Why the 30 Caliber Magnums?

[Pheroze]

I am a recent convert to this group of cartridges. Mostly due to the high praise they received from my PH and some friends a moose camp. But, no sooner have I sipped the Kool-aide then I read this disparagement of 300 magnums

http://www.chuckhawks.com/optimum_30_rifle_cartridge.htm

Ugh, way to harsh my mellow! But seriously, why do guys who like this class of cartridge like it? Is it worth the effort?

 

[PLM]

Everyone has their own opinion, myself, I love my 300 Win Mag. To me it is just as versatile as an 06 with a little more punch. It's going to SA with me in July and I can't wait. Philip

 

[Hank2211]

I have always used a .300 Win Mag. Note that Mr. Hawks says the .30-06 can shoot anything in the relevant class of game, so there is no need for the .300 win mag, which delivers more punch than you need along with more recoil.

If you don't find the recoil of a .300 a problem (and I don't, though I don't like anything above a .416 Rigby, and then only in a well balanced gun), then you have added stopping power, at no real cost to you. And I have found - through many safaris - that I can always use more stopping power.

Let's go to the bigger calibers for a second. A .375 is legal on elephant. And it will kill an elephant (I and many others have done it). So why would you go up from there? By Chuck Hawks' analysis, you get no more killing power with the larger calibers, but you get more recoil. So they have no reason to exist. Why then would you use them? Because - in my opinion - there is a bit greater margin of error with the bigger calibers, and while they just do the same job, they do it better. Same analysis applies to the .300 magnums.

So if you aren't recoil sensitive, shoot the largest caliber you like and can shoot well, within the range of what's suitable for what you're trying to kill. I think if you analyze what Mr. Hawks says, it really comes down to that.

 

[Albert GRANT]

Well to help you feel better about it, when the military went away from the .308 as a sniper rifle they went to the .300 win mag. So there's something to refute his perfect 30 theory with the military

 

[Buckdog]

I disagree with Mr. Hawks whole heartedly! A 300 win mag or weatherby or whatever mag will do everthing a 30-06 does better and then some.. It shoots flatter, hits harder, 300 win mag argueably a more accurate round (that's one reason military snipers use it). Mr. hawks forgets that animals are killed by the effect of the energy transfer from the bullet to the critter aka hydrostatic shock. I can take a longer shot, an off angle quartering shot, etc and know that with a 200 gr bullet at 3050fps I can punch thru a lot of animal and deliver a lot of energy. Go try that with a 243, 270 I want to see you tear thru a ton of gut to get to the lungs at a quartering away shot on a big animal just not happening. In "real life" hunting you don't always get those perfect broadside volleys and with more gun in my hand I feel confortable taking less than ideal shots. So for my money if you can handle a 300 mag (or bigger) then why not use it? If you cant then shoot something less, shoot it well and be happy.
My basic principal my Daddy taught me many moons ago is son dead is dead hit em hard with the biggest stick you can and I don't care if you waste a little meat just make em dead!

 

[mdwest]

For me it "depends".. where are you hunting? what are you hunting? etc...

90% of what I hunt, and where I hunt... the .308 or .30-06 is more than enough.. Im not stretching out past 150 yards.. and Im not shooting anything bigger than 300lbs..

The other 10% of the time though.. when Im looking to drop something big at a bit more distance.. or Im looking to press a shot out at a significant distance (even if its on true medium sized game).. some extra FPS and a flatter trajectory may make the difference in whether or not I am going to be willing to pull the trigger..

Personally I went with a 7mm for my "magnum".. not because I actually think it superior to a .30 mag of any sort.. but because I got a great deal on it... I would have picked it up just the same if it had been a .300 win mag or a .300 WSM..

Both my 7mm and my .308 fill different roles in my arsenal.. either can do the others job "ok".. but neither is as good as the other for the purpose I actually use them..

 

[Sako AV]

Don't drive yourself crazy putting too much stock into articles like this. Gun writers are paid to write about rifles/cartridges and espouse their opinions which seem to change constantly. Various .30 caliber magnums have been field tested and proven for many years so if you're comfortable with a particular cartridge and shoot it well just find out what ammo it likes best and have at it.

 

[Pheroze]

I am still waiting on my 308 NM to be built so I only have book knowledge. I shoot my 375 H&H no problem at all so I am anticipating good things. I think @Hank2211 has a good analysis there.

I like... no love...My 375 but I disagree with the article too is regards to his comment about medium bores. I am getting the 308 NM because it seems to me to be more appropriate for my hunt in Namibia. I just wanted a more flexibility with the 30 cal but no desire to move up.

 

[Redruff]

We'll now that's a loaded question without a doubt.

