I'm think of getting a 300 Mag for elk hunting I like the old 300 WIN Mag. but the new 300 Win & Rem Mag sound like winner too. So which one do you buy and why.I would like a SS barrel & composite stock

For elk hunting I would make my .300 Mag a .338!

I think for a pure elk hunting rig I would stay with the "old" Win mag or 300Wby, as they are better able to handle 200gr bullets. The new WSM is a great cartridge and one that will command much attention but for heavier than 180grs I'll stick with the bigger case.

I'd go with the 300 H&H and use the 200gr. Nosler, but I agree with Mr. Bill the 338 is a better killer, and leaves a better blood trail in my experience...I like the 250 Nosler and the 300 gr. Woodleighs.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I think that the .300 H&H Magnum is oblsolete and ammo could be very hard to find. Besides it's not much hotter than a good 30-06 load.

Les Bowman thought that the 7 mm Mag was about right as the big problem was that the shooters could not handle the recoil of even the 300 mags.

They will all do the job I think. Better to practice a lot than worry about the cartridge.

I would select the 300 Win Mag and 180 Nosler partitions for myself.

Paul;
I guess you want to go with a 300 Mag (Ultra Mag, Super Mag, or something like that). Why not a nice old Mauser in 9.3x62 with a 286gr. Nosler Partition at around 2400fps. The trajectory won't be as flat as the 300 Mag, but, so what. With the 9.3 you might like it so much that you hunt all your big game with it.

Vasa

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I would have to agree with Atkinson. The 300HH is a very good round. Ammo is not obsolete- you just have to know where to find it. My local Big 5 sells it, as do 3/4 of the gun shops around here...

Any of them will kill an elk. Loaded to similar pressures and with similar length barrels, the .300 Winchester Magnum will have about 100 to 150 FPS velocity advantage over the new short magnums with 180 to 200 grain bullets.

Mainly, it depends on what you want in a rifle: A short action and lighter gun which holds only two or three rounds in the magazine, or a longer action and slightly heavier gun which holds 3 or 4 rounds.

Don Martin,
That erroneous remark was right out of the mouth of Jack O'connor...

The 300 H&H properly loaded can easily get 3000 FPS with a 200 gr. bullet plus a mite more in my 26" barrel, remember I don't have to set that bullet back in the powder space like you do with that modern 300 Win mag. I'd say that's a real fast 30-06..You can beat me by 100 FPS with a 180 gr. bullet in the 300 Win Mag., I'll give you that, but I can live with that considering mine will feed and ALWAYS extract, no matter what...I love that sloping case in the 300 and 375...and I don't mind trimming cases for all the above reasons...

Well thank you.I'm not sure but it will be a 300 Win or a 300 H&H I like the H&H to. For a 338 Win or a 9.3x62 I have a gun for the big bullets it is a 375 JRS in rifle and handgun. I'm looking for something a little smaller like the 300 WIN or 300 H&H thank you all for your help.

Paul

None of the cartridges mentioned are "BIG BORE" which is what this forum is titaled! This should have been on biggame hunting, not BIG BORE.

Haveing said that, if I were going to choose a rifle for ELK, it would be a 338 Win Mag, or a 375 H&H, but if restricted to a little 300, it would be a 300 H&H with a hot load caped off with a 180 gr Nosler Partition! BIG BORE?????????????????

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>
also DUGABOY1
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

Just get it over with and make that 300 a 375 H&H. It's still a 400 yard rifle without a problem. That being said, I shot an elk at 600 yard with a .375 H&H. That may not be responsible hunting, but I did it nonetheless.

Paul,

Don't be tempted by the magnum craze, that is gaining 100/150 fps at the cost of longer actions, 26" barrels, cost, recoil, etc.

A .300 WinMag stoked with 180 gr Barnes X bullets, say at 3200 fps (absolutely feasible in 24" barrels) is the ticket to Elk, Kudu, WIldebeest, etc, you name it.

IMHO,

Gustavo

I would have to agree with 500gr, the good old 375 is my favorite elk rifle,... well ok , it's my favorite rifle over all, but it still makes a good elk rifle

Don't expect to get 3000 FPS with a 200 grain bullet from a 300 H & H with any length barrel at normal pressures, nor 3200 FPS with 180's from a .300 Win at normal pressures. Both of these are at least 100 FPS overly optimistic.

That point aside, either will make an excellent elk gun and neither has truly huge advantages over the other. In identical magazines, the Winchester's bullets will seat as far out as the H & H, and both will feed flawlessly if the gun is built properly.

Stonecreek,
Try some of the old surplus 4831 Powder..Its not available now but I have a supply of it along with some old Norma MRP...I can and do get those velocities, chronographed, and granted they are top max, but they are safe in my rifle and note that I use a 26" barrel in my 300 H&H..

Also note that the Nosler book quotes 2956 FPS with a 200 gr. Nosler and 3091 FPS with a 180 gr. bullet..

Surely you can better a reloading book by 50 FPS and 11 FPS!!! We both know they are mighty conservative from a legal. standpoint....

Kindly reconsider that post....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com