300 WSM: Your experience with this caliber?

DS · 19-09-2014, 09:42

To owners and shooters of a 300 WSM caliber rifle : what are your experiences with this caliber ?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

**SBB** · 19-09-2014, 09:57

Dont own one but this year I've guided a lot of English clients and oddly at least 3/4 of them brought one out so it's obviously quite popular there.

I also managed to shoot a few of them mainly Blaser and Tikka's and the recoil seemed tamer than all the 300 Winnies I've shot.

Most guys brought over 165 and 180 grain loads (mainly Sako hammerhead factory stuff). Apparently it looses its edge with heavier bullets as opposed to the Win Mag.

Also supposedly more accurate (stiffer receiver being shorter) although I wouldnt know on this.

We ran out of ammo for the one chap and couldnt source any in Port Elizabeth. That said I think it's a neat fat little cartridge and if we had a steady supply of ammo id consider buying one over the Win Mag.

Dont know what your intended purpose is with the rifle but thats about the experience I have with it.

**FantomBadger** · 19-09-2014, 10:07

Unfortunately not enough to give any sort of valuable opinion, but have shot about 30 rounds through a friends' Tikka T3 Lite and hunted an Impala ram with it this year.

Observations was that factory loaded 150gr bullets were not pleasant to shoot. The combination with a light rifle does not work well with the shoulder. 180gr factory loads were more pleasant to shoot. I'm sure if you reload this will be a non issue.

Impala ram quartering away shot at +/- 180m dropped instantly, I however hit the shoulder bone and the damage was substantial. This again was probably due to sub premium bullets and not the best shot placement.

I have done some research and talked to a few people on the forum, and for my needs the .300 Win Mag makes more sense, as opposed to .300 WSM, due to availability and price of reloading equipment.

Sorry if this is completely worthless to you, but this is my limited experience with the caliber.

**FantomBadger** · 19-09-2014, 11:14

Just to add, the 180gr bullets I am referring to were Sako Super Hammerhead.

**ruuns** · 19-09-2014, 21:20

Subscribed as I am looking at this calibre at the moment

**boesman10** · 20-09-2014, 09:45

Prior to buying my .300 WM I also looked extensively at the Win Short Mag (WSM) but what finally swayed me away from the WSM was the huge and complete lack and absence of supporting equipment starting with shells and working all the way up to reloading dies. It is a very difficult calibre to buy ammunition related stuff for.

**Messor** · 20-09-2014, 14:30

The 300 wsm as a general 30 cal in SA does not make sense, since factory ammo will only be avail here and there, and not locally made.

But the 300 wsm as a pure 30 cal hunting rilfe makes more sense than all the rest, it's lacks the badges since it's the new kid on the block, it was however designed to be the best 30 cal hunting rifle available.
It's short, such as the name suggests, meaning you will get away with a short action, yet the short powder column may be it's greatest advantage. The 300 wsm was the first rifle to make a 10 shot sub 3" group at 1000 yards, and that is scary accurate. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the record was shot with 210gr bullets, when the uninformed claims the 300 wsm does not shoot good above 180gr.

It replicates the speeds of the 300winmag and the 300 H&H, and because of their worldwide success bullets are just about avail everywhere. Which then leaves only two components, doppies and dies.
Which lets face it, are once off buys, S&O stocks a lot of them these days:
http://www.safariandoutdoor.co.za/su...ry/die_300_wsm

Even though we only have one powder manufacturer in SA Somchem does have reloading data for it :
http://www.somchemreload.com/search?c=All&f=335

In the end the choice will come done to rifle manufacturer and specific model preference, the rest are mere academic, the numbers speak for themselves.

**Vortek** · 20-09-2014, 17:47

Would love to get one build on a howa action with a bull barrel and boyds thumbhole stock.

This rifle will slot in perfectly between my 375h&h and 243win