Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 6.8 western vs 300 win mag

No comparison, but 300 wm hands down

Hell, if you don't really give a rip, then go with the 6.8 and enjoy the journey. Compared to the 6.8 the 300 WM would be boring as hell.

Take good notes, and become the 6.8 yota on the 'fire.

300 would win

Really? 🤔 The .300 WM should be adequate, and if using one cartridge for the game listed…..seems to be a very good, logical choice. Especially so, if factory ammunition is factored in!


My wife and I have taken quite a few “Speed Goats” using cartridges a mite larger than the .300 WM……she a .338 WM and myself with a .375 AI. Both cartridges appeared to be adequate for Antelope! 😉 memtb

.300wm kills goats fine. Do you like old school or skinny jeans?

6.8 Western seems to mostly be a rebranding of the 270WSM, after the WSM line signally failed to produce (aside from the 270WSM, ironically, which was the best of the bunch next to 325WSM). Seems like the 300WM would be more flexible given the plethora of 110gn to 240gn 308 bullets against the relative dearth of slow-twist 277 bullets, at least right now, unless you're focused on copper monos. Can't see the 6.8 Western being much more than a niche Winchester caliber for a while.

I’m a big fan of the 300 WM. 168gr TTSX at around 3200 fps makes for a pretty versatile load for the game/ranges mentioned. Only gripe is the M70 magazine being a bit cramped.

This.

It will slowly fade away like the WSSM cartridges and a few others have in recent times. Finding ammo and brass will be challenging.

Go 7 PRC or 300 Winny.

Im sure you are correct, but I bought a 6.8 this past weekend. I’ll help it out every little bit I can. When I find a 7 PRC I like, I’ll add that to my safe as well.

On the OP it sounds as if the 300 Win Mag is already in tow so I wouldn’t opt for another unless you dislike your current one. So I’d opt for the .277, however in my case I’d just grab a 270 WCF with .473 bolt and 22” barrel and keep it light. Even with a 1-10 it will slay animals way out there at 400-500 yards. It also makes impressive velocities with a meager 20 or 22-inch barrel. Quite a few really nice Winchester Model 70 rifles out there chambered in 270 WCF. Just a thought.

I’m betting the 7PRC goes to an early grave along with the 6.8W joining some of its WSM sisters.

300 WM, don't care much about any new caliber offerings, will stick with what I grew up with.

With Hornady’s marketing, I doubt it. May not be a barn burner, but it’s here to stay a while.

I thought that the 6.8 was comparable to a 30 30 with better bullets. Am I mistaken?

I would consider getting a light 308 which would complement your 300 mag nicely and kill anything in NA. Shoot lighter x bullets bullets for elk and big bears.

I just don’t see either one as the end of all. The 6,8 is on a path to a grave and the 300 is good but way too much recoil. I just bought a Bergara carbon Ridge in 308, weighs 6.3 lbs and with 20” barrels is the cats meow. It will do anything that needs to be done here in NA, that and my Tikka 708 meets my needs.

In my area the 6.8 is all but dead. A couple gun stores put a few Winchester FWs in that cartridge on sale and there still on the rack. Factory ammo had limited availability but I suspect as time passes, it'll be gone and very slow to be replaced. I'd take the 300 win mag over any 6.8, prc, or similar cartridges. Ymmv

You might be thinking of the 6.8SPC, although the 300BO is a better comparison to the 30-30. The 6.8 Western is basically a reworked 270 WSM designed for heavier bullets. 6.5PRC does what the 6.8 Western does, just more efficiently and with a much better component selection.

I'm betting not! Building one now, it really splits the difference between the 7RM and the 300WM with 175 gr bullets. The RM and WM are excellent but the PRC is better than the RM with heavy bullets and competes with the WM with same high BC bullets and less recoil. Every new cartridge is just a "tweak" of something that's already been done in the last 100+ years (30-06) but little improvements can make a difference if you're into that kind of thing.
RM left, PRC right

Being a huge 270 WCF fan, I would choose a 6.8 Western.
-100/110gr bullets for antelope and smaller game
-130/140/150gr for deer/elk
-155gr and up for bigger game like elk, African plains game etc.


Being a 270 looney, I have studied all the 0.277 cartridges add nauseum and have settled on multiple plain old 270 WCF rifles.
- 1:8 twist for the newer long heavy bullets that are available.
- Lighter weight 270 for 100/110gr bullets on lighter game.
- A bunch of standard 270's for tried and true historical 130/140/150gr bullets.

Elk in the picture? 300 Win