Any comments on 300 Weatherby Mag?

[OH->CO]

I am the kind of guy who started rifle shooting and hunting on my own. Naturally I started with a 308 and am starting to look at the next size of calibers for larger game and more energy. I am not a reloader because I wouldn't even know where to start with that and I don't have the time with a 5 and 2 year old right now. Does the jump to a 300 weatherby mag feel like too big of a jump? I don't have a good way to go shoot the next guys rifle so I want to get some input on what others here think. Also, living in Ohio limits access to handling some of the more common western calibers.

Thanks

 

[VikingsGuy]

New guns are fun, and so are new calibers, but what is the driver for "bigger"? A .308Win with the right bullet can cleanly take all animals in the lower 48 within 500 yards. If you want flatter shooting the .270Win is a great all around western hunting cartridge. The 280AI is a little more esoteric, but there are some good factory rounds lately and this too will take care of just about everything in the lower 48. The only animal I would think about going bigger for is bison. The 7mmRemMag, 300wsm and 300winmag are of course very popular options, but not really required for deer/elk/moose. 300 Weatherby Mag is a fine cartridge but certainly not necessary and will have less factory ammo options than the 308, 270, 7mmRemMag and 300winmag. My recomendation is to use the lowest recoiling cartridge that can ethically kill the animal with a good bullet and shot placement. For this the .308 is a great lower 48 cartridge.

 

[SticksMcKinley]

I've owned a .300 WBY and while I think it's a great cartridge, I think some more info from you would be good before I can go any further. What do you plan to hunt? Why do you want the .300 WBY? Do you plan to use it with a 300 yard zero or would you prefer to make scope adjustments? Can you deal with the cost of Weatherby ammo? That's a serious question because though I'm a Weatherby fan, it just flat out ain't cheap to shoot. And with a boomer like the .300 WBY, you're going to want to put in some regular practice time with it.

 

[morley.tyler]

300Wby is a big jump in thump for the same diameter slug. If you're looking for a big badass magnum- there are others to consider. 325 and 338 come to mind. If you're looking at factory ammo and have your heart set on a 300, I'd suggest a 300 Win Mag. Kinda like a '06, in that, you can find ammo any and everywhere.
I say all this and I own both the 308 and they 300 wthby. Have some fun.

 

[noharleyyet]

New to elk I was convinced a FibreMark V 300 wby was the one. The only rifle I've ever vanquished due to range punishment.

 

[MThuntr]

If you don't reload I would strongly suggest something else just based on cost of ammo and availability. If you don't want to continue using the 308 then suggest 7mmRemMag, 30-06, 300WinMag, etc as they offer way more in availability and way less cost of ammo.

 

[rjthehunter]

Look at a 338 win mag if you want to go bigger. People talk about ammo availability, but I always just order mine online. I'm shooting 200 grain but can go down to 185 grain, or up to 250 grain. So it provides a lot of versatility.

 

[mtmuley]

If you like it and can afford to feed it, get it. mtmuley

 

[Seamaster]

If it was me with this type of decision, I would join a local sportsman's club or shooting range and hopefully get the chance to shoot another member's rifle. The 300 magnum rifles are very nice for game the size of elk but they are not absolutely needed. There is not much difference at all, and no practical difference, between a 300 Weatherby cartridge and a 300 Win Mag. The 300 WM is the more common of the two and I would choose it over the 300 Wby.

The 300 magnums will have a noticeable increase in recoil over a 308, but they have the ability to effectively use a considerably heavier bullet. A fast and heavy bullet is be somewhat more effective on the larger game. If the 300 magnum's recoil bothers you too much it might make sense to step down to something like a 7mm Rem Magnum.

 

[Jdan9]

I’ve been hunting elk with my 300 Wby for over 30 years, they don’t like it at all!!

 

[memtb]

I am the kind of guy who started rifle shooting and hunting on my own. Naturally I started with a 308 and am starting to look at the next size of calibers for larger game and more energy. I am not a reloader because I wouldn't even know where to start with that and I don't have the time with a 5 and 2 year old right now. Does the jump to a 300 weatherby mag feel like too big of a jump? I don't have a good way to go shoot the next guys rifle so I want to get some input on what others here think. Also, living in Ohio limits access to handling some of the more common western calibers.

Thanks

If you have a .308, and want to move up, consider a .338 WM. The ammo is more readily available and less expensive than the Weatherby cartridge family. The .338 WM is a great little “all around cartridge”. Once you get comfortable with it.....it may become your only hunting cartridge. memtb

 

[mtmuley]

Whatever you do, don't ask about a heavy recoiling, caliber specific possibly expensive to shoot cartridge around here. mtmuley

 

[VikingsGuy]

Whatever you do, don't ask about a heavy recoiling, caliber specific possibly expensive to shoot cartridge around here. mtmuley

No worries, next year the 416 Rigby will replace the 6.5manbun as the cool kid cartridge . . .

 

[mtmuley]

No worries, next year the 416 Rigby will replace the 6.5manbun as the cool kid cartridge . . .

No worries about what? Surprised the Creed wasn't mentioned before you did. Some shooters don't fricken care about recoil, powder burned, barrel life or cost. It happens with bullet threads too. Well the "insert bullet" is great, but you should shoot a mono. Maybe, just maybe the OP wants a .300 Weatherby. It ain't a RUM, but baby steps I guess. See what I did there? mtmuley

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

I am the kind of guy who started rifle shooting and hunting on my own. Naturally I started with a 308 and am starting to look at the next size of calibers for larger game and more energy. I am not a reloader because I wouldn't even know where to start with that and I don't have the time with a 5 and 2 year old right now. Does the jump to a 300 weatherby mag feel like too big of a jump? I don't have a good way to go shoot the next guys rifle so I want to get some input on what others here think. Also, living in Ohio limits access to handling some of the more common western calibers.

Thanks

Not at all! I just switched from 308 to a weather 300 win mag. Im not a big guy, and I barely notice the difference in recoil. Aside from trigger pull, the shot feels pretty similar.

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

Not at all! I just switched from 308 to a weather 300 win mag. Im not a big guy, and I barely notice the difference in recoil. Aside from trigger pull, the shot feels pretty similar.

My bad, thought you said winmag

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

No worries, next year the 416 Rigby will replace the 6.5manbun as the cool kid cartridge . . .

Ha ha 6.5 manbun!! Greatest comment I've ever read.

 

[Buffs35]

I inherited my .300 wby when i was 16. I've purchased smaller calibers for less recoil and cheaper ammo, but still come back to the .300. It goes boom, animals fall over.

On the other hand, I've never had to learn how to track animals. So not all positive.

 

[jryoung]

.308 and 300 WBY are the same caliber [/obnoxioussemanticguy]

Seriously though, you might want to consider what platform of a rifle do you want. Do you want a 6.5lb rifle that you can hump all over elk country easily? Then maybe the 300WBY isn't the best choice. I'd answer the following questions.

What do I want to do with it?
Where do I want to take it?
Is ammo availability at an acceptable level for me?
Is ammo price at an acceptable level for me?
What's the x factor, is it just something that I want that will make me happy?

Figure out the answer to those questions and see if it still makes sense for you.

 

[stillkickin]

The .300 Weatherby is a great cartridge for a lot of things. Have owned more than a couple of factory models and had one built.

I agree 100% with JR’s comments and advise anyone go thru that or a similar decision making process.

On the other hand, If you have an unlimited budget then just buy one. I would recommend getting a heavier rifle with a stock you are comfortable using if you plan on shooting it a lot.