quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
In American Sniper he did say the 300 win mag was his favorite rifle, so there’s that.

From what I understand, Chris Kyle was deployed with bolt actions chambered in 308 Win, 300WM, and 338LM.
- 308 Win is a relatively easy round to shoot accurately, but its drop and drift become issues as distances increase.
- 338LM is very capable at long distances. It has excellent drop and drift. But it's not all the pleasant to shoot, especially for a string of rounds.
- 300WM's ballistics and recoil fall between these two. For a sniper with Chris' skills, it was likely the best choice among the three options he was given.

So long as you’re not expecting to shoot a box through it at a time, get yourself some.

I’ve got a Tikka that’s gone hunting quite often, it does the work expected of it. It’s not a gun I enjoy at the range, it’s loud, plenty of muzzle blast, and recoil is there.

I’d find a M-70 Winchester Super Grade (budget stretch) or a Featherweight. Second choice would be Weatherby Vanguard II

I've have several 300 Win Mags and it's a good choice if you hunt say Elk more than Deer or plan a trip to Africa or maybe you just want a little bit bigger bang.

The more you shoot it the better you get at handling the Recoil. A good recoil pad and good stock design help a LOT! I've let other shooters try out almost identical weight 300 mags and one the shooter loved and the other he wouldn't take more than 2 shots with because of the stock fit. One was a Sako Finnlite 300 WSM and the other was a Kimber 300 WSM, the Kimber had a straighter stock and much better recoil pad and was way more comfortable to shoot. The stock and recoil pad made more difference than a 30-06 to a 3000 Win Mag would.

A model 70 with a good pad would be a fine choice. The Tikka T3's are excellent but are a little light and the stock isn't the best for recoil control but note that there ARE multiple aftermarket pad options for the Tikka (My Sako Finnlite now wears a prefit Limbsaver pad that makes a noticeable difference).

As far as the 300 Mags I personally prefer either the 300 WSM in a shorter, lighter rifle or the 300 PRC in a heavier rifle. I LOVE my Kimbers and Sako's in the WSM's. With new powders I'm getting 3075fps with LESS than max loads with 180gr class bullets in the WSM. You can load the 300 Win a little faster still but not a huge difference from the WSM. The 300 PRC is another animal yet, it's designed to shoot substantially heavier bullets at longer ranges. I have a Seekins in 300 PRC that's a drill and comes threaded for a can, A little out of your price range though.

Last year I picked up a Beretta BRX-1 in 300 Mag. I sold my Blaser straight pull rifles and wanted to see how the Beretta did. Once I epoxy's the scope mount down the thing shoots 1/2-3/4" groups at 100yds and is relatively light with the Carbon Wrapped barrel. One of the butt-ugliest rifles I've ever owned but it shoots and functions GREAT!

I think that of the maybe dozen or so 300 Win Mags I've owned or shot over the last few decades I don't think that any of them weren't sub-MOA for 3 shot groups at 100yds if I did my part. If RL-22 and 180gr bullets didn't shoot it was always the rifle and not the cartridge.

Bergara has several 300 Mags in their lineup that should be within your price range that would work well. I have the one with the Carbon fibre stock and fluted barrel in 6.5 PRC and it shoots quite well after it settled in, I think they make the same one in 300 Mag. The one with the Carbon Barrel and Carbon Stock is a little out of your range but you might one with a fluted barrel or one of the other stock options well within your price range. As Mentioned the Tikka's are excellent rifles but I like them in the lighter recoiling rounds because of their stock. New pads are just $50ish so a Tikka with a good pad is one to look at.

If possible try shooting a couple 300 Mags before you buy one so you won't be afraid of buying one because you think the recoil is too bad. Use a good recoil pad and maybe a Past shoulder pad when shooting off the bench. If you are in the DFW area I live close to a 100yd indoor range where I could let you try a couple to see if you really want a 300 Mag........

Anyway I hope any of that helps, Good luck in finding the perfect one for YOU!

DJ..........

https://www.scheels.com/search...ra%20300%20Win%20Mag

Scheels has Bergara 300 Win Mags from $850 and up. I think any of them you could afford would be good rifles for your first 300 mag.

Of course there are LOTS of others that would work too!

Huge fan of the 300 win mag for hunting. Elk, moose, and general African plains game. I am down to one, Ruger Guide gun. It's a great rifle for large, non dangerous game.

If it's just for a long-range paper-punching toy, I'd pick a 6.5-284. I have one and it's an absolute pleasure to shoot. Belted magnums are old tech and the 6.5-284 can comfortably get you out to 1500 yards. If you need to go farther than that, then there are better choices than the 300 Win Mag.

There hasn't been a new belted magnum offering since 2016. The newer sharp-shouldered non-belted cases (300 PRC, 6.5 PRC) are king now.

Other than nostalgia, or to recreate a government issued rifle, there's no reason to choose a 300 Win Mag over a 300 PRC.

