Probably the most successful of the WSM lineup but that still doesn't make it a going concern. So is the 300WSM still viable and worth having or is it a flop?

Myself, I always have a 30-30 and 308win, and some form of a 338 around. Recently I've added an 270win and 30-06 so I really have it all covered. Seems it's an hard sell when I already have the 30-06 or can fire 185gr or 200gr out of one of my 338's.

Now the weird part. I picked one up and it's going to an nephew so I guess he's stuck with it. The other nephew is getting an really nice 1953 Winchester M70 30-06. Hope I didn't mess up getting the WSM for one of them.

I wanted to like it but when it’s almost online ordering only ammo….I will pass…..

I see ammo at Cabelas, but not Walmart. It does seem to be getting more and more expensive, but even so, it'll never really go away. Too many rifles out there and too many western guys who still only want short actions.

There's been 228 threads on here about it.

The answer is no.

I havent seen a WSM caliber rifle on the gun shelves in a long time

I don't think its a dead duck. I bought one a few years after they came out. My gunsmith said he liked the fact that the head spaces off of the case shoulder, instead of the belted head space design of the 300 WM. So I thought I'll give one a shot.
I have killed a couple of elk, a dozen or so WT deer and as many pigs with it. It's a good all around caliber imo. I just buy ammo online, I have not had any problems getting it. However lately I find myself grabbing a lightweight 270 when I go hunting.

If there is such thing as an inherently accurate cartridge the 300 wsm is it. I've had many rifles chambered in 300 wsm and most shot incredibly well.

Bb

I've never shot one.

A moot point, the belt on a 300WM has not been used for head space for decades

Great answer^^^

I'd be looking for a different gunsmith. Or at least one that knows wtf he's talking about..

Agreed....And I have owned a dozen or so bolt action rifles chambered in .300 WSM and I like the cartridge its not hard to reload for, the only reason I dont own one at the moment is I sold off all my powder hogs but I will most likely buy another soon as I miss My Magnums 😁......Hb

At one-point Hornady used the 300 WSM cartridge as the basis for accuracy testing their 30 caliber bullets. They found it to be the most accurate 30 caliber cartridge. I'm assuming that is still the case.

I had one for a while and liked it. I just didn't need that much power for anything I'll ever hunt and had a chance to sell mine at a profit. I let it go, but if I ever felt the need for anything with a magnum headstamp that is the one I'd buy.

Sometimes it takes time for some cartridges to catch on. The 300 WSM is just over 20 years old. The 270 was a dead duck at 25 years old and almost dropped from production before Jack O'Connor started writing about it.

The lawsuit over the rights to the cartridge hurt all of the WSM's. After Winchester was forced to pay royalties on each rifle sold, they stopped pushing them. Even though they were required to keep making them as part of the settlement. Those royalties are why almost no other manufacture made them which also hurt. In fact, the only reason Ruger developed their RCM cartridges and Remington their SAUM cartridges was to avoid paying royalties. Very few people understood what its advantages were, and Kimber was the only manufacturer to ever make a rifle designed around of the cartridge's capabilities.

One of these days someone will figure out that it makes a darn good accurate, lightweight mountain rifle cartridge giving 98% of the 300 WM performance, from shorter barrels, but with manageable recoil even from a rifle that is 1-2 lbs lighter than a typical 300 WM. Once people figure that out it should start making a comeback.

Sounds about right. I wasn’t even aware of that lawsuit until the time limit was about over. IIRC Remington designed the SAUMs around the stubby M7. I don’t discount the desire for an in-house design either.

Also to be considered I think, is that not all that many have much use for a rifle more powerful than a .30/06, so once the market is satisfied for a time, demand will slack off. Of course Loonys will point out that you don’t have to run a mag full blast, but as JB has pointed out pretty often, most hunters and shooters aren’t handloaders, so are stuck with factory.

