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How much recoil for a 300 WM

S

Sidk

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 26, 2009
261
0
64
Vegas
#1
I have to make a choice of selling a nice stock or build a big rifle. How hard does a 300 WM kick compared to a 308, heavy weight gun? I already use some of the powders for my 243 so it comes down to how hard it will beat up a 53 year old man with a lot of spinal arthritis and how much it cost to feed? Dear gawd 70gr of hybrid 100v max for a 175 smk. what ever I build, I would love to put a suppressor on it just to save my ears.

Thanks guys
 
#2
I shot a standard .300 WM factory remington 700..and it SUCKED! did my custom work on it, making it around 12.5lbs and I would say it kicks like .308 8lb rifle, I dont'w know exactly but its really not that bad.
 
#3
Sidk said:
I have to make a choice of selling a nice stock or build a big rifle. How hard does a 300 WM kick compared to a 308, heavy weight gun? I already use some of the powders for my 243 so it comes down to how hard it will beat up a 53 year old man with a lot of spinal arthritis and how much it cost to feed? Dear gawd 70gr of hybrid 100v max for a 175 smk. what ever I build, I would love to put a suppressor on it just to save my ears.

Thanks guys
Click to expand...

You're not going to like that 300WM after about 5 shots, you're talking about 30lbs recoil compared to about 18 for the 308, so......yes a brake would help, but they are very annoying for your fellow shooters, I dont wanna shoot next to you if you're shooting with a brake.
 
#7
Long action stock I take it? Why not one of the other mags that don't beat ya up so bad, a 7 something or another comes to mind. I want to do a 284 in the future on a long action to take advantage of some long and slippery pills. Just another thing to think bout.
 
#8
Having owned both a .308 and a .300WM I can tell you that a .308 without a brake is much more miserable to shoot than a .300WM with a brake. I also have a suppressor for the .300WM and it shoots about the same as with the brake. Don't stress about the recoil. Keep the .300WM at 12-15lbs and I HIGHLY recommend an APA "fat bastard" brake. The .300WM in my opinion is the best overall round as you can shoot from 110gr-240gr bullets and kill pretty much anything that walks on earth. People will point to the additional cost but that is ridiculous. If I am going to shoot until I hit a target 10 times at 1000yds I can make those 10 hits with half the rounds using a .300WM. It is so far superior ballistically to the .308 that the two really can't be compared.
 
#9
A muzzle brake would reduce recoil significantly, while a suppressor provides a little less recoil reduction I'd trade the reduction in muzzle blast and noise over a brake any day. Like Dirtdigger says, you could always build up the gun in a different caliber that fits your long action setup.
 
#10
I don't think that you will have a problem with it. I am 72, had neck surgery 12 months ago (C2-C6 fused), rt rotator cuff twice about 5 years ago. I started shooting my 300wm, M700 M24 Mike Rock barrel, about a month ago, and have not had problem with recoil. The problem that I have, is not being able to shoot prone, as my neck will not bend back enough. A friend has the opposite problem, can't bend his heck forward after neck surgery from the front, needs high rings, mine was from the back. It could always be worse! (13.5 lbs)
 
Last edited:
#11
Dirtdigger said:
Long action stock I take it? Why not one of the other mags that don't beat ya up so bad, a 7 something or another comes to mind. I want to do a 284 in the future on a long action to take advantage of some long and slippery pills. Just another thing to think bout.
Click to expand...

Yup and it was inletted for a cdi mag. I didn't know that was what the inlet was when I bought it. Thought it was inletted for a short cal.
 
