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

In the CH world, yes. It's sort of a touchy feely analysis where whatever you dig is the best elk cartridge. Far out, man....

Just defending my position that while the OP may think the .300WBY is the "best" choice for elk, that is a very subjective and personal opinion, not a universal truth. Some here apparently think otherwise and continue to attack me for it.

The best Wby for Elk is the 340 Wby, period.

There isn't anything subjective about a 180 gr bullet at 3200 fps.

I have both a .300 and .340.. I have shot three elk with both.. I like both, but the .300 is still my favorite..

I owned a Left Hand German Wby in 300 for a while but never really liked it. I now own both the 338 RUM and the 300 RUM and believe the 338 is where a real Elk rifle starts and ends if you have to use a magnum to hunt an animal that needs nothing more that the 30-06 to hunt.

I am not sure how many dozen elk you have shot or underwhat conditions.. But in the country I hunt, the .300 has it all over the .338 and 30-06..

As to the high cost of ammo, I mitigated it by hand loading.

In debate there is often-times a thin line between the sublime and the ridiculous. You didn't just cross the line, you obliterated it...

If the 30-06 isn't cutting it for you, maybe it's your hunting style that's lacking. Just sayin. As for the 300 win mag being better than the 338, I'd have to call bs on that one...

I'm so undergunned with my 30.06

Me too...

I have killed six elk out of seven trips and the last two i killed with the 25 STW and the Barnes 100 gr TXS and both never moved from where they were standing. Two others i killed with the 338-06 Ack and the Swift 210 gr Scirocco, one with the 30-06 and the 165 gr Partition, and one with the 338 RUM and the Nosler 225 gr Partition. Of the six it required zero tracking they were all dead right there. Four were Bulls and two Cows

17, I hunt a lot of open canyon country. Long shots are quite common.. It is just easier to hit with a .300 than a .338... If I am going to carry a .338 then I want a heavy bullet.. They kill well but the 250's drop fast when they get beyond their point blank range.. That is not bs. In this country the .338 was popular for a couple years.. I had a couple and four of my pals had them. All have dropped their use or sold them in favor of flatter shooting calibers.. You never heard me say the 06 will not kill elk.. It is just easier to hit with a faster shooting caliber.. AS for my hunting style it has worked for me for years.. I enjoy it and prefer hunting open country to black timber..

True.

Compared to a 30/06 and with the same bullets the Weatherby will move those bullets faster, they will fly over a flatter trajectory,be going faster when they hit, and will expand better at greater distance than anything the 30/06 will do.

The Weatherby will also throw heavier bullets faster than the 30/06 will with many lighter weights owing to greater powder capacity, for even more advantage over the lighter bullets,at distance and close up.

Because of the higher velocities, heavier bullets and better expansion to longer range, they will create greater wound channels, the heavier bullets will break heavy bone better and penetrate deeper. Especially at distance .Assuming yo chose a decent bullet in the first place.

But anyone who has used the 300 Weatherby at rock throwing distance in timber(instead of reading about it) knows the 300 is a devastating elk round there as well.

This is basic shidt and I don't understand why some people don't get it........

The performance of the 300 Weatherby as a BG round has nothing to do with whether the 30/06, or the 338, or anything else, work well, are sufficient or insufficient, or "better" than the others....but those are the arguments you end up with in these ridiculous threads.

The 300 Weatherby stands on its own as a very effective and reliable BG cartridge, regard less whether any one wants to use it or not. And regardless of the drivel you read in a tread like this.

Sounds like you are doing something right. I will agree with Bob and others that say this thread is a little on the drivvely side.. . I'll also agree with Bob about using the 300 WBY in timber. When I had mine, I wouldn't hesitate about shooting though a lodge pole pine to drop a bull with it. One thing about the 300 WBY, it really penetrates with good bullets. It's also been my experience that it can be downright explosive with the wrong bullets. I also believe that wyocoyotehunter uses the 300 win mag, from previous talks with him. While it's not a 300WBY, it's a powerful contender that I have no use for. Too much recoil, but then again I only loaded 200gr. pills in mine. Why not use a heavy bullet in a big sledge hammer like the 300wby or 300wm? If you drop down to 165's you might as well be using a 308 win or 30-06. How's that for drivel Bob? I mean icing on the cake....

If I were to bring my 300 Wby. out of retirement I might have to "get modern" and try a 168 TTSX.

When my daughters were little I taught them something it seems you need to learn. If you don't respect someone or what they are saying it is like wind in the trees. There is a sound but nothing is communicated. If you don't respect these posters why not ignore them? If you do respect them then pay attention to what they post.

Too much recoil and you use a .338? Bob has probably for got more than most shooters know..

One thing I will say you can't go wrong using the most power rifle you can shoot accurate and handle the recoil for Big Bulls, the extra insurance can sometimes make the difference with other than perfect shot. Elk is where heavy for cal bullets make the difference if you have to angle a bullet to get to the through the paunch to get to the chest cavity.