I'm looking for poeples opinoin on whether the 300 win mag is a good cartridge for deer or is it too much?? Also, if you have used this cartridge what laods have you used??

While the 300wim mag certainly has more power than required it will get the job done.I would use 165gr ballistic tips or sst's for deer sized game.

I shot my spike mulie last year with a .300 H&H and 200grn Nosler's. Perhaps a little much, but it sure didn't go anywhere

Blair,

I have shot a truckload of deer and other similar sized game with a .300 Win Mag. It works wonderfully well and I don't subscribe to the 'too much gun' theory. I have also killed deer with rounds ranging from the .223 on up to .45-70 and will poke a few this coming season with my .375 H&H and .416 Taylor.....just for the hell of it!

The number one thing is to hunt with confidence...in yourself and your weapon of choice.

My 300 Win Mag (Browning BLR) was used on a Blackbuck and whitetail spike last year. With the 165 gr. Hornady SST's they kill like lightning on heart/lung shots.

The 300WM is a great deer cartridge and I would not consider it "too much" unless you can't handle the recoil.

Whether or not the cartridge is good for your type of hunting should be the real question. If you typically will be shooting distances under 250 yards, then a 30-06 or may be a better cartridge for you. If you plan on using the rifle for larger game than deer and you only want one rifle, the .300 may be a better choice.

I shoot a 300WM and have had success with 180 gr. Grand Slams on elk and 180 gr. Hornady Interlocks on deer.

I'm loading 180 swift scirroco in my .300 win mag.

I've used 300 wm w/150grn bal tips. Kills deer like a lightning strike. Shoot for the heart/lung or prepare for a lot of meat damage.
Steve

I have used 300 WM on several deer. Most deer took were using 180 grain Sierra Game Kings. They worked just fine. I would not use premiums in this caliber for deer however I would definately stick with the heavy bullets if you plan on shots being close,

It will kill a deer a good bit deader than it needs to be but if you can handle the recoil and shoot the rifle well, it works fine. I have shot several deer with one while on combination elk/deer hunts. As I am a "find a good load for the rifle and use it for everything" believer, they were shot with 200gr bullets. Damage was no greater than say a .270 or 30-06.

WHile it's definetly more gun than need, there really is no such thing as overkill, dead is dead. It will allow you to reach a bit farther for deer size game, providing you can handle the recoil. It is also an excellant choice for elk or african plainsgame w/ good bullets. If I had a .30 mag I would hunt deer w/ it. Then again I have hunted deer w/ a .338wm & .375h&h so that's where I'm coming from.

My son and a bunch of his cronies use the 300 Win. with 180 gr. Noslers for So. Texas whitetails and they work perfectly...I shot a nice buck at a stepped off 491 yards with his rifle several years ago and the deer went 40 yards and piled up...

I have shot a world of everything with my 300 H&H with the 200 gr. Nosler and I cannot think of a better caliber for everything from duiker to Lion and Buff in a pinch....and it is nothing more than a duplicate of the 300 Win. or visa versa actually....

Around here the 300 shooters use 200 grain bullets for everything. Deer, elk, bear etc.

I have to agree with Ray and Tbob.
The 200 Nosler brings the 30 cal mags to life.
It almost makes the 300 win behave like a 338. Killing power takes a big step up with this bullet.

The 200 Nosler is fantastic on deer as well.

My thoughts

Jamie

Contrary to this crew, I think the 300 Win is way too big on deer, anywhere. The main appeal is for those with too much testosterone.

The only real time I had a deer kill failure was with a 300 Mag at 100 yds, with a factory 200 grain Sierra ( Federal Premium Load). I see its use on Elk, although I don't normally carry one.
Use a 338/06 instead.

If I have to carry one, my load of choice is a 165 grain Partition or Grand Slam at about 3300 fps with RL 22 powder, or a 220 grain RN, with H1000 at about 2950 fps.

But I will close by saying, I know one person who carries a 300 Weatherby and uses it for all of their hunting, even tho they have other rifles. They just know where this rifle will hit anytime, any place. They only carry and use one load for it.

That type of hunter knows what they are doing and there is nothing to criticize that for, regardless of caliber, large or small.

I use 180gr bullets for moose and elk with 165gr for deer.If I need a heavier bullet I will step up to the .338" bore.About 99% of the 300 shooters that I know use the 165gr or 180gr as well.

Mr308win,
What's your accuracy with the Swifts? I couldn't get them to shoot in my rifle.

Bob257

I agree that some people might consider it overkill, but here in East Tennesse you might shoot at 20 yds. or 400yds across a clearcut. Then there are hogs... I have no problem with my 300 shooting 165 Partitions or Ballistic Tips. It's all about what you are comfortable with!

Blair R,

I have taken several Whitetail and a few Mulies with my 300 useing 165 gr Nosler Partitions and 72 Gr of IMR 4350. This is not a max load in my gun but it shoots really well in it. As long as you don't hit any major bones it doesn't tear the deer up badly but a shoulder or spine hit and it really causes some major damage. I loaded this round to hunt both Elk and Mulies.

