Trg 42- 300wm

[MJY65]

I've really been enjoying my TRG 22-308 and am considering getting a big brother for it. With the announcement that Beretta will be importing the 300WM version of the TRG 42 in the fall, that has become an option. I had previously considered a 338 LM, but held off due to cost of ammo/reloading and recoil. Since I don't have any real need for extreme penetration capabilities, is the 300WM worth considering? I've always really liked the 300 WM as a hunting round, but have never used it as a target rifle. Is it enough of an upgrade to justify the cost or should I just jump up to the 338?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[sakobob]

I guess it all depends on the distance you plan on shooting, from what i have seen and read you already have a rifle capable of 1000-1200 yards.
if you plan on going way out there just jump to the 338,reloading cost will only be slightly more then if you went with the 300(once you have the brass).
being that i have the 300 my next one will probably be the 260, i think it will be more match friendly.
but in the end it's your money and get what you will like.do the research and make a informed decision.

 

[bhart89]

Had I known that the 300 WM TRG was going to be available I would have not bought the 338LM and bought the 300WM instead. For me, already having a 300WM rated can plays heavily into this stance. I'm not looking forward to spending another $1500 for a 338 LM can.

 

[VKC]

I think a 300wm is worth the upgrade from a 308win. Components are more readily available than 338lm and cheaper. Plus it is such a popular hunting round.

It will be hard for politicians to target the 300wm as a dangerous "sniper" round for extra taxes or to band. However, 338lm is a potential target.

 

[Shoottothrill]

I like the 300 also. I read alot of guys in the ELR forum are pushing the 208 grain Amax to a mile, which is approximately 1760 yards. That's reaching out there and a good next step up from the .308. Also cost to shoot the rifle will be much less. More factory rounds available as well.

 

[Yasherka]

If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly bear. Unless you are not able to stretch it past 1000 or so, the Lapua is an awesome round although expensive.

 

[Swift]

If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly bear. Unless you are not able to stretch it past 1000 or so, the Lapua is an awesome round although expensive.

Edit: I re-read again upon your recommendation, Yasherka, and your recommendations continue to suck.

I like the quote but in this case, the 300 is the logical choice. It fits all of his criteria and the performance between the two for 99% of us is negligible.

However, if you have an inferiority complex and need to feel like king of the castle cuz your shmeck is small, then buy the Lapua and impress your friends.

 

[Yasherka]

However, if you have an inferiority complex and need to feel like king of the castle cuz your shmeck is small, then buy the Lapua and impress your friends.

Gotcha. Only those with an inferiority complex should consider a .338.

 

[Swift]

Gotcha. Only those with an inferiority complex should consider a .338.

Negative. I was making the point that the winmag and 338 are, for most practical purposes, neck and neck all the way to 1000 and a select few here really NEED the extra oomph to go further, esp when the winmag will still comfortably reach a mile. My comment was directed towards the folks who have no business shooting a 338 but they buy it to plink at 200 because it's so glamorized, then they shoot 6" groups due to a bad flinch and still act like the biggest baddest dudes on the planet.

Next time you wanna quote someone so you can make a snarky comment, read or quote the entire post. "I like the 338 but.."

Allow me to clarify so you can't misconstrue this one. I'd love to shoot a 338 and one day I'll own one but right now 30 caliber is the largest suppressor I own, magnum rated, 300 winchester magnum is a mile shooter so unless I'm taking aim at Mars, I would be foolish to switch to a more expensive round and take on another $1500, $200 tax stamp, year of waiting, $200 worth of dies and hundreds more in components.

 

[Yasherka]

There was no misconstruing on my part. You made the comment and it could not possibly be taken out of context. Fine, all well and good. No worries from my side. But kindly don't insist I shouldn't believe my own lying eyes. Just be happy with your enormous "shmeck".

 

[Ballistic Artist]

338 lapmag is overreated. Brass is rediculous price, bullets are expensive... 300 win mag is a great compromise. You can get way out there and its cheeeeeeep to load compared to lapmag. If you want a big 338, get a 338-378 Weatherby mag. Brass is the same price as lapmag,(if not a tad cheaper), and it beats 338lapmag by 150 to 200 fps with the same weight bullet. (and it will piss of lapmag shooters when you out shoot them with a Weatherby round...) Hope this helps.

 

[Swift]

It would be ignorant to argue that the 338 is purely a glamour choice. I figured it went without saying but I suppose you gotta spell it all out on here. Just to be clear, it has it's place but a select few will ever push a 338 to it's limits. Sure, your Lambo may go 210 but 95% of the time they're weekend cruisers never driven to their limits, but if you run a track day, a Lambo is better than a Corolla. It's most effective when you use it as it was designed, anything more and it's overkill by definition.

