Reality Check Needed 300 wsm

[PBking51]

I'm sure I am not the first person to create a post like this, but I am in a state of denial/buyers remorse and could use some logic justifying my actions. Sorry in advance, I tend to be a bit long winded in story telling. Lol

Here's my situation:

I made a very sudden purchase of a christensen arms ridgeline in 300 wsm. I presently have 2 guns in this cartridge, a custom sporter with a 23" barrel built on a win 70 classic action with a vx5 5-15x40 and a rem 700 rocky mountain elk foundation with a vx3 4-12x50.

Both of the wsm's I had previously shot great but I had bought the winchester wanting a light , compact, wood stocked hunting rifle, it was a tad heavier than my standard 300 wm with the scope and with the break it was alllmost as long...at the time their "short action" winchester actions were just about the same length as a standard. It's a very nice custom rifle and the wenig English walnut stock is way to pretty for my style of hunting.

I then bought the 700 because the price was certainly right and came with the leupold mounted and sighted in. With the synthetic stock and 1" tube scope it's very balanced but has a 26" barrel with a brake. It would work for open shots but a little long for some stand hunting I do.


Fast forward to this past Friday, I picked up this CA ridgeline on a trip that took me to a dealer who carried them. I briefly pondered the kimber mountain ascent, finnlight 2, and even a tikka t3x lite in the same caliber, I wanted to keep weight down so I can actually have something for possible treking situations and future trips out west. I like to think that with the carbon barrel my shots won't wander after 3 in a string as they most likely would with the tikka and kimbers lighter and thinner pencil barrels. I am a strong 700 action fan and I prefer the safety over a 3 position. For hunting, I always get it done in 1-2 shots but haven't had that lifetime buck step out at long distance yet to know how many it may take.

So my internal battle now is that where I hunt in northeast Pennsylvania, presents shots less than 400 yards unless overlooking this field which is 900 yards. I have a 308, 30-06, a 280 rem all with 22" barrels. They all come in sub 7.5 pounds scoped... doing some ballistic studies there's no reason why I should've bought this 300wsm or furthermore even own the 300 wsm based on my standard hunting conditions right?

So now that my wallet is $1900 lighter, I am wondering, and I some sort of freak that just wants to stock up on guns in every caliber or is there merit in my more modern purchase?

 

[B23]

In all fairness, I don't really think there is a right or wrong answer. I think any that you mentioned would get the job done but it sounds like you like having a variety of rifles or maybe you just like rifles so you buy them just because. Certainly no crime in that. As many have said before me, if "need" was a prerequisite to a new rifle purchase we'd all only have one of two but thankfully "need" has absolutely nothing to do with it so if you want seven 300 WSM's, a different one for everyday, more power to you.

Maybe the whole "need" thing is a matter of perspective and if you want them you must feel you "need" them, so there you go, prerequisite fulfilled.

 

[K22]

In my experience, to obtain magnum performance in magnum cartridges a long barrel is required so that slow burning powder used in such cartridges has sufficient time to burn. I've seen 300 Win Mags with 22" barrels that have velocities in the 308 to 30 06 range. So its counter productive to have a magnum with a short barrel. Normally a 26" length gives the intended ballistics results.

Myself, I've never seen the need for a magnum cartridges for big game in PA. Maybe for Elk but a 30 06 with premium bullets is more that capable of taking an Elk with proper shot placement. I took my buck of a life time at 155 yards with a 308 Win and a 150 grain Sierra Pro Hunter bullet.

I've hunted the "big woods" of PA for many years, Potter County and surrounding areas. I have never had a shot opportunity beyond 200 yards. If you anticipate longer shots and are capable of making an ethical shot at long range then I believe you would be well served with a 270 Win and 130 grain bullets. I would opt for a 24" barrel since the 270 likes slower powders such as 4350 and 4831 although some have had good results with 4064. The deer in the big woods tend to be small and do not require a lot to take them down. My father took 18 bucks and a bunch of doe with an open sight Model 94 30-30 Winchester.

With hunting, the cold bore shot is the "money" shot. Yea you may get a second shot but most of the time if you do a lot of guys get excited and miss on the second shot. An effective way to evaluate your rifle's capability is to make a record of several cold barrel shots. Your sight in should be based on the cold barrel shot data. Therefore, a light barrel is no real disadvantage since the most important shot is the cold barrel one. A good bedding system is also helpful.

 

[Sniper338]

I dont understand why people want multiple rifles of the same caliber same twist. If thats the case just get multiple barrels spun up. I personally dont have anything of the same caliber, if I did itd have different twist for different bullets. I could see a 7.5 twist 6br and a 14 twist 6br for example.

 

[ballisticxlr]

The deer heart wants what the deer heart wants. I have pairs of rifles that are nearly or actually identical. They're called "primary" and "backup" guns. 2 is one, 1 is none.

 

[PBking51]

Thank you all for your thoughts. @Sniper338 , I will surely be selling 2 of these 1:10 twist 300 wsm's. The only reason I had the 2nd one was because the price was right, but at the same token, the first one was not as compact and light as I was hoping for. It's truly a work or art but between the ss barrel, wood stock, and what I now see as the wrong action choice due to the weight, I missed what I was trying to achieve by selecting options without thinking about them as deeply as I should.

I load my 06 to right around 2900 with 150 Barnes or accubonds, and still find myself blasting my first deer of the year with 150 corelokts( for sentimental reasons). 2nd week deer for me were either try out something different although I would usually limit myself to 100 yards, and last few days especially if I hadn't had a shot yet, I'd pull out the 300 win mag and feel that anything inside my range was DOA. I've never missed with the 300WM but in 2 situations where I was close quarters and quick shots were needed, I made some poor shots because of the size of the rifle..still get hamburger and speedy recoveries.