I was looking at a used rifle at a local lgs some years back. Was at their cleaning bench giving it a lick and a wipe as well as a patch through the bore. They come out ahead letting me clean them up as I check them out even when I don't buy it. Anyway I'm cleaning one and this western style dressed dude came in saw me working on the gun and asked where the 300wsm ammo was I pointed him in the right direction. So he goes over to the rack and picks up 3 boxes of 180 gr Npt Fed premiums and then found an inexpensive leather sling. Hauled his stuff over to the register and paid for it with 2 c notes. Got back less than 20 in change and left. This was 7-8 years a go before stuff really got jacked in price. I never have been able to forget it, it brought a completely simple understanding of the saying
" Has more money than sense" to me. At the time you could have bought 3 boxes of Fed Premiums in 30-06 for less than 75 bucks. Even wallyworld handled 300 WM ammo back then. Just something I never forgot that idea of 300 wsm owners having more money than sense. Flame away God damn it..mb

I use the brass for 7 WSM. If a 300WSM rifle I found to be cool came my way for a fire sale price, it'd have a home. As for ammo price, the only centerfire rifle stuff I've shot up in the last ten years in any real quantity has been LC head stamped 5.56 stuff. Most of that was bought at about $6 a box.

I've never seen anyone use one

With the prevalence of reloading now, I'm not sure a cartridge can truly die unless brass is impossible?

I have a 270 and a 300 WSM. Both are very accurate, 300 is a touch less recoil than a 300 Win Mag loaded to the same velocity in two Remington 700’s. I think they are great, depends on what you like. I have 300 H&H and 300 wby’s also. Toss them up in the air, use whichever one that falls in your head.


You can always load them down to 30-06 speeds if you felt the need??

I bought my first WSM, a 7mm used not long ago. Now that I've spent some time building loads and shooting the rifle, I would buy a 300 if the right deal came along.

I have had one since it was introduced. It shoots well and It hits hard.

I know a couple of people who have 300wsm rifles. Because the guy at bass pro recommended it.

Right there is reason enough to own one . . . . . .

I have had several 300 wizzums built and it's become one of my favorite calibers. I have sold all my 300 win mags, but if I lived somewhere I couldn't get ammo, maybe I would still have one. They're all fine calibers.

Most everyone I know buys ammo by the case online, anyway, or loads it at home, but I've never had a hard time finding 300 wsm ammo locally when there wasn't a shortage.

If by “dead” one means a lack of brass and factory loads, then all the wsm’s are dead. Covid shutdowns was the nail in the coffin. The vast majority of hunters and shooters do not reload, or so says the online stuff I read. Who wants a wsm when you can’t find a rifle so chambered and dam sure can’t find ammo. Then consider what is available now. My lone Walmart has stacks of 270 win, 308, 30-06 ammo and a local sporting goods store has a few rifles in the same chamberings. If one reloads ammo is a non issue, but most don’t. I had a 300 wsm as a dedicated elk rifle. It killed 2 or 3 elk just fine, but no better than the 30-06 it replaced, so I sold it. Seems to me it all comes down to what the ammo manufacturers are producing. From where I sit, and what’s available in my area, the wsm’s are dead. Ymmv

One gets a pre-64 M70?? The other gets a 300WSM??

The only way to be more obvious about your disdain for this nephew, would be to get him a Remington 710 or 770.

You gonna put a Barska scope on that 300WSM, too??

A friend of mine has one in a Kimber Montana. He wont shoot it, says it recoils too much.

Wow! He must really be recoil sensitive! I had a couple of Montana's chambered in .300 WSM and i thought they were pretty mild in the recoil department, maybe 30-06ish level of recoil.....Hb

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/03/2010-f-open-champion-derek-rodgers/

This has been my experience also. The Montana stock does seems to mitigate recoil fairly well. The extra weight of the 8400 also helps.

I do have an Remington 710 actually. LOL! It's true one gets an nice pre-64 30-06 but the other will get the 300WSM and it's an Nosler 48.

Myself I use 308win and 338's but lately have gotten into 270win and 30-06 and I that suits me but I'll be loading ammo for the kids. I have plenty of components but it's the brass that scares me most fornthe WSM line.

Don't have an Barska optic but maybe I'll look into one and learn more about them.

I don’t think mine is bad at all, it’s a 700.

True, but it takes up magazine space and is otherwise useless unless the cartridge lacks shoulders, thinking 300 H&H

Say what you want and think as you like but the 300 win mag will still be used when the 300 prc is forgotten. Ammo availibility and a huge pile of new and used 300 win mag guns ready to go. Mb

Yep! Nothing but hype and $$$$$

Well, ok. A Nosler 48 is nothing to sneeze at!!!

