I recently bought a Remington 700 in 300 Winchester Mag caliber. It is topped with a Leupold 3-9X only right now... Anyway: I took it to the range to site it in with Hornady 165 gr BTSP. I got it reasonably sited in at 100 yards, but due to some inexperienced people on the range I didn't have the opportunity to really site it in and see what the rifle & ammo could do. My question is: If I want to shoot out to 300 plus PLUS yards to take down a big fourlegged animal what ammo (brand and gr) is a better choice? And how would it differ hunting bear in the northeast here where there is thicket and dense cover and 60 to 100 yard shots would be probable? What would be good for that?

Thank you for listening,

If you're not into loading, I would recomend Federal Premiums w/ the 165gr Nosler Partition. I had excellent luck with these factory cartridges in my .300WSM Tikka. When hunting, I go with what I know works, and the partition's been working for years. Hope this helps. I was also fairly impressed with the factory ammo accuracy.

Thanks I will give the Federal's in 165 gr Nosler a try... although I read in another thread that a 1 in 10 twist (that is what my 700 has, I believe) won't stabilize a 165 gr bullet thus a 180 or even 200 gr is needed for a rifle with 1/10 twist.... hmmmm, does anyone have any input here?

Thanks much,

Yogi,

Congrats. I hear great and wonderous comments regarding the utility and accuracy of the 300, and many good gun men that I know think it to be about the best all around weapon capable of taking everything in North America.

Sage advice on the 165 Noslers. Excellent compromise bullet, and honestly, I would be extremely surprised if it would not stabilize from a 1 in 10. If you sight your weapon a few inches, (around 2.5) high at 100, then I am thinking that you ought to be able to hold in the hair out to 350 or so, maybe further. You should still have enough impact velocity to make that bullet do what it needs to do.

If sighted thusly, you will still be effective close in, as the strike of the round will be +2.5 at 100 yards, less high the closer it gets to the muzzle, and close to dead on at around 35 yards or so. If you are sure to be able to shoot 100 yards or less, you can dramatically increase bullet weight, and shouldn't have to mess with the sights much, if at all, generally speaking. I'm a big fan of the 220 grain Nosler for this application on big stuff, and have championed this bullet for 30 calibers shooting close on every caliber 06 and up.

Good luck, friend, let us know how they shoot.

Steve

"thread that a 1 in 10 twist (that is what my 700 has, I believe) won't stabilize a 165 gr bullet thus a 180 or even 200 gr is needed for a rifle with 1/10 twist.... hmmmm, does anyone have any input here?"
Input? Yes. That's a pants load......

haha!!!

Good to hear. Yes sometimes stuff that is printed isn't actually true...(oh my). Can you believe it???!!!

The other advice given herein is also MUCH appreciated.

I have only shot this rifle once since getting it, but I liked what I saw so far...

I'd like to stick with one, maybe two different rounds to do as much as possible. I want to do some long range work at the range (at 300 yards PLUS) with the idea that I'm sighting it in and preparing for elk or long distance deer shooting.

Then I want something to use for bear or moose or hogs at closer range, but maximum oneshot kill potential.

Thanks guys this is helpful (and funny so far) and I appreciate any other pearls of wisdom... (and yes, I notice on another thread they mention 30-06, 308 or 270 as the best overall gun for long, long distance and close up work on BIG game)... geee, does anyone else think the 300 Win Mag deserves to be in the running?

Ballistic Tips for target shooting, or anything you don't plan on eating; Partitions for big game.

Ballistic Tips for target shooting, or anything you don't plan on eating; Partitions for big game.

Okay, let's see if I have this imbedded in the cranium: Ballistics for target, partitions for big game. And I will stay with 165 gr (ballistics and partitions) for almost all shooting AND yet will get some 220 gr partitions for 100 and less than 100 yard shots at BIG game... and I shouldn't have to mess with my scope setting. I think I have that about right. (?)

Any other opinions or insights appreciated,

Thanks to everyone so far...

Also,

The 180gr partitions don't have too much of an energy advantage over the 165's in Federal loads - so, if you are at all skeptical about the ability of a 1-10twist to stabilize: give the Fed's w/ 180gr partitions a whirl.

Okay, let's see if I have this imbedded in the cranium: Ballistics for target, partitions for big game. And I will stay with 165 gr (ballistics and partitions) for almost all shooting AND yet will get some 220 gr partitions for 100 and less than 100 yard shots at BIG game... and I shouldn't have to mess with my scope setting. I think I have that about right. (?)

