I have read and followed this site for a year or two and just recently registered. First of all the quanity and quality of information is outstanding. Thank you.

I am planning my first trip to Africa this summer. I plan to take my 16 year old son. We both have to take our 300 WSM. Can someone recommend a bullet type and weight? I do not reload but my brother in law is a diehard reloader and can prepare anything that we need. Unfortunately my brother in law has not hunted in Africa either so we have no first hand experience on performance.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

Ian

P.S. Why are kind of stuck with the 300 WSM for guns.

What are you hunting?

For plains game you will do fine with a 180 grain Nosler Partition or Winchester Fail Safe in a factory load.

Thats a good question.

I think that the two top animals would be kudu and gemsbok. After that likely impala, wildbeest and hartebeest.

Thanks

I have a .300 WSM that my 16-year-old used in Africa in 2003. He shot Gemsbok, Kudu and springbok, all with 200-grain Speer Grand Slams. No problem killing anything he hit. However, the only reason we used the Grand Slam is because the detatchable magazine on my custom rifle is so short, the only bullet that can be loaded out to the lands is one with a low BC, which Grand Slams are. Consequently, they shoot very good in this particular gun. The only reason we choose 200 grains over 180s is because the Grand Slams are not really a super tough bullet (despite the company claims), and heavy-for-caliber seemed to make more sense.

That is the key -- shooting good. I'd simply buy two boxes of Federal Premiums -- one with 180-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws and the other with Nosler Partitions -- and go to the range and see which shoots best. You might also experiment with some Winchester Fail Safes in 180 grain (after all, Winchester has paid a lot of money to a lot of outdoor writer-whores who now proclaim this to be the all-time best ever bullet). All these bullets will take anything, including eland, you are likely to encounter on a plains game hunt.

IAN,

I too am a new Africa hunter and also a new 300 WSM user. I am a new reloader and have been seriously perplexed on cartridges for 300WSM.

I started out looking at 180 grain bullets from Barnes and Nosler. Frankly you will find very slim info on reloads for 180 grain. I think it has to do with case capacity. You will find alot of info on 168 grain which I am gravitating to. You will find a nice selection of loads from Federal. The basic approach I have taken is to try alot of loads and find out which load works best in your specific gun.

My gun so far will probabl;y shoot best with 168 gr. Accubonds. I am trying Hornady Interbonds this weekend. Keek in touch with your progress. There are not alot of 300 WSM user on this site.

Bullsprig

Two PH's I know like Barnes X bullets. Very few idiosyncratic individuals don't like Partitions. The point is that any premium bullet will work on those animals from 130 grain (from a .270 Win) on up.

The .300 WSM has great factory loads available for it. There is no need to custom load for it. Do it if you like, or if your BIL insists, but you don't have to. You're not likely to gain anything from it.

bullsprig,

The Swift manual lists the same amount of loads-to-try for the WSM as it does for any other caliber. And this is utilizing one of the best big game bullets ever -- the Swift A-Frame! It also lists lots of Scirocco loads (a bullet they can keep, as far as I'm concerned)

According to the manual, you can push a 180-grain A-frame at over 3,000 fps and a 200 grainer over 2,850 with Reloader 19.

Try the Swift Reloading Manual. I think you have to order it direct from Swift's website. If I'm wrong, someone will correct me, I'm sure.

The .300 WSM isn't bringing anything new at all to the table by way of performance. If offers no new ballistic riddles, no new bullet challenges that haven't been dealt with and established long be for its advent.

The old 1925 .300 H&H and 1963 .300 Win. Mag. cartridges provide, equal, and exceed .300 WSM ballistics with the same bullets, so the point being, whatever has worked in those cartridges on African plainsgame will work to the same degree in the .300 WSM.

Quite simply, select a good premium 180 gr. bullet, the one that shoots best in your rifle, load to about 3000 fps., sight-in for a 200 or 250 yd. zero, and go hunting.

You can't go wrong with 180 gr. Nosler Partition, Trophy Bonded, Swift A-Frame, Fail-Safe, Barnes-X, Northfork, etc. I've used 180 gr. Nosler Partition and Winchester F-S bullets out of the .300 Winchester on any extensive amount of plainsgame, from dik dik to eland, and I've had nothing but fantastic results.