This is probably true.

There is probably some correlation of the perceived “decline” in the 300WSM and the popularity of the 6.5 manbun… I haven’t owned either but a 300 magnum of any variation is hardly required for 95% deer hunters.

I prefer to keep getting it done with with a .470 bolt face.

About as dead as the 30 30 .

It's about the only centerfire I grab anymore.

I've thought about building another one because I've got a lifetime of ammo.

Winchester's lack of providing reloaders with brass is not helping the cause much.

If vast majority of hunters aren't reloaders were is all the powder going that hits the internet and LGS's.
As far as brass buy 100 pieces of ADG it will last the life of the barrel and forget about the Win junk.

I'm betting that it will be a survivor but maybe not overly popular. Hope so cause I recently bought a BLR in this round but right now thinking I'll just use factory ammo if I find one with acceptable accuracy. haven't shot it yet.

If you build one use a med or long action for the heavies and don't look back. Tikka is the best factory action and put a brake on it.

I've owned several, seems to me to be about best all around cartridge for the 308 caliber. The only advantage I'd give to the 30-06 would be magazine capacity and feeding, long and skinny v short and fat.

I have one, it doesn't even have a scope on it now. I may send it down the road. Not because its a WSM, but because it's not getting any love it deserves.. As a cartridge, I love the 300WSM. All of them I have shot have been extremely accurate/precise. That's by design. Kind of like the creedmire. They are a good efficient design. At the time, or earlier, people were doing a lot of wildcats based off the .404 Jeffery. Winchester got the smart idea to go shorter, instead of longer like some crazed magnum fans went. It was a success. The 300WSM more so than any of the others. Its brothers are dying, but the 300 still has a good following.. What I don't get is Winchester would rather bring out another cartridge (6.8 Western) that so closely resembles another that is fn dead (270WSM). They are grasping at straws when they need to pull their heads out their azz instead..

They are fn idiots. Bringing out other cartridges now is a prime example. They should focus on other things that make more sense and benefit people, rather than hindering them..

Most should be handloading their ammo. Most here should be handloading and most probably do. Same can be said for weatherby ammo. If you want to hunt with a gun and save your pennies and not have to handload your ammo, buy an old 30-30 and 22lr and sell off all of your rifles. You can find that ammo at wally world too. $24/box. I handload 300WSM for less money... Just sayin. I have a buddy that bought the schidt to handload ammo and he has bought countless boxes of 300WSM ammo at $65+/box. Its his money, but I think its stupid as fu ck. I'll still catch him buying factory ammo. Its stupid, unless its your only option to getting reloadable brass. I had to do that with a rifle I bought a few days ago. 204 Ruger brass is not going to be found locally, but the shop owner I bought my rifle from threw in 2 boxes of ammo for an extra $50. That's 50rounds/box, so it was a pretty good deal for that ammo. Now I can reload it too....

JMHO, but I think the .300 WSM is misunderstood. While it is true the .300 WSM is accurate, shoots flat, and hits hard without excessive recoil, the true beauty of the cartridge is that these great ballistics will fit in a short action, giving a hunter a highly effective and easy-to-carry rifle. Meaning, any conversation that focuses only on the ballistics without mentioning the rifle misses the point of the .300 WSM. For example, just about the best factory-produced mountain elk rifle is a Kimber Montana in .300WSM. But it is the rifle package that makes the .300 WSM great.

Sorry but short action doesn't mean schidt. Unless you have T rex arms and can't operate a bolt with an extra 1/2" movement. Some guys are used to short stroking it. Tikka is a prime example that proves long action rifles can perform every bit as good as a short action and be light weight too. Short action proves nothing. Also some guys say the belt takes up more room in the magazine. All the 300WSM rifles I've owned have a 3 round mag capacity. My pre 64 300wby and 338wm hold 4 in the magazine. My 308 Norma will hold 5, but its a beast, built off of a M1917.

Like I mentioned, the .300 WSM is surrounded by misunderstanding. The short action is about saving weight, not short stroking.

I sold my Remington SPS 300 WSM in a weak moment. It accounted for 18 African plains game animals and 3 New Zealand animals. I used it to take a very nice mountain goat here in Montana. Had no more than approx. 150 round count. It shot sub 1” groups off the bench. I should be horse whipped for my stupidity. I sold it as a package of rifle, components, dies and load information. MISTAKE! MTG

Gladly!

