Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The 300 Wby Mag for elk- is there anything better?

As far as I’m concerned, the premise of the question (“The 300 Wby Mag for elk- is there anything better?”) is wrong. “Better” is an individual assessment based on specific criteria. There is no universal “better” as the criteria will necessarily vary from individual to individual. Before addressing that matter, let me comment on the supposed advantages of the .300 WBY as stated by the OP.

Flat trajectory:
Most game is taken within 300 yards where many cartridges are capable of providing a “flat enough” trajectory. My .257 Roberts shoots way flatter than necessary for such ranges. The real advantage of “flat” shooting magnums comes in at ranges over 500-600 yards, ranges at which most people a) have no business attempting a shot due to lack of practice and b) have no idea what the actual trajectory is (and usually underestimate the drop in my experience). In 33 years of hunting elk, I’ve never taken a shot where a .308 Win would not have sufficed. “Flat” shooting cartridges are nice but rarely necessary.

Massive downrange energy:
Dead is dead. More energy won’t make an animal more dead. It can, however, result in excessive wastage of the meat. Once a certain level of energy transfer is reached, the law of diminishing returns kicks in with a vengeance. Once again the advantage is most important at ranges far beyond where most game is taken.

Sub-MOA accuracy:
Many cartridges are capable of sub-MOA accuracy. Many of those can provide more than adequate on-game performance with far less recoil and expense than a .300WBY.

High but manageable recoil:
Manageable for whom? Many people find .30-06 levels of recoil objectionable. The recoil of my .45-70 hunting loads makes any .300WBY load look tame by comparison but the older I get the more I appreciate cartridges that have relatively mild recoil.

Almost unlimited bullet selection:
While there are a log of bullets available for .308” bores, the same hunting bullets I would use in a .300 WBY are available for most common bore diameters, including North Fork SS, Barnes TTSX, Nosler AccuBond, and Swift A-Frame. If you prefer cup-and-core hunting bullets you would be hard pressed to find a common bore diameter for which such bullets are not readily available.

Widely universal availability of factory ammo:
That claim is a self-contradicting oxymoron. (And yes, I know “self-contradicting oxymoron” is repetitive.) “Widely” and “universal” are mutually exclusive terms. But never mind that – I suspect factory .30-06 ammo (and .300WM ammo for that matter) is available at far more places, and in more varieties for far less cost, than is .300WBY factory ammo.

Could I come up with a “better” choice for a trophy hunt for big bulls? Yes, and easily so, as I have quite a few rifles that would be more than adequate but don’t have a .300 WBY or any desire to purchase one. Moreover, they would undoubtedly do 99.9% of the jobs I could do with a .300 WBY with less recoil and less cost. But what is “better for me is not necessarily “better” for the next person.