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Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

C

calawey

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Minuteman
Jun 14, 2010
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The Heartland
So I've attempted to read thru the ballistic overview post that covers most calibers however I would like feedback based on your experiences as to which serve as a better long range option: the .300 wsm or .308 win.

I currently have a Rem 700 .300 wsm and have recently had the thought to make the switch to .308 more than anything due to the cost/round.

Any comments based on your personal experiences with the two would be greatly appreciated.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

308 all the way, got 2 of them, 300WSM hurts too much.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

DFOOSKING - Your mention of reloading is exactly what I was thinking...but didn't know if there were any other "major" reasons for one v. the other. And at this point, more paper/steel than anything else.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JGorski</div><div class="ubbcode-body">308 all the way, got 2 of them, 300WSM hurts too much.</div></div>

What's your primary use?
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Country First</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So I've attempted to read thru the ballistic overview post that covers most calibers however I would like feedback based on your experiences as to which serve as a better long range option: the .300 wsm or .308 win.

I currently have a Rem 700 .300 wsm and have recently had the thought to make the switch to .308 more than anything due to the cost/round.

Any comments based on your personal experiences with the two would be greatly appreciated. </div></div>FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

Hmmmm.....

What do you like better: Blue; or Red?
Which one is better as a flavor: Vanilla; or chocolate?
What do you prefer: More; or less?
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

300 WSM in 1:10 twist is the way to go for long range. If the kick is too much get a break. Cost wise reloading will defiantly help with either round.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DFOOSKING</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The lifespan of the 300WSM is gonna be shorter than the 308 as well. But if you can afford a new barrel every once in a while...who cares.

How far you wanna shoot? Under 800yds...use a .308 and if over 1,000yds a 300WSM is better suited.

Make sure your WSM can stabalize the heavier/more desireable bullets better suited for LR work.</div></div>

Realistically under 800yds. Got my .300wsm set up for a moose hunting trip in Alaska that I had to back out of a couple years back.

Plus I've now come to understand that the .308 is more common.

And going to back to the reloading...have been meaning to get into it for some time and of course now that I want to, the components are nowhere to be found.

Any recommendations on a decent press setup for a newbie?
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

Redding or RCBS rock chucker.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tylerw02</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Neither! .260 Rem. </div></div>
^^This, or 6.5 CM.^^

I have a 308, which has a great barrel life for target practice and is a good "jack of all trades" type of rifle. I also have a 300 WSM, but I'm going to put it up for sale soon. There's nothing around me to hunt that requires that much punch. The 6.5mm has all the ballistics the 300 WSM has.

If you live somewhere where you can shoot >1000yds or conveniently hunt something big like bear, elk or moose, then a 300 is a good choice.

I guess a 300 WSM is also a good choice if your ego requires that you shoot a large gun. I know this guy that loves shooting his 338 LM at a 300 yd range.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

well ill say this... ive never heard a terrorist complain about a 308....then again they were 700+yards away so i probably couldnt hear them anyway...damn i might loose sleep over that one.....


308 its cheaper all around... brass.... powder....barrel life
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

Based on the criteria you gave: You don't need a magnum unless you need one.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DFOOSKING</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Country First</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DFOOSKING</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The lifespan of the 300WSM is gonna be shorter than the 308 as well. But if you can afford a new barrel every once in a while...who cares.

How far you wanna shoot? Under 800yds...use a .308 and if over 1,000yds a 300WSM is better suited.

Make sure your WSM can stabalize the heavier/more desireable bullets better suited for LR work.</div></div>

Realistically under 800yds. Got my .300wsm set up for a moose hunting trip in Alaska that I had to back out of a couple years back.

Plus I've now come to understand that the .308 is more common.

</div></div>

Yes, 308 is more common cuz its cheaper...but that doesn't maker it ballisticly better.

What is your rifle exactly? Sounds like a sporter weight hunting rifle than a purpose built LR rig.

If your not intending to hunt at long range distances with this rifle the 308 is fine. The 300WSM is better suited if hunting is in the future...its performance is more forgiving.

But if steel and paper target shooting inside 800yds is your goal...go with a 308 or whatever intermediate cartridge you choose.

Walk before you run....don't hunt at LR distances till you've learned to shoot LR distances. That's all I'm gonna say on this.</div></div>

My set up is a basic Rem 700 w/ entry level optics. Would I like to go down the road of a custom build, of course...heading your advice though of walking before running.

Really appreciate your insight. One last thing...can you recommend a decent .308 I could look at starting with?

Thanks again.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: suburbanhick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well ill say this... ive never heard a terrorist complain about a 308....then again they were 700+yards away so i probably couldnt hear them anyway...damn i might loose sleep over that one.....


