300 wsm vs 30-06

[Deerhunt]

I have been kicking around the idea of buying a new gun. I would use it for deer every year and I might get a chance to go out west sometime this year and I thought that I might want to get a rifle bigger than a 243 and so I was looking at the 300wsm and 30-06 I know I want a blr cause I can't stand bolt action rifles. I have shot my uncle's blr takedown in 300wsm and it had as much kick as my Remington 7600 243. I don't know if I should give up the better long range ballistics for the more common 06. I also don't know if I should get a takedown or a regular pistol grip to match my 243.

[Wyosmith]

If you are going to buy one rifle to cover all the western states and all the game out here get the 30-06!

I own a 300 mag and have had several others too. I have killed game with them also.
I really like my 300, but I have owned various 30-06s for most of my life so I can say that I know what the real world comparison is. I have been a gunsmith for close to 5 decades now, so I have made and worked on more 300s and 30-06s than I can count.

The 30-06 is the way to go.

It covers the most ground with the less kick and weight, with more rounds and a shorter barrel, and better bore life. It does well with 130 grain bullets and also with 220 grain bullets.
It is probably still the best "one rifle for hunting almost everywhere and everything" gun ever made.

[COSteve]

What he said!!!!!!

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Yup---got over my "magnum-itis" years ago

The .270 and 30-06 will do anything you need them to do---all with lower weight--less cost and ammo available everywhere. Not to mention less recoil and muzzle blast.

In other words---What he said^^^^

[jersurf101]

I don't find my 300 wsm to have much more kick and report than my 30-06. I m a fan of the 300wsm. I shoot out to 400 yards deer and the ballistics are noticibly better with the short magnum. The ought six is a lot cheaper for ammo and I wi never give mine up.

[Deerhunt]

What about as far as getting the takedown vs the regular pistol grip

[samsmix]

The '06 will one day lift it's leg on the daisy that grows on the grave that the 300 WSM is buried in.

[Art Eatman]

The '06 if zeroed at 200 will have about two feet of drop at 400. With a 180-grain bullet, it will ruin Elmer Elk's day. Probably do okay at 500 (four-foot drop), but doping the wind is mucho important in Ma Bell country.

Yeah, the short mag will shoot a bit faster and therefore a bit flatter, but even so it ain't no laser.

[jmr40]

I used a 30-06 for 40+ years. I would no longer recommend one. Nothing wrong with it, but there are better options today. Not 100% certain 300 WSM is the best option, but it is a better round than 30-06.

The 300 WSM was never designed to compete with magnums, but to be a better 30-06. Even calling it a "magnum" was a huge marketing mistake. It is a long story, but the round was developed as a wildcat in the 1980's by Rick Jamison to beat 30-06 performance with less recoil than 300 WM. The idea was to build lighter, more compact rifles that would still reach out while keeping recoil reasonable. It does just that.

The round was initially called the 300 Jamison. Jamison approached Winchester trying to sell them his idea. They declined, but several months later introduced the 300 WSM. Jamison sued, won and now gets royalties off each rifle and box of ammo sold. This is the primary reason few rifles are chambered in it, the manufacturers don't want to pay the royalty. That agreement ends in a few years and I predict the round will see a resurgence in popularity.

The 300 WSM shoots the same bullets as 30-06, but 150-300 fps faster; about 50-100 fps slower than 300 WM. Typical 300 WM loads will have 8-10 ft lbs more recoil than 30-06. 300 WSM splits the difference with 4-5 ft lbs more recoil than 30-06. Honestly, I never notice the 4-5 ft lbs difference between my 30-06 and 300 WSM. I do notice the 8-10 ft lbs difference in recoil between 30-06 and 300 WM. Unless you're shooting 200gr or heavier bullets at ranges over 500 yards no animal will ever notice the difference between 300 WSM and 300 WM.

The real question is, do you even need 30-06. At this point in my life I'm moving toward smaller rather than larger. My 308 has 20% less recoil than 30-06 and still has enough for elk or moose at 400+ yards. About as far as I can shoot. With the bullets, powder,and optics we have today guys are killing elk at 600-700 yards with 243's and 6.5 Creedmoor's. I don't advocate such things, but it has been proven the rounds are capable at that range. There is no reason to not believe they wouldn't be just fine at "normal" hunting ranges.

My advice, forget 30-06 and 300 WSM. Buy a 7-08 or 308. Even the 260 or 6.5 Creedmoor would be viable options. The 26 calibers loaded with the better 140 gr bullets outperform 270 at ranges over 250-300 yards. Hitting harder, penetrating deeper, and shooting flatter with about 2/3 the recoil of 270. Not many complains about 270.

[Wyosmith]

"What about as far as getting the takedown vs the regular pistol grip"

I can't say for certain, but I have worked on a number of the BLR take-downs in a few different calibers. I am impressed so far. I mounted a scope and zeroed one a while back for a man on the Wind River Indian Reservation. It was a 223. I used some loads I made for my AR15 with 69 gr Sierras and at 150 yards my 5 shot group was about 1-1/8". I was impressed with that.

I own a BLR in 30-06 and it's a solid fame straight grip gun. I have it zeroed with Hornady 220 grain round nose bullets and it's capable of MOA groups. So I like it very much, but if I were going to buy a new BLR, the one I like best would be a 7-08 with a pistol grip and take-down feature.

I have no need for it, but I like it, so that's a good enough reason for me to get one, if one comes along.

