Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 300WSM

Has the 300WSM become popular enough that ammunition is expected to be found most places? In other words, is this a travel rifle chambering "guranteed" to find ammunition on the shelf if your ammunition goes missing?

David

Sounds like you better take your 30-06...

David

And put a box of WSM in different bags so at least some makes the trip.

Jerry

Hmmm

This is starting to sound like a "no".

David

Just for clarity. I would have no idea about 300 WSM am availability because I don't have one therefore I don't look for the ammo.

I was making a suggestion for alternatives.
Good luck.

Jerry

Jerry,

I don't have one either. I have a few big game rifles that I am very happy with, the closest to a standard chambering is my 6.5 CM. I've done some nice travel hunts in the past, mostly driven (as opposed to flying), never had a problem.

In the next few years, if the creek don't rise.... , these kids will be out of school and I might be able to do a little more travel hunt wise. My oddball chamberings will be making the trip, but it occurred to me a back-up rifle in something common makes a lot of sense. 30-06 seemed like the first choice, but I have a wandering eye.

I might want to shoot a Nilgai at some point,,,

David

I wouldn't say there's any guarantee of finding 300 WSM on the shelves but a lot of that probably depends on location. I've had a 300 WSM since 2004 which pretty much sees nothing but handloads. I see factory ammo around but the availability is nowhere near that of the old standbys of 30-06, 270, 243, etc.

I wouldn't count on finding ammo out there at all.

I bought a 300 wsm rifle hoping it wouldn't be a big issue to find ammo. I'm realize it's way more hassle than I want to deal with. Maybe you can find some ammo but when you do will it be worth the premium some places put on it. When I found some ammo it wasn't worth the price since I just wanted to sight the rifle in. I did find some ammo for a decent price online but it was a sale on top of a discount. I doubt I'd see that regular. In fact most of the ammo I found on line was more expensive than similar calibers and shipping sent it way over the top. Especially when have the convenience of finding the other calibers locally on a more regular basis.

I'd rather do 300 wm, 30-06, or 308. In fact the only reason I still own the 300 wsm rifle is because I haven't decided what to get next.

no problem finding WSM ammo in these parts....many farm supply stores got it on the shelf.....

308 Win is the go for all round availability here, as far as big game cartridges go.

Not exactly an answer to your question, but if you fly Delta in the U.S. your ammo can go in your gun case, unless that policy has changed since November. I think I checked a few other domestic carriers and same same. I've never flown a gun overseas so can't help you there... pretty sure most of Africa they have to be separated though.

Yup, see it everywhere around here. WalMart carries it regularly too.

Plenty of powder, bullets and primers around here.

You make some good points. I don't know the countless number of $60.00/box of 300 WSM ammo my buddy has burned up trying to get his EW to shoot, but it's been many (he's burned up 10 boxes at least). It's times like that, that I'm thankful I load my own. I'd hate to discourage anyone from buying a good rifle. I've had 2 excellent 300 wsm rifles and love the cartridge, just don't like some of the quirks that go along with rifle/cartridge combination. I think a lot of us have tried them, and then went back to the old tried and trusted 30-06 after we've had our fill...

MidwayUSA shows over a dozen 300 WSM loadings for under $40/box. I've not shot a 300 WSM yet, but my 7mm WSM worked well with the Federal Fusion loads in that category - they were very accurate, and the brass is pretty good.


That is an improvement!


It's tough to beat the 30-06, but the 300 WSM is good too and seems to have a large following. Plus you can get a little bit lighter and handier rifle...

At one time it was questionable. But in recent years I've not seen any store that carried 300 WM that didn't carry 300WSM also. It may be a regional thing. But 308, and especially 30-06 are going to always be easier to find, cheaper and with more options. I don't think there is any danger of the round becoming obsolete. It is too popular for that. But since I hand load it is all pretty much even for me.

I have a 300 WSM. I really don't need it, I find my 308 does at least 95% of what I need a rifle to do. But I just like that rifle and have come to respect the round.

The problem is that very few rifles are being made to best utilize the rounds advantages. Depending on bullet weight you can get 200-400 fps more speed than 30-06 and come within 50-100 fps of 300WM. But with recoil that almost exactly splits the difference. You can put together a 7-7.5 lb 300 WSM that won't beat you up too bad. A 300 WM much under 8.5 lbs is starting to get my attention when I pull the trigger.