I missed out on the release from ADG.

I'd cash buy any you had extra!

3 ozs? Like I said, not hardly even worth mentioning. At one time it mattered, when every action was a tank. Now they have trim lightweight standard action rifles. How much does a long action Kimber weigh vs. the short action? I can pizz more than what the difference is..

Sorry I do not. I bought 100 pieces of ADG for my 6.5x300wsm.
Get on all the notifications you can next time around.

That's a helluva rifle Shinbone! Man, I'd tend to agree that'll be the top of the mountain sorta elk rifle that carries alot and fired once.

3 ozs? This didnt sound right to me so I looked at Kimbers website and according to the specs the Mountain Ascent chambered in .300 WSM the weight is 5lbs 12ozs for the same rifle chambered in .300 Win the weight is 6lbs 7ozs so we are talking nearly 3/4lb not just 3 ozs.......Hb

beretzs - Thanks! A tick over 5-1/2 lbs loaded and ready to hunt is pretty sweet. I am super happy with it. Except for the big bears, this rifle is great for anything in North America. Even for antelope, which certainly don't need a big 30 cal to knock down, but where I hunt them it is always windy, and so a fast heavy bullet helps hit where I aim.

I don't blame you a danged bit. Your rifle looks about perfectly matched to everything you mentioned. Pretty hard to hate a rifle with so much performance for no penalty on the weight!

A .300 WSM with a 22-23” barrel is very handy. I have had a few and really like the cartridge. I’m considering a 20” to use with a suppressor for a light backpack rifle.

The 300 Whizzum is rather anemic,compared to a 7 Whizzum,as are all other extrapolations of said bore diameters,in similar case capacity. Hint..................

I gave one to my grandson in a lightweight hunter Savage shoots fine brass is a pain to find & magazine capacity is 2. My son bought the 300 Win mag in a Tikka it shoots fine & brass is a pain.

He put a muzzle brake on it because he is a recoil sissy. He gets laughed at by me & his boy but the grandson is left tackle on HS football team & 6’4 250lbs so not recoil shy. I’ve recommended them as a great one rifle for everything when people ask & nobody’s complained yet.

The dumber you are and the less you know,see and do...the "better" the 300 Whizzum is. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!..............

I Agree...either one of these cartridges are an excellent choice for an all-around hunting rifle 👍......Hb

You ladies joint "experience" wth said chambering,wouldn't fill a 20rd box full of empties. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!..................

I have one in a semi custom.
Old Fajen or (?) thumbhole stock, push feed Winchester model 70 long action, open to a Magnum bolt face, and a bench rest culled, Lilja 3 groove stainless heavy barrel.
Recoil is fine, a little more I feel, than a 300 wsm laminated I had, and put a McMillan edge stock on, and stupidly sold it here.
My now past machinist buddy built this for me, so it's a keeper.
It's heavy. Wears a Leupold 6-18x40 lrv reticle.
Shot an antelope with it, so it has drawn blood.
I've settled on long range bullets for it.
Nosler 165 gr solid bases.
It'll eat a ragged hole, if I do my part.
It sits now. Haven't shot it in years.
Finding I have more toys than I play with.

I've more than a "few" from 22 to 30" and they pale to ALL things 7mm...if only because bullets matter WAYYYYYY more than headstamps. Hint.



Nuzzler Solid Bases are junk in 150,165 and 180. Hint.

Fhuqking laughing!...........

My rifle shoots them well, I have a bunch of them, and I'm not shooting it.
So it's all fine by me.
And I too like 7mm things.
From 7-08, to 7x64, to a Magnum or 2, and some more in between.
7mm's just fly so nicely !

I absolutely love my 300wsm, although I never hunt with it. I grab 7-08,308, 6.5 that are short and light. I shot my biggest deer with 300wsm. It’s also one of my my consistently accurate rifles. 1/2” gun when I do my part. Sub inch even if Stevie Wonder shoots it. Sako Finnlight bedded in a McMillan Sako Hunter stock. Absolute hammer.

