So whether you are hunting or bench rest shooting, velocity is an important characteristic to understand when choosing between two different cartridges. Interesting blog and opinions. If you look at the individual rounds (data not shown), you will see that the rounds from each cartridge mix thoroughly. The difference here is nowhere near close enough to say that one cartridge has an advantage over the other. Both also have round options with very high ballistic coefficients which is always beneficial when you start dealing with higher wind speeds and 500+ yard shots. It’s still relative though, and might not make much of a difference to a lot of you reading this. 4) weight of firearm. I am not sure if you have picked up your new rifle yet. Most weights are within the 150-200 grain range, but there are several lighter and heavier rounds available. And that is usually a tradeoff you get with heavier rounds. In the table below, we have listed the averages of the forty rounds we compiled and their short range trajectory numbers. The cartridge is also able to be to take a variety of bullet weights. These high-velocity rounds also means a little extra kick. There is no doubt, that accuracy is incredibly important. To get a little better idea of how the two compare, let’s look at the averages for our larger sample set. Flip over house Eskimo v Otter v Clam v Frabill. In my opinion way to pretty to carry in the AK bush. It’s got class, panache, and performance in spades, and is actually the oldest veteran in this group. 300wby mag i inherited when i was 13yrs old from my uncle who was a marine sniper he served 4 tours in vietnam and was far more firearms savy than i for obvious reasons. 300 PRC vs 300 Win Mag. BONUS OFFER: Get your 500 Page Ammo Comparison Handbook (worth $43) for FREE right into your inbox. I'll throw the .300 WSM in for good measure. One of my Client’s dropped a nice old bull with his Weatherby from a distance of 400 yards. We also tried our best in selecting a sample that contained some different styles of bullet and bullet weights. This may only have application and importance in the target shooting world, but something to think about. From 300 to 500 yards, the difference shrinks between those two rounds and the other eight. Ten years ago it was proper to write that the 6.5 had never been a popular bullet choice for American hunters; the 6.5×55 Swede was popular in Europe, but it never … A lot goes into a bullet’s trajectory including bullet specs as well as environmental characteristics. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. And by lighter, it’s usually around half a pound to a pound difference in weight. It’s pretty much been my go to CONUS big game rifle since then. When hunting larger game, you often need your round to be able to penetrate through thick skin and tissue to reach vital organs. On the other hand, the .300 WM has a half inch more in its case length and overall length. Salute, There is a lot of debate out there as to how we can accurately estimate the stopping power of a round. The ballistics chart below compares the trajectory of Hornady Precision Hunter and Winchester Expedition Big Game and factory loads for each cartridge. in my teens all the guys i knew ran around with there 30-30’s 308’s 7mm mags and 30-06 when we would go out to the range either my buddies or there dads wanted to step up and get behind the 300wby and i would tell them to hold onto it tight because she would knock your head off and the famous last words where always i have been shooting since i was 12yrs old and proudly my rifle has sent 9 people i know to the hospital to get stitches in there foreheads . For hunting large game, you would want more momentum to be able to push through thicker hide and bones which are denser and provide more resistance. Here are the four factors that affect recoil. As far as recoil I was shooting my dads .300 Wby when I was a … We calculated the sectional density numbers for the ten rounds and listed them in graph form below (Graph 8). With this comparison, we want to highlight the differences and the similarities between the .300 Win Mag vs .300 WSM. Rifles chambered for the .300 WSM are lighter than rifles chambered for the .300 Win Mag and this reduction in weight often means a bit meaner kick. For hunting purposes, which both of these cartridges are used for, all the ballistic data is important, but if they can’t bring down big and thick hided game, it isn’t going to matter if the bullet gets there. IDO » Community » Forums » Hunting Forums » Shooter’s Test Bench ».300 Win Mag vs 300 Weatherby Mag.300 Win Mag vs 300 Weatherby Mag. For factory loads, both of these cartridges bring pretty impressive trajectories. I hunted Alaska with the .300 win mag. i shoot anywhere from a 165gr to 210gr rounds depending on what i am hunting. And receive our newsletter with the best articles covering guides, guns & gear. Here again, we do not see any significant difference in bullet drop between these two cartridges at the same yard markers that we looked at above. I hate it. I took rough measurements of both