#12
TxShooter63 said:
Having owned both a .308 and a .300WM I can tell you that a .308 without a brake is much more miserable to shoot than a .300WM with a brake. I also have a suppressor for the .300WM and it shoots about the same as with the brake. Don't stress about the recoil. Keep the .300WM at 12-15lbs and I HIGHLY recommend an APA "fat bastard" brake. The .300WM in my opinion is the best overall round as you can shoot from 110gr-240gr bullets and kill pretty much anything that walks on earth. People will point to the additional cost but that is ridiculous. If I am going to shoot until I hit a target 10 times at 1000yds I can make those 10 hits with half the rounds using a .300WM. It is so far superior ballistically to the .308 that the two really can't be compared.
Click to expand...

I originally wanted to build this as a 243 running 115 dtac's. That 7mm sounds interesting. I've got to find someone locally with a 300 that will let me fire it a few times.

I've got a little bastard brake on my 308. It works great unless you're sitting to the side of it, lol.

S1-L5 fused for me and now I need a L4-L5 fused. Gabapentin is my friend.
 
#13
I guess I'm weird. I think an unbraked 300 is horrible. With a brake it's bearable but still more than I care to deal with for any significant amount of shooting. With a suppressor, it still kicks like a mule...

...and this is coming from a healthy, able-bodied, 6'2" 210lb, 33 year old dude.
 
#14
Just got a chance to look at the 7mm rm. Looks like that might do the trick. I shoot out to 500 plus almost weekly, and that's if I get lazy and don't haul the targets down to 800. Any of you 7mm guys mind speaking up about your favorite loads?

Didn't the army guys say screw that to the 300 WM? I seem to remember the long range guys bitching about shooting it for long times.

I've got some of those 155 scenar, laying around, no come to thnk of it they are the palmas. Man, I guess I need to find someone to let me fire a few rounds.
 
#16
Man my 300wm with a McMillan A5 with sniper fill Broughton 7 contour barrel (finishes at .960 at muzzle) with badger thruster break is a breeze to shoot. Recoil is less then a 243 although it is about 18lbs with optic mounted and the muzzle blast is pretty brutal for others shooting next to you.
 
#17
I want to thank all of you that have posted. Thanks scotty. My daughter bitches when I break out the 308 with the little bastard brake on it. I can imagine I would loose my shooting partner if she had to shoot next to that "monster" as she calls it.

That 7mm looks real nice through jbm's site. I guessed at 2725fps and at that speed it actually looks close to the 243 round I was looking for.

Any others I should be looking at?
 
#18
Ditto to TxShooter. I have a GAP Rock in 300wm with a badger thruster break and it recoils notably less than either of my heavier barreled 308's. For comparison sake, neither caliber is loaded super hot.

I'm not recoil sensitive since usually playing with various 338's and 375's, most hunting weight guns without breaks, but will admit surprise comparing the 300wm and 308's--could not get over how efficiently the break broke the recoil.
 
#20
Sidk another option is the 6.5saum. I'm building one as we speak. I will be shooting the 140grain Berger hybrids, out of a 26in barrel I'm hoping to see velocities around 3200-3300fps. Still utilizing your long magnum action and a little tamer recoil then the 300wm with pretty good ballistics.
 
#22
Anyone have a prairie dog stock to compare to the McMillan a5? I see the pd its gel coated and I shoot the piss out of my guns. This gun will get shot almost weekly in the dirt of Vegas and I'm afraid the gel coat will chip off pretty easy.
 
#24
As of this post hand loading supplies are available for the 7mm and are within reason for pricing. I can't find a stock as nice as this one for equal pricing.

Hahahaha, I'm trying to talk myself into this build. I'm pretty sure its going to be a go.

Savage la
7mm rm
26"?!?! Bartlein barrel varmint contour
cdi bottom
Suppressor?
 
#25
I went from a 243 to a 300 Wm last year and love it. I wanted a big boy gun to use on elk and mule deer. Haven't put a break on yet but put a box through it each time I go to the range. Ammo is also usually pretty easy to find. But I still love my 243, it is a true tack driver.
 
#26
243 was the original caliber choice for this build. I love my 243, you could use the crappiest loads and it would still group very well even at 500 yards with a youths barrel and plastic remy stock. I gave that one to my daughter and I wanted another for myself.
 
