I'm shooting a .300 win mag this year as well. I bought the Hornady Superperformance 180gr. We'll see how that kills em.
Jiminy christmas, man, a .300 maggie for lil ol' bambi? 
Probably your 150s or 165s/168s in lighter load configs are your best bests. I'd run with 165s in a .300 maggie, for your best balance of trajectory but retaining enough penetration. In a .30-06 or .308 I'd run with 150s for whitetail, but 150s are going so fast from a .300 maggie that you might not get the penetration you're looking for, if you hit a shoulder blade or other big bone, from a non-premium bullet. With a Nosler partition or TBBC, stuff like that, 150s all the way on whitetails, even in a maggie. But probably 165s with most bullets are the sweet spot for a win mag on deer - they also have nice BCs.
In a premium all-copper bullet like Barnes TSX or MRX, then I'd even add 130s to the list along with 150s & 165/168s, due to sectional density and consistently holding together.
180 or 200s? Nah. Why sacrifice your laser-like trajectory out at the 200 yards you mention, that comes with a 150-165, to gain nothing for it (except extra recoil & cost), and in fact possibly even lose expansion/shock value?
Maaaaybe 180s with a very lightly constructed bullet with thin jacket like a Nosler ballistic tip or other similar ballistic tip. You want them to open up, not drill right through. 200s, no way. It's not a grizzly bear, man!
In the old days, 220s were for elk and up. Now, with premium bullets, 180s and such are fine for elk and up, and the lighter ones are more suited to whitetails, mulies, sheep & goats. At least that's my understanding. I wasn't around in the old old days. I think *most* people use 150s on deer for .30 cals *generally*, but not sure about the most commonly used in .300 maggies.
Likely they'll ALL work just fine if you hit them right. But if the brush is really thick, such that it's very important to drop them without tracking (or at least try to), then I'd want to go lighter - either a 150 or lighter lightly-constructed ballistic tip with neck shot (hammer of thor), or a 165 light to medium-constructed bullet and thus be ready for anything - neck or lung shot from any angle. But these are just my opinions - I've never hunted deer with any .300. Usually a .243 win, .260 rem, 6.5x55 swede, .25-'06, or .270 win w/130s. This year I'm gonna try a .280 rem with 139 Hornady SSTs (which is a slightly-stronger-than-average ballistic tip). As you can probably tell, I likey me flat trajectory.
Matching the bullet / bullet construction WITH the velocities you actually get, and those two things in turn WITH the game and type of shot taken (neck or vitals?), is far far more important than the chambering / raw velocity itself, for purposes of increasing the chance of the DRT result mentioned. To my way of thinking, the doe that I killed but never found two years ago with a 140 grainer in 6.5x55, hit right in the lungs with a non-premium soft-pointed hunting bullet which should have expanded well, but leaving no blood trail at all, is my anecdotal "proof" that lighter is sometimes better on whitetails - shoulda used a 120 grainer. It must have drilled right through without expanding much, being heavy-for-caliber at a moderate velocity (2500-2600). To me, using a 140 in 6.5mm is analygous to using a 180-220 in a .30 cal. Maybe - possibly, too little expansion to give you a good blood trail, let alone a DRT result, on a thin-skinned, rather small animal like a whitetail.
Just remember, no matter what chambering or bullet you use, big game RUNS at least 30-50 yards *more often than not* when hit in the heart/lungs, and no matter what chambering or bullet you use, game DROPS *more often than not* when hit in the CNS or in the neck close to the CNS (spine). Go witness the youtube video of the doe shot with .50 BMG that runs awhile (about 90 yards IIRC), even with essentially no heart or lungs left, for proof of the former.**
Amen to that - can't go wrong with that advice. But, then again, to the extent that a flat trajectory helps you with your *practical* field accuracy in the wind, then given equal mechanical accuracy, the nod goes to the lighter bullets (150s or 165s), out to all reasonable hunting ranges (350 yards).
**Here, I found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okn_OS9twok
Probably your 150s or 165s/168s in lighter load configs are your best bests. I'd run with 165s in a .300 maggie, for your best balance of trajectory but retaining enough penetration. In a .30-06 or .308 I'd run with 150s for whitetail, but 150s are going so fast from a .300 maggie that you might not get the penetration you're looking for, if you hit a shoulder blade or other big bone, from a non-premium bullet. With a Nosler partition or TBBC, stuff like that, 150s all the way on whitetails, even in a maggie. But probably 165s with most bullets are the sweet spot for a win mag on deer - they also have nice BCs.
In a premium all-copper bullet like Barnes TSX or MRX, then I'd even add 130s to the list along with 150s & 165/168s, due to sectional density and consistently holding together.
180 or 200s? Nah. Why sacrifice your laser-like trajectory out at the 200 yards you mention, that comes with a 150-165, to gain nothing for it (except extra recoil & cost), and in fact possibly even lose expansion/shock value?
