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

When evaluating the suitability of a cartridge for a particular task you cannot separate it from the available launch platforms or the cost, availability and variety of ammunition. When you ask “Is there anything better?”, As the OP did, you must also consider “better for whom?” To answer the question you must also consider the capabilities of the person for whom the question is being answered.

My hunting buddy announced that this year was the last he would be hunting elk. He is diabetic and simply can’t do it anymore. As a result of his diabetes he has already had surgery on one shoulder and needs it in the other. His range of motion is severely limited for both arms and he tires easily. He shoots a 7mm Rm but doesn’t shoot more than 2-3 times a year because a) his shoulders won’t take the wear and tear and b), ammo costs are a major concern. He had to save up for two years so he could afford to go on this year’s elk hunt. Even if he was to continue to hunt elk a .300 WBY, while a fine elk cartridge in its own right, would be a horrible choice for him.

Daughter #1 is fairly petite and is recoil sensitive. Although she is a pretty good shot, she has a strong preference for short rifles with moderate recoil. Like my hunting buddy, she shoots 2-3 times in a good year with 1-2 more common and ammo costs is a significant concern. Moreover her practice at ranges over 200 yards is very limited. A long, rifle with stiff recoil and expensive ammo would not be a good choice and certainly not “as good as it gets”. Together we decided that a .308 shooting a 130g TTSX @ 3045fps or a 150g BT @ 2745fps, both with less than 16 foot-pounds recoil, would be the best options for her elk hunt this year. Both loads would be more than adequate for elk at ranges where she would/should be shooting.

Son-in-law #1 is a big strong guy that tolerates recoil fairly well and shoots a .30-06 and a custom .300Win Mag that has been handed down from his grandfather. The first thing my daughter asked when she found out I was giving him a rifle as a wedding present was “Will he be able to afford to shoot it?” The answer, of course, was “yes” as I was giving him the aforementioned .30-06. Like my buddy and Daughter #1, he generally shoots 1-2 times a year. His longest shot to date has been on an elk at 382 yards and his .300WM had it on the ground before he recovered from the recoil. A .300 WBY could not have done any better, it just would have doubled his ammo costs.

For myself, I’ve used a 7mm RM, .30-06, .300WM and .338WM to take elk, the longest being at 487 yards with my .338. I handle the recoil fairly well but the older I get the more I appreciate light and light recoiling rifles. I handload so ammo costs are not a major concern but, being a practical person, I prefer the less expensive .300WM brass to .300WBY brass. For my purposes, would a .300WBY be a “better” choice than what I already use? No, it would just be a different and more expensive choice.