A friend called me this morning. He's been toyng with the idea of buying a 300 Win Mag and found a good buy in a Howa 1500. But first, he asked a benchrest friend who works in a gun shop he frequents about the 300 Win Mag. The friend went on to tell him that 300 WM's are notorious for being inaccurate - the best one he;s seen would shoot around 2 MOA. This includes Sako's, Winchesters, Brownings etc......No amount of tweeking would make them shoot better. He advised him to stick to his 270WSM.

I found this quite hard to believe that he had this opinion about the 300 Win Mag. I have never owned one but have shot a friends Tikka T3 - and that shot quite well.

Is the benchrest guy full of [bleep]???

Gus

FOS...............

+P FOS

Most accurate out of the box big game rifle I've ever owned is a 300 WM, in a M700. Doesn't seem to matter what grain of bullet or type, it's the least finicky rifle I own.

My .300 WM will stack 'em. He's FOS.

That said I see my best accuracy with brass formed to my chamber and which headspaces off the shoulder. A slightly loose factory chamber and a belt can indeed lead to less than ideal accuracy.

Guys,
I seem to agree with you..........

I think being from the benchrest fold if it doesnt shoot under half inch, its a POS

FOS.........I think so!!!!!

Gus

Mine will do a 1/2" easily, if I'm up to it. That rifle shoots way better than I do. All of that in the cheap plastic stock that came on it, albeit with a bedded action and pressure point - it shot 3/4" or better in factory form. Just got a used B&C Alaskan Ti for it last week, hoping it jives with the new handle.

This guy is totally full of [bleep]. Gotta tell it like it is here. I sold off every rifle in the safe about 8 years ago and kept my 300 because it was my most consistently accurate rifle I owned. I gave up some dandys too but the 300 was the best I had so I kept it. FOS to say the least.



You "SEEM" to agree, now which is it??????
It's not about a rifle that doesn't shoot 1/2 moa. You state 2 moa and that is what I'm basing my opinion on.

What a crock. Rufous here at 24hrcf (I hope he sees this and psts some pictures of targets) can sometimes get his 300 Win to shoot a 2 inch group... at FIVE hundred yards. I have seen him regularly paste ;em up at wll unde 1MOA and closer to 1/2 waaayyyy out there from prone with a bipod. This with a highly customized model 70 Classic.

Of all the factors that determine whether a rifle will shoot well or not, caliber choice is among the LEAST of the factors if not THE least. More like a total non factor for nearly everyone.

If he wants an accurate dependable high performance hunting rifle, a good 300 Winchester Magnum will fill the bill quite nicely. As would a 300 WBY, H&H, etc.

Nothing wrong with the 300 WinMag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM2010_Enhanced_Sniper_Rifle

Bsa
when I heard these facts from my friend (who was looking to buy the 300 WM) I didnt say anything, as he seems to hold what his benchrest guru says to him in high regards. From my experience (having shot a 300WM once) and from replies to my post I would say that the BR guy is FOS - or my mate is making up chit not to buy the 300WM.

Gus

I understand Gus. From what you can tell by the other posts you know the guy was full of chit. The 300 is a great all around cartridge which is basically known for its inherent accuracy for whatever that is worth

Thanks for that Bsa

One would think a benchrester of any experience would be familiar with the fact that the 300 Win Mag has claimed its share of benchrest records????

One would think so, but there are a lot more armchair, internet and wannabe blowhard 'benchresters' than guys who really go out and compete.

.....FOS,,,FOC,,,Bullsheet,,,a bench rest foe is more like it!,,,His eye balls are dark brown as well as the brain matter between his ears.

I could think of a few more things, but I`ll try go easy on this clown.

A few questions for your buddy`s so called "bench rest" friend.

How many 300 Win rifles has this,,,,gentleman,,,,owned????
Has he ever reloaded for a 300 Win Mag????
Which brand or brands of 300 Win Mag rifles has he owned????

How many different loading components in powders, bullets and different seating depths has he (Bozo) tried????

From where and from whom did he get his information regarding "notoriously in-accurate?" From shooters who frequently visit eye clinics? From shooters who have low tolerance for more recoil? From shooters who don`t reload?

Maybe these shooters (his sources) can`t shoot well from the bench? Stock crawlers?

A 300 WM notoriously in-accurate, is the of the most ridiculous and un-true statements I`ve ever heard coming from other circles within the shooting world.