308 its cheaper all around... brass.... powder....barrel life</div></div>

Noted. Definitely one of the better reasons I've been given.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

I have the same questions running around in my head except trying to choose between 300 and 7mm mag. I have the 308, 243, and 260 but want something for a trip out west before I die! 260 with Bergers and 700 yds. Is nothing on whitetails where I live, but elk would be a different story from what I read. My 7400 30-06 is NOT a distance shooter so what do I do? Probably buy both and explain to my wife that I must have them to find out what it is I really need!
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dontknowdip</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have the same questions running around in my head except trying to choose between 300 and 7mm mag. I have the 308, 243, and 260 but want something for a trip out west before I die! 260 with Bergers and 700 yds. Is nothing on whitetails where I live, but elk would be a different story from what I read. My 7400 30-06 is NOT a distance shooter so what do I do? Probably buy both and explain to my wife that I must have them to find out what it is I really need! </div></div>

Lol. Another hurdle I have. I can't get another gun unless I trade/sell a gun.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

I hear that Country First! I have an SKS that I bought when Moby Dick was a minnow that I am thinking real hard about selling because I have shot it about 200 times, no joke. Prices are crazy but I have an intense desire to hold on to it until I see what's going to happen!
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

308 and 300WSM are two completely different animals, the 300WSM will outperform it in every possible way except for mag size and barrel life, although the barrel life on the 300 ain't too bad. It definitely has the power for long range hunting and target shooting, I've taken mine out to 1500yds with great success, if you see shooting out that far in the future, then you should probably consider the 300WSM.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

you guys ready for your mind to be blown??? here it comes.... you can argue all you want bout what one carrys more energy..but in the case of a complete pass through (which if not 80% or more of the time it is) alllllll that engery after it leaves the animal....is literally wasted.... and inside of roughly 600 yards a 308 and 300 wsm will probably both pass through...... so now let me ask you this... how often do you plan on hunting game at 600+ yards??? can you even hit a 8 inch pie plate at 800 yards (roughly the kill zone on deer sized game)?? i mean if you have something to prove than by all means go with the wsm.... but if your confident with what you have got 308....o also save a ton on powder brass and lets not forget barrel life...


so untill you can ETHICALLY hunt past 600 yards....or you find a bullet that will enter and not exit... than in neither case will you expend all the energy inside of the animal

now paper or steel punching.. call it 1000 yards.. the only difference between the two is the amount of windage and elevation you will need to account for... and you guessed it they are both free.... now if you want ask the steel or paper what one hit harder...go ahead..... but i hate to break it to you but they both will leave the same size hole....you guess it again a 30 cal......

now you some one will prob argue you can push a heavier bullet farther.... guess what YOU CAN!!! but the difference in trajectory of a 308 winchester 175 gr and a 300 wsm @ 185-190 grain is most likely rather similar.....

barrel life... brass and powder

its like racing... sure you want the 427 Big block... but do you acutally need it??? prob not... it boils down to if its a daily driver or a week end warrior rig

just this humble private first classes opinion....take it for what its worth
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: suburbanhick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">you guys ready for your mind to be blown??? here it comes.... you can argue all you want bout what one carrys more energy..but in the case of a complete pass through (which if not 80% or more of the time it is) alllllll that engery after it leaves the animal....is literally wasted.... and inside of roughly 600 yards a 308 and 300 wsm will probably both pass through...... so now let me ask you this... how often do you plan on hunting game at 600+ yards??? can you even hit a 8 inch pie plate at 800 yards (roughly the kill zone on deer sized game)?? i mean if you have something to prove than by all means go with the wsm.... but if your confident with what you have got 308....o also save a ton on powder brass and lets uhnot forget barrel life...


so untill you can ETHICALLY hunt past 600 yards....or you find a bullet that will enter and not exit... than in neither case will you expend all the energy inside of the animal

now paper or steel punching.. call it 1000 yards.. the only difference between the two is the amount of windage and elevation you will need to account for... and you guessed it they are both free.... now if you want ask the steel or paper what one hit harder...go ahead..... but i hate to break it to you but they both will leave the same size hole....you guess it again a 30 cal......

now you some one will prob argue you can push a heavier bullet farther.... guess what YOU CAN!!! but the difference in trajectory of a 308 winchester 175 gr and a 300 wsm @ 185-190 grain is most likely rather similar.....

barrel life... brass and powder

its like racing... sure you want the 427 Big block... but do you acutally need it??? prob not... it boils down to if its a daily driver or a week end warrior rig

just this humble private first classes opinion....take it for what its worth</div></div>

Appreciate the insight. You bring up some great points. And that said...do you or anyone else have any suggestions for .308's I should look at first?
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: suburbanhick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">you guys ready for your mind to be blown??? here it comes.... you can argue all you want bout what one carrys more energy..but in the case of a complete pass through (which if not 80% or more of the time it is) alllllll that engery after it leaves the animal....is literally wasted.... and inside of roughly 600 yards a 308 and 300 wsm will probably both pass through...... </div></div>You're completely making this up: First, there's no debate about which cartridge carries more energy; second, your theory about energy wastage is flawed because if it were true there would be no difference in energy transfer with velocity; and third, you wouldn't say that if you had ever done penetration tests of a .308 on various media at 600 yards.