But no one other than Kimber is building 300WSM's any lighter than a typical 300WM. And you have to ask,do I really need the extra 200-400 fps?

There are plenty of places here in Colorado that stock 300 WSM. Sportsman's Warehouse has several brands and bullets weights on the shelf as well as Wal Mart.

I am just back from Craig Colorado scouting my elk tag area and all the stores I visited there have tons of 300 WSM on the shelf.

I purchased an FN PBR back in 05 from CDNN as a barreled action in 300 WSM and stocked it with a McMillan Model 70 Super Grade style. Rifle shoots like a dream and I have fired many rounds through it. I see not problems with the cartridge.

I don't see any problems finding the ammo anywhere you choose to hunt.

When I travel around the country, I see it quite often..

Seems to be plenty of 300 WSM around.


If you want a slam dunk getting ammo anywhere get a 30/06.

I like the .300 Weatherby for this reason. Anywhere Americans hunt will likely have .300 Win or Weatherby ammo somewhere and while I don't recommend it regularly, I would not let shooting .300 Win ammo in a Weatherby chamber ruin a hunt if I was in a bind. Would probably not be great for the throat, but it would work. I also as of late have been loading my Weatherby to WSM ballistics, which makes it much more pleasant.

If just hunting the US, WSM should be fine. worst case, have Midway next day ammo to the closest place near hunting camp.

Or do what I did and buy it here from the classified!
I got my Sako Tecomate 300 WSM FROM THE WIFE a couple of years ago for my birthday.
A week later somebody here had 4 boxes of Winchester
300 WSM 180 gr. Power Point 4 sale for a great price!
I snapped them up plus a box of 180 gr. Silver Tip ammo.

For clarification, I roll all my own ammunition and would do the same w/ the WSM. I'm not concerned about the cost of ammunition, I'm concerned about being able to buy a box in BFE if I somehow lose my ammunition on a trip.

David

How many hunters do you know that actually lost their ammo on a trip?

The more popular/common the cartridge the greater the likelihood one would find factory ammo in out of the way and more remote areas.

You might find all the 300 WSM you want in Casper but the stuff might be scarce or non existent in Medicine Bow or Hanna,a couple hours away. Just the way it goes.

IME the "common" factory stuff most easily found among BG cartridges as you travel from here to there are the 243, 308, 30/06,270, 7 Rem Mag, and 300 Win Mag.

Coincidentally these are also among the most popular BG rounds in existence,and what I'd call first tier popularity. I don't know where the 300 WSM sits in all this. But doubt it approaches the others listed above in popularity.

Folks who hunt close to home hardly ever bump into ammo problems but when you fly long distances stuff sometimes happens...so for traveling hunters, yes, it can be a concern.

That's really what I'm asking - is the 300wsm as available as the most easily found stuff. Looks like The answer is no.

I appreciate everyone's comments.

David

I hunt with a 300 WSM and don't recall a time when I couldn't have bought ammo for it on any of my Western adventures if I had lost it. Meaning, I flew into big towns almost every time, went to a reputable gun store (not all big box stores), and remember seeing 300 WSM on shelves on each occasion from Kalispell, down through EL Paso. Now, if I had lost it when I got to my final destination, like Baggs, WY, Cloud Croft, NM, Yaak, MT, etc it might have been harder to get but I could have gotten it on the drive in felt like it was somewhat obtainable with a decent drive.

The other point Dave is that while you may find some 300WSM stuff, there might be little if any variety. At the same time it is quite likely there'll be several different varieties of 308, 270 or 243 on the shelves at even the most modest gun shop.

Jeez down here you could go hat in hand to nearly any farm house and ask, and they'll likely be able to produce some 243 ammo you could use in a pinch! I doubt you'd be able to say the same re WSM; you'd likely get nothing but a confused look.

Plenty here in the SW and even deals on Shooter's Pro Shop. I like the short action, but truth be it, a good 06 is not far enough behind it get that excited as far as performance.

Just my personal opinion here.

If you're traveling somewhere and you feel that there is a chance of your ammo being lost, call ahead and scout out the local resources.

My personal experience is that of others that have posted here.