the 300 Win Mag and the 30 Nosler with the very popular 215 Berger hybrid. It's pretty close to the 280 Ackley and since you're a reloader, obtaining ammo won't be an issue. What does that mean? Even at 500 yards this round still carries 2,016ft.lbs of energy, so range and stopping power is not an issue even for larger game. .300 Win Mag Federal Vital-Shok Trophy Bonded 180gr, 300 Win Mag Federal MatchKing BTHP Gold Medal 190gr, .300 Win Mag Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond Long Range 190gr, .300 Win Mag Barnes Precision Match OTM 220gr, .300 Win Mag Hornady Superformance SST 180gr, .300 WSM Winchester Expedition Big Game 180gr, .300 WSM Federal Vital-Shok Trophy Bonded Tip 165gr, .300 WSM Hornady ELD-X Precision Hunter 200gr, .300 WSM Barnes VOR-TX TTSX Boat Tail 165gr, Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond Long Range 190gr, Black Hills Match Boat Tail Hollow Point 190gr, Federal Vital-Shok Trophy Bonded Tip 165gr, Hornady American Whitetail Interlock 165gr, Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range ABLR 190gr. We can look back at some of the other ballistic characteristics we have already examined. These are most often found between 165 to 220 grains but are often found in the heavier range for hunting purposes. And that change in the difference is mostly due to the.300 WM Trophy bonded ammo from Federal which only has a bullet drop of 6.6”. akg. The .300 Win mag would be the cheapest of the bunch to get into as cases are cheaper. The 300 Win Mag is usually just a little harder to find ammo for and has a little more cost. But this was good because I have found that the case capacity of the … This section is probably going to carry more weight for hunters rather than just competition shooters, but it’s never a bad thing to know as much about a cartridge as you can. Both cartridges have options with .6+ BCs which are going to be intriguing for the long range guys. At 300 yards, all of these rounds still have well above 2,000 ft.lb with several rounds, including both .300 Win Mag and .300 WSM, still carrying more than 2,500ft. The SD is derived from a calculation using the bullet’s diameter and weight. Both of these cartridges can be hand loaded to give better performance specs. Both produce enough recoil to influence a shot, especially when you have been shooting for several hours where fatigue can set in and especially if a less experienced marksmen is holding the rifle. Both cartridges have several rounds in the .25 to .3 range though the .300 Win Mag on average has a slightly higher sectional density. Not just .300 WM to .300 WSM round, but between rounds of the same cartridge type. Using H4350 powder to compare velocities is how I've looked at it.With a 180 grain bullet this is what the Hodgdon's reloading … This is mainly due to feeding issues with the shorter actions of .300 WSM chambered rifles. 300 Weatherby Mag. We mentioned that the .300 WSM is often used in shorter, lighter rifles. And as we mentioned earlier, the rifle being used might give different results than what you are using. Does anyone know of anyone renting an ice castle / shack for 4 on Millacs. Mag., or become just another .300 magnum in the herd. Both of these cartridges were designed to be able to reach out at far distances and be able to still carry enough kinetic energy and punching power to kill the target on impact and large targets at that. Like any category when dealing with cartridges, we are not going to be shooting the averages. From this data set, the .300 Win Mag still has a slightly higher sectional density than the .300 WSM rounds. They are not as flat shooting as hand loads, but for those looking to get into one of these cartridges and then move on to handloading, they are going to do well on the range. So, with all of that out of the way, let’s jump into our comparisons. Of course this rifle had a brake and did move shooters off the tables next to me but it still yeilded around 35 foot pounds of recoil with the brake. If your particular rifle can handle them, then it’s not an issue at all. You get changes in performance from the individual rounds, but it’s tough for us to say which cartridge gives you more of a certain ballistic or other performance component. Because propellant loads used by the manufacturer are not available, we went conservative with the loads using Nosler load data and kept the charge the same for each round within a cartridge. And again, like most sections we have looked at, there is a lot of overlap in the rounds of both cartridges. If you want a round that is going to remain supersonic, both the .300 WM and the .300 WSM have a number of viable options. This round is popular for long-range shooters including big game hunters and competitive shooters. Understanding this allows you to take the necessary steps when calculating shot placement. His gun was very fancy. Higher velocities increase penetration as does highly bonded bullets that will not fragment on impact. The two flattest shooting rounds are a .300 WM and a .300 WSM round while the two steepest rounds are also a .300 WM