.300 Magnum Usefullness?

[roy reali]

Does anyone else here think that the various 30 caliber magnum rounds are not as usefull as some of their fans think they are? Does anyone else here think that firing a 30 caliber projectile out of a .30-06 pretty much does about the same job as using a case with a lot more powder and recoil?

Someone convince me that they are usefull.

I have looked through several of my reloading manuals. Yes, the magnums increase bullet velocities over the nonmagnum rounds. But it doesn't seem to be as much as people seem to think.

So, do the 30 caliber magnum cartridges possess some sort of magical quality that I am unaware of?

 

[GAR700]

I like to think that the horrible noise produced by my magnum might scare an animal to death. Someone with a lesser weapon (say a 30-06), may have had to wait for the bullet to reach the animal to see results.
(Joking, of course)

I am a litle skeptical too. That being said, I do own a 300 win mag. I hear people all the time tell me that the magnums really have "knock-down power". I realize that anything that has the power to knock something down will most likely knock you down when you fire it. Nonetheless, people swear by them. I have mine because I had the money and I really like guns.
GAR

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

If you never set foot outside the lower 48 states then the 30 caliber and higher magnum chambering are pretty useless.

Hunt Alaska, or Africa.... or shoot an Elk at 600 yards, they're not so useless.

 

[roy reali]

reeetzakilla

Hunt Alaska, or Africa.... or shoot an Elk at 600 yards, they're not so useless.

If its a big animal, wouldn't a 33 or 35 caliber magnum make more sense? You get a velocity increase over the .30-06 but with a larger, heavier bullet.

For longer ranges, wouldn't a 7mm magnum make more sense? Don't 7mm bullets a higher BC's and sectional densities?

If someone says that a 300 magnum is adequate for large, dangerous game, then a .30-06 is too, at slightly shorter ranges.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

I guess you'd have to ask the professionals in Africa. For dangerous game, I don't think they even allow guns that start with "3", except maybe the 375 H&H magnum.

90% of the time, I agree with you. In fact, I might even go further. I personally don't see much use for anything more than a 7mm-08, except in the rarest of circumstances.

I wouldn't hesitate to hunt ANYTHING in the lower 48 with one. With handloads, I'm sure it would be effective under good circumstances for anything in North America. I'd want someone nearby with a bit more punch if I was after Kodiak bear though....

 

[roy reali]

reeetzakilla

I am not saying that the various 300 magnums are useless. I am just wondering if their usefullness isn't a bit exaggerated. Again, I was looking at data from my reloading manuals. The magnums do increase the velocities of projectiles over those of the .30-06, but not by some eye popping amount.

 

[jmr40]

My philosophy. At ranges up to 400 yards the 300 mags offer no advantages over the 30-06. At longer ranges they are an advantage, if the shooter is good enough to get the job done.

I don't believe for a moment that the magnums offer any advantages on really large game over the '06 at closer ranges. If stopping a Brown bear is needed you need larger a caliber, not a faster 30 caliber.

 

[GeauxTide]

I used to believe that the magnums were the ticket, since my first rifle was a Mark V LH 7mm Weatherby. My buddy had a 300 Weatherby and it was a beast at the bench with 180s. After I got a chronograph, the marketing versus the actual took hold. Most of my hunting is inside 300 yards, so 7 of my 8 game rifles are 308 or '06 family. I still have a 7mm RM cause I can and I've loaded it for myself and others for longer than I care to remember. I'm with you Roy. If I ever get to hunt elk, it will be with my 338-06. BTW, it pushes 210 Noslers @ 2810.

 

[taylorce1]

I'm not a big magnum fan but I do own a couple of magnum rifles, a .300 H&H and a .375 Ruger. One thing to consider with a .30 caliber Magnum over the .30-06 and .308 is that they handle the heavier, longer bullets better. They hit with more energy across the board than either the .30-06 or .308. I think if you use lighter than 180 grain bullets for hunting in a Magnum cartridge you are just wasting powder.

 

[Loader9]

As it always does, it depends on the situation. In S Texas, some of the hunters which are also benchrest shooters use the 300 Win Mag and a 125gr TNT bullet on deer. Now before you think they are crazy, they are also hunting out of fixed benched blinds and only looking down a sendero in one direction. They have flags at 500, 600, 700, and 800 yds because that's the shooting distance. Most game bullets at that distance only punch a hole thru the animal and not much, if any, blood trail. The TNT bullet at that distance has slowed enough that it is the perfect game bullet and expands nicely rather than blowing up. Otherwise, a 3006 has more effective range than 90% of the hunters are capable of shooting and killing reliably. Most hunters are over their head shooting a 300 Savage.