Everyone carries the old standards. .30-06, .30-30, .308, .243 etc. If you're worried, the grand daddy .30-06 with a 180grn anything will do just about everything that it's asked to do.

I have a friend that almost always ships his custom rounds to the location of his next hunt. He usually does this 2-3 weeks ahead of time to ensure that there are no issues.

Good luck with your choice.

It's a catch-22. Everybody wants cartridges that are common and time tested and therefore a lot of great cartridges bite the dust. The .30-06 is 110 years old and we now have more powerful cartridges that are more efficient but they just languish because folks don't want anything new. So you're told by your peers not to buy a cartridge that isn't mainstream but then that cartridge will never be mainstream because everyone is warned to stay away from it. Obviously cartridge designers have made great strides in the last 100 years but 100 year old cartridges still rule the day.

I was thinking along the same lines. If a guy were to stand along side the road near hunting camp asking for 30-06 ammo or 300 WSM ammo, how long do you think said guy would be standing there waiting? Probably the first truck driving by would have some 30-06 ammo in it...

Just curious how common is it for people to be lost or out of ammo that requires a 30-06 chambered rifle? I have never encountered this issue and where I go there is no road or Wal-Mart down the road. Never owned a 30-06, 270, etc.

Can't say - It's never happened to me. On the other hand, I've driven some long distances to hunt but I've never flown (to hunt). Hopefully that will be changing in the future - Alaska is definitely one of the places I hope to hunt!

I'm not looking for a primary rifle, I have primary rifles in odd chamberings that make me happy and will likely buy more. I'm looking for a back-up rifle that I will be familiar with that I will be able to find ammunition for even if everything goes wrong.

David

Wasn't there a story about deflave forgetting his ammo or trying to put a different kind of ammo in his elk rifle. Chit happens and I've seen first hand when a guy forgets his ammo in all the confusion of loading all his chit in the pickup and heading out to hunting camp. Luckilly, there were 4 guys in camp using 30-06's. None were using 300wsm and town was 2 hours away.

Well if everything goes wrong, you will not be able to find ammo either.

If everything went that wrong, I'd take up golf and stick close to the house...

Have the best chance possible to find ammunition?

David

My stepson used up all his .450 Marlin ammo on the first day of PA deer season some years ago by shooting at deer running across a field. He missed them so we drove an hour that night to get him more ammo. A few years later he used up all his .257 Weatherby mag ammo on a SD pronghorn hunt. I couldn't find any of that. We scared up two rounds in his gear and the next day he shot a running antelope in the leg and missed it while it flopped around. He had to finish it with his belt knife. He doesn't hunt anymore.

That sounds like a good thing.

Yeah, he liked hunting more than hunting liked him. He never really developed a knack for it. Oddly enough he would pull off a great shot every once in a while.

Amen..............

I see tourist hunters in town here most evenings buying ammo for the next day's hunt all the time. I think I have used 10 shells in the last five years to harvest enough antelope to keep us fed..........

We stopped in a gunshop in meeker Colorado last yr and he had some real odd ball ammo on the shelf. Most of it was just one box. I suspect yrs past guys probably stopped looking for ammo.

Nothing is guanteed to be found. Remember a couple of years ago during the panic buying of the ammo scare, common calibers were all sold out, even at Midway USA.

Like has been said before better to take your ammo in separated bags, even if a store has your caliber, they may not have the brand or bullet weight and style your sighted in for.

308,30/06,270,7 Rem Mag,300 Win Mag. in North America.

Can we all have an Amen.... At least to your last sentence anyway. Sounds like it's a good thing he gave it up.

That's a good point. I remember around here, all that was left on the shelves of 3 different gunshops were 280 Remington. Everything else was gone. I almost thought about buying a 280 at the time...

I think the answer to be "no"; and, I think the list fulfilling your requirement includes only 7 or 8 calibers/cartridges: 223, 243, 308, 270 30-06, 7 mm, 300 wm and maybe 30/30. I would put the 300 WSM in the second tier of availability of on-the-shelf ammo. That is, it's more available than most.

Thank God for small miracles

Sako 85 Finnlite 300 WSM weighs 7.2 scoped.

I believe the Winchester EW is also lighter at about a 1/4 pound lighter..

That's exactly why I bought my 280.

