet you can at the range you intend to shoot otherwise do not use a magnum use a standard cartridge. THe idea being that you can load a 208gr. bullet into a 300WM and shoot at 500m at the same velocity as a 30-06 with a 170gr. bullet or a 308Win with a 150gr. bullet etc.....

 

[mauser284]

What ever those Barnes rounds I have from 1998 they are compressed loads and are beyond hot. No pressure signs back in the day with the Browning A-Bolt Medallion in 300 Win Mag with Boss System. At the time I did not own a Chronograph I can just say they were accurate and devastating to animals and steel rams at 800m. My first son was born in 1998 which is why I remember them. I have a Dillion 550B that I got in 1998 and I still have some of those in a ziplock bag even though I no longer have the Browning. I just kept adding a grain and testing until finally I had a compressed load. My current 300WM is a Howa and I would have to pull those old rounds down and work them back up in my Howa. I drooped an Elk in Colorado at 600m and it went clean through lung shot and mangled the lungs. I also had some 220gr-240gr. soft point spitzers not round nose and those were devastating too. Recoil on those was insane but they dropped anything I shot with them. Those were actually factory loaded rounds but I do not recall who made them. I dropped a Moose with one shot around 250m it crumpled like a sock puppet with no hand. I think those were Federal Dangerous Game Loads but do not quote me that was 22 years ago.

Prob. 180-200gr. are the best overall ballpark for 300WM for combination of leathality and trajectory for hunting game. If your going lighter than that yo really do not need a magnum.

 

[MagnumManiac]

The 300WM shines with bullets 200gr+, while the 300WSM lags behind.
If accuracy is the key, then either will fill the bill...but the 300WM does it easier with bullets in the 210gr to 230gr with much higher velocities.
I have quite a few 300WM rifles, my dedicated LR rifles run 210gr ABLR or 230gr Berger OEM’s.
The 300WSM struggles with these weights, even in long actions, due to lack of powder space.
I had a 300WSM, just couldn’t cut it with the heavies, even in a long action. I switched that rifle over to a 264WM barrel and never looked back.
To be perfectly honest, I could never see a difference in accuracy, many will say that the WSM platform is more accurate, but I never saw it.
If comparing apples, the WM does it easier...simple CC’s win the race.

Cheers.

 

[JFrank]

I watched a test video a while back of these two calibers where the 300 WSM had the most penetration.
Phone books maybe’ Does anyone remember that video ???

 

[46and2]

I watched a test video a while back of these two calibers where the 300 WSM had the most penetration.
Phone books maybe’ Does anyone remember that video ???

Cartridge selection has ZERO to do with terminal energy/ penetration. Period.

Bullet construction and impact velocity does.

 

[JFrank]

Really?
I just googled the comparison video both using 150 gr shooting through 4 blocks of wood and a stack of encyclopedias.
Same results the WSM had more penetration

 

[46and2]

Again, impact velocity and bullet construction did it not the head stamp.

 

[JFrank]

Again, impact velocity and bullet construction did it not the head stamp.

Ok thanks

 

[dkhunt14]

Every 300wm barrel I've had has been easy to tune.

I load for way over 20 different cartridges, if I had any sense I'd be loading for 6br, 300wm and 260ai and be done with it. It's a disease!

Then you would love a 300 WSM. It is way easier to tune and stays there. Throat erosion is also way less. The big 300 days moved .035 or more a season and the 300WSM moved about .005 in three seasons. You can easily get 2900 with a 215 and Reloader 23 with it throated properly. Matt

 

[dkhunt14]

The 300WM shines with bullets 200gr+, while the 300WSM lags behind.
If accuracy is the key, then either will fill the bill...but the 300WM does it easier with bullets in the 210gr to 230gr with much higher velocities.
I have quite a few 300WM rifles, my dedicated LR rifles run 210gr ABLR or 230gr Berger OEM’s.
The 300WSM struggles with these weights, even in long actions, due to lack of powder space.
I had a 300WSM, just couldn’t cut it with the heavies, even in a long action. I switched that rifle over to a 264WM barrel and never looked back.
To be perfectly honest, I could never see a difference in accuracy, many will say that the WSM platform is more accurate, but I never saw it.
If comparing apples, the WM does it easier...simple CC’s win the race.

Cheers.

The 300 WSM can easily reach 2900 with a 215. As far as accuracy, the 300 WSM totally dominates for a 30 cal in 1000 yard BR. The throat wear is about 1/6 of what a 300 WIN has. The brass in a 300 WSM is also better. It lasts forever. With annealing, I know of 50 plus loadings. Matt

 

[dragman]

300wsm
I have to many of them. All of them have 27-30" barrels and shoot 208 or 210's slowest 2980 fastest 3023
I have killed ground hogs out too 1804
Got a coyote last year at 1602
And lots of deer shortest 615 longest 1147 and never had a problem.

 

[SPQR70AD]

I saw guys with a 24" 30-06 with Rel 26 get 2750 out of a 200 gr bullet. I wonder what the FPS would be with 30-32" barrel

 

[Trevor60]

Good Evening

Been awhile since you originally asked the question so i don't know if you have already committed to a cartridge.

It boils down to bullet selection if you are dedicated to the 215's or heavier than the WSM is the right choice.

I have a 300wsm shooting Berger 215's in a long action with a magazine system.

Kelbly Atlas long action
338 CIP mags 3.850
28 5/8 barrel I put a brake on it and wanted 28" clean plus MB&M 5 gill brake

My WSM COAL is 3.250 and the bullet is out of the shoulder bearing junction. It's chambered to jump
I can reach 2900 as i haven't sacrificed boiler room with this combination
300WM shooters have mentioned COAL 3.65 3.70 but in order to get this setup need less common equipment to load to these lengths.

Both achieve 2900fps

The 338 is similar in body dimension to the 300WSM and only requiring to adj the feed lips.
I can get both 5rd and 10rd mags.

Others have already talked about the WSM benefits accuracy, quality cases and NO BELT.

Cheers
Trevor

 

[Siko12]

My go to all around gun is my 300wsm. I've used it on Elk, Bear & Deer (both whitetail & mule) with great results. My farthest shot has been just shy of 400yds. It is a great round and my favorite. That said, I think both are capable of serving your needs. I like the factory bullet selection for the 300wsm since I do not reload.

 

[XTR]

I have not changed the configuration of the rifle at this point. It hasn't been a priority in my list of need/want to do things lately, so it's still set up as a 300WM.

 

[fyrewall]

.300 WSM's feed better and unfired/loaded rounds are more easily removed from my Ruger 77 MKII actions than .300WM's that have bullets seated out from inside body of cartridge. Ballistics are close enough but availability of brass favors the .300WM. Given access to lots of brass I would take the .300WSM having a long throat chamber- .300WM belt is superfluous.

 

[Sawfish]

My 300 WSM is a pistol-Savage Super Striker.