Hey guys,

I am thinking of getting a .300 win. mag., and I am curious how bad the recoil is. Does it compare to a 12 gauge slug? Any help would be great!

thanks,
Preston

Let me know what rifle you're thinking about, its weight with scope & sling, etc., along with what type of loads you're thinking about using, with bullet weights & typical velocities. I'll run some numbers for you on my ballistics program, along with some comparisons to other calibers or guns.

Excellent cartridge, especially if you handload. Mine is a Sauer 202 Deluxe Sporter with a 26" barrel. I have it outfitted with a Burris Signature 2.5 - 8 X 33mm scope and a Hunter brand sling. The whole package comes in at 8 1/4 pounds.

This is a gun/cartridge you have to stay with to enjoy shooting it, the same is true with many other large powder capacity cartridges. What I mean is....make sure you have the butt stock nested firmly into the meaty part of your shoulder and hold the gun securely when you touch it off. Don't let it slam back into you and beat you up. I see a lot of people at the range develop a flinch with large cartridges like the 300. I think it's poor shooting technique more than it is a brutal cartridge. That last statement may garner lots of groans from others on this forum but I've worked with some not-too-large people to help them master a 300 win mag with good success. I'm 5' 9" tall and weigh 200 pounds and I have absolutely no problem with the 300 win mag. It's more of a challenge to shoot well than is my 45-70.

Bullet weight and powder charge can be loaded up and down the power scale. My favorite load is a Speer 200 grain spire point bullet over a full case of Retumbo. I also like the Sierra 220 grain round nose with the same powder. I have some loads worked up with 165 and 180 grain bullets but they just don't do the cartridge justice like the heavier bullets.

If you're not recoil sensitve or a flincher you will enjoy the 300 win mag. Lots of people will tell you a 30-06 will do everything you need to do, they're probably right but I like my 300. Ammo is pricey if you don't handload, that may be a factor in how often you shoot.

Thanks guys for your replies. The main thing I will be using this rifle for is deer, and maybe elk/moose down the road. I would say I will stick mostly towards the lighter bullets, loaded to about 3000fps. I know this can be duplicated by the '06, but I would rather have the longer range/higher energy for those "down the road hunts". I am looking at either a remington cdl, or a winchester M70 with the sporter 3 stock. Which one of these would you guys recommend? I already handload, so getting ammo would be no problem.

thanks,
Preston

... This is a gun/cartridge you have to stay with to enjoy shooting it, the same is true with many other large powder capacity cartridges. What I mean is....make sure you have the butt stock nested firmly into the meaty part of your shoulder and hold the gun securely when you touch it off. Don't let it slam back into you and beat you up. I see a lot of people at the range develop a flinch with large cartridges like the 300. I think it's poor shooting technique more than it is a brutal cartridge. ...

If you're not recoil sensitve or a flincher you will enjoy the 300 win mag. ...


I agree completely with flashole on this. I really like shooting big bore and magnum type rifles. I can't describe the recoil because I really don't notice it. The problem I have has more to do with muzzle blast than it does with recoil. This is why I don't like muzzle breaks and ported barrels on most guns. More me, the trade off between reduced recoil and increased muzzle blast isn't worth it. I think it's better to have a stock that fits you well, and a good recoil pad to soak up some of the recoil. Also, if you hand load, you can always load a cartridge down, and find a load you like. I think this is better than pushing a standard cartridge beyond normal limits.

To determine free recoil energy, you have to take into consideration a number of factors: e.g. primarily the weight of the rifle, the weight of the bullet, the weight of the powder charge, and the muzzle velocity. I used my ballistics program and Hodgdon's reloding manual to crunch some numbers for you. I made some basic assumptions for use in the calculations: weight of a typical bolt action rifle with scope and sling at 8.5 lbs; and weight of a Marlin 1895 lever action at 7.5 lbs. The type of stock and recoil pad would effect the feel, but here's what I came up with for free recoil energy, and maximum loads:

22-250 with 55 grn bullet, 39.0 grn of H4350 @ 3490 fps = 4.51 ft. lbs.

270 Win with 130 grn bullet, 54.3 grn of H4350 @ 3012 fps = 13.82 ft. lbs.

270 WSM with 130 grn bullet, 60.5 grn of H4350 @ 3226 fps = 16.31 ft. lbs.

308 Win with 165 grn bullet, 46.0 (C) grn Varget @ 2773 fps = 15.34 ft. lbs.

30/06 with 165 grn bullet, 59.0 grn H4350 @ 2897 fps = 19.01 ft. lbs.

300 WSM with 168 grn bullet, 64.5 grn H4350 @ 3034 fps = 21.97 ft. lbs.

300 Win Mag with 168 grn bullet, with 70.0 grn H4350 @ 3034 fps = 23.25 ft. lbs.

300 RUM with 165 grn bullet, with 103.0 (C) Retumbo @ 3414 fps = 35.46 ft. lbs.

338 Win Mag with 185 grn bullet, with 68.5 grn H4350 @ 2971 fps = 25.29 ft. lbs.

45/70 with 300 grn bullet, with 68.0 grn H335 @ 2326 fps = 39.74 ft. lbs.