My goofy nephew came up to me at first light, 3 miles away and 1000 feet above the truck to tell me he forgot to bring his 06 shells. I told him to go over a ridge and see if he could borrow some rounds from one of our group he came back 1/2 hour later with his Barney Fife 3 bullets.

That probably doesn't happen with a 300 WSM but I'd rather have that than an 06 on an elk hunt.

He doesn't hunt anymore either - seems like a trend.

. I remember seeing some damn nice classic 280 fwt's at the time too. I wish I would have bought one. Now my LGS has a damn nice older Remington BDL mountain rifle for sale. $800.00 with an older leupold 3-9x40. Awfully tempting...

You can get it all over Alaska on the road system. I think that you are safe.

I think the 300 wsm is generally available, nowhere to the extent of 06, 270, 243, 300 wm and others but I see it in a lot of places. The variety isn't great but seriously if I'm hunting a long way from home and need ammo $60/box isn't going to stop me.

I too load my own and always take way more ammo than I need but if availability was a concern I would take a 30/06 anywhere in the world.

Your guns and ammo are the first things you put in the truck. Double checking is the last thing you do before you drive off. I have forgotten my bullets before. I have walked a mile up the hill to the stand and remember bullets in camp. Bullets first!!!

I don't know about the WSM but can relate a tale about the 340 B and 2 boxes of carefully crafted hand loads with 210-gr TSXs--I left them at home. I had no ammo with the exception of three rounds that were in a leather cartridge carrier.

Not until I got to camp in northern CO did I discover it. The nearest "big" town was 45 min away, it was nighttime and I had serious concerns as to finding any as the only sporting goods store I noticed on the way in was a "Bobs".

They had [/i] one [i] box of 340s with 210-gr NP which I bought but knew would fly differently than mine but hoped I could get by with the three. I killed a killed a bull across a small canyon at about 475 yds with a single shot.

I even make lists but did some content and bag switching at the last minute and that's how it happened; stuff does happen--to me at least. I usually leave stuff at the hunt site rather than at home though .

I tend to take a very long-term view. Long term, I can't see the .300 WSM and the .300 WM both surviving. They are too similar. Like everything else in business, there will be consolidation. One of the other will cease having rifles chambered for it and ammo will become scarcer, eventually becoming a hand loading only proposition.

My bet would be on the WM winning. Both have advantages (velocity vs. short action) but I think the WSM won't overcome the big head start of the WM.

The .300 H&H and .300 Wby will survive as cult cartridges with a small group of loonies.

As for the other .300 magnums recently introduced, fuggedaboudit.

I wouldn't worry about it not surviving. Just buy a couple hundred cases and the rifle is set for the life of the barrel.

I shot my Son in laws 300 WSM. It didnt have that much recoil.

Surprise Surprise - 300 WSM ammo was Federal Premiums 10th best-selling ammo in 2015. I reckon it’s safe to say it’s here to stay.
https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2015/12/20/america-s-most-wanted-ammunition/

As a further indication that the 300 WSM is increasing in populary, the new Browning Ammo is so far available for only 7 calibers, with 300 WSM being one of them

Well lets see

I have found 300 WSM ammunition at Walmart, K-Mart, Sportsmans Warehouse, Cabelas, Bass Pro, True Value and more.

I also have found now that between Winchester, Federal and Remington factory boxes are right at the same as the 300 WinMag and the other magnum calibers. If we are talking about the tiny store in somewhere a days drive away from anywhere, could be a problem but remember this, unless you are going to re-sight in your rifle, a 160 Nosler will shoot a whole lot different than a 180 grain Corelock. Also, thousands of hunters reload there own ammo, shooting much different than factory loads. Also the brands as well. Just saying, don't let this stop you from buying a fine caliber rifle like the .300 WSM. Someone said, pack boxes in a few different bags. I doubt anywhere you go these days, especially guided big dollar hunts, will not have a way of getting this if you forget. Also, this is what check lists are for, double and triple checking as well. I would never let ammunition rarity stop me from buying a dang good rifle. Just have to slow down, check and double check. I have a buddy who mails a box of ammo to locations where he goes that are quit remote and if he needs it, he has it close, if he does not need it, he donates it to wherever he mails it. Smart, cheap in the overall pictures. This goes for ANY rifle he brings as he reloads as well.