#27
Listen, people will shoot a 375 HH Mag or a 416 Rigby if that's the required tool. If you wanting to do extended target shooting, those calibers are not well suited. 300 WM is best for a heavy North American game hunting rifle or a long range target rifle. If it's heavy, ~ 20 lbs, you may be able to get away without a muzzle brake, but it will still hit. The primary drawback for 300 WM and larger calibers is recoil. If it's a hunting rifle, it won't matter all that much. If it's a target rifle, use a muzzle brake to reduce the recoil. If you're looking for a lightweight rifle with no recoil, you'll need a big muzzle brake (e.g., Badger FTE or APA Bastard) or a different caliber rifle.
 
#28
I just bought a Tactical Rifle .300 WM from another SH member, having never shot a .300 WM. He has a surefire muzzle brake on the barrel and says it shoots like a .308. What is the consensus of the surefire muzzle brake on this type of caliber?
 
#29
Surefire brake works great but like any brake, especially with a magnum, I would recommend two sets of hearing protection.
 
#32
Like mentioned earlier, you should look into the strait 284. I don't own one but have had quite a bit of time behind my shooting buddy's. trued 700 with 28" barrel and no break. It has less recoil than my 308 fn spr and sends 180g Berger's down range at around 2800 fps and runs circles around my 308 with less powder and recoil than the 7mm mag
 
#35
I shoot a McMillan in 300 WM with a Vais break and the rifle weighs in around 9 pounds with a scope. It is like shooting a 243 and have run 40+ rounds at a time from both the bench and prone without any issues. I have 308's that are worse to shoot.
 
#36
Bear24 said:
Like mentioned earlier, you should look into the strait 284. I don't own one but have had quite a bit of time behind my shooting buddy's. trued 700 with 28" barrel and no break. It has less recoil than my 308 fn spr and sends 180g Berger's down range at around 2800 fps and runs circles around my 308 with less powder and recoil than the 7mm mag
Click to expand...

Looks good but the stock I bought was already inletted for a magnum. If I could run short magazines then yeah, nice round a least as much as I've read about it.
 
#37
If I already have the .338 muzzle brake on my .300 WM, and I want to get the suppressor but it appears that the muzzle brake has to come off and then the suppressor screws on to the threads. Is it true that the .308 SOCOM adapter and SOCOM suppressor do not work because of high pressures? What would be the best suppressor for the .300 win mag in terms of noise and recoil reduction?
 
#38
Trubester88 said:
If I already have the .338 muzzle brake on my .300 WM, and I want to get the suppressor but it appears that the muzzle brake has to come off and then the suppressor screws on to the threads. Is it true that the .308 SOCOM adapter and SOCOM suppressor do not work because of high pressures? What would be the best suppressor for the .300 win mag in terms of noise and recoil reduction?
Click to expand...

The 762 SOCOM suppressor is rated for 300 win mag as well as our 762K and 762SS suppressors.
 
#40
it really depends on how you have it built. i shoot a built 700, in mcmillan A4 with a 26" braked, m24/m40 barrel profile. its nothing to shoot 208 amaxs behind 78.5 of retumbo all day long. its my wifes favorite rifle. it might be 15lbs with optics

with that being said, my old, braked GaPrecision in HS precision take off stock definity let you know its a magnum

the SPS that the GaPrecision was built from, was fucking brutal.

so a brake and a nice heavy stock with a good butt pad go a long way to making a 300 an all day shooter
 
#42
Sidk said:
Looks good but the stock I bought was already inletted for a magnum. If I could run short magazines then yeah, nice round a least as much as I've read about it.
Click to expand...

