decided not to reload for my SAKO 85 1X11 TWIST rifle. i don't want to spend $1000 on testing different factory loads. i believe any of the premium loads will kill but I love great accuracy.

i'm leaning towards the Hornady 200GR ELDX what are yall elk killers finding in your .300 WINCHESTER MAGNUM FACTORY RIFLES?

.300 win mag only please. try to keep this thread "on the rails"

thanks

I haven’t tried the factory eld-x in .300wm but I’ve tried it in a lot of other calibers including 338wm and 300rum and it has always consistently shot extremely well. It’s a great place to start IMO. As far as bullet construction goes, I find it does well in the mid-lower velocities but can be quite violent at high velocity. I try to avoid bone with them and on close shots put it back a little further to avoid meat damage.

Nosler Trophy Grade 180 accubond

Buzzaw,

The nosler trophy grade 165 accubond was the most accurate in my Tikka testing 5-6 loads. Good Nosler brass for reloading and great performance.

Interestingly the federal blue box 180 grain was the second best load with the speer hot core bullet. For about 1/2 the price.

YMMV

Thanks guys for the suggestions

Agree with precision hunter eldx and nosler trophy grade accubond 180. Don't know if you can find it.

Last recommendation I have is HSM with 215 berger.

Between those three, one should be your huckleberry. I don't know if you can find any?

Factory Hornady 200 eld-x precision hunters usually shoot under 3/4” from my sons Sako A7

Federal blue box 180 grain soft point is very accurate in my Ruger 300 WM. I believe they are using a Speer Hot Core bullet.

HSM makes god ammo...finding anything nowadays is a plus!

I doubt your 11 twist barrel will like the 200gr ELDX, I know none of mine don’t. The 200gr Barnes LRX is another that doesn’t shoot well. Stay with a 200gr Accubond or partition in that weight. I’ve used 168gr TTSXs in mine for years and never wished for anything else. I’m sure factory stuff with their 180gr TTSX would do just as well.

Barnes 175 LRX or 168 TTSX should work well. Happy trails

I would try the ELD X. Those and 200 accubonds both work in mine but it is a 1 in 10.

Factory and my handloads are running 2850 fps or so but can push ELDs faster with handloads.

I've seen some amazing groups in the 300 Win Mag with Barnes (yes, I work there) ammo as well as the Hornady Precision Hunter ammo.

your most accurate loads will be with berger bullets , hsm and berger both load them. some of the matchking loads would be next including the sig sauer load . those are all target bullets , i would not use on elk. i would order some lapua 185 scenar ammo. finnish rifle. finnish ammo.

Just curious- what made you decide not to reload for your .300 Winchester?

It’s been a while since I shot factory ammo, but when I did my .300 shot the blue box Federal (as said before with the Hot Core bullet) well- as well as the Federal Premium loading with the 180-grain Partition.

This

How far do you shoot, as in… why do you want the most accurate load?

The most accurate load won’t be realized until you shoot it.

+1

One of my buddies has used Barnes factory ammo in a couple of cartridges and it has been the most accurate ammo he has used in those rifles.

405wcf

Blue box Federal will be more than good enough for your needs.

Bingo. I'd also be more focused on choosing the right bullet and not giving in to a lesser bullet that's not going to perform as well, just because it is more "accurate".

I haven’t found any factory loads that don’t shoot under an inch out of my Sako A7. 😁

Every rifle is different, so you won't know the most accurate one for your rifle until you test them all. But how accurate is accurate enough for you? Once you answer that, I'd still test a number of factory loads in case your favorite gets scarce. I'd start with the cheap stuff since it tends to be the easiest to find.


Okie John

Several years ago I bought some Norma factory ammo featuring the Oryx bullets. At the time components were next to impossible to find, the Obamanation years. Bought the ammo mostly for the brass but have been pleased with the performance. Of course you may just have to go with what you can find. These came from MidwayUSA and I was on a waiting list for quite some time but was in no hurry so could afford to wait.

I would love to find some precision hunters for my 300WM

That’s where I’d start. If 180 Accubonds don’t shoot I’d try 180 Partitions next.

I have two very experienced friends who love the Barnes Vortex 180 TTSX in their Sendero 300 WM. Even for deer.