Maaaaybe 180s with a very lightly constructed bullet with thin jacket like a Nosler ballistic tip or other similar ballistic tip. You want them to open up, not drill right through. 200s, no way. It's not a grizzly bear, man!
In the old days, 220s were for elk and up. Now, with premium bullets, 180s and such are fine for elk and up, and the lighter ones are more suited to whitetails, mulies, sheep & goats. At least that's my understanding. I wasn't around in the old old days. I think *most* people use 150s on deer for .30 cals *generally*, but not sure about the most commonly used in .300 maggies. Likely they'll ALL work just fine if you hit them right. But if the brush is really thick, such that it's very important to drop them without tracking (or at least try to), then I'd want to go lighter - either a 150 or lighter lightly-constructed ballistic tip with neck shot (hammer of thor), or a 165 light to medium-constructed bullet and thus be ready for anything - neck or lung shot from any angle. But these are just my opinions - I've never hunted deer with any .300. Usually a .243 win, .260 rem, 6.5x55 swede, .25-'06, or .270 win w/130s. This year I'm gonna try a .280 rem with 139 Hornady SSTs (which is a slightly-stronger-than-average ballistic tip). As you can probably tell, I likey me flat trajectory.
Matching the bullet / bullet construction WITH the velocities you actually get, and those two things in turn WITH the game and type of shot taken (neck or vitals?), is far far more important than the chambering / raw velocity itself, for purposes of increasing the chance of the DRT result mentioned. To my way of thinking, the doe that I killed but never found two years ago with a 140 grainer in 6.5x55, hit right in the lungs with a non-premium soft-pointed hunting bullet which should have expanded well, but leaving no blood trail at all, is my anecdotal "proof" that lighter is sometimes better on whitetails - shoulda used a 120 grainer. It must have drilled right through without expanding much, being heavy-for-caliber at a moderate velocity (2500-2600). To me, using a 140 in 6.5mm is analygous to using a 180-220 in a .30 cal. Maybe - possibly, too little expansion to give you a good blood trail, let alone a DRT result, on a thin-skinned, rather small animal like a whitetail.
Just remember, no matter what chambering or bullet you use, big game RUNS at least 30-50 yards *more often than not* when hit in the heart/lungs, and no matter what chambering or bullet you use, game DROPS *more often than not* when hit in the CNS or in the neck close to the CNS (spine). Go witness the youtube video of the doe shot with .50 BMG that runs awhile (about 90 yards IIRC), even with essentially no heart or lungs left, for proof of the former.**
Amen to that - can't go wrong with that advice. But, then again, to the extent that a flat trajectory helps you with your *practical* field accuracy in the wind, then given equal mechanical accuracy, the nod goes to the lighter bullets (150s or 165s), out to all reasonable hunting ranges (350 yards).
**Here, I found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okn_OS9twok
If a .300 win is too much gun then I suppose you believe that a 7mm mag and .30-06 is too much as well?Basically same weight bullet and less than 300fps separating the 3 caliburs!
During black powder I shoot a 250gr bullet with the powder set at 80 and sometimes a 300 grain bullet with powder at 90-100 becuase that is what shoots good in it. During rifle season I shoot a 30-06 with a 125gr bullet.
But when it comes down to too much bullet or not, that is going to depend on where you hit them. Bullet placement means everything on deer.
But when it comes down to too much bullet or not, that is going to depend on where you hit them. Bullet placement means everything on deer.
It's not "too much gun" - no such thing really (see the video I linked to above of the .50 BMG doe - worked fine, and still mostly all the meat is left).
It IS "more than necessary", but also "just fine & dandy." Whatever floats your boat. Some guys get off on recoil and have deep pockets for ammo. Me, I have had shoulder injuries and am on a tight budget. No right or wrong answer - I was just razzin him, as I do my friends who show up to deer camp with a .300 Weatherby mag, etc. Heck, use a .50 BMG if you feel like it so you can see daylight through the deer's chest like in that video.
And I ain't got nothing against 7mm Rem mag, except that .280 rem does the same thing when not loaded to dumbed-down factory velocities, except that you don't have to pay MORE for cases that come WITH a stupid belt on them. I'd pay more to NOT have the belt. Why would I pay extra to GET the belt and reduce my case life length?
I ain't got nothing against .30-06 either, except that .280 rem does the same thing, with better ballistic coefficient, and better sectional densities in the same weight (or another way to look at it, better velocites with the same BC & SD).
Can you tell I love the .280? To me, .280 rem and .260 rem (or 6.5x55) are your 'goldilocks' long-range all-purpose chamberings, for hunting use, all things considered.
YMMV.
It IS "more than necessary", but also "just fine & dandy." Whatever floats your boat. Some guys get off on recoil and have deep pockets for ammo. Me, I have had shoulder injuries and am on a tight budget. No right or wrong answer - I was just razzin him, as I do my friends who show up to deer camp with a .300 Weatherby mag, etc. Heck, use a .50 BMG if you feel like it so you can see daylight through the deer's chest like in that video.
