Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats What Do You Think?

I think the new short magnums are an experiment. On the face of things, we are told that a lighter rifle is better, because we all climb huge mountains, lugging many pounds of needed gear and we just can't possibly carry a heavy gun too. Then we are shown something new, like a short action was something new, remember we have had, off and on for quite some time, the 308 and the 350 Rem Mag. The question in their mind really was, how to sell us a new product, when in fact we already have it. "they" make the case fatter and tell us its the "magic word" SHORT MAGNUM. Well, damn that looks good, we save 1/2 inch in bolt throw, over a real magnum and still have a dragon slayer. Looking NOT very closely at the 300 WSM or SAUM a guy can see its not a hell of a lot better at anything than the old 308, maybe a little faster but so what, not that much faster. So why did they make it? They wanted to get your money, that's why. I would like to see the salesman that can run fast enough to sell me one of them, I already own a 308 and a 300 RUM. I think if a guy wants a magnum then he should buy a magnum, not a gimmick. Besides the new short magnums all have short actions and short barrels, which all combined equals short on velocity. and still weigh more than we want to lug up that huge mountain.

Dan

I too have little interst in the short mags, but for the sake of the industry, I hop they are wildly successful. I get more of a kick out of making standard chamberings fly by using special barrel configurations, and careful loading. For example, I am in the middle of nailing down a 168 grain Barnes XLC load in my 26", 3-groove barreled, long throated 30-06 that will be around 3050 fps. The gun with the scope is about 8 7/8 lbs. This load will shoot flat and hit hard, and my barrel will last a looooong time. I suppose I should add that I am achieveing this withing normal pressues. This rifle "talks to me early" when it approaches max loads--which happens at 3100 fps with this bullet. I have not even come close to flattening a primer, even at 3100. It seems medium powders and XLCs work well together in this rifle.

Blaine

well, i say for those who can afford it, go ahead and buy 'em up. for the ultra-ultralight crowd, i reckon they are the cat's meow.

for a joe blow like myself, practicality is the watchword. so as much as i love to mess with mil-surps with oddball chamberings, i am weaning myself of them.

i AM considering a beautifully sporterized model 1917, remington made, that i can get for less than $200. in .30-'06, of course. ain't no rifle for trippin' around in ballet slippers with that full, 26-inch original barrel and original front sight, but it do balance well.

the rear bridge was professionally milled, lyman 66 peep mounted, and whole thing polished and blued. can't be turned back into a collectable mil-surp. CAN be used by yours truly to snipe paper and poke at deer. i'm about ready to plunk down a little money to hold it, but i'll shoot it first. a little more forend work on that chopped mil-surp walnut stock, maybe bobbing and crowning the barrel back to 22 inches (maybe) to make it a little more handy. if it checks out, it would be the perfect platform to really stoke up some .30-'06 loads with that beefy action.

i reckon i'd take one of them short mags if somebody gave me one. but i ain't dumping what i got (.270 adl and 7mm rem mag savage) to get one. ain't no point in duplicating the ballistics in a half-inch shorter action.

unless i had the money, of course. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Well DFC since I'm an owner of a 300 WSM that should give me the right to speak from experience. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

First of all, why do you own a 308 when you could own
a ballistically superior 30-06? Did you do it because you
wanted a 1/2 shorter bolt throw?

Second of all, My WSM gets 3,100 fps with IMR 4831 using 68 grains. This is just a half grain over recommend max in the Nosler Manual. They show 67.5 for 3,082.
The 308 win show 2,700 fps with 50g of 4350. You know thats only 400 fps difference. Do you think that not much better?

Third of all, The industry is out to get my money! Those
evil capitalist! How dare they try to do that to me.
Fact is it doesnt matter if its a 300 WSM or a 30-06
they would still be out to get your money. So what's
the point?
Would you pay for a new style of rifle? Why not for a new style of cartridge?
I load my 300 WSM for my son at 308 velocities for my
young teenage son. Then I can load it "up" for me if I care to. He will grow with the cartridge.
BTW the shorter rifle balances great with his size. That
1/2 difference makes a noticable difference.

SU35, Just to set the record straight, I happen to have a 300 WSM. Its the second one for me, as I sold the first one. And I have more than a few other 30 caliber rifles. And An Oehler, and the time and place to play with them. I'll stick by my first post.

Dan

DFC, good points and keep the pot stirred up. Its all
fun anyway! Have a great evening! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

DFC,

You must have been bored when you typed all that up. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> While I don't think the WSM calibers are the best thing since sliced bread, they're still "fun" to have and it's something new on the market. I own two of them, and this owner has no complaints about either one.