Have another idea.....Ask your buddy`s friend, if he would like to volunteer to stand 400-500 yards downrange with his balls hanging out.

I`m sure he`d jump right on that invitation. Afterall, the 300 WM is a notoriously in-accurate cartridge, so his privates area will have nothing to worry about????...........LMAO!!!!!

I've got a rem700 300win that always seems to shoot right on, heck i dont even really like 700's that much and I like that one.

Yes that benchrest dude is over-stuffed w/ BS on that comment, sounds like he has a less than accurate WSM he's trying to peddle.

Gunner

I've had a dozen or so 300's, all were tack drivers. A gun collection ain't complete without at least 1 three-hunnert in the mix

Geez, Uncle Sam uses the 300 Win Mag as one of the calibers in the sniper/SOG arsenal, Recently ordered a bunch more to be built. THe 300WM is continuing to build its reputation for LONG range accuracy in the sand box alongside the 338L and 50BMG.

Bigger question- is there any cartridge inherintly inaccurate?

The obvious...any caliber that's spent time in sniper specific usage can't be inaccurate. It's simply definitional.

Is there any chance this person is trying to talk the other out of the .300 for other reasons? Does he think the .300 is too much for the other to handle? Perhaps trying to sell him a different rifle of his own?

Upshot; maybe there are reasons this person has to hedge the truth a bit but there's no getting around the fact that any statement about .300's being inaccurate "just 'cause" is patently and demonstrably false.

Some of the guys that build accurate rifles will tell you that there are some calibers that are far more challenging than others. Further believe that there are calibers that certain riflemakers won't accept an order to build as their experience has shown that it takes to many hours & barrels to finally get the high performance their reputation demands.
J Barsness wrote a pretty good story interviewing Malcom Forbes, D"Arcy Echols and some others about this question.

The gunsmiths statement is the only thing inaccurate!

BS, just take a look at BR records. The 300WM hangs right with many other big 300s in long range matches.

I have a 300WM in the safe right now that shoots so-so. Kept coming back to this particular load in development. Luckily still have about 600 Mks from that lot and 6-7lbs or so H4831 from that lot. Maybe just a fluke and your buddy is right :


loder

I used to load for a friend's 300 Win. and it was more accurate at longer ranges than any of my own rifles.

The 300 Win Mags that I've been around have shot very well.
Here is a couple of targets from my 300 Win. This is a representation of the acuracy I get with mine.

The .300 Win Mag is an inherently accurate caliber, as demonstrated by posters on this thread. The move to 6.5-284 and other lighter calibers by LR target shooters wasn't because the .300 Win Mag wasn't accurate, they were simply looking for a target round with equivalent accuracy and less recoil. That's not an issue with hunters, but target shooter shoot a lot of rounds during a match.

I have a number of fine rifles. If I was limited to only one, it would be my .300 Win Mag, Ed Brown Damara. It weighs less than 7#'s and shoots sub-MOA. The .300 Win Mag, IMHO, is one of the most useful hunting rounds, period. It can be loaded to take just about any game on this continent and most game animals on other continents. There aren't many ctgs. more flexible and adaptable than the .300 Win Mag. And regarding accuracy, it can hold its own with anything in its class.

The 300 Winny is my first and only magnum cartridge. I shoot it out of a 700P and I reload for it. This is one of the most accurate rifles I own and relaoding is as easy as any other bottle necked cartridge. I have had zero problems with it.

I've read some stuff like that, and IIRC the 300 Win. magnum is one the builders like to use because it's pretty easy to get working well.

Last fall, just before elk season, I took my Ruger MKII "boat paddle" .300WM and MKII .30-06 �boat paddle� to the range for a final check before the elk hunt. During that session I used took 5 shots at clay pigeons at 600 yards, 3 shots with one rifle and 2 with the other. Misses were not by enough to matter with either rifle and each scored a hit.


Here is a target shot with the .300WM, first shot from a clean bore. As you can see, accuracy sux.

I read that Kenny Jarret would always recommend the .300 Win. as a good bet to get an accurate rifle with a factory round. Might even be his favorite factory round as all the other favorites are AI's or his own line.

My own is absolutely boring in it's regularity I have yet to find a bad load for it. Just use any of the recommended powders run up to near maximum and your done with load development. Usually easy to get two different bullets to the same point of aim with minor tweaking.

Something fishy was up with the BR guy.

He probably just didn't like magnums going off next to his ear.