My Kimber Montana in 300 Win mag. Was very happy with these loads.
And by the way, rifle is for sale.

My Tikka 338 win mag loves Barnes 225gr TTSX.

Barnes 180 grain TTSX in my 300 wins have always been super accurate. Never tried anything else.

Last year I used 180gr Federal trophy bonded tipped on a nilgai. Very accurate in the Remington 700 sps i bought just for that hunt because the outfitter insisted on a 300 win mag. High shoulder shot, nilgai collapsed, bullet was a pass thru. You might give them a try.

Many are plenty accurate for most hunting. And unless you've spent plenty of time and resources on practicing long range, just don't.

The .300WM with 200gr partitions is pretty tough to beat both performance and accuracy in mine. With that said though, the 200gr ELD-X, or similar would be fine.

If you do the math for how far you plan to shoot, half the size of the vitals, you'll know how accurate your choice will need to be.

180gr TTSX .72 inch group at 100yds. dead elk no bullets recovered enrtance and exit holes

have had great accuracy with 180 grain accubonds and they work great on elk, moose and mtn goats

Really amazing that most are not referencing FACTORY loadings

It amazes me that people don't know you can take 5 boxes of about any commercial brand ammo with the same type and weight bullet, shoot them all in the same rifle, and most of them will have a different POI accuracy.

Nosler 180 Accubonds or Barnes 180/165 TTSX is where I would start.

I have no input,, other than I realized that I have owned and shot my 300 WM since 1988 and cannot ever remember firing a factory round. There are a couple of unfired boxes of factory ammo on the shelf as well as a couple 100 pieces of new brass., and several hundred bullets, but not one fired factory case. ?

I bought a new Weatherby in .300 mby. mag. about 20 years ago and shot both 180 and 200 grain weatherby factory ammo in it and they were both sub minute groups. My latest and favorite have been 180 grain Swift Scirocco and they are the same. My rifle was not glass bedded when it was new of course but it is now. That didn't seem to improve it but it might yours if it's not. I realize you don't have a wood stock but even at that it might help.

You dont want to spend $1,000 trying to find the best reloads? I wouldn't neither. However, if you can even find so much as 5 boxes of factory loads your cost will surely be $300 anyway. I have always found little difference in accuracy in my reloads. Seems a good barrel shoots everything good enough for hunting.

Winchester Model 70 Classic Stainless 300 Win Mag: Federal Blue Box 180 Grain Gave me 5 shots in an inch square on the target, waited for the barrel to cool down for 30 minutes, put another one in that 1" group.

Ruger M77 Mark II 300 Win Mag, Shoots the same federal blue box 180's to around an 1", but I can get well under an inch with Fiocci 180 grain. I believe these are loaded with Hornaday bullets.

I’ve never had a Sako that wouldn’t shoot an inch or better. I load 165 TTSX for mine, probably gonna drop down to 150’s, only hunt deer.

Federal terminal ascent 200 gr.

Agree with Nosler trophy grade accubond 180's.

185 gr Berger HVLD from hsm.

The PH eldx are insanely sub MOA. I've killed several with em, but have moved away. They work great at longer range (400+), but have grown leary inside of that.

I’m in “the best bullet” camp too. I’d pick my ideal hunting bullet then the ammo for my 3 flavors of 300 mag - WSM, Win Mag, Weatherby, that bullet is the 180 grain TTSX from Barnes. It takes away angle limitations as far as I can hit an elk.

Buddy has very good accuracy w/the Hornady Precision Hunter 200gn ELD-X ammo from a SS Sako 75 in 300Win. He shot 1 Mule Deer w/the combo and is now back to looking @ stouter projectiles. He's owned the rifle since the late 90's and has shot quite a bit of game with it, as such can make informed opinions when switching components. He's back to Handloading 200gn Accubonds and Partitions.

Mine likes Remington Core Lokt 180 grain.

Almost always in several rifles I've seen them used in.

Nosler has a 300 Win. Mag. load with the 200 grain Nosler Partition bullet; loaded to about the same velocity as I use in my 30-06.

2750 fps. with a 200 grain Partition, is good stuff for most anything.

federal 200 grain terminal accent or hornady 200 eld x