I'm not hoodwinked by statistical accuracy, either. I stay away from "paper-puncher" bullets, meaning that I'll always sacrifice group-size, if necessary, for structural integrity, and I mean every time, in order to ensure optimum terminal performance. So if I have a 180 gr. Sierra load that produces 1/2" groups and a 180 gr. Fail-Safe load that turns out 1 1/4" groups, I'll go with the Fail-Safe load without a second thought. After all, we're hunting big game animals, not pocket gophers. Fortunately, most premium bullets shoot extremely well these days, and you're bound to find a load that shoots great in your rifle.

AD

My favorite bullet is the Nosler 200 gr. in the big 30 calibers, it has served me well on all plainsgame....The 180 gr. Nosler is also excellent...You can't go wrong with either of these I guarentee...

ilw,

I used my 300WSM with 180gr TBBC's to take a bushbuck, springbuck, and kudu in RSA last year. Very pleased with the performance of the bullets. Have since discovered the TSX and really like them. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the premium bullets (TBBC, NP, A-Frame, Failsafes, etc). I would suggest try a few out and see which one you gun likes the best. Good luck.

180 or 200 gr. Nosler Partition

I used the 300wsm and 200gr Barnes TSX last year in RSA to take 2 wildebeest, a zebra, an impala and duiker I plan to use that combo again this October for musk ox and caribou.

Good info. already, here is my 2c. You are pushing bullets very fast out of any .30mag. In Africa you can get shots @ 300 & 30yds. I would choose a premium bullet that shoots best in your two rifles (you don't want to be juggling diff. ammo between you & your son). I would choose a good 180gr in the WSM just because I think 200gr are getting a bit long for the shorter WSM, the 200gr SpeerGS being the exception, it's short for weight. I agree, it's not really a premium bullet, but you are slowing it down a couple hundred feet/sec. Practice a lot from field positions & shooting off sticks. Enjoy your trip, you'll be planning the next one on your flight home!

I am heading over to Namibia in June and was debating on whether to take my .375 ultra or my .300wsm. I am going with the .300wsm. I have a tikka t3. My daughter shot her first bear with it this past spring using the 180 grain TBBC. I am going to reload some TSX 168 grainers for it also. This rifle will kill a few bears this spring. The only problem is that there will be no bullet recovery as they penetrate totally through the bears.

ilw,

I'll let you have my $0.02 worth also and it's somewhat different than the posts above, all ain't Hoyle in Mudville.

You did get some good, solid advice on bullet choices for the .300 WSM IMHO and yes, the ranges will be from 30 meters to 300+, but remember you, the hunter strokes the trigger, not the PH.

Last year in RSA my hunting buddy JUST had to take his new whiz-bang along, the .300 WSM; thankfully, he also took his .375 H&H.

I don't reload this caliber and he didn't have time. If I did reload for it I would have selected 180 grain Nosler Paritions as choice #1 and Nosler Partition 200 grainers as runner-up. My partner's choice was Winchester Supreme 180 grain Fail-Safe ammunition.

On morning one, after shooting an Impala 5 times at ever increasing distances, from various angles, broad-side, quartering and from stem-to-stern. He bagged his beast. That afternoon an Oryx took three shots in the bread-basket (not the shoulder) and all broadside. A twice shot Zebra managed to deliver the only recovered bullet on the morning of day three. All-in-all good shooting on my partner's behalf but left us scratching our heads about the catridge's bullet performance. With the only recovered bullet from the Zebra to go on with almost no expansion our take-away was that particular batch of bullets were too tough, if that can be the case. Those bullets simply pencilled straight through with little or no deformation.

To make along story short, my partner cased his .300 WSM, unsheathed his .375 H&H and started making one-shot kills.

Is anything wrong with your caliber choice for African Plains Game? NO. But I'd do some serious soul-searching, reasearch and solicitation prior to making my final ammunition choice for this cartridge.

The advise you got from Ray Atkinson and a couple of others on the Speer and Nosler bullets would be my suggestion for my partner if he chose that catridge/rifle again.

I'll end up getting beat to death for this message but thought you might like to hear another side of the coin.

Have a great time in hunting in Africa.

Cheers,

Gerry

My first choice was - and would still be - the 180 grain Northfork. Second choice would go to the 180 grain A-frames.

220 solids for larger game and 185 soft points for smaller. Borrow a smaller cal. for duikers and such.

quote:

Originally posted by Cunningham:
Borrow a smaller cal. for duikers and such.