The 30's are just such are great bunch of calibers period. It doesn't matter if you pull the trigger on the the classical Super 30(H&H), the good'ol 300 Winnie or the the new short and stout 300 WSM. They are all just so sexy and will put in the salt what ever game you point them at.

There ....that's my confession as a 300 addict. BTW...I have custom builds in all the above mentioned 300's....and when the boss lady questions how many caliber's I have I can "honestly" reply "one" in this case.

All the best coping with your new addiction.

R.

 

[rookhawk]

.300H&H is the gentleman's .30

It is slow kicking and milder than a .300Winmag. It has a proven feed from the 375 parent case. It has a very long neck to shoot up to 240gr bullets and has factory loading much hotter and heavier than a 30-06.

Lastly, only pretty rifles were chambered in 300H&H so you have zero chances of owning a fugly girl.

In short, a 300H&H is as close to an.318WR or 338/06 as you're going to get, and it kicks less.

 

[Buckdog]

Pheroze, so pray tell what version of the 300 mag coolaid have you sipped?? weatherby, Winnie, wsm, 308NM 300 HH?? I personally love them all!

 

[Redruff]

Pheroze, so pray tell what version of the 300 mag coolaid have you sipped?? weatherby, Winnie, wsm, 308NM 300 HH?? I personally love them all!

Guess some us sipped a wee bit too much of the 30 cal koolaid.

R.

 

[dwboso]

Reading all the threads. Nothing Wrong w an 06. Nothing wrong w the 30 magnums either. But the 30's are a baby step if any at all. To me , a real step up would be one of the 33's..They'll out everything the 30's will do. The 06 /30 mag argument is kinda like a 270/7 mag argument. much ado over miniscule results in the real world.Get a 7 mag and you get longer,heavier,more muzzle blast etc @28% more powder for 4% more performance. equates to aboute 4 or 5 inches flatter at 400. If you can make the shot w the mag,you can make the shot w the 270. JMHO

 

[Pheroze]

Pheroze, so pray tell what version of the 300 mag coolaid have you sipped?? weatherby, Winnie, wsm, 308NM 300 HH?? I personally love them all!

I am building a 308 Norma Mag on a donated Brno 600 30-06. I have all the brass, dies, but no rifle yet...sigh

 

[James Cook]

I stayed away from the 30 caliber for quite a while. But went to it a few years ago for bigger game. For big game, bring the biggest stick you can tolerate the recoil. No such thing as overkill on large game. Shots are not always at a perfect angle and the larger caliber will help out with the angled shot and the less than well placed shot. The 30 win mag is very accurate and did a fantastic job on plains game hunt in '16 - impala to kudu to eland. Eland was a quartering away 250+ yd short - that ended after a short tracking job. Probably would not have taken the shot with less than a 30 caliber.

 

[colorado]

I jumped from my tried and true 270 I've had for 40 something years to a 375 H&H and shortly thereafter to a 500 Jeffery. The nice thing about the 500 is after putting four or five rounds down range those 338 and 300 Mags your friends have are absolute pussycats to shoot.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Gotta remember one thing..........gun writers thrive (and survive) on controversy. Remember all those: .9mm vs .45 articles? What about "is the 1911 better/worse that the Glock? Dont forget the "12 gauge vs 20 gauge 3" magnum" thingy for the shotgunners, as well as the "SxS vs O/U....which is better?". And for those of us who are old enough, how about the old ".30/30 vs .35 Remington for the deer woods?" articles. Don't know how the author gets paid, but if he gets paid by the number of people who went to the site after clicking on the link, then they got 16 hits from this thread alone.
If the .300 Win mag was such a poor choice and didn't offer much, then why 1.) does just about every gun manufacturer offer a chambering in said caliber and 2.) Why did it essentially bury all the competition, such as the .308 Norma magnum and the .300 H& H magnum?
Nuff said.................don't let it "harsh your mellow"

 

[ack]

I am right now seriously thinking about a Win Featherweight in 300 mag..New ones by FN are like an improved pre 64 ..They have control feed,long xtracter,beautiful adj.trigger, and walnut..Of course it will have a brake like my 06, so almost no recoil..Supposed to be very accurate too.

 

[CAustin]

Everyone has their own opinion, myself, I love my 300 Win Mag. To me it is just as versatile as an 06 with a little more punch. It's going to SA with me in July and I can't wait. Philip

Plus 1

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Whether it be due to the flatter trajectory of faster moving lighter projectiles or shooting the heavies at comparable speeds, the magnums have their place. Necessary or better? Not always, but sometimes.

I love my M70 Super Grade in .300WM. It's a bit on the heavy side and thereby not a mountain rifle, but that weight eats up recoil. Have a pre-64 in .300H&H that is shooting well and quickly growing on me. Got another I still have to work with.

I did have a Remington in .300RUM, that was too much of a good thing. Way more recoil than I could tolerate.