And I ain't got nothing against 7mm Rem mag, except that .280 rem does the same thing when not loaded to dumbed-down factory velocities, except that you don't have to pay MORE for cases that come WITH a stupid belt on them. I'd pay more to NOT have the belt. Why would I pay extra to GET the belt and reduce my case life length?
I ain't got nothing against .30-06 either, except that .280 rem does the same thing, with better ballistic coefficient, and better sectional densities in the same weight (or another way to look at it, better velocites with the same BC & SD).
Can you tell I love the .280? To me, .280 rem and .260 rem (or 6.5x55) are your 'goldilocks' long-range all-purpose chamberings, for hunting use, all things considered.
YMMV.
I have killed deer with a 300wsm, 300winmag, and 7mm remington mag. I like the 150 or 165 grain nosler ballistic tips out of the 30 calibers. It seems the bonded bullets or barnes or fusion bullets just poke nice clean holes and dont leave a good blood trail. If the shot is good it doesnt matter because the deer doesnt go far. I shot an elk with the 300wsm 180grain fusion at about 225 yards and it just poked a clean hole through both lungs and out the other side. She went about 500 yards across the field before she layed down. I think the ballistic tip would have done better, penetrated one side and all of its energy would have dissipated in the animal. The winchester ballistic silver tips do an excellent job also. I shot a 115 lb doe last year at 200 yards with the 7mag 140 grain ballistic silvertip. Hit right behind the shoulder and took out both lungs and top of the heart. Deer didnt go but about 2 steps. I have also killed deer with a 30-30 115 grain soft round nose. This deer was about 50 yards and he ran about 50 yards with blood blowing out both sides. The only white tails i've shot that the bullet didnt come out with with the muzzleloader. With the ballistic tips you can usually put your fist in the ribcage on the exit side. Some may say you're ruining meat, but really there's not much meat on the ribs of a deer.
@ Dr. Tad-I wasn't directly talking to anyone! Just saying in general! I believe that as long as it meets the wildlife dept minimum specs then use it. It's all about shot placement not the caliber.
Go with a lighter bullet. You'er going to find that 180-200gr bullets won't expand well in deer sized game at those velocities. I've seen it out of a 300win mag and saw that person lose several deer even with well placed shots. 168gr and below would be a good choice.
Man, there are a LOT of myths being repeated here!!
Unless you are shooting X bullets, FMJs or something like that, you won't have any problem with a bullet not expanding in a deer. Any cup and core bullet, even 200 grain bullets, will expand if you put it in the ribs of a deer. Lack of penetration is NOT going to be a problem, even if you punch through both shoulders.
The belt on a cartridge case does not shorten case life, after the first firing, size the case to headspace on the shoulder, just like every other bottleneck cartridge. If you are worried about case stretching on the first firing, simply neck the new case up one step oversize and then run it through the sizer die just enough so the bolt will close on the empty case. You might have a strange looking false shoulder, but it will prevent the case from headspacing on the belt. Personally, I don't worry about it and I get 6 or 7 loadings out of a case.
As far as trajectory goes, run a ballistics program and see which bullet works best at long range. Keep in mind, the biggest gremlin in long range shooting is wind drift and a heavier bullet usually wins that contest. Out to 300 yards or so, you won't see much difference in trajectory between 150 and 200 grain bullets in the 300 mag. Sight the rifle in 1.5-2" high @ 100 and go kill stuff! The guys that shoot really long range generally use heavy for caliber bullets with very high ballistic coefficients.
Unless you are shooting X bullets, FMJs or something like that, you won't have any problem with a bullet not expanding in a deer. Any cup and core bullet, even 200 grain bullets, will expand if you put it in the ribs of a deer. Lack of penetration is NOT going to be a problem, even if you punch through both shoulders.
The belt on a cartridge case does not shorten case life, after the first firing, size the case to headspace on the shoulder, just like every other bottleneck cartridge. If you are worried about case stretching on the first firing, simply neck the new case up one step oversize and then run it through the sizer die just enough so the bolt will close on the empty case. You might have a strange looking false shoulder, but it will prevent the case from headspacing on the belt. Personally, I don't worry about it and I get 6 or 7 loadings out of a case.
As far as trajectory goes, run a ballistics program and see which bullet works best at long range. Keep in mind, the biggest gremlin in long range shooting is wind drift and a heavier bullet usually wins that contest. Out to 300 yards or so, you won't see much difference in trajectory between 150 and 200 grain bullets in the 300 mag. Sight the rifle in 1.5-2" high @ 100 and go kill stuff! The guys that shoot really long range generally use heavy for caliber bullets with very high ballistic coefficients.
Not really true. I've seen Nosler and Hornady 180gr bullets from a 300 win mag not expand properly in deer and antelope shot through the rib cage. These heavy bullets in the .308cal are too dense for smaller game. Will they work, yes, are there better more reliable choices for deer, yes. I wouldn't risk losing a deer by shooting these heavy bullets. Save them for the elk.
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