[eastbank]

i have a friend who shoots a remington light weight 700 in 300 win., and it,s his only centerfire big game rifle. he loads for it and has loads for every thing from whitetail to large bear, his deer load is a 165gr bullet at 2800 fps and his bear load is a 190 gr bullet at 3000 fps. he has killed both deer and bear for years with no problems. its not a target rifle, but i has seen him shoot 4-5" groups at 300 yards. yes it does kick with the top loads. eastbank.

[natman]

The short action BLR is a decent handling rifle. The long action BLR handles like a fence post.

It's not often I recommend against the 30-06, but this is an exception. Get the 300 WSM because of the rifle.

[disseminator]

I have a 300 WSM in a Model 70 Featherweight and let me tell you, it's a sweet rifle. I shot my buddies X-Bolt in 30-06 and I swear his has more recoil than my 300. It's no different to me than my 308.

Contrary to popular opinion which states that 300 WSM is no good for bullets over 180 grains, mine shoots 210 Accubond LR and 200 Barnes LRX like laser beams.

If you like the BLR and it's available to you in 300 WSM I say get one.

Just be aware, the ammo cost is higher with the WSM. I reload for it and new brass is very expensive, especially when compared to the 06.

[T. O'Heir]

"...300 WSM vs 30-06..." You want a long action or a short. The rest makes no difference. Except for availability in small places. .30-06 is everywhere. Any WSM may not be.
And calling WSM cartridges, 'Magnum', is marketing. Magnum's in general are not required for any game in North America. Probably the best BS marketing plan in history though.
"...and therefore a bit flatter..." Yep. A whole 4" with No$ler factory. Just enough energy at 400. 40" drop at 500 with ok energy. Like a brick at 600 to 69" drop.
Mind you, you the average shooter 400 is waaaaay too far with either cartridge. Absolutely too far with a lever action. They're just not made for long range shooting.

[RC20]

Wyosmith

My cut and quote is not workibng (away from home on a strange machine)

Other than its the 30-06 cartridges is the best, not the rifle, entire agreement.

Don't get me wrong, I hunted with a 7mm. I came to the conclusion I would have been as well off with the 06.

Fortunately the time I got into I don not have the cartridges to go hunting like I thought I did, I was in large town and I could get 7mm.

And once you have a cartridge from 308 on up for larger N American game, its the shooter and not the cartridge that drives the results (below that its a good shooter that really knows what they are doing)

That said, an assist to the 30-06 is a an easier shooter, more practice with that gun in your chosen caliber.

I know the 06 never set out to be the best cartridge ever, but it was and is.

Not because its the best purely technically , but because its good, widely available , capable , good all around capability with wide bullet choices etc.

Personally what I thing is the all around technical best is 7.5 Swiss. I think it split the line between the magnums, short magnums (which it sort of is) and the 280/308/270 group.

But its not wide spread and readily available and not produced in starndard World Wide guns which is the final trump for the 06.

[natman]

I know I want a blr cause I can't stand bolt action rifles..... I also don't know if I should get a takedown or a regular pistol grip to match my 243.

There's an awful lot of advice given on the relative merits of the cartridges, and not enough answering the questions the OP asked. Given the criteria of a Browning BLR, IMO the 300 WSM is the only way to go because it fits in the short action version, which handles far better than the long action and weighs 1/2 pound less to boot.

As far as the takedown feature, it depends how badly the OP needs it. It costs a couple of hundred bucks more and I've haven't seen a takedown system yet that improved the accuracy and durability of a gun. It's handy, but IMO, unless the OP really needs to carry the rifle in the smallest possible container he should get the regular version and put the money towards a good scope.

[RC20]

Point taken and I was trying to figure out what a BLR was so you cleared that up.


I don't BLR from anything, so, they come in short and long actions and the recoil in 300 WSM sounds l ok/good choice and check the area to be sure it has ammunition for it.

I don't know a lot about the WSM either.

My manuals are about 1500 air miles away!

So, as I don't know anything cancel what I said and carry on!

I am puzzled why anyone hates bolt actions, I can see a preference but am curious what a bolt action did to the OP to tick him off so much.

It would seem a bolt is better for a WSM than a lever, but what do I know?

ADDED:
I did a bit of checking as I have always been fascinated by but did not want to buy a lever action (the 1898 or whatever it was in large calibers was a shock to me many years ago as I did not know they built them in that)

Anyway the weight difference is half a pound.

I did a bit more sleuthing. About the only advantage the 30-06 has is its wider spread availability .

One caveat would be it needs to be loaded to good velocity in the bullet choice to do the job. If the low recoil is due to downloads, then it won't cut it out West

[Deerhunt]

I know for sure that the low recoil wasn't due to downloads because my uncle does not reload. The only reason I would consider the takedown model is because my uncle offered to sell me his in 300wsm at $1300 with a scope which is $100 more than what I paid for my 243 blr with a scope. He bought it cause he thought he was going to be able to go out west but then work moved him to north Carolina where the deer are the size of large dogs. So he wants to get a 243 or 22-250 for out there.

[natman]

The only reason I would consider the takedown model is because my uncle offered to sell me his in 300wsm at $1300 with a scope

That had better be a really nice scope....

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...0WSM+Stainless

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...weight+300+WSM

[Deerhunt]

He paid about $1400 for it new in box plus a $400 scope

[RC20]

After doing a bit of research and thinking about it.

My only issue would the accuracy of a lever action let alone a LA and takedown gun.

200 Yards not likely an issue, but as the cartridge is very capable and the use to be utilized over the whole range out to 600+ if you can shoot that, then its?

Again I don't know much about the BLR but that would inhibit me, but I don't hate bolt action rifles.

Better use of it would seem to be in a 26 inch barrel and a bolt action .

[Blindstitch]

MSRP on Brownings website says $1099. