Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .300 WBY vs. .300 Win. - Realistic Expectations

My .300 Win experience matches Noslers. 77-79 grains of RL22 has always given me great accuracy and 3200 fps plus velocity. I have seen multiple .300 Weatherbys consistently do 3400 with 165s and 3300 with 180s over multiple chronographs, including an Oehler, but that was with factory loads.

With a load of 89.5 gr of MagPro, I get 3,348 average and with 84.2 gr of RL 26 I get 3,320 with 168 TTSX. Both below max book powder. Both are sub-moa in. Fibermark 26” barrel. If that won’t get ‘er done, time to move along. Happy Trails

Are the SAAMI pressure levels for the 300 Weatherby lower than the Norma factory loads? Some of the reloading data like Speer and Alliant look like they are as they give very little advantage to the Weatherby. My experience a 26 inch barreled Winchester comes darn close to a 24" Weatherby. I was going to re-chamber my 300WM but decided not worth the expense and it shoots lights out now so not worth the risk.

Tejano

There’s TOOO much disparity in loading ?data? from Book-Book, Manufacturers
IMO. How in the world does a loader KNOW which is CLOSER to being right ?

It “SEEMS” to me that Barnes data is for Barnes bullets. Consequently I don’t EVER
check them out—- I don’t shoot Barnes bullets.

Hit reverse now. Back in the day, I relied on Hornady Vol II.
I did find a FEW loads that were too hot for my components.

Vol III is noticeably reduced !!!

I have settled on Nos #7 and I load FOR velocity — eyeing the Oehler and
ANY sign of pressure.

In ALL my loading I’ve ONLY had 2 blown primers.
Both 270 Win, 130 gr bullets, H 450 powder *** 2 diff lots.

There are too many variables for ME to argue about WHOSE book loads
are right or closer.

Jerry

Tejano,
I think you are on track. Discounting the difference in barrel diameter, rifling, chamber, throat, etc dimensions; the 26” WM could be close to the 24” Wby. SAAMI pressures and hence velocity are lower for the WM and the difference is small enough that the hand loader can easily obtain Wby velocities by exceeding established limits. I once bought a 7mm Weatherby at a bargain with the intention of rechambering it to 7mm STW until I figured out the very small gain was not worth the hassle.

Never owned a 7mmWBY or STW, but saw years ago that the WBY is certainly no slouch, especially the way Nosler loads it. Pretty close to the figures touted by handloaders for their STW rifles. I wouldn't have rechambered that rifle either.

I chronographed a tad over 3300 FPS(DOn't remember the exact number but do remember it exceeded factory specs) for a 150 grain BT out of a 7mm Weatherby (Factory Ammo) 26" barrel 80's Fibermark a few years back. It was a crap chronograph(Chrony) so there is that as well. That rifle was easily SUBMOA .


As to the 300 win mag vs 300 weatherby , there is not enough difference for an animal to notice IMHO. In the lack of recoil department the 300 win mag wins.

I have 3 different magnums, 30-338, 300 Win, and the 300Bee. I liked the 30-338 the best. The Weatherby IMO is better than the Winchester because I don’t like it’s short neck.

I've never owned/shot a 300 Weatherby, but several 300 win Mags and a couple of 300 RUMs. I have read where the 300 BEE could do 3200/180 as easily as the 300 RUM. I had one 26" 300 RUM that actually did a tad over 3200/180PT with Nosler factory ammo. The only handload I ever worked up/used in the other RUM, is a 26" Shilen barreled custom I had made for my SIL. It shoots the 200 NAB pretty close to 3100 with Retumbo.
I could easily get 3100 with 24" 300 winMag/180 xbt with R22 and almost as fast with H4831. Personally, I've never had a problem with the short neck of any cartridge. Is this an issue with "runout" with the longer, heavier bullets? Just curious.

BTW, I really liked the Federal High Energy 30-06 ammo. I got a consistent 2970 fps/180PT from a 23" Douglas. Accuracy was a solid 1" or a bit less. The Hornady Light Magnum/180 got 2910fps. Then, they both disappeared. The "Superformance" is no great shakes, nowhere near the LM speeds. At the time, I clocked a few 300WM (24") 180 loads that were right at 2950fps, average. Why did they discontinue these loads you reckon? I know those speeds are not "needed" for the Premium bullets to work well, but heck, I hate living only by "what is needed", at least in the World of Riflemen Loonyville!

I fired one 300 bee round over a guys chronograph (last round). It was a Barnes Max load., 4831 and 180 TSX fired out of a M70 with a 26 inch barrel. It showed 3318, maybe it was fluke.

Have a similar affinity for the .300H&H. Just like it. And honestly, my hand loads are only "warm .30-06" levels most of the time. Just something different...

I hear ya. Even tho I've never owned the H H, I do like its slick look and feeding. I think it has PNASH (panache) that none of the other 300s has --
including the W M.


Jerry

Jim, I don't remember the 'why' about some trouble with the short necks. My first 300 WM was a 77 Tanger about 1978 (?) and I've had a Browning, 700 , & 70 Black Shadow. - Another one escapes my FMD (fading memory disorder).

I've shot 150s, 165s, 180s, 190 HBT, & 200s in the W M and so far NO problem from a short neck has raised its head with me in 4-5 diff rifles. ? ? ? ?

Back @ 78-80 you could ONLY get a 300 Wby in a Wby rifle. Well that was a LOT more $$$ difference then. SO I opted for the WM for obvious reasons. For a long time now you can get the 300 BEE chambered in DIFF rifles. That's now, Then was Then !

Yes the Wby will shoot the same bullet a little faster--** I don't count their FACTORY ammo - because sometimes it
was ONE shot and the brass was SHOT ! That tells me something.!!!

For quite some time now I've had said, " IF the 300 WM won't kill something....the 300 WBY Can not !


Jerry

I forgot that I played with the 300 WSM too. I had a 26" Mod 700 Varminter .308 converted to the WSM. It had an inline magazine, loaded from the bottom. It got fast speeds with the 180 NBT. I set it up for my Pastor in Texas as a "Beanfield" rifle. He never used it that I know of as I had previously given him a Mod 700 SS ADL ( mid 90's) in 7mm Rem Mag and one of the first VIII 4.5x14 AO and he loved it! He always took it, no matter where or when he hunted. He passed away a couple months ago. I miss him very much.

I used to hear about the 6.5x284 having a short neck, even when my rifle was still a wildcat. Necked down .284 brass. I think any neck that is at least 1 caliber long is plenty! Of course, I've never shot a rifle enough to burn out the throat just from a short neck. Only one I fried was a 6mm Remington. Is its neck too short? I shot it slow too, well, not too slow evidently! ha it was a PacNor barrel too, supposedly one of the best. Anyhow, with these new powders, the 30-06, especially in a 24" barrel, can hold its water way out there! I don't own any 30 cal anymore. I plan on wringing this .270W out awhile, along with this 338WM. I don't shoot really long diwstance, but I do like to stomp whatever I'm hunting! ha

IME with 180gr Nosler BT bullets loaded sanely the 300WSM is good for 3000fps, the 300 WM 3100fps, 300 Weatherby 3200fps and the 300 RUM 3300fps. I currently own all of these save the 300 Weatherby.
My favorite right now is probably the 300wsm. It kicks quit a bit less than the others and the particular rifle it's chambered in, which was purchased from forum member Brad, is an absolute drill with just about any load I have tried in it. I used the Barnes 175 LRX this year on one elk with it, my brother on another while I was with him and a friend on a third that I didnt get to see. All of them died pronto. Has me thinking about selling the others honestly.

I can relate to that from a diff rifle and cal.

I had a Ruger 77 tanger in 338 WM -- that thing was BRUTAL. I'd never have another..... Others over the years here have said the same thing.
OTOH you put a 338 WM in a diff stock with a REAL recoil pad and it AIN'T bad.

Jerry

You would absolutely "love" my .338WM Mod 700 Classic with its Limbsaver pad! No worse than a heavy loaded 30-06.

i did notice most of the pictures with dead elk,people with clean dry clothes and a clean rifle must have been shot from a pickup ? yes a 300 Weatherby Mag. will drop them close to the 2 track same as a 300 Win. Mag.

More than a few years back (1994) I thought I needed a all weather 300 Win Mag and found a super clean and little used Remington M700 ss BDL with the 1st gen Tupperware stock. The recoil pad was hard as a rock and the gun would kill at both ends. Later I found a Limbsaver drop in replacement for the original but it still required a lot of hand fitting to work. None the less it reduced felt recoil to a stout 270 load and made the gun much more enjoyable to shoot. MB

Magnum Bob- I used to be a dedicated Decelerator man until I tried the Limbsaver! Wow, what a difference, and the Classic just works with my neck length or build or maybe the way I "hold my mouth right", ha. At any rate, I can shoot some big rounds in them with ease. The "worst" for me was the "Made for Sears" Mod 70 "Ted Williams" 30-06 of my deceased father in law. It also had a hard plastic buttplate. OMB, that thing bit me horribly and he endured "scope eyebrow" every season for 20 yrs! ha. I also tried an early 80's Mod 70 sporter in 338WM I talked a friend into buying...he nor I knew how horrible it kicked! Too much drop and too thin in the comb...or something!