I've owned ,hunted with,and loaded for multiples of all three(300 Win, Weatherby,and H&H)....shot them all a lot,too. I'd just as soon grab one as the other.
The 300 Win Mag did not come about because it represented any great technological advancement or improvement over the other two,other than squeeze comparable ballistics into a 30/06 length action.
Since most 300 Win Mags are chambered into rifles having H&H-length actions,I guess I have asked..."What was the point"?
It was cheaper to make the 300 Win Mag fit an 06 magazine rather than do the extra machining to a M70 to fit a 300H&H;the same logic spawned the 458,the 264,and the 7 Rem mag...all the "short" belted cartridges.Plus the cartridges fit in some of the Mausers and other military actions available in those days.It's a minor point but I hate short case necks and tolerate them because I have to....
Shorter bolt throw between an 06 action and a H&H holds no advantage at all if you are used to running a bolt.
The Weatherby is the fastest of the three,but it generally takes a 26" barrel to prove it.It will push a 200 gr bullet over 3000 fps,and a 180 will top 3200 without too much sweat although most go about 3150.A 300 Win mag with 180's tops out about 3100 and a 300 H&H comes so close it doesn't matter.70 gr of IMR4831 used to give me 3080 with a 180 from the H&H.
The 300H&H is a work of art...nothing feeds and functions slicker and with less effort from a staggered box magazine than the tapered case of a 300 H&H magnum. The Brits were into reliability and functional perfection under tropical conditions,unlike American designers, who like straight tapered "improved" cases loaded to sky rocket pressures,and where max velocity yield is the name of the game.
Mostly this is nit picking...I have hunted with all three and they are all great cartridges.One of my favorites from years past was a 300 Win Mag on the M70 H&H action, 24" Krieger stainless,set up for a 3.5" OAL with 180 bullets...it would do 3200 with a 180 but I ran it 3150.Been equally happy with those rifle chambered 300 H&H and Weatherby also,all M70's...what you can do with one, you can do with the other.