and .300 WSM round. Still, a lot of people like high velocity and feel that their rounds perform better with a little extra speed. And that’s really the bottom line. In the U.S we tend to view a firearm as a tool, which it is, but not as a fine piece of jewelry capable of taking a brown bear. Third shot was in the shoulder and brought him down. A lot of people might not think of the .300 WM or WSM when thinking about short range trajectory, but there are going to be shots within 300 yards, especially when hunting. It’s an appreciable advantage, but again, there’s that recoil tradeoff. And again, while the averages give a slight advantage to the .300 Win Mag, there are several .300 WSM rounds that provide just as much or more bullet momentum than several of the .300 Win Mag rounds. The difference between the two averages remains just about constant as the rounds move downrange to the 500-yard mark where the averages for the WM and WSM are 58.2lb/f.s and 22.3lb/f.s respectively. Best Concealed Carry Insurance [Comparison Chart]. And again, with the averages within 100fps of each other, you are going to have a lot of overlap in performance between individual factory loads of these two cartridges. We have calculated the bullet momentum by using the bullet’s mass and velocity for each round and graphed them below (Graph 9). We also do not see the rounds for each cartridge grouping together. i am now 39yrs old i still hunt with my 300wby mag Mark V. I also load every round for in in my single stage rcbs press. A great piece of wood is considered part of the firearm and regardless of weather conditions, it is used and isn’t a safe queen even with the most expensive rifles in the 100K range, ornate to the gills. The gap between the two is not as wide with the extra rounds and we are only seeing a little over two ft.lb of difference between the averages. I haven't shot a 300 win mag but I have shot my dad's 300wby mag (Weatherby Ultralight ~6lbs, unbraked) a fair amount. 2) weight of bullet. The lighter the rifle, the heavier the recoil. my own .300 winchester was at about the same pace until i put a recoil pad on it. We are not looking to crown one cartridge as superior to the other. Both are from the 70’s and I still like to shoot the .300 over the .270. The increase in length of the .300 WM over the .300 WSM is greater than the increased wideness of the case of the .300 WSM. It hurts a bit to write this particular comparison, because I’m really partial to the .300 WBY. Generally, for factory loads, they are going to hover around these numbers, but if you need a high BC, there are probably rounds of both cartridges available out there and most definitely so when it comes to hand loads. Outside of the bullet design, which is going to provide controlled expansion to deliver penetration as well as deliver the huge amount of kinetic energy this bullet carries, it also carries a ton of momentum. And because the 30 Nosler has a belt-less case, it’s more accurate and makes for easier reloading. The .300 WSM is one of the more popular short magnum cartridges that have come out in the last two decades. Both cases were new unfired. I don't notice the recoil at all. In this graph, we are looking at the bullet drop (inches) at the 200 and 300-yard mark. most of my kills where at 400yrds or less. We used a ballistic calculator to generate the recoil energy generated from firing these ten rounds (Graph 1). But I may not and just use factory ammo until I can afford to get into reloading. Anytime you bring up two cartridge types or even two different rounds of the same cartridge, the argument for which is more accurate eventually rears its ugly and opinionated head. Raw recoil is calculated by having the following elements: If you’re never going to be taking shots out past 200 yards, the differences in the ballistic coefficients we are about to look at are negligible, but if you’re planning on getting any range on your shots, this should be an interesting section to you. With a smaller area providing resistance, more momentum is conserved, and the projectile can drive further into the target. I also reloaded this caliber among others and suggest caution, as damage to the neck of the case is a consideration. Posts: 24. However, like the .300 Win. so with that being said at the ripe old age of 13yrs old the rifle took a bit to get used to as it kicked like a mule. All bullets, once fired, carry kinetic energy that is generated by the force of the gunpowder being ignited and the weight of the bullet which is basic physics you learned in school. We have compiled the velocity data for all ten rounds from the muzzle out to 500 yards and graphed them here (Graph 2). "Today There is plenty of great brass available for the .300 Win mag vs. slim to zero for the .300 Dakota. The Weatherby is almost proprietary to Weatherby rifles or rechambering others. In the table below, you will find the sectional density data from the larger data set. Those heavy rounds at 1,000+ yards appear to bring the average down a good bit at this range. Which is several inches better than any of the other Win Mag and WSM rounds. 