45/70 with 400 grn bullet, with 58.0 grn H335 @ 1995 fps = 44.83 ft. lbs.

As you can see from the data, there's about as much difference between the 300 Win Mag and the 30/06, as there is between the 30/06 and the 308 Win, all else being equal. For me, that would hardly be noticeable, let alone objectionable. Some people would probably disagree however.

Lighter rifles would make the recoil more noticeable. Heavier rifles would minimize the felt recoil. Go with what you like and fits you the best.

Gunslinger,

Thanks for all your help. It doesn't seem like the 300 kicks all that much more than the '06. I am used to a 12 gauge slug that kicks with well over 23 ftlbs of energy, so I think I should be fine, if I take it in small doses.

thanks,
vanbuzen9

van:

I have a considerable amount of experience loading both the 300 Win. Mag and the classic 300 H&H, which I prefer. For a handloader, the H&H has a lot of advantages.

Most of my 300 Win. Mag loads go to my buddy who has a deer camp in Alabama. He takes 10 ro 15 deer each year, many with the 300. His constant complaint is that it is too destructive, causing a lot of meat loss.

I only use my 300 H&H in Colorado, for elk. In the U.P. I use a .243 and a .284. Cartridges in this class are all you need for deer.

I have two rifles in this cartridge, a Ruger M77 and a Winchester M70 Laredo. I like both rifles, but have used the Ruger to hunt as it is lighter. Both rifles are very accurate for unmodified factory rifles, the Laredo going sub MOA with 168, 175 and 200 gr Sierra Match Kings. The Ruger is almost as good with 3 shot groups of my handloads going consistently just over an inch at 100 yds and 2 inches at 200. The load i'm using consists of match prepped Federal Match cases, and Federal Magnum primers and 75.0 gr of H4831, either regular or short cut, with the Nosler 180 Partition. This is giving me 3001 fps average velocity from the Ruger's 24 inch barrel. I've killed whitetails from 25 yards to 300 yards with this load. It is VERY destructive at close range; anything under 50 yds and you can kiss off any hope of getting meat from either shoulder. As far as recoil goes, I find it tolerable, especially compared to my .338 WM or my Mossberg pump with 3 1/2" turkey loads. It's not something that you'll want to shoot for 40 rounds off the bench, but for hunting or position shooting, I don't find it unreasonable at all. The cartridge seems to be inherently accurate, despite the short neck, and the necessity of seating the bullet deeply into the case in order to get reliable feeding from the magazine. I like both of mine, and don't think you can go wrong using it for any type of deer, from southern whitetails to elk and moose.

I am looking at either a remington cdl, or a winchester M70 with the sporter 3 stock. Which one of these would you guys recommend?

If you have the opportunity to put both guns on the counter at the same time compare them feature by feature, hold them, shoulder them (repeatedly), work the actions, look at the sight window, then do it all again.

Both manufacturers make good guns. Personal preference is just that. Pick the one you think you'll be happy with. When I bought my Sauer 202 I compared it to 6 other manufacturers guns. The smooth tight action impressed me the most and the ergonomics are first rate.

This may be a little different response but if you are primarily hunting deer, why would you want a 300 Win Mag? I agree that it's a great cartridge and my dad had one he took to the Yukon on a guided hunt but unless you plan on shooting deer beyond 4 or 500 yards, you're a little overgunned. And as a few others have said, you'll see a lot of meat damage esp if you plan on using lighter bullets with high velocity. And it won't kill them any deader than a great standard such as the 270 Win, 280 Rem, 30-06 and a host of others at the ranges 99% of deer hunters get their deer.

I know you're thinking down the road but any of those three and many others will take the larger game you describe very cleanly. I know you can down load the 300 WM but why when at this point you appear to only be pondering the possiblilty of a future hunt and it'll be used 99% of the time for deer? If you were primarily hunting elk and moose I'd say it's a great choice but as of yet, it's pretty much a deer rifle and it's a little much for them.

The .300 is a classic and great round, but I will recommend that you keep rifle weight up. I have a 26 inch .300 barrel for my Encore. Ready for hunting it weighs 7 lbs. I shoot 180 Barnes XLC's at 3200 fps and the recoil is horrible. It is a sharp snappy recoil that numbs your skull quickly, and at the same time will kill like Zues' thunderbolts and laser flat trajectory. I love it for hunting, but not target shooting. Oh, 5 shots of the above will hold 1 inch at 100 yards and 3.5-4.0 at 300 yards all day long. I thank the engineers at Caldwell for their lead sled because without it I would never know that rifles true potential.

Hey guys,

I am thinking of getting a .300 win. mag., and I am curious how bad the recoil is. Does it compare to a 12 gauge slug? Any help would be great!

thanks,
Preston

I have one,... the recoil is not so bad. But you can not compare it with an 22:a... I can sit down at the target range, for many shoot. Then you are at hunt you don´t feel the recoil at all...
If you want a small recoil buy a heavy weight rifle, and if you are reloading your own bullets you can make the perfect huntingbullets.

/MrHunter