There are some that are easier to work with than others, that's for sure. "Inherently inaccurate" may be problematical to define, as most any round could theoretically be made to shoot pretty well. Some just seem less finicky than others, and the .300 Win Mag would definitely be on that list. Of course, we're talking quality barrels, good equipment, etc...

DF

This is my friends Model 70 built in 1965 with factory ammo that I shot at 100 yards. This is 3 shots. Also I believe that the Secret Service snipers use a 300 wm.



Corey

Hey Corey ...you missed with all three shots!!!

Yeah,-the-thing-missing-is-the-triangular-group-inside-the-center-at-12,4,and-8-oclock.-Then-you-could-comment-on-how-much-better-that-was.(Happens-to-me-all-the-time..........dang-space-bar-needs-to-be-cleaned-or-something.)

Gentleman,
many thanks for the great feedback and I do thing that someone is blowing in someones azz!! Either the Bechrest guy is or my friend is making an excuse !!
Went and got a hair cut last night and my barber (who has a real neat 300 Win Mag) laughed when i told him this. I have fired his gun and CAN vouch that its accurate. His gun can put 5 shots into an inch at 100m - easy - and I have seen him do it too.

I personally have a 30-06 as my 30 calibre rifle and find it fulfills all my requirements. I am not one to bag any calibre.

Thanks to all who posted.

Gus

I shot a 3" 3 shot group at 1000 yards this morning with a TRG42 in 300 win. Nothing wrong with this caliber.

Since the 1990's elite military units such as the Navy Seals have also used sniper rifles chambered in the .300 WM.

They were using the 190 GR Sierra MatchKing bullets (Mark 248 M0 cartridge) but within the past few years have started using the 220 Gr Sierra MatchKing Hollow Point Boat Tail (Mark 248 M1 cartridge).

https://www.neco.navy.mil/upload/N00164/N0016409RJN30000209RJN30_0002_att.pdf

You are most welcome.

If I could only have one rifle for hunting the lower 48 it would be a .300 Win Mag.

I wouldn't be saying that if it was an inaccurate round.

Biker

So full, in fact, that I bet a little leaks out nearly every day...

Carlos Hathcock used a 300 Win Mag to win the Wimbledon Cup at Camp Perry in '65....

'Nuff said, right there. I got his autographed book, "White Feather". For an ole Arkansas country boy, Carlos did pretty good...!

He did real good.

Although he was credited with 93 'confirmed kills' the actual number was much higher. In 'Nam a kill had to be confirmed by a 3rd party officer in addition to the shooter and his spotter. In many cases this '3rd Party Officer' was not present, and many times it was almost impossible to confirm a kill when the target was behind enemy lines. He himself estimated the 'actual' number of kills to be close to 300.

He used a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope for most of his confirmed kills, but he also used a Browning M2 for many of his longer shots, including a confirmed kill at close to 2,300 yards.

He was a true professional and a true gentleman..

Well that is an interesting bit of advise that guy gave. Total B.S to say the least. Recoil and how good you can see or not is pretty much the only factor with regard to accuracy you are going to get or not, of course the rifle has to be put together right and you need to shoot good straight ammo. For big game hunting that one dose with a 300, a rifle that groups 2 inches all the time is plenty accurate for shooting big game. And if you can shoot that kind of accuracy will keep you in deer Elk and Moose venison till the end of time. Tiny groups are great, but it dose not mean a wit, if the bullet used is a target bullet, when you are looking at a hard angle shot on snowy late afternoon of the second to the last day of elk season. Minute of grape fruit, is pretty much all that is required of a hunting rifle with a hunting sight and hunting bullets. As for Carlos, he was a magician with a rifle. And he dose Cast a Giant Shadow over Marines and Snipers ever where.

Wow I would be embarassed to even utter those words. Let alone say that with even the slightest knowledge of firearms.

I read that after he turned that M-70 back to the Army, and it's somewhere in the bastions of Govt. storage, no one can account for the serial #. Even Gunny Hathcock, reportedly, couldn't remember it. Otherwise, it could be identified, brought forth and displayed.

I think he was issued one of the newer (at the time) Remington sniper rifles for his next tour.

He was burned badly in an armored carrier fire, trying to help his buds get out.

After the military, he taught police snipers out in VA, or somewhere on the East Coast, IIRC.

Quite a guy and a hero.

DF

If you're truly referring to gmsemel's post, you might wanna reconsider your position before you go further..