Besides, my initial comment was in response to the OP before your post took us on a tangent. Allow me to quote a portion of his post:

"I had previously considered a 338 LM, but held off due to cost of ammo/reloading and recoil. Since I don't have any real need for extreme penetration capabilities, is the 300WM worth considering?"

Cost, recoil and no real need for extreme penetration capabilities(which is where the 338 really shines btw) so how can you argue he should buy the 338? Higher cost, higher recoil and originally developed for HTI i.e. penetration. It would be irresponsible to recommend a 338 to the OP based on his needs and that's the topic of this thread. If you wanna get defensive about the 338, start your own thread or take it to the box

 

[Yasherka]

Well, if you'd bother to re-check the thread: I am not defensive about the .338, no need to be. It's an inanimate object and a tool. The OP asked, I responded. YOU are the one who turned this into a dick-measuring contest.

But please, continue...

 

[Swift]

Well, if you'd bother to re-check the thread: I am not defensive about the .338, no need to be. It's an inanimate object and a tool. The OP asked, I responded. YOU are the one who turned this into a dick-measuring contest.

But please, continue...

Then you need to do some learning before you continue posting on here. The 338 beats the 300 in exactly ZERO of the criteria put forth in the original post so what's your affinity with the 338 that you would blatantly recommend the wrong caliber to someone looking for an honest answer?

If it's a dick measuring contest then I lose cuz the largest caliber I keep in the safe is a 308 and my match cartridge is a 260. Why don't I own a 300 or 338 at this point? Because the furthest I shoot on a regular basis is 1000 and I STILL don't feel I NEED it despite being a short drive from TVPs mile gong. If I decided I wanted to spend all afternoon shooting at a mile, then I would buy a 300. If, after all that, I felt I needed even more, then the 338 fills that void. Get what you need and not a bit more because that's how you stay efficient and avoid hundreds of dollars and months of your time correcting flinches and bad habits a hard kicking rifle will force you into.

Way too often I see guys get caught up in the rabble on the boards and feel like they need to keep up so they buy a 338 for no other reason than "it's the best and it's what the best are using." You choose caliber by need, not by what others' are using or what's popular at the moment and poor recommendations like yours are fueling that misinformation. Would you give an overpowered SW500 to your wife just to get a laugh? If you would, then shame on you, but if you wouldn't, then why would you recommend a caliber that could have a similar disdaining impact on another shooter?

It's easy to choose sides when you're not the one that has to deal with the fallout of your bad investment, but it's irresponsible and we have an obligation to our fellow shooters to help them as best we can and saying "if youre gonna be a bear, be a grizzly bear" and "he asked I responded" without any further explanation is ignorant and unless OP comes back and says he wants to shoot 2000+, in this particular case, you're just wrong because no case can be made for the 338 based on his individual requirements. You're right about one thing; the caliber is just a tool, and for MJY65 specifically, the 338 just isn't the right tool for the job on this one. Accept it and move on. I concede the dick measuring contest I didn't even start so you can drop those lame comments while you're at it.

 

[Swift]

In case OP is still not sure, I think this thread could use some statistical data. I ran a quick comparison in JBM between the 210 VLD and 300SMK using Litz' BCs and projectile dimensions at standard pressure and zero altitude. Berger is launching at 3000fps and the Sierra at 2800fps, common projectiles and common speeds for the respective calibers. It showed the 210 going transonic at 1550 yards, where it drops 879" and drifts 199". By comparison, the 338 at that distance actually drops more, 884" but drifts less at 171". The 338 will continue another 150 yds until it goes transonic at 1700 so theoretically, the 300 runs neck and neck with the 338 past 1500 yards, decreasing the NEED(operative word here) for such a capable cartridge.

There is an argument here for the 338. I do all my ballistics comparisons with standard pressure, zero altitude, 59* and a 10mph full value but in realistic conditions at altitude, the SD and superior drag of the 338 will further skew those numbers a bit but it shows that the winmag has also benefited from modern propellants and bullet design and as a result maintains it's relevance as an alternative to the 338.

In the end the decision is yours and yours alone so I encourage you, and all shooters I meet, to take some time and think about what you NEED and buy the tool that fits the job (unless you drive nails with a crowbar in which case you're SOL) If that turns out to be the 338 then great, just make sure it's the best choice for YOU because everyone's situation is unique.

