Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Favorite Deer Load for 300 WM?

I know it is not needed but want to use the rifle more often and was interested in going light and fast possibly with the 130 TTSX or similar bullets. The use will be for South Texas where if a deer goes even a short way before dropping it usually means you will be crawling around in thick thorn at eye ball level with the rattle snakes. Ranges will be moderate with shots up to 400 yards a possibility.

I kind of feel like the .300 magnums really come into their own shooting bullets 180 grains or heavier. If I was looking to shoot lighter bullets for quick kills I would probably look at a 150-165 grain bullet probably a cup and core or similar rapid expanding projectile.

I just used the 180grn Hornady interlocks for everything.

If I was doing a deer only load, I'd look hard at the 130grn TTSX.

A 130 should fly out of there at what? 3200+ fps? In our part of the world all shots are under 200 yards that should do fine, if I thought I would stretch it out more I'd go heavier personally...

3500 fps and some change so it is cooking along. What I am really thinking is how to turn the 300 into a .257 Weatherby with out buying a new barrel.

Agree and my one bullet load was a 180 usually a TSX or a Nosler. The Elk loads worked fine on deer and hogs. I go back and forth from the one load per rifle to wanting to have two or three tailored to whatever my imagination desires.

A number of years ago Kenny Jarrett, the well-known custom rifle makers, reported that he preferred 150-grain Ballistic Tips driven as fast as accurately possible from a .300 to cull deer on some of his property. Usually they were shot out in the middle of big farm fields, and he wanted a load that dropped them right there. The BT almost always did so.

I don't 'have a win mag but a Weatherby 300. I started out with it hunting with Sierra 180 SBTs in a Federal factory load.Several of the bucks ran when I shot them. The bullet expanded a lot and damaged the shoulders more than I wanted. When I started reloading for it.The best accuracy I found with the bullets I tried was a 180 gn Grand Slam Speer. I have shot several good older bucks with it and they haven't moved a step. Most of them haven't even twitched after the shot. They just drop dead. I have shot in the shoulder and through the ribs. The meat damage is minimal even with shoulder shots. I'm using RE26. Don't know if that works in a win mag. But I love the bullet performance of the Grand Slam.

MD thanks if it is good enough for Kenny Jarrett then it is good enough for me. I will keep an eye out at the Shooters Pro shop. HW7 good info not sure if they changed the 30 GS but I have used them in 7mm with good results. I will see how R26 does with the lighter bullets so far I have not been disappointed with it in a number of cartridges.

I think the 125gr AB would drop deer fast! Probably be my pick over the 130 TTSX, assuming the shot equally well.

That's what I hunted with back in college, the 150BT at 3,400 or so from a 26" Sendero 700. I can't remember how many deer I shot with that load over the course of several seasons, maybe 20-25, but I do remember that only a couple ever made it more than a few yards after the shot. Most folded up on the spot, even with lung shots. And my bullets were the old-stock 100ct NBT, which were not super sturdy. I worked up a load just before I sold that rifle and never got to really field test it much, but it looked to be a good one. The 168gr NBT at 3,300fps over 7828. The BC was a little better and the construction was supposed to be a bit tougher. That's likely what I'd look at today if shooting a 300WM for deer, the 168NBT or 165AB at 3,250-3,300fps.

Good advice on the 125 AB and the 165-8 BT. The 160s would not sacrifice as much of the ballistic coefficient as the light weights would. I'll be curious to see if R26 works well with the lighter bullets if not R17 will really scoot then along some 3,800 fps for the 110s.

Going to try these along with some of the other suggestions especially a 150 BT. https://www.lehighdefense.com/colle...-high-velocity-bullet?variant=1086671656 if these perform like the raptors it my be just the ticket.

I was about to recommend that very bullet at 3400 fps with RL-22 or 7828, and yessir, it drops em.

150 gr. btbt's w/ a heavy load of 4350 has killed everything from chucks to elk for me.. it is deadly when driven through the lungs.. I am sure Kenny could have use any caliber he wanted.. that says something to me👍

I've used bot the NBT in 150 gr and the Speer Grand Slams in 180. I prefer the Grand Slams but either will do fine.

I shoot 180 grain NBTs out of a 300 WBY. Buddy down the road shoots 125s out of a 300 RUM. We both hunt roads in CRP trees.

Is the 125 BT a game bullet or varmint Nosler seems to call it a game bullet same colored tip if that means anything but if they stand up to the RUM they must be.

These look interesting as well...

https://hammerbullets.com/product-tag/308/

Nice but pricey. Their Heavier VLDs are similar to the old Lost River Mono torpedoes.

Darn allowers just dropped a C Note at SPS. They only had 150 accubonds and partitions but I figure the deer will only go about one step further with those at 3400 fps than with BTs.

Still going to try some of the others as I plan to fill out all my tags this year due to adding power to my meat grinder and a new freezer. Six deer, some hogs and maybe Javelinas will be a good start to the ballistic testing.

Thinking those 155 Scenars that my 308 Win shoots so well would be the cats meow at 3200 or so.

125 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips

Clark, I don't have my reading glasses on, but is that a Mosin Nagant in a sporter stock? Also, is the wound on the hip an entrance or an exit?

I paid $108 on Ebay in 2005 for the Rosewood tipped Mosin stock and got around to using it 10 years later.
The semi inletted stock was old when I got it 12 years ago.

That buck was running way when I shot him at 250 yards. I think the bullet went in the hip and and came out the neck/shoulder. He stopped running, stood on his hind legs like the lone ranger and tipped over.
The 300WM with 125 gr seems wimpy, but it shoots 5 shots into 1" @ 100y with the 22" Krieger barrel and does not kick enough to feel it.
This is a 300 win mag load you can let the ladies shoot.

Rolling with the 165 SST. Deer don't seem to complain too much.

165 Barnes

Same thing I used for everything else: my first .300 WM, a Ruger 77, liked the 180 grain PP partition and about 69, or maybe it was 69.5, grains of H4350. I don't see any benefit to dropping under 180 grains for deer unless you're downloading as well. I don't see any benefit to going heavier for elk. It just works.

Tom

180 partitions in a 300 mag are SOFT.... if using partitions in a mag 200 is my choice.

I ran 130TTSX at 3560fps(77g R17, R+P case, 215GMM) for a couple years in my T3 300WM. It was similar in trajectory to my 257Wbys with 100s at 3700ish. It's definitely a good whitetail load, but deer run quite a ways with sparse blood trails if you hit purely lung/ribs(My experience with TTSX in most carts). It's a good combo and bone is your friend if you don't mind wasting a little shoulder meat.

I stocked up on the 150 Accubonds and Partitions as SPS did not have the ballistic tips. Both of these should work well with maybe slightly less meat loss than the BT. The TTSX is a great bullet but for deer a softer bullet may be a faster killer. MD tests seem to confirm this where he went through his hunt diaries and averaged distance before dropping.

I will see what R26 will do with them hoping for about 3,300 fps or there about. R26 has done well with other lighter bullets so it is not a heavy bullet only powder I will see though if accuracy is there.

Going to try 180gr BT this year.

I haven't shot the 130/.308, but this has been my experience with the 80/.257. I think a Barnes is about the LAST bullet I'd choose if I wanted a short blood trail.

NBT or Accubond will be an excellent choice.

All the deer ive shot with a 300 mag were with factory 150gr Winchester Power Points. All Went straight down with no tracking needed and all had exit wounds. Shots ranged from 60yards-200 yards