Why? Granted I've only shot one but I hit it behind the shoulders with a 200gr TSX, useing a 300wsm and he still ran 50 yards!!

i was in south africa last summer and used federal preimum ammo with 180 grain tbbc and loved them in a 300 wm. i took bush buck ,impala ,warthog, blesbuck and kudu at ranges 100 to 330 yards and none went more than 50 yards. the kudu dropped in his tracks at 258 yds. you cant go wrong with any preimum bullet though. if u can get 1 moa or less on the round use it. dont try for one ragged hole groups at 100 yds the game dont know the differance. good luck

I've got a very good friend that has taken a .300 Win Mag to Alaska four times for caribou and blacktails and just absolutely swears by the Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Bear Claws (TBBC). He is not a reloading gun nut just a very good hunter. You can get the very same load in the .300 WSM.

Anything but Fail Safes!

I use 165 Sierra BTHP GK in mine and they are death. Just thought id add another choice.

I've heard bad things about FS from my PH buddy. I doubt I would ever use them. I also would only stick to one bullet choice, again, Africa can deal you any animal, anytime, any range. You don't want have the wrong ammo for the wrong circumstance. BTW, I don't want a BTHP anything facing some of the tougher antelope of Africa.

Fred, Just was curious as to what type of tougher antelope you were referring too that you wouldnt want to face with a BTHP specifically the one I mentioned. Curious because thats the same thing the PH told us when we got to africa he actually had another PH Take us out he said he wanted no part of all the tracking/wounding/lost game that he was sure was gonna take place. 32 animals later ranging from Springbok to Eland he didnt have anything other to say than " If I didnt see it I wouldnt believe it" Ranges ranged from 40yds Springbok to 400 yds Red Hartebeest. All were one-shot kills. Furthest distance traveled by an animal after the shot 20ft.

All im saying is it works for me and so I tell people to try it if they dont or dont like it thats thier choice as it is everyone's choice to hunt with what they choose its just another option.

ALOHA!!!

quote:

Originally posted by bullsprig:
snip...

My gun so far will probabl;y shoot best with 168 gr. Accubonds. I am trying Hornady Interbonds this weekend. Keek in touch with your progress. There are not alot of 300 WSM user on this site.

Bullsprig

Bullsprig,

I would NOT recommend the Interbonds. I have shot them and they do shoot well but they do not hold up on animals. I have more than one experience shooting whitetails with the IB and having them fail badly.

I have had better luck with the Grand Slams (on deer).

doug

IMHO the best bullet for the a 30 cal hot rod used for plains game is the 180 grain Swift A Frame. It has great ballistics out to 300 yds and will hold together for that occasional 50yd shot.

I load them to 3180 fps in my 300 win mag and experienced 4 one shot kills on Kudu, Waterbuck, Gemsbok, and Springbuck last April. On Eland it took two shots because of lousy shooting on my part.

These shots were from approximately 80 yds to 250+ yds with perfect expansion and 95% weight retention.

Thanks for all of the feed back.

I believe my BIL has a accurate load worked up with 180 grain Nosler Paritions for one of the guns already. So we will have to see what it does in the other gun.

Any other advice is welcome.

Another thought from my own experience - Unless your brother in law is very good at handloaing, just use his handloads for finding the right load initially and for practice.

For your Africa shooting get Superior Ammunition to load up a couple boxes of the load that works best in your and your sons rifes. They know what works in Africa.

Don't risk the rare opportunity at a good animal on what may be lesser quality loads. Again, if the brother in law is very experienced - ignore my suggestion - its just a personal opinion anyway.

Jim, you're getting some great speed out of your .300 Win. Mag. I can't get above 3075 fps. out of mine with 180s.

Allen, how have your results been with Northfork's with your .300 Win.? What sort of velocities, etc.?

AD

When I went, I took Nolser partitions, 150 grain for the 7X57 and 180 grain Protected Point for the .300 Winchester Mag. What works for the .300 Win will work for the WSM except possibly in extreme bullet length situations. They are nothing fancy about the Noslers other than they always seem to do the job for me, always. I may be missing something but I have stopped looking at everyone's "just as good as a Xerox" bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
Jim, you're getting some great speed out of your .300 Win. Mag. I can't get above 3075 fps. out of mine with 180s.

Allen, how have your results been with Northfork's with your .300 Win.? What sort of velocities, etc.?

AD

Allen, a couple of things I have done. I seat the bullets to an OAL of 3.470. This is possible because the freebore was almost 3/8th of an inch. I made the magazine longer by removing the spacer at the rear, and I also filed the ejector to match the longer OAL.