Hawkeye47

T-bob,

The 200 grain bullet passed thru a 250lb+ Whitetail and never opened up. Sierra 200 gr.
Federal Factory load.

Sierra told me that they considered this bullet too heavy for deer, since it was a "hard bullet" and was at best use on Elk or similar sized game.

I just find I can drop 'em with a 6mm to 7mm just fine. Even on hogs or anything that size.
If I need wallop, I do a 338/06 with a 250 grainer at 2650, and that will do anything I need within the lower 48.

I'm not sure what "overkill" means to some...To me it means meat destruction, and I can get around that by using the "proper" bullet and thats not a 200 gr. Sierra or a 165 gr. Nosler...

A 200 gr. Nolser will open up some on deer but not too much, thats the nice thing about Noslers..The 220 is even better at calming down the bruising with the 300's....and load them down is another suggestion...A 200 gr. at 2500 is a dandy bush load...

We all know you don't NEED a 300 to kill deer, that was not the mans question...The 300's properly applied will do it all with no need for another rifle if that need be.....It can be a 30-30, a 30-06 or a 300 Whizbang...From ground squirrels to Elephant it can do the job in a pinch.

The .300 Win Mag is much more than is needed for deer, but is an excellent choice if larger game, such as elk, or longer shots, are on the agenda.
I would use a 180 gr bullet to minimize meat damage while retaining a flat trajectory, good penetration, and excellent downrange energy. For deer, you don't need to be picky. Whatever floats your boat and shoots well while acheiving reasonable velocities. A Speer, Sierra, or Hornady soft point will do well, as will many of the polymer tips, like the Ballistic Tip, SST, and Scirocco.
If I was choosing a designated deer gun, the .300 Win most certainly would NOT be it. But then again, it is better to be overgunned than undergunned. Overgunned, you may lose a few pounds--undergunned, you may lose the whole animal.

BlairR, I'm from the side that thinks it is too much. However, if my shots were consistently long I think I would be inclined the same as Mr308win. 180 grain Swift Scirocco.

When I first started hunting and hanging around gun counters at sporting good stores as a teenager in the early/mid-1970s, nearly every local expert was convinced that the 7mm magnums and .300 magnums were way too much cartridge for deer. How they knew that to be such an iron-clad truth remains a mystery, because when pressed for particulars, they became quite vague....

Even many of the popular writers of the day were firm in their assurance that the .300s and their ilk will blow deer to kingdom come, but none that I could recall offered any first-hand experience to go along with those pronouncements.

Personally, I've found that the .300 Winchester (it's the only .300 I've ever used on game) is not at all too much cartridge for deer and deer-size animals of any kind no matter where they're hunted. The real key to success is to use a well-constructed bullet that won't blow up like a bomb, such as the Nosler Partition. After much hunting with the lighter weights, I will only use 180 gr. or 200 gr. bullets for hunting deer or anything else with the .300 Win. Mag. I don't see any good reason to use 150s or 165s.

As far as I'm concerned, the reasons not to use a .300 for deer hunting is if you'd rather hunt with a light rifle with a 22" barrel, or if you can't handle the recoil. The .300 is only "too much" gun for deer if you can't shoot it.

AD

Overgunned, you may lose a few pounds--undergunned, you may lose the whole animal.

FarRight, that's a great tag line! I also happen to agree w/ it.

Blair R
I have killed a few deer with a 300Mag. Whenever I get a new rifle I usually hunt with it here in Texas before taking it elsewhere. I have loaded down 180 Sierra Round Noses [bought a bunch on sale] to 30-06 velocities, works great. I killed two doe for the freezer this year with full power loads using my standard 300 Mag bullet the 180gr. Nosler Partition. Hit them behind the shoulder, no edible meat destroyed. A 300 Mag just might be the best "all round" caliber for North America, if there is such a thing. Nothing wrong with using it as much as you can for deer hunting so you know your rifle well when on other hunts.
That is why I use my 450 No2 for deer and wild pigs.

guys, any high powered rifle going over 2500fps is overkill. Just another hunting season after whats just right. A bow.

The only problem that I have ever had with any of the various .300 mags on deer is that any time that you pull the trigger, there is always a darn animal to pack out!!

Seafire, that wasn't a bullet failure. You just didn't stick it in the right place.

Allen, you want an example? This last doe I shot with my 7mm Rem Mag and a 160 gr Partition. The bullet entered left side, midway between backbone and brisket in the crease of the shoulder and exited about the same place behind the right shoulder, broadside. Range was about 20 yards...yes, I know it is close. The deer shuttered and ran about 50 feet before piling up. Both lungs were liquified. However, we recovered fragments of the jacket in the backstrap since, as can be expected, the Partition lost its front core.

The beauty of the .300s is that they are thoroughly adequate for any soft skinned herbivore in the US (probably anywhere, for all I know) at any reasonable range commensurate with the hunter's skill level.