 

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

I like a mag for the trajectory... The power isn't always needed but a flat shooting cartridge is nice..

 

[roy reali]

re:Geauxtide

I still have a 7mm RM

To me, for deer size game at longer ranges a 7mm magnum makes more sense then a 30 caliber magnum.

 

[Tomas]

I'm not a huge fan of the big magnums, but for some game they certainly have their place...brown bears, african game, etc.

As a handloader, I am astonished at the amount of extra powder you have to use to get another 100-200 fps in the big, roomy cartridges. Talk about the law of diminishing returns. Maybe, for a few reasons, they are for rich people.

 

[Waterengineer]

.30-06 the ammo is cheap.

To the poster above about magnums soaking up the powder.....I have a 7mm RUM....talk about using powder. WOW!

 

[Kreyzhorse]

I am not saying that the various 300 magnums are useless. I am just wondering if their usefullness isn't a bit exaggerated.

Let's face it, there really isn't one round that will do something no other round will do. There is a lot of bleed over from one round to the next and that is certainly the case with some of the magnums floating around.

Useless, over kill? You can almost say that about any hunting round out there. I mean really, what more do you really need in North America than a trifecta of a .22lr, a 30.06 and a .375 H&H? Throw in a 12ga and you are covered.

 

[BIG P]

OK I use a 300WM a good bit.Is it useful yes it can do anything that a 30-06
can,and at longer ranges.Is it good on gas NO.
I also drive a F250 PICKUP I just can't make myself drive a UGO.
Country boys are funny about things like that.

 

[kd7sgm]

my Family has always hunted deer with 243's and they do a good job. When I went on my own I had to have a 300 win mag for no other reason than I wanted it and my father told me it was a waste of money. He would say my 06 will do anything that magnum of yours will do and for the most part he was right. My brother packs a 06 when we go for elk and it drops them equally well as my 300. I have held on to the 300 win mag all this time and it has became my favorite only because I have shot it alot I have lots and lots of ammo and componants for ammo so it would be a waste of money again for me to switch. I guess if you were into extreme long range hunting (I am not) the 300 win mag would outshine the 06 and other lesser 30's.

 

[roy reali]

re:kd7sgm

the 300 win mag would outshine the 06 and other lesser 30's.

This data is from a Nosler Reloading Manual.

I am lookong at their 30 caliber, 180 grain Partition Bullet.
The .30-06's can propel this bullet up to about 2800 feet per second. The .300 Win mag pushes it to about 3100 feet per second.

Both rifles are then sighted in at 200 yards.

At 300 yards, the .30-06 is down 7.8 inches and at 400 yards is down just short of 22 and a half inches.

At 300 yards, the .300 Winchester Magnum is down a shade over six inches and drops 17.7" at 400 yards.

At 300 yards that is less then a two inch difference. It would be tough for any hunting rifle in a field condition to hold two inch patterns at that distance. A mis-estimation of distance that would result in a miss with one of those rounds would probably result in a miss with the other. That is on deer size animals. I guess if the guns were being used on gophers, those two inches would be more critical.

The five inch difference at 400 yards is a bit more substantial. So at longer ranges one could argue that the magnum does have an edge over the nonmagnum. But it isn't a Ferrari over Pinto type difference. More like a Ferrari over a Corvette difference.

Again, I do not say that a magnum is useless. Most cartridges have their uses. But I just think that the 300 magnums usefullness might be a bit exaggerated.

 

[sc928porsche]

I suppose we should all give up our magnums and hunt with 243's. Afterall, if you hit anything in the right spot it will bring down game.

 

[JohnO]

Roy,

The info you posted is exactly why I laugh when people recommend a certain caliber because it is "flat" shooting. An extra 5" of drop as far out as 400 yds, in the field, is minimal. If your a good enough shooter to calculate 17" of drop, you can just as well calculate 22". Not to mention the great majority of hunters are shooting 200 yds or less.

I sell guns at one of the larger retail stores. Can't tell you how many people want a "flat" shooting caliber. Yet, they have never shot past 100 yds, on a bench.

Buy a gun in a caliber you can comfortably shoot. Assuming it is within the accepable limits for the game your hunting. Practice. Practice. Practice. Learn your load's trajectory and how to dope the wind. You and gun will get the job done.