You have no idea how accurate that statement is. I’ve not shot that rifle 20 times in last 5-6 years. When I do, it goes where the little cross thingy is in my scope.

I love the .300WSM. The relatively abundant brass keeps my 7WSMs fed and shooting. I don’t own a rifle chambered in .300WSM, but I own plenty of brass.

If my (6) 7 Whizzum's could read,they'd assuredly think they was 300's. Happiness is a positive headspaced false shoulder and Wicked BC Magfed Smoches from a 3.00"+ COAL blind box...though I've only got a Trio of Montucky's chambered same. Hint.




A 26" 300 Super(300 Weatherby Improved),cain't begin to keep pace with a 24" 7 Whizzum at 3" COAL and a .796 BC. Hint.



Though fortunately,Imagination and Pretend are free,so even The Google Gals can "afford" to "contribute". To their perpetual combined chagrin,some folks still actually fhuqking shoot. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!...............

Brother, that’s called prostitution from where I come from.

Grins

🦫

Stick - obviously not a magnum, but genuinely curious what you think about the 7x64. I sold one (when I got a new 280) and have regretted it ever since.

300 WSM ?
awesome low recoil choice for the gals & kids in the family, for typical moose hunting distances, have 3 Tikka T3 Lite's in 300 WSM for the kids, all have killed moose that put them in the 60" club

still don't see how grown adult men bitch about recoil in a 300 WSM ! a true WTF ? moment every time I hear or see that nonsense, watched the 14 year old, 90 lb kid empty a box of 200 gr hot handloads without any complaints, then ya see guys crying about factory 180 gr recoil .... makes no sense

Every since the 300wizzum was introduced back in 2001 it has sold pretty consistently in my neck of the woods, and today it still has a fairly strong following.

I have bought and sold all four of the WSM's over the years... and have another T3x coming from Finland...
R17..., warne steel T3 mounts and a Swaro Z5 2.4-12x50 is awaiting its arrival. Happy days!

The 300 Whizzum is HILARIOUS,because some can conjure "200gr hot handloads"...the "lucky" kchunts. Hint. Congratulations?!?

Fhuqking LAUGHING!...........

for a Creediot who drools and wets himself over 143 gr ELDX bc at 2800 fps, one would think you'd understand that a 200.20x bullet at 2950 fps is a LOT more potent than that crap and "hotter" than any 180 gr factory WSM ammo

Reloder 26, ADG brass, 200.20x bullets seated out to kiss the lands and Fed 215's are like Jimi said ..... "Excuse me, while I kiss the sky"

BUT... that might just be too much recoil for ya little fella, best "stick" to the mini cartridges that don't hurt ya

Sweetheart,

"Factory" 180 .796 BC 7 Whizzum ammo doesn't exist,though it slaps all 30's silly...you "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulations?!?

Bless your heart for TRYING though.

Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!...............

was comparing factory 300 WSM ammo vs my handloads ...
not your 7 mm with wHornady [bleep] bullets, Alaskan game deserves a better & more honorable death than by wHorenady garbage

in my world I shoot 7mm 195 and 197 gr bullets at 3250-3300 fps, not something your pea brain can imagine without terror over recoil, I'm used to seeing 1.0 bc and above as "high bc" .796 bc is nowhere near high bc unless you're a friggin Creediot shooting the little pansy cartridges because "recoil & barrel life" cause you night terrors and bed wetting

So you are saying 195gr Berger bullet and 197gr SMK are better than Hornady for hunting in Alaska?

I sure like mine! But I will say its like alot of other cartridges. Its just as good as some, better than others and not as good as a few.

Norma has their 180gr Bonded Tip on sale for $45. Shot 1/2" out of my Classic 70 and at 3080fps with .615 BC it's a killer on anything that walks out to 900yds...what's not to like.

JT

Got ahold of 60 pieces of brass 300WSM. I'll load some up for the kids and see what it's like. I don't want to be sending spendy hunting bullets initially but have an bunch of old Nosler Ballistic tips and Hornady SST to use up. I'll let them try those initially and then look at some elk bullets.

I've killed lots of things with the ballistic tips and SST Hornady but it was in 308win velocity window and a lot of that was out of the Ruger scout rifle with its abbreviated barrel. I'm certain the 300WSM is a bit harder on bullets where the little 308 is boringly reliable and kind.