I don't know that they'd be my first choice were I to restrict my hunting to whitetails. But when I get the chance to travel west for elk or moose plus/minus mulies the horsepower is comforting.

I, too, have shot a truckload of whitetails with my .300s mostly using 180 gr Corelokts at 2900 fps. I've had uniformly excellent results, and trivial meat loss. Some may disagree, but I've found them generally a bit more accurate than the standard '06. Recoil in hunting situations is a non-issue making precise placement possible. This combination of accuracy and power builds confidence.

Sam

Put me in the 200gr Nosler crowd, reduces meat loss, and provides good insurance when hunting Sitka Blacktails in bear country. The .300 Win does it all for me.

Well, as I really felt I was only going to be able to afford ONE- 3 thousand dollar custom rifle, I went for what I felt would be a good do-it-all cartridge, The .300WM.

I hit on a great load right away, a 180 gr Ballistic Tip over 80.0 gr H1000 and a WLRM primer, getting about 2990fps. Shoots 1/2 MOA or better. Five shots in 5 inches at 900 yds the other day.... with the ones my 4-year-old loaded!

This is the only load I carry, I have shot gophers, foxes, and deer with it. I have never recovered any bullets, just a fragment of jacket or green plastic tip.

Sure, it is a bit much for gophers and such, but, as someone said- ya can't kill 'em too dead, and it is nice to have the power to reach out to 6 or 7 hundred yards and whack 'em... although the opportunity has not presented itself... yet

Too much for deer? Maybe-I have seen them killed with a .22LR, hell- even a .22 AIR RIFLE (that may be one for the record books) One thing I can say, is- the 300WM sure puts 'em down decisively.

For larger than deer I would definitely move up to a Partition or other tougher bullet.

Too much Testosterone? Thanks for the compliment

Man, I am MD too. I would love to see that thing shoot 5" at 900 Yards. I have some trouble at long ranges. I am lucky to get 5" at 500 yards. Where do you shoot? I would like to tag along sometime if you got a long distance range. I am up near Westminster at the moment.

I was way out in Garrett County, with a friend. We go out to his buddy's farm once in a while and shoot groundhogs and such... don't really have permission to go out there any time I want.

Last time, it was raining off and on- no groundhogs, so we set up a (BIG) target, a 6'x6' target with a bullseye on a sheet of computer paper in the center- and backed up 900 yds.

In the back of the truck, shooting mat, bipod, and a rolled up jacket for a rear rest. This was my first time shooting this far, so I just held my 900yd circle on the Shepherd Scope dead on and fired a few before it started raining again.

Stowed gun, and drove down to have a look. All 5 in a 5-inch group, albeit about 2 feet high, and 2 feet right. The 180 Ballistic tip shoots flatter than my scope is calibrated for, and the wind was blowing a bit to the right.

So I cranked the elevation down, then started to fiddle with the windage (when I really should have just held off), got closer to the bull, then I f'd up and turned the knob the wrong way, putting them off the paper... dang it. Backed the windage off in the right direction, and put my last shot on the sheet of notebook paper, (although not on the bull)-before running out of ammo.

At least I know my gun and ammo are functioning fine! I have wanted to try shooting at such distance before, but the only way to find a place to do it was to enter a 1000yd match, and I thought I would probably go there and not even be able to get on paper or something awful like that... however, this latest trip has encouraged me. Maybe I will try a 1k match soon.

Got all my brass emptied, going to load up a new batch and go at it again

marc

Why would anyone need a 300 Mag for deer? Somewhere must grown some really BIG deer!

Of course, I don't see why someone with Magnumitis would take a 300 WinMag when there are even Bigger guns.

Why not just shoot the works and get a 338 Mag, or a 375 Mag, or the 416, or just skip it and go to the 458 Win, or the 460 Weatherby?

Of course in Maryland, ( a real haven for the anti gun freaks) you have a need to shoot at 900 yds! But then everyone must need a pickup with a 6 inch lift kit and 35 to 38 inch mudders to get down the freeway to the super market. No wonder growing up in Northern Virginia we use to laugh at people over in Maryland, couldn't remember why, but now I do!!

Seafire, Why the need to shoot 900 Yards??? Man, are you sure your not a anti? Cause its fun. Its a hobby. You sure don't need a 338-06 for deer. Not everything revolves around hunting. Shooting is great. I mean I use a bow 90% of the time. No need for a gun period. Antis like you really make us look bad. Now hillary can say, "even people on your own forums agree there is not need for long range guns".

From an outsider (kentucky) looking in (live now in MD for the time being), there really ain't no difference in Northern VA people and MD. Just figured I would let ya know it. I laugh at both of them. See the same mudders and all in Northern VA also. Everyone here thinks they are hardcore motocrossers, and 4-Wheelers, But are little overwhelmed when I take them back to coal country, for serious offroading and 4 wheelin. But hey, everybodies having fun. Part of being an american is doing things because we can.

[ 06-20-2003, 19:20: Message edited by: bigcountry ]