Any other opinions or insights appreciated,

Thanks to everyone so far...

I shoot 165gr. Partitons in my '06 for big game. No fancy theory; just tried a box and they shoot real well. Too lazy to work up another load with another bullet weight. I don't think that there is anything wrong with 220s, but I don't think you need them, either.

The 180 BT should be a great long-range target bullet. If it is accurate for you, then I'd try the 180gr. Partition as well; either weight should be fine, honestly. With a little tinkering, you may get a target load and hunting load that you don't have to move the sights for.

It's unlikely that the 220s will shoot to the same point of impact as the lighter bullets, but you never know.

Yeah, I think I'll pick up four boxes of ammo and head to the range:

Federal 165 Partitions
180 Ballistic
180 Partitions
220 Partitions

and to quote doctor zeuss: "go there to see what I can see..."


any other advice is welcome. Thanks.

I'm not entirely convinced that the 220gr will be of any advantage or use in a .300WSM & I am unaware if anyone makes them in a factory load. I believe (don't quote me) that on order to move the 220 at any speed, you would have to be running a fairly compressed load due to the bullet size. If you do decide to load (or find factory 220's) I would be very interested in the results.

[QUOTE=agilent_one]I'm not entirely convinced that the 220gr will be of any advantage or use in a .300WSM & I am unaware if anyone makes them in a factory load. Quote]


Yea, I do think you are correct. Just to test it out I also searched MidwayUSA...No 220's in all of Midway. 4 pages of ammo for 300 Win Mag.

I think I'll play around with 180's of different makes and styles, and also the 165's.

That is still a bunch of ammo to shoot.

Thanks, and I'll keep you posted.

I Use 180 Gr For Deer And Bear. They Fly Almost The Same As The Lighter Ones. Check The Ballestic Chart

I Use 180 Gr For Deer And Bear. They Fly Almost The Same As The Lighter Ones. Check The Ballestic Chart

Thanks, I'll check the charts. The next few days I'm v busy and probably won't be able to get to the range. (and it gets dark so early now)... But, I know the Hornady 165 gr BTSP I shot were tolerable in the recoil department. Is there much difference with the 180 gr or 200 gr?

This is the first 300 Win Mag I've owned. It seemed to me it had more kick than the 30-06 I've shot in the past with about the same gr weight in bullet.

I'm just curious. I don't mind the recoil, actually. ...I'm just glad I'm on the stock end of it. That rifle---even with 165 gr factory loads---is a respectable cannon.

Gents,

I think I may have been a bit misleading when I mentioned that heavier bullets would be able to be employed 100 yards or less without fooling with the sights.

I was not talking about point of impact, because that should be different, it really can't help but to be. But, if you set your rifle up to shoot along way, and zero it high at 100 yards, around 2.5 inches or so, with lighter bullets, then shooting a heavier bullet will normally have a lower point of impact at a hundred yards. If this is no more than say, three inches or so lower, and If you know that you will not shoot any longer than 100 yards, then you can still aim point on with your scope, and hit with finality what you are shooting at. Very few bullets that I have fooled with have much variance Left /right only vary up/ down.

My example is my 350 Rem Mag. I shoot 200 grain Hornady spitzers roughly 2.5 inches High at 100 yards. I do this fully intending to shoot out to 250 or maybe 300 yards or so, with lighter skinned game in mind. My 250 Grain partitions will not shoot that flat, and print around an inch, inch and half low at a hundred yards, but i know that flying as they do, I could still kill a bear easily from 1 - 100 yards. There is surely not enough difference for me to mess with the scope.

To me, it makes sense to zero your rifle (2.5. inches high, or so) using the bullet that you expect to shoot the longest, and then see if your heavy bullet will print close enough to that for short range work. Setting your rifle up this way would minimize your error farther out, when the rifle has to be shot more precisely. You will have to get out and shoot it close to make sure, but I can leave one ragged hole center of the paper at 50 yards, with said 250 Gr Parition, without Ky windage/ elevation.

I think the best representation of this is the Barnes manual, that shows the expected impacted on targets with various bullet weights.

Hope that I was clearer, it is easier to show on paper if I could draw pictures.

This is a 300 WIn mag, and not a WSM, right? I could have sworn somebody made a premium 220 grain slug for that gun. If its a WSM, you are probably better served with the 180s, as the case limitation begins to cut into your return for the real heavyweights.

Hope this helps.

Steve