 

[Yasherka]

Swift, my only issue with you is your juvenile, puerile insults. That's it. All the data you have posted about the 300 Win Mag is correct. However when you insult someone, or group of people who may not agree with your subjective assessment as to what they need (or want), it certainly gives the impression you are lacking in maturity and wisdom.

I yield the balance of my time to you and your gargantuan penis.

 

[Tahoe333]

I would love to have a 338lm. If its only to sit on my couch and drool on it.

 

[Surffshr]

In case OP is still not sure, I think this thread could use some statistical data. I ran a quick comparison in JBM between the 210 VLD and 300SMK using Litz' BCs and projectile dimensions at standard pressure and zero altitude. Berger is launching at 3000fps and the Sierra at 2800fps, common projectiles and common speeds for the respective calibers. It showed the 210 going transonic at 1550 yards, where it drops 879" and drifts 199". By comparison, the 338 at that distance actually drops more, 884" but drifts less at 171". The 338 will continue another 150 yds until it goes transonic at 1700 so theoretically, the 300 runs neck and neck with the 338 past 1500 yards, decreasing the NEED(operative word here) for such a capable cartridge.

Since you've already run these calcs, I'd like the see the comparison of energy between the two projectiles at the transonic point. Thank you.

 

[Swift]

Swift, my only issue with you is your juvenile, puerile insults. That's it. All the data you have posted about the 300 Win Mag is correct. However when you insult someone, or group of people who may not agree with your subjective assessment as to what they need (or want), it certainly gives the impression you are lacking in maturity and wisdom.

I yield the balance of my time to you and your gargantuan penis.

Juvenile insults you've made a dick joke in every post and I'M juvenile? I'm still waiting on your reason for recommending a 338 to OP based on his need for lower cost, lower recoil and less penetration. You can keep sidestepping with penis jokes but it only makes you look like an ass commando. I'm trying to stay on topic here, yet you continue to derail it with dick jokes and jabs and I'M the immature one? Either provide the reason behind your opinion(like big boys do) or concede that it may not be the best choice for the OP.

I'll yield the balance of my time to you so you can finally defend your argument, although I'm sure you'll just use it to make more childish dick jokes and completely sidestep the topic

 

[Swift]

Since you've already run these calcs, I'd like the see the comparison of energy between the two projectiles at the transonic point. Thank you.

The 338 carries considerable more energy into transonic flight than the winmag. The 300SMK carries 822ft/lbs as opposed to 557ft/lbs from the 210 VLD. This will change with different bullet selection and different atmospherics but the curves should remain pretty proportional between similar projectiles(a flat base, round nose bullet will slow and lose energy quicker than a bthp). When I change a couple of the atmospheric variables to mirror what I normally shoot in, 1100ft, 80*, those figures change to 848ft/lbs and 573ft/lbs respectively, an energy increase of 3% for both cartridges.

 

[lestersurv]

The REAL TICKET is to go .300win in TRG-42 Land and then Switch-Barrel!

.338/300win is the big sleeper in the .338 cosmos. Best brass value, setup your chamber to headspace on the neck. Can even go with any of the other magnums in .533" boltface country. Buy a .473 bolt body and go standard ctg like 6.5/284. The magazine will handle the .500 diameter .284 case body w/o a hitch. For heavyweight high BC bullets and long barrel life, there's always the .30/284 (same as .30-06), or the .338/284.

 

[lestersurv]

The REAL TICKET is to go .300win in TRG-42 Land and then Switch-Barrel!

.338/300win is the big sleeper in the .338 cosmos. Best brass value, setup your chamber to headspace on the neck. Can even go with any of the other magnums in .533" boltface country. Buy a .473 bolt body and go standard ctg like 6.5/284. The magazine will handle the .500 diameter .284 case body w/o a hitch. For heavyweight high BC bullets and longest barrel life, there's always the .30/284 (same as .30-06), or the .338/284. Lots of room in the neck for bullet seating. 35deg shoulder for minimal brass stretching, 3.75" oal in magazine for bullet seating them long VLD .338 bullets. Plenty to like and no reason to own a TRG-22.

 

[swampbuck]

This is dumb. You make one little penis joke and someone with thin skin takes it to heart making mountains out of mole hills and therefore refuses to listen to all the reasoning in the world no matter how wrong they are because they don't like you. I thought that this was the hide not the Women's Democratic Convention.

 

[Swift]

This is dumb. You make one little penis joke and someone with thin skin takes it to heart making mountains out of mole hills and therefore refuses to listen to all the reasoning in the world no matter how wrong they are because they don't like you. I thought that this was the hide not the Women's Democratic Convention.

No, you musta made a wrong turn at Mightymuff Rd but I can see your confusion