From what I've read, the 300 PRC requires less powder to achieve the same or better ballistics than the 300 WM and the barrels last slightly longer. The 6.5-284 has the shortest barrel life of all that I've mentioned though.

Now that I've mentioned it, I've got to dust off my 6.5-284.

Tony.

My first bolt gun was a 30-06 and I'm glad it wasn't anything more powerful to adapt to the platform. I think 300 Win Mag is a poor choice for a first bolt gun and a range gun, but all of us have made choices that aren't necessarily practical, some good, some bad.

Get a long eye relief scope and don't crawl the stock.

I'm not really recoil shy but a 300WM is just not a fun gun to shoot, especially just at the range from a seated, benched position. The recoil but also the noise. Not sure what it would be like suppressed.

I don't think the caliber does anything others can't do until out past 800 yards.

I owned one because I got a good deal on one (also never needed it) and I killed a few deer with it. It was way too much gun for the deer in N Ga, of course. And that gun is someone else's problem now.

quote:

I don't hunt so it'll mostly be a range rig.

I'll venture to guess not for long. I think it will be a pretty fierce kicker, especially from a bench. It is primarily a cartridge with which to hunt large game like elk, and at longer ranges at that. I think the USSS uses or has used it for long range sniping, but they are paid to do it. Something like the .308 Win. or 6.5 Creedmoor (I am dabbling in the latter one myself) will fly just as far for a paper target and kick a lot less.

I’m really surprised that so many are complaining about “fierce” recoil in a 300 Win Mag.

It’s a little more than a 30-06 but the rifles are usually heavier and it’s not a huge difference.

If you’re worried about recoil buy one with a threaded muzzle. A good brake or can will take recoil down to 308 or 270 recoil.

If you are shooting a 100rd match maybe go with a 6 Creed or similar but if you are target shooting most shooters can handle A PROPERLY SET UP 300 mag……………….DJ

Let's start with recoil figures in foot pounds for some common calibers. These figures are for common rifle weights, unbraked/unsuppressed, common target loads.
223 Remy -- 3 to 4 ft/#
6BR -- 6 to 7 ft/#
243/6CM -- 10 to 11 ft/#
260/6.5CM -- 12 to 13 ft/#
6.5-284 -- 14 to 15 ft/#
308 Win -- 17 to 18 ft/#
300 WM -- 26 to 30 ft/#
Good suppressors may reduce recoil by 40-60%, although the recoil impulse lasts a little longer. Noise levels will be reduced by 20-30 dB.
Good brakes may reduce recoil by 50-70%, and the recoil pulse is over quickly. Noise levels will be increased by 10-15 dB, possibly more with the most efficient brakes.

Shooters with the best fundamentals control recoil such that the rifle moves a very short distance straight back in line with the bore. Sights stay on target (i.e. Point Of Aim) throughout the entire process of breaking the shot and the recoil impulse(s). By on target, I mean that a scope's crosshairs move at most 1/2 MOA (or .2 mils) from POA. Such shooters see the target & POA all through the recoil process, and while the bullet is flying to the target.

Shooters with lesser fundamentals have the rifle sights bounce off POA during recoil, generally along a vector somewhere between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock, by anywhere from 5 to 10 MOA -- even possibly more. Such shooters lose detailed sight of the target -- they know it's in their scope, but there's a lot of bouncing around going on.

Let's take a quality target bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2900 fps. Flight time to a 300 yard target will be around .33 seconds, about .58 seconds to 500 yards, and about 1 second to 800 yards. Shooters with the best fundamentals will have eyes on POA during the entire flight, as their scope's crosshairs never moved from POA. Assuming an impact on a reactive target such as a steel plate (or a miss in the dirt), these shooters will watch the bullet hit & fragment.

For shooters with lesser recoil management skills, it may take 1/2 second, 3/4 second, even a full second before the reticle movement has stopped from the recoil. Assuming the reticle is still on POA (but it likely isn't), the shooter can now look for the bullet's impact location. A hit on freshly painted steel, and the shooter states "ah, there it is". A miss in the dirt, and the shooter notices the dust cloud hanging, and possibly moving in the wind. But contrary to what the shooter thinks, he didn't actually "see" the impact -- only the results afterwards. A perfect example of this is hitting a steel plate at 3 or 9 o'clock, which is suspended by a strap in the center. The plate spins back and forth -- clockwise and counter clockwise -- before settling down. If the shooter or spotters don't see the actual impact, absent a fresh mark on the steel, the shooter doesn't know if the hit was at 3 or 9 o'clock.

Higher recoil energy makes it harder for any shooter to keep sights on target all the way through the recoil process. Shooters with solid fundamentals, shooting from a stable position (bench, prone, solid barrier), with a lower-recoiling caliber, can watch a 2900 fps MV bullet hit the target at 200 yards -- maybe even at shorter distances. And there's just over .2 seconds of flight time to a 200 yard target.