He runs his out of a long action magnum receiver, it allows him to seat the Berger VLD's out long for more case capacity and to get out to the lands
 
#43
Don't build the wrong caliber based on being stuck with a stock you like. I'd rather loose a little money and time, rather than end up unhappy. Who knows, you might not really loose anything. However, if you do build a magnum, the 300 or the 7 mm mag will do great. The recoil will be very little with a brake. I have a little bastard on my 300, and I'm about your age also. I can shoot it all day without any bother. I would not chose it for taget shooting at 800 yards or less though because I believe there are better choices for that intent. Yes, it will do the job just fine, but at a higher cost, plus it is louder with a brake. If you're going to run a suppressor all the time, then cancel the louder part.

Non the less, all the 6.5s will work just as good, and cost a bit less. Plus there's no real need for a brake, so, less noise if that is a problem.
 
#44
Going back a few years (more than a few) I got a 300WM after my first .308. I learned to shoot on my own w/o any forums and had horrible form. I didn't have brakes on my riles. I had a Remy .308 PSS 26" and recoil was fairly stiff I thought. This was with the factory stock and hard recoil pad. I was also shooting off a bench (again with bad form). So I got the 300WM and it was in a Choate Ultimate Sniper Stock (heavy as heck) which I thought would soak up some of the recoil. It did but it still hurt my head after about 10 shots. I sold it after a few years just sitting in the safe getting dusty.

Since then I've joined the forums and read about proper form. Practiced with .22s and moved back up to bigger calibers. Now I can shoot a 300WM with a pencil barrel all day w/o a brake with proper form, a good stock and recoil pad (I like Limbsavers). Learning to shoot prone off a bipod and how to drive a rifle is what has helped the most.

So if you have good form and good equipment, you should be fine, even w/o a brake. But like STR said, build the right gun/caliber for your need. You can build anything on a long action.
 
#47
My main hunting rifle's a Winchester Model 70 Alaskan in .300 Win Mag, the new FN 2012 vintage. Love the rifle. Suits me fine just as I got it. Haven't weighed it but with the scope (Redfield 4-12) and bipod (Harris) I'd say it all together is around 9-9.5 lbs. Recoil from it doesn't bother me at all, then again I'm built like a brick shithouse at 6'3" and 270 or so pounds.
 

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#48
I have a long action that I use for 243 and 284, both are fantastic cartridges and feed and shoot just fine from my long action magazine. A 300 set up right wont kick very much at all,my 300WSM with a muzzle brake and my Stockade tactical stock kicks roughly like my fathers 7-08 weatherby, albeit being about two pounds heavier.
 
#49
Sidk said:
Didn't the army guys say screw that to the 300 WM? I seem to remember the long range guys bitching about shooting it for long times.
Click to expand...

No, the Army is finally in the process of fielding the .300WM with vigor. Check out the XM-2010 and Mk-13 programs.

FWIW- I was just shooting my Mk-13 Mod5 which is .300WM yesterday with some people I was training who were all on 7.62s (.308 Win). Winds were full value all day running from 9 mph to just over 20mph. Even without a spotter I was getting more consistent hits all the way to just beyond 800m with Mk248 Mod 0. Was almost like cheating. The rifle is fairly heavy though as it is in an AICS 2.0 and I ran the suppressor all day. The suppressor does a great job of reducing muzzle blast and perceived recoil at least but I shot 60 rounds and was not uncomfortable at all.

At home I have a 7WSM which is great ballistically with 180gr VLDs and comfortable to shoot (AICS, MTU, USO, and a Badger Thruster brake mitigate recoil). The 7mm is great with high BC projectiles and a great alternative if you want something with great performance but a little less recoil than the .300WM. I would like to know how a 7WSM with the 180gr VLDs compares to the .300WM with 230gr Hybrids that Bryan Litz has been pimping out. They look like a great option but the recoil would be more significant which is a concern for the OP.

Sorry for the longer post, just trying to put some info and options out there.
 
#50
I decided to go 7mm mag. It will will do the trick nicely. Not too bad on recoil, nice and flat and not to bad to feed.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I437 using Tapatalk 2
 
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