Now I'm beginning to doubt your experience relevant to the 700-yard terrorist comment you made above. This one: <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: suburbanhick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well ill say this... ive never heard a terrorist complain about a 308....then again they were 700+yards away so i probably couldnt hear them anyway...damn i might loose sleep over that one.....</div></div>
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tactical_Tom</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Energy transfer is based more on bullet design then anything else. </div></div>

That's what I was thinking. Jacketed .223 round goes through the gopher, something like Nosler's Varmageddon splatters it all over the place...
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Graham</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: suburbanhick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">you guys ready for your mind to be blown??? here it comes.... you can argue all you want bout what one carrys more energy..but in the case of a complete pass through (which if not 80% or more of the time it is) alllllll that engery after it leaves the animal....is literally wasted.... and inside of roughly 600 yards a 308 and 300 wsm will probably both pass through...... </div></div>You're completely making this up: First, there's no debate about which cartridge carries more energy; second, your theory about energy wastage is flawed because if it were true there would be no difference in energy transfer with velocity; and third, you wouldn't say that if you had ever done penetration tests of a .308 on various media at 600 yards.

Now I'm beginning to doubt your experience relevant to the 700-yard terrorist comment you made above. This one: <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: suburbanhick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well ill say this... ive never heard a terrorist complain about a 308....then again they were 700+yards away so i probably couldnt hear them anyway...damn i might loose sleep over that one.....</div></div> </div></div>


ahhh there is only one in the group.....the general argument is velocity and energy when your talking about a wsm compared to something else isnt it??? now please begin to explain to me how when you have a complete pass though how all the energy isnt transfered to the target????? i cant wait to hear this one....

Now I'm beginning to doubt your experience relevant to the 700-yard terrorist comment you made above. This one: <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: suburbanhick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well ill say this... ive never heard a terrorist complain about a 308....then again they were 700+yards away so i probably couldnt hear them anyway...damn i might loose sleep over that one.....</div></div> [/quote]

^^^ first off thats just a dick comment dude.. feel free to check out my ERB... second it sounds like your saying its impossible to shoot a 308 700 yards... when its obviously its been done long before i was even a itch in my dads pants...
id love to stay here and argue with you however i have to go jump out of a c130.... enjoy...

PS i know that you will find something wrong with anything that not only i say but anything anyone says cuz something tells me your like a female... always right... but amazingly you give no evidence of any of your claims... that is unless you have done penetration tests on both the 300 wsm and 308... so unless you can put that info up on here.... quit being that guy ... I know you dont like my opinions.. but no one said you had too... you have yours i have mine
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

You don't have to expend the total energy of a projectile to expend more energy, even on a pass thru. Expanding bullets will generally demonstrate a pretty clear difference in impact velocity by what they do while traveling thru and exiting if it does.

I don't know where you get that bullets almost always pass thru, I've recovered a few and seen many, go shoot something live, and larger than 200lbs. Many a 338WM has not passed thru moose inside of 400yds. 308Win not thru caribou, even the occasional recovered from a whitetail. Those examples not hitting bone, now try to drive those bullets thru a shoulder and tell me there's no appreciabe difference in the effect on living things.

There's more to distance on the range than elevation and windage too, as there's a point when a bullet goes transsonic and become less stabe, for some strange reason having more velocity/energy has a tendency to help with that.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Country First</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JGorski</div><div class="ubbcode-body">308 all the way, got 2 of them, 300WSM hurts too much.</div></div>

What's your primary use? </div></div>

One is a deer rifle.....
IMG_0453.jpg


One is for target/F-Class shooting...
IMG_0025-1.jpg
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

Between the two, 300wsm. I prefer 7wsm or just about anything in 6.5 though. People have been sticking moose in Europe with the 6.5x55 swede which has similar ballistics to a 260. European moose run a bit smaller but the moral of the story is shot placement reigns supreme.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MdrnBR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...the moral of the story is shot placement reigns supreme.</div></div>Exactly: It's not about the cartridge.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

Why would you step down to a 308win when you have a 300wsm? Only if you don't reload.

Why not step up to a 7mm WSM? Higher BC bullets, less recoil. Just need a new barrel. Same magazines. Neck down your 300wsm brass.

The 7s mags have a great choice of bullets and with the anticipated release of the 195gr hybrids...the 7mm WSM will step it up.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vkc</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why would you step down to a 308win when you have a 300wsm? Only if you don't reload.

Why not step up to a 7mm WSM? Higher BC bullets, less recoil. Just need a new barrel. Same magazines. Neck down your 300wsm brass.

The 7s mags have a great choice of bullets and with the anticipated release of the 195gr hybrids...the 7mm WSM will step it up.</div></div>

I agree.
 
Re: Which do you prefer... .300wsm or .308win?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vkc</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why would you step down to a 308win when you have a 300wsm? Only if you don't reload.

Why not step up to a 7mm WSM? Higher BC bullets, less recoil. Just need a new barrel. Same magazines. Neck down your 300wsm brass.

The 7s mags have a great choice of bullets and with the anticipated release of the 195gr hybrids...the 7mm WSM will step it up. </div></div>

the 7wsm has different dimensions compared to the 300, the 7/300wsm is the one made for necking down 300wsm brass, and imo is a bit better of a choice.
 
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