PRS-type competitors know all this about as well as anyone. They shoot from all sorts of positions, cranking out up to a dozen shots in 90 to 120 seconds, switching between multiple positions & multiple targets, and they have to see their own impacts to correct for subsequent shots. I've shot against some of the best. Many shot 6BR chamberings, rifles weighing as much as 20 pounds, using muzzle brakes -- their effective recoil was less than that of a 223 Remy. Such competitors are 1/4 MOA or better capable, day after day, season after season. The best of the best PRS-type competitors will also shoot very well with a 30 cal magnum rifle, but they will really struggle to shoot with anywhere close to the consistency that they're used to with their low-recoiling rifles.

If you want one. Get one. It is a great round. Very accurate. 180gr. bullet works great.
A quality supresser will make shooting a lot of fun.
A lot of what has been posted here won't apply. Enjoy.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old rugged cross,

When shooting in a large open area with my SilencerCo Omega, I can comfortably shoot the 300 without ear pro.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
In American Sniper he did say the 300 win mag was his favorite rifle, so there’s that.

His rifle probably weighed 15-17 lbs. with scope. With the suppressor, it suspect the recoil was extremely mild.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Well, if you need to scratch the itch, get one.
But my advice is DON'T.
>
I haven't shot it in years. My record for a range session is 7 shots. 7. And that while wearing a pussy pad. This thing just flat out hurts.
>
.300 Win Mag is like a dragster. Fabulous at what it is designed for, not much use for much else.

A 308 makes a much better range gun choice IMHO.
You don’t need cross canyon killing power, so using a gun that actually meets your needs without beating the snot out of you makes a lot of sense.
A SigForum member in AZ has a can on his 308 bolt gun. Using subsonic loads, the firing pin slap and the bang of the steel is MUCH louder than the shot. It’s like bunny fart quiet.

Ammo price (at SGAmmo):
308 - $25.95 for 175gr Gold Medal Match.
300WM - Hornady 178,195gr $49.95 - Gold Medal Match 190gr $52.95

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I did run my thoughts by a friend who I've known/shot with for like 19 years now and knowing each other that long he gets to be blunt- He told me that was stupid and to look at 308 or 6.5 which is where my focus has gone. Timeline for it is a bit pushed out as the work bonus that was supposed to be a sure thing is looking less confident so I'll probably be looking after the new year. I'm still all over the map with what I want. Really like the aesthetics of the Ruger Scout rifles but the Sig Cross isn't too far out of my planned budget and that seems like a real nice piece of kit but I also need to be honest and realize the whole lightweight thing won't matter on the walk from my truck to the bench at the range. I'll be sure to share with the class what I end up with though.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeNH:
He told me....to look at 308 or 6.5
I'll probably be looking after the new year.
I'm still all over the map with what I want....I also need to be honest and realize the whole lightweight thing won't matter on the walk from my truck to the bench at the range.

Use this time to evaluate your options and find what you like. Here are a few things to consider.

Recoil -- 6.5 recoil will be about 1/3 less than that of 308, assuming comparable muzzle devices. A suppressed 308 is nice to shoot; a suppressed 6.5 is even nicer to shoot. Your 30 caliber suppressor will work well with either rifle bore.

Ammo -- 308 has a bit of an edge here in both factory types available and price, although the gap has narrowed substantially over the years. If accuracy isn't a concern, then 308 FMJ ammo will be less pricy. You can find it currently online for a little as $.75 to $.80 per round. 6.5 FMJ can be in the range of $.80 to $1.20 per round. However, there isn't as much difference in match-grade ammo prices. Federal Gold Medal 175 for 308 is around $1.25, but Federal GMM 140 for 6.5 is $1.40 each. Hornady ELD 168 is $1.80 and Hornady Amax is $1.50 each for 308. Hornady ELD 140 for 6.5 is $1.70 per round.

Accuracy -- both calibers are very accurate, when you find the right ammo for your barrel. Ultimately it will come down to your marksmanship skills. Nevertheless, when it comes down to actual field conditions, most people will find they shoot a comparable 6.5 a little more accurately than a comparable 308.

Flight ballistics -- You haven't stated your expected target distances. At shorter distances, the bullet drop and wind drift figures aren't all that different. At 300 yards for my altitude, 308 FGMM 175 drops about 14" below a 100 yard zero and drifts laterally about 5" in a 10 mph crosswind. 6.5 ELD 140 drops about 11" and drifts 3". Not a huge difference, but it can show up with small targets. Increasing to 500 yards...308 FGMM 175 drops 56" and drifts 16". 6.5 ELD 140 drops 45" and drifts 11". This is where the superior wind drift of a 6.5 shows up.

Barrel life -- 308 wins hands down. A 308 barrel will last twice as many rounds as a 6.5 barrel, before the throat erosion degrades accuracy below your desired level. If you're not a high-volume shooter, this isn't an issue. If you're shooting 1000 or 2000 or especially 3000 rounds per year, then the cost of rebarreling comes into play.

*****
Try to shoot as many rifles as you can. Different brands, different stocks, both calibers. Some people like traditional-style stocks. Others prefer modular-type stocks. Get behind as many different optics as you can. Find what type of reticle works best for you.