Anybody have any experience with this round? How would it compare to the 300 WSM?

palmer - Apples and oranges. The 300 Dakota is based on the .404 Jeffery case and squirts a 200gr bullet over 3050fps. The 300WSM is a short action mag (obviously) and is about a 100 to 200 fps slower. The Dakota feeds well from a magazine, where the 300 WSM is still having feeding problems. Short and fat cases do not lend themselves to smooth, reliable magazine flow.

.300 Dakota
OAL Case Length - 2.55"
Base Width - .545"

.300 WSM
OAL Case Length - 2.10"
Base Width - .555"

I don't have any experience with it but I've read a lot about the Dakotas. The 300 is 3006 length, OAL 3.34. It's based on the 404 Jeffery case. 180 gr at 3100-3200 fps. The 300 WSM is a good bit shorter, made to work in the short actions. From what I've heard its close ballistic wise to the 300.

Hey ZeroDrift, If I had known you were posting yours while I was posting mine I would have left mine off. Thanks, now I know about the 300 WSM.

No worries mate.

zd is right, the .330 Dakota is more like a .300 wby w/o the belt in a std. action. I have a 7mm Dakota & like their cart. designs. If I wanted a custom rifle in a 30 mag, this would be my choice.

300 Dakota is a 300 Win mag on steroides

All this nosense about the latest beltless cartridge from big green and winchester. Don Allen and Dakota were one of the first to start this beltless avalanche

I have always wandered why no major factory has picked up the dakota line of cartridges. They are well designed and not that overbore. It's based on a well known case. 300 WSM and 300 SRUM, eat your hearts out

I think, I have to have one

/ JOHAN

[ 08-22-2002, 02:19: Message edited by: JOHAN ]

Thanks for the info.

Can the 300 Dakota cartridges be purchased anywhere other than from Dakota? They seem pretty expensive from Dakota but are they worth it - I mean are they more precisely loaded than from a factory like Federal?

I would like to learn to reload but so far have not found anyone to teach me. In the meanwhile I would be buying loaded cartridges.

palmer

If you don't buy ammo from Dakota they only source I know of is "El Casa" ammo

Reloading is not a must but sure helps

/ JOHAN

Palmer, I think Dakota is the only manuf. of their ammo. It is good stuff, but a bit pricey for practice ammo.
Reloading isn't difficult to learn. Get (2) good reloading manuals & read them several times. Buy appropriate dies & a reloading setup & away you go. Most of us learned to reload on our own w/o the benefit of the internet & sites like this where we can ask questions & get input almost immediately. Jump in & give it a try, ask as many questions as you need to.

Palmer, I sure wouldn't buy a Dakota unless you plan to reload or have more dollars than sense. I have a 300 Dakota and like it. However, the cost of their ammo/cases isn't a reflection of quality but more of an economy of scale issue - they don't produce nearly as much nor as efficiently as the big guys. You may pay $1.70 for a piece of brass vs $.35 for 300 Weatherby etc. - the brass isn't better (unfortunately sometimes worse). Plus they have no competition selling ammo for their guns, so they can gouge you a little.

I like the round. Some brass will last quite a while. Do as was suggested above - get a couple books on reloading, read a bunch of old posts in the reloading forum and have fun.

(Depending on barrel length etc., you should get closer to 3200-3300fps with a 180gr)