Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .300 WSM vs. .300 Win Mag

A 300 Mag is something that slings a 180 over 3,000 fps. The 300 WSM does that amply.

The WSM doesn't have a belt which is an outdated marketing ploy the 300 WM is saddled with. The 300 WSM does the bulk of what a 300 WM does without the baggage of the "marketing belt", and does it handily with less powder, and recoil in a shorter package.

I think I've had 6 or 7 300 WSM's, it's a great round.

Brad, that belt has been nothing but a burr in my shoe ever since it's inception, the dang thing.

Really? I couldn't resist. 😀

Edit: it may be a great round; I've not had one. I'll be glad to take your word for it.

That belt makes for shorter brass life, unless you headspace reloads on the shoulder. Even then, it's unnecessary... I like things designed from the bottom-up with more than marketing in mind. Form following function, not the reverse.

But I'm not wedded to the past, and think most 1960's TV sucked. The 300 WM is another "great" 1960's production...

Just kidding Brad but I'll really feel badly of you didn't like the Andy Griffith Show..

I headspace on the shoulder.

For you 300 WSM guys: Any brass other than Nosler/Norma that's commonly available these days?

So, designing from the ground up you'd put a belt on anything?

PS, not saying the 300 WM isn't a fine round, just that the 300 WSM isn't a POS just because it's "new" and challenges the old. It's really a finer design in many ways, despite its 100 fps less velocity.

Jeff O,

For some reason .300 WSM brass has been scarce lately. Luckily, I have a more than adequate supply (mostly of Nosler and Norma), but quite a few people have been looking and not finding much. It might be going mostly into factory ammo, but dunno.

I do't know what 'Flave likes but consumers have choices and that is a good thing.
The "Wizzums" began a short/fat deluge of competitors. All that has calmed down as hand loaders and hunters determine what is right for them.

I've had probably 15 or more WSM's, mostly 300's, a few 270's and one 325.
They all put elk in the freezer, but so did my .270Win, .308, 30-06, 300WM and the .338WM..

John, I was honestly surprised to see ANY out there!

But I've been in a 7 WSM bubble lately. Brass is unobtanium. As I shoot through my stash of bullets, brass, and my two 7 WSM barrels I'm contemplating what next, in particular for the "short action Sendero" I built. It could become a 300 WSM... or a 7 SAUM. At least there's some brass out there for those... crazy expensive, but it's available.

I heard that WW was going to do a run of 7 WSM brass this summer. I'm gradually losing hope.

I thought I saw some bagged WW 7WSM brass at Fleet Farm a few weeks ago. If I see it there again, I'll quickly PM you with quantity and price. I've been surprised as to what they have in their "reloading department".

Don't tease me now

No I wouldn't but neither do I see it as such a gremlin at this point in its long history; superfluous? Yes.

Hey Jeff....good to see you're still around.

Because I found the difference in case life and quality with Norma brass was so outstanding over Win brass, I ended my hunt for brass right there. I use Norma brass for most every cartridge/rifle that I load for and find it to be excellent brass. I get several more reloads with Norma over Win brass in all cartridges and especially in regards to the several WSM's that I own. Norma brass comes so uniform throughout from the factory that I was sold before I ever knew how many extra reloads their purchase afforded me. Their price seems less steep once the extra reloads are factored in and my groups tightened up even more than what I was already quite pleased with.

It is still a bit tough to find Norma brass for my 25-06, but at least they offer it now. My 300 RUM would definitely benefit from a switch from Rem to Norma brass.....perhaps that will be possible in the near future. I made the same switch with my 270WSM brass and couldn't be happier.

I do lots of shopping at Sinclair Int. for all the different cartridges that I load for and purchased my Norma 300WSM brass there. Perhaps better deals elsewhere, but a great bunch of guys to deal with.

Good luck Jeff and sorry that Rem brass is all that I could add to your quest that I have had experience with.

Take care.........

I'm seeing lots of Federal blue box 7mm WSM around for dirt cheap. If a guy didn't mind shooting factory ammo for a few years, a brass supply would be easy to create.

Yeah, these days it's often cheaper (and far easier) to buy some factory loads than empty brass. I did just that early last year with the 7mm-08, buying 100 rounds of Hornady American Whitetail factory loads with 139 Interlocks cheaper than I could find brass anywhere. (They shoot fine, of course!)

Yep! I buy more factory ammo these days than ever.

I never mind shooting Federal blue box. 2 boxes of 30-06 150's just followed me home from Wal Mart. 17.49 a box.

35 Remington was cheaper loaded than the brass. It seemed the people with the brass were trying to make a bit too much profit.

Lots of 300 WSM brass on gunbroker. Also 40 pieces of 7mm WSM Tons of 270 WSM