I use Reloader 22 with Federal 215 primers to light the fire.

Ten years ago I tried the Barns XLC it's preformance was so good I haven't used another bullet for hunting until the TSX came out which preforms the same but is a little more accurate. Now the LazreHead is offered by Lazzeroni. This is a coatred TSX, 150 gr in 30 cal. It wilol out preform any 180 gr lead core. It's faster, flatter, retains more weight, penatrates better, and just flat kills better. Try a box or two, one you have had the best you wont go back.

quote:

Allen, how have your results been with Northfork's with your .300 Win.? What sort of velocities, etc.?

Allen, my 10 shot average velocity with the 180 grain Northforks is 2956 fps. This is with 70.5 grains of IMR 4831.

IMR 4831 seems to have the least deviation in velocity from shot to shot with this bullet in my rifle. The rifle is a John Ricks / Pac Nor 26" Barrel.

As far as results - Out of 17 African animals we have only recovered two bullets. One was from a Waterbuck and the other from a Black Wildebeast both of which were facing me and were at some distance.

The bullets recovered looked exactly like the pictures on the Northfork web site.

Although the other bullets shot completely through the animals they went down quickly.

More than anything else, I like these Northfork's because of their accuracy.

Palmer, thanks. Mike is evidently doing a lot of things right at Northfork. He appears to have figured out how to make extremely accurate bullets on a consistent basis, which some of the other premium bullet makers seem to struggle with at times. I've had very fine accuracy out of his solids and softs in my .416, and I think it's inevitable that I'll give NF 180s a go in my .300 Win. as well.......

AD

I have killed 32 Plains Game on two African Safaris with the .300 WSM using 180 gr. Federal Trophy Bonded Bearclaws and 180 gr. Winchester Fail Safes. Everything from Eland to Steenbok and a majority of them one shot kills. Great caliber with great bullets! One of the best for African Plains Game of all shapes, sizes and types.

Haha just got back from RSA, 4 animals down, 3 with 300wsm, using 180gr nosler partitions. Top bullet if you do your job, we bought norma oryx ammo in factory boxes in RSA.i may be wrong, but the nosler partition is what they load this ammo with.

Blue wildebeest (2 shots), Impala(2 shots) blesbok (1 shot) wasn't the gun or the bullets fault, i was shooting badly. quite a few bullets recovered all showed amazing expnasion and weight retention.

the failsafes are real good on bone and larger animals say wildebeest,kudu, gemsbok,eland, however they have a tendency to over penertrate the small stuff.

Just a warning, the .300 WSM Ballistic Silver Tips are piss poor bullets and should not be used on anything larger than whitetails based on my experience. A friend has killed several whitetails on my place with a .300 WSM and they were all dead, true enough, but the bullet disintergrated on all of them. He shot a hog IN THE RIBS at about 75 yards with it and the bullet completely "blew up" and a few fragments went into the lungs and did the about 175 pound sow in, but barely. If he had hit the heavier meat of the shoulder, I doubt we would have recovered her. We found the whole jacket, peeled back, of course on the OUTSIDE of the ribs on the entrance side.

BTW in factory load 150s Winchester manages to make the .300 WSM outperform, speed wise, the .300 Win Mag. How I don't know, but the cases out of my friend's gun show slightly flattened primers.

Trophy Bonded Bear Claws if no eland. If eland is a possibility use Swifts! I have no experience yet with X bullets but hear good things.

Good bullets:

www.northforkbullets.com



www.gscustom.co.za



www.rhinobullets.co.za/

Hi Gatogordo

quote:

Just a warning, the .300 WSM Ballistic Silver Tips are piss poor bullets and should not be used on anything larger than whitetails based on my experience.

I would agree with you and even go further. For years we have shot large bodied whitetails with Ballistic tips out of 308's. They have always had preformed great. Some were shot in the bush at 15 yards others out at about 275 yards. Really great performance.

Then a few of us moved up to the 300 WSM. The result marginal kills. The 300 WSM on caribou with Ballistic tips was just no good. The Ballistic tip is just to fragile to handle the extra velocity. My limited opinion is the Ballistic tip doesn't belong in the 300 WSM for whitetail or anything bigger or tougher.

On the flip side I know of good perforamnce with the Partions with whitetail and caribou out of the 300 WSM.

So I guess part of my orginal question is ....... In the plains spectrum of animals is there anything tougher to kill than a whitetail, caribou or moose?


Thanks

Ian