300 PRC and .300 Win Mag factory loads generally have similar muzzle velocities, but the 300 PRC shoots a heavier bullet with a higher BC. » Community Reloading obviously reduces these costs. Where ballistic calculators are used we kept as many variables the same between rounds of the same cartridge. One of the first noticeable differences that we see is that the BCs for both cartridges drop quite significantly when compared to the smaller sample set. For home defense, you don’t need the same amount of momentum. From this set of rounds, we do not see any pattern regarding rounds from each cartridge grouping together, and we don’t think we would even if we had twenty rounds from each cartridge. I truly think that no matter what rifle you get with practice you can become comfortable with anything. Not surprisingly, there are some significant differences in the ballistics of the three cartridges. If we take it out to the 400-yard mark, we are still talking about an average right at the 2,000ft.lb mark which exceeds the general limit you need for big North American game. The .300 WM has a bullet drop of 9.9 inches while the .300 WSM has an average bullet drop of 11.06″. The .300 Win Mag also has a higher max pressure though only slightly. The velocity and BC both affect the trajectory of the bullet as does gravity and wind resistance. Sectional density plays a role in momentum as more momentum is conserved when the projectile, a bullet in our case, is striking a smaller area. Firearms used are more often than not expensive. We will do this by taking a look at several ballistic as well as other performance characteristics of these cartridges. One of the best shots on a moose I have ever seen. .300 Win Mag rounds are often a bit heavier than the more popular .300 WSM rounds. It is used for both big game hunting as well as benchrest target shooting. We will attempt to bring all of this together when we get to the application section. As a general rule, you want at a minimum of 1,000 ft.lb force when trying to take down larger game, and probably more in the 1,500+ range when talking about bear, elk, and moose which these cartridges are often used for. The .300 Win Mag rounds do have around an extra 40-50fps at each range marker. Gold trigger and inlay, along with a wood stock did not seem to be the best choice for the AK bush. Most hunters/marksmen want a flat shooting round. » Hunting Forums For large and even dangerous game this is an excellent round. The momentum of the bullet is another indicator of penetration, and it goes hand in hand with the sectional density and is the topic of the next section. From the muzzle out to 200 yards, all of the rounds group pretty tightly together but we do see the two .300 Win Mag rounds show slightly higher energy than the other eight rounds. Again, even with more cartridges in play, we see the same trend pop up between these two cartridges. I'm also 6' and a large framed individual. It holds off on the recoil energy just slightly compared to the other rounds but still provides one of the flattest trajectories compared to the other .300 WSM rounds that we have discussed and used in our average tables. For long range shooting or chasing a bull moose, both of these cartridges, when shot with confidence and skill, are going to put meat in the freezer. The 30 Nosler blows past the highly regarded 300 Winchester Magnum—eclipsing the round in all three testing categories. When we talk about trajectory, we are only referring to elevation and how much a bullet will drop as it moves downrange. Years ago it was determined that when the lock time of a Weatherby rifle was compared to the old Remington 720 and the two triggers were pulled so they “broke” simultaneously, the bullet from the Remington 720 had hit the target at 100 yards before the bullet had left the barrel of the Weatherby rifle. A few years back my partner and I went moose hunting in British Columbia. If we take a look (Graph 4) it’s difficult to tell if there are even two separate lines. Both of these cartridges take a 30 cal bullet (.308”) but that’s about where the similarities between these two cartridges end. Huston is a hunting enthusiast who believes your success in the field is directly correlated to the amount of preparation at home. New In-Depth Outdoors TV episodes return this Fall, Sundays at 8 a.m. on the Fox Sports North channel! If I don't get into reloading I'm going to install a Weatherby AccuBrake ( the rifle is a Weatherby Vanguard S2 ). These characteristics are also advantageous to hunting large game where shots greater than 300 yards are common. It doesn’t have the highest BC compared to the other rounds, but it is still fairly high, and users seem to be very happy with its performance at long ranges. 30 Nosler vs. 300 Win Mag. We didn’t see any huge difference in velocity from the averages of the cartridges out of the muzzle. So, one shot vs. four shots. When it comes to hunting big game, there is one advantage for the .300 Win Mag, and that is the bullet size. We have also a 1,000 yard mark for further comparison.