pdxhunter,

You gotten good advise, a 180 gr in a 300 mag case is never a bad choice. That said I have had very good luck with 200 grain and 220 grain Nosler Partitions in any 300 mag case.

My very best accuracy (using hunting not match bullets) have come from 300 mags (300 win mag or 30-338) using the old 200 grain Semi-spitzer partitions (not made any more), and the newer 220 gr Nosler Partition semi RN. I don't know why but the 1-10 twist, and around 2700 to 2800 FPS works like magic.

Now what can you do with 220 grain bullets in a 300 mag. that you cannot do with a 180?? Not much, but consider the following:

I once shot a deer running at about 75 yds, with a 30-338 and 200 grain Semi-Sptz Nosler Partition. I shot and the deer dropped. On walking over I realized I shot through a 3" sapling and nailed the deer on the other side. Would a 180 have worked as well, yeah maybe. And Barnes X's were not yet invented.

I went to Africa a few years back, and used a Win Mod 70 SS in 300 win mag as my light rifle. I had two loads worked up: Nosler 220 Partitions, and Barnes 220 gr solids, both over H1000. They made a nice and deadly combo. Granted that was a limited and once in a lifetime application.

As far a recoil goes, I find 200-220 grains bullets in a 300 mag to be very mild shooting. By now you must be thinking this guy is crazy, 220 from a 300 mag will recoil more than a 180 gr going 300 FPS or more faster? WEll yes and no. Most people forget that recoil comes in two components: Pure recoil that is felt on your shoulder, and then there is recoil velocity, which is the speed it comes back. So a 180 grainer at 3100 FPS slaps your shoulder, where as a 220 grainer at 2750 pushes it. I am more sensitive to recoil velocity than pure recoil myself, and many other shooters are the same.

Another example is a 375 H&H Mag. People that have never shot one always remark after their first firing, "well that was not bad, the recoil was more a shove than a slap". Well a 300 grain bullet out of a 375 H&H moving at around 2550 FPS does indeed shove and not slap. That is the combination of high FP of Recoil and low recoil velocity.

Now if you are planning on using your 300 mag at long ranges, 300 yds plus, by all means develop and use 180 to 200 grain bullets. On the other hand, if your hunting somewhere that the trees and cover are thick, and shots planned are well less than 300 yds, and your quarry weighs more than 500 lbs. Then try the 220 grainers. I think you will astonished at how well they perform in those situations.

Best of luck,

Bob