Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 300 Saum

I'm thinking this would be a good compromise between the 308 and big 300 magnums. Maybe rebarrel a Kimber. Anybody have experience with one in A Kimber?

Why not just buy a Kimber already chambered in 300wsm??



(I'm not completely familiar with them...but I believe they are both short, fat 30cals. I believe the WSM has just slightly more speed as a general rule).

It’s a great cartridge and exactly as you describe

Just get the WSM if you're going to get a Kimber. They are virtually identical cartridges, with loaded ammunition and cases being much easier to come by for the WSM.

The SAUM and WSM are not created equal.

I would choose the SAUM.

A 300saum is "a big 300 magnum". Its basically a condensed 300 rem ultra mag. All the recoil is there. They have a rep for burning out barrels faster. The only advantage as I understand it is a shorter throw back on the bolt. Who cares though. Whats it matter to bring a bolt back an extra inch? Not one time have I ever been hunting and thought; man, I would have got that second shot off if I didnt need to come back that extra pesky inch to rack the next shell. Get a 300 wm.

The 300 SAUM is more like a 30-06 AI in capacity, it will have slightly less recoil than the 300 WSM, enough to matter I don't know. The short action makes for a nice compact rifle and they balance better than the long action Kimber at least in my hands. I agree the WSM has more readily available components and good brass it would be easy to load it down to SAUM levels and not loose too much performance. For me the ultra light rifle in a 300 mag is a no go. JOC thought they should weigh around ten pounds for a 300 Weatherby, I think 7.5 or 8 is good. Somewhere south of seven pounds and the short 300s stop being fun to shoot for me, others will have no problems with recoil.

BTW I am a fan of the 300 WM so won't be getting a shorty any time soon.

I've owned both the SAUM and WSM versions in Kimber (WSM) and Rem (SAUM). Recoil is indistinguishable in like weight and stocked rifles although the WSM will get 50-75 ft/sec more. I've also shot elk with both, same-same. The WSM case will be around longer than the SAUM. I'd go Kimber 300 WSM bit would consider if I really wanted a 7lb 300 magnum. It do recoil more than a little with full power 180-200 grain loads.

Winter must be getting the best of me, getting a little loony, I should just stick with my 280AI.

A .300 SAUM is nothing like a .300 RUM. It's basically at the bottom end of the various .300 magnums in terms of velocity. On par with, but below, the WSM. It's about 300-400 FPS behind the RUM.