Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Are there practical reasons to own a .300 H&H?

And how is that related to the practicality of the H H ?

Jerry

I’d take a 300 WSM hunting, for LR this new 300 PRC has my interest,
but is there anything a 300 H&H couldn’t do with panache ?

At one time the 300 WSM held the 1000 yard title, besting any other 300 magnum before its time. That was a heavy gun benchrest match. The shooter, Matt Kline, shot a 10 shot group measuring 2.815" and scored 100-4x. Its because of scores like these, that the 300wsm is not merely a "hunting" class cartridge and every bit the reason my answer to the ops question was NO. The practicality of using one, just isnt there for me. I explained why in a previous post. However, i will not fault anyone for wanting or choosing to use one.

Didn’t the H&H break records and hold LR titles in it’s time ?

Or is WSM a typo in your post , bsa ?

Several loading manuals record that the 300 H&H was used by the American shooter, Ben Comfort, to win the 1000-yard Wimbledon Cup Match at Camp Perry in 1935.

The 300 Win Mag has reportedly shot much smaller groups at the same distance since then, but the H&H is no slouch in the accuracy department.

Ted

Ted, I think most cartridges are capable of consistently punching small groups. A lot has to do with the quality of the bullet and available powders. Even the rifle action plays a role.

Can you think of any cartridges that would have shot tighter groups, but for the fact that a suitable powder wasn't available? Or well made, round bullets were not unavailable back then? Or the barrels weren't the right twist, or not of good quality?

I am quite sure that 10 or 20 years from now, shooters will look back at cartridges and say, "The Creedmoor and the 6XC were okay. Too bad they didn't have the right powder or bullets for them back then."

I've been loading and hunting with the H&H since 1980 and with the 300 Winchester about the same and also the Weatherby. The H&H has the uncanny talent of shooting 180gr, 200gr Partitions as well as 180TTXs to POI. The other two don't even come close.

Clearly the others are OverBore., Barrel Whippers 🙃

JOC often said about various hunting weight bullets in the .270 Win, that they would often shoot to the same POI

Definitely a Useful, and Practical trait.

Is your 300 H&H fairly heavy barrelled ?

Standard pre-64 (pre-war) 70

Not FeatherWeight then, How does that compare to the Win mag or Wby for inherent stiffness ?

Not qualified to answer that ! 25" barrel and the other two are 26", FW was never made in H&H BTW

J : some here could comment further, but that is a very interesting point about the practicality of more than one hunting weight bullet shooting to the same poi. I assume this is at 100 yards ?

Perhaps this is why Winchester produced them at 25” barrel length , hmm 🤔

Practical reason? Well, yeah! It'll do everything a 30-06 can do in spades, and look cooler while doing it!

From coyots to big bears, H & H will take care of business and not leave you wanting.

jorge,

Some rifles will put various weight bullets in the same group, especially in certain chamberings. My pre-'64 Model 70 .300 H&H do not, and neither did either of my other .300 H&H's, one a custom rifle on the post-'64 Model 70 "classic" action, and a Ruger No. 1B.

To ask a rifle to do this, is asking a lot considering how many different bullet weights there are in the 30 caliber you have to choose from. However, to get a rifle to shoot the 180's and 200's into the same poi, that can be done. I was at the range last month testing one of my new rifles and this is how it did with both 178 grain match bullets and the 200 grain partition:




These ^^^^^^^^^are different charge wts too, as I was looking for a good load for this rifle. It is not finicky at all...

Here's where it put the load my other m1917 likes:


Oddly enough, that's exactly where my m1917 puts them too. Who wouldu thunk that??


So what do you do, when 2 rifles shoot to the same poi? Ha ha...

Don't make me dig up a target pic from my pre 64 fwt 30-06 and this load... That could be 3 rifles shooting to the same poi... Just the way I like them.. Oh, by the way, I tried some old Norma 130 gr. factory loads that I picked up at a LGS for $10.00/box and we don't even want to go there on where they hit the target.. . Lets just say, not the same POI... You probably already guessed that though..

It also depends to a certain extent on the barrel-bedding system. NULA rifles, with barrels full-contact bedded in the very stiff synthetic NULA stocks, are well-known for shooting various loads close to the same place at 100 yards. My NULA .30-06 will group 150's and 200's close enough to make them interchangeable--but even some NULA's won't do it.

Have only seen one NULA .300 H&H, which belonged to a fairly well-known country-western singer who showed it to me maybe a decade ago. I should ask him how it does with different bullet weights.

It is not practical to own anything other than a .22 LR, a 30 06 and a 12 Ga pump We really need far fewer chamberings but that wouldn't be much fun! My 300 H&H is cooler than your 300 WSM. We see in one hundred years. My 300 Savage isn't practical ether but it sure is a pleasure to shoot and the deer hate it!

JB, the aforementioned Model 721 300 H&H with the shortened barrel still had the original factory inletting. I had figured on bedding it "to make it shoot better", but it was more than adequate for hunting so left it alone. Sometimes wondered if the stiffer short barrel made much difference.

My other one is an FN Sporter of similar vintage, and shoots as well as any of my new 300s today.



It is especially accurate with 200 gr Partitions, and also has far more memories than any of the 300 Wins or the Wby.

Ted

Yukoner,

Yep, shorter barrels tend to be more accurate because they're stiffer, everything else being equal.

Nice rifle! I've been tempted a couple times on both 721's and FN's in .300 H&H, but so far haven't pulled the, uh, trigger.

Sold my 721 as the stock had way too much drop at he comb, it would cause you to really raise off the stock to see though the scope. I may be a weirdo but lit my scope mounted high enough that I can put my thumb between the scope and bolt for a comfortable carry. My present 300 H&H is a post 64 Model 70 Winchester that I had re barreled. I've never owned a Mauser, but have been looking for a nice one with the higher comb. There are some really nice custom Mausers out the that make m heart race! BTW I own a couple Savage along with 99's and a 722 300 Savage which I put a Boyds stock and has the higher more comfortable comb, but is a real club, added about 1 1/2 pounds to the rifle. Like to find a rasp artist to slim it down!