.300 Win. Mag.

[Glaciers]

Without really intending to, I find I am now the owner of a tang safety Ruger 77 in really nice shape, topped with a Leupold 2-87 Vari-X II contemporary with the age of the rifle. The only fly in the ointment is the caliber. As this post is titled, the rifle is in .300 Winchester Magnum.
Anyone here played with cast bullets in this caliber?

Frankly why not send it off to JES and have it bored out to 358 Norma Mag. 1 in 12 twist would launch some 310’s from NOE at moderate velocity around 1800 should put paid about anything on this continent.

 

[sundog]

My step up up from '06, 308, 30-30, 7.62x39, 300 Ham'r, and the like is 35 Whelen with a 16 twist. It's a fantastic cast bullet launcher in many weights and velocities, including 358009.

I have no beef with 300WM, especially for a long range sniper.

God bless our troops, especially the snipers (and medics).

 

[oscarflytyer]

I loved the 300 WM I had. Just no real application for it and buddy's kids wanted it. It shot great (no cast). It was a post 64 and in the original stock recoil was stout but managable for me when I was younger. Nowadays with rebuilt shoulder and neck arthritis, prob wouldn't be near as much fun, although I shoot 45-70s all day long (cast/~1300fps! so...)

The real tamer for my 300 Mag was when I went to bed the stock and found the original wood cracked. Could have repaired/bedded, but... Instead (late '80s) I put a Bell and Carlson Kevlar and Fiberglass aftermarket stock on it. Had a very high comb. I tamed BUNCH of the recoil - took the muzzle flip out of it. That is when it got real accurate. And, its felt recoil was much less than a stock Rem 700 30-06 (we shot them side by side one day).

These days I would love stumble into an old 300 H&H for cast. I think that would be a hoot.

 

[Ian]

Looking at the SAAMI drawing, the standard throat looks a lot more suitable for regular cast bullets than the .308 Winchester. The downfall of the .308 is the small throat entrance, parallel freebore, and overly-large chamber neck. The 300 has a big funnel that won't scrape off lead from oversized bullets that fill the neck. I would start with a tapered bullet like the MP 30 Silhouette or the NOE 30 Hunter (which both cast .312"+) and use real rifle powder behind it (4350, 4831, RX-19, RX-22, etc.)

 

[L Ross]

Well my young buddy the neighbor kid took one look at it and had to have it. He really wanted a traditional wood and blued rifle. I'll be flipping the money into something very cool and if that deal goes through I'll post pics of it.

 

[Elpatoloco]

Well obviously your mileage varies. But there’s lots more pleasant cartridges out there. Yes the 300 is a bolt of lightning. But there are a few that do the job a lot more pleasantly. Trust me I’m not a recoil ‘wuss.
I just don’t care for the mighty 300 or the 7mm Remington magnum.
But that’s just me. My advice is free and my opinions are even cheaper.

Well, Now days I agree with ya.
If Its not good for hunting with cast, I dont use it.
I took everything from ground squirrels to large game with the .300 wm.

I will take the ocassional 300 yard shot, but I gather no joy from it. It has to be a pressing deal, as in, we need sausage meat now type deal.

I'd much rather shoot everything inside 100 yards with a handgun or anything for wild hogs.

 

[dale2242]

Personally I’ve always liked cartridges with a long neck.

That`s why I like loading my 300 Weatherby.
It has that long 300 H&H neck.

 

[Ian]

I never have loaded for a Weatherby cartridge but have often wondered if that loooooong, gentle throat would be good for cast bullets.

 

[JonB]

Was there a marketing campaign for 300 WM in late 80s or 90s?
Cuz it seems every farmer that travels to northern MN into the Deer hunting "Rifle zone" owns a 300 WM.
South MN where I am, is shotgun only Zone, but they do allow handgun too.

 

[L Ross]

Was there a marketing campaign for 300 WM in late 80s or 90s?
Cuz it seems every farmer that travels to northern MN into the Deer hunting "Rifle zone" owns a 300 WM.
South MN where I am, is shotgun only Zone, but they do allow handgun too.

Your DNR ought to talk to our DNR, (Wisconsin), about allowing rifles State wide. We did, and nothing happened, nothing. Deer hunting has changed, most land is posted, more hunters hunt from elevated stands, fewer and fewer drives. Who wants to drive "their" deer off of their 5 to 7 thousand dollar an acres deer hunting land? Fewer and fewer guys shoot at running deer, and CWD has changed the DNR's goals for harvest.
But the biggest thing is all of the dire predictions of death from afar, by the usual suspects, failed to materialize.

 

[JonB]

Your DNR ought to talk to our DNR, (Wisconsin), about allowing rifles State wide. We did, and nothing happened, nothing. Deer hunting has changed, most land is posted, more hunters hunt from elevated stands, fewer and fewer drives. Who wants to drive "their" deer off of their 5 to 7 thousand dollar an acres deer hunting land? Fewer and fewer guys shoot at running deer, and CWD has changed the DNR's goals for harvest.
But the biggest thing is all of the dire predictions of death from afar, by the usual suspects, failed to materialize.

You know this is Minnesota we are talking about, don't ya?
We're lucky they allow us to hunt deer.