 

[PBking51]

In my experience, to obtain magnum performance in magnum cartridges a long barrel is required so that slow burning powder used in such cartridges has sufficient time to burn. I've seen 300 Win Mags with 22" barrels that have velocities in the 308 to 30 06 range. So its counter productive to have a magnum with a short barrel. Normally a 26" length gives the intended ballistics results.

Myself, I've never seen the need for a magnum cartridges for big game in PA. Maybe for Elk but a 30 06 with premium bullets is more that capable of taking an Elk with proper shot placement. I took my buck of a life time at 155 yards with a 308 Win and a 150 grain Sierra Pro Hunter bullet.

I've hunted the "big woods" of PA for many years, Potter County and surrounding areas. I have never had a shot opportunity beyond 200 yards. If you anticipate longer shots and are capable of making an ethical shot at long range then I believe you would be well served with a 270 Win and 130 grain bullets. I would opt for a 24" barrel since the 270 likes slower powders such as 4350 and 4831 although some have had good results with 4064. The deer in the big woods tend to be small and do not require a lot to take them down. My father took 18 bucks and a bunch of doe with an open sight Model 94 30-30 Winchester.

With hunting, the cold bore shot is the "money" shot. Yea you may get a second shot but most of the time if you do a lot of guys get excited and miss on the second shot. An effective way to evaluate your rifle's capability is to make a record of several cold barrel shots. Your sight in should be based on the cold barrel shot data. Therefore, a light barrel is no real disadvantage since the most important shot is the cold barrel one. A good bedding system is also helpful.

My biggest PA Buck was a 140 in susquehanna County. All of 60 yards with a 308 handi rifle in 308. I brought it as I was hoping for a cyote while I sat in my brothers stand in the evening to give him a "what to expect" report when we was able to hunt the next weekend. I promised I wouldn't shoot any deer , but the mass on this 8 was too much to pass up. He's over it now, but we were sour for 3 years because of it.

My thoughts behind a more compact magnum were I start the day off in my honey hole and if nothing comes by , I usually start to walk across the ridge out to a 400 yard pipeline and then in the afternoons during the second week I cover about 2 miles of old stone quarries and hardwoods with openings extending past 400 yards. I am sure the 06 with the 22" can do it and it's certainly handy enough, but the extra confidence i get by the magnum , plus a finish and stock that won't get dinged and dented in the process seems to be what I am after...just funny to think that my longest deer was a doe I shot with a 7x57 ruger 77 at 530 yards and a 175 grain Speer grand slam

 

[jeffreybehr]

Selecting firearms is a process of the heart as much as of the mind.. I recently tired of all the 6mm cartridges that I didn't have the skills necessary to create a half-MOA target rifle and chose a .25 WSSM.. Shilen will make a barrel in maybe-four months, and I'm gathering tools and supplies.. I'm rather enjoying having something that's a little different and, frankly, weird.

 

[300_whisper]

In my expereince, youre overthinking this. You bought nice, new gun because you wanted one. Simple as that. Enjoy it! lol

Another good example is a great forum member on here was asking for advice on a new rifle. He was selling his 6mm Remington to use the funds to....


...buy a different 6mm remington

 

[PBking51]

In my expereince, youre overthinking this. You bought nice, new gun because you wanted one. Simple as that. Enjoy it! lol

Another good example is a great forum member on here was asking for advice on a new rifle. He was selling his 6mm Remington to use the funds to....


...buy a different 6mm remington

What was getting to me was the old adage, if it's not broke no need to fix it. Perhaps I wanted a new gun that was lighter and my real issue is the cartridge chosen. Inside 400 yards, the 06 with a 150 and the 300wsm with a 165 are very close ballistically and what does that extra 15 grains at a comparable speed really add up to?

I am not a speed freak that shoots a 139grain bullet out of a 7mag or a 150 out of a 300 weatherby, to me its been a matter of heavier bullet at the same speed as the smaller caliber was a win.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

You could have bought a Tikka T-3 in .270 Win or, WSM and shot, 130 Berger's to SAVE your Shoulder AND,.. your Wallet ! Even a FAST, .243 Win, 6 Creed, 6 XC etc. will kill Deer at, 400-500 yds.
The .300 WSM is FINE for,.. Elk / Moose, etc. tho ! Might hold onto ONE, If you go West for Elk.
I have, 2 Tikka's ( a .270 WSM and a .243 Win ) and the Bullets don't "wander" for,.. 3 shots.
Like K-22 said, it's the First "Cold Bore" shot that, counts ! Maybe, a "follow up",.. sometimes.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have made 4 western rifle elk hunts(public land diy). I have harvested 4 (2 bulls) elk. 2 with a 30tc, won at a elk banquet. One with 338wm,1 with a 7Saum sendero. Last summer I picked up a m700 30-06 for 99.99 on clearance at Wally world, strangely I'm drawn to that new rifle. I have my first Montana combo this year, so I'm gearing up for loading the '06. If it shoots well, it will at least make it as a backup. So far EGW rail, used bdl bottom metal and used HS stock have been purchased. And a bag(250) of unknown 165 gr sp. I honestly can't think of a reason why you shouldn't have purchased the ridgeline, or the next rifle that catches your eye. Where I live, I can't even hunt deer with any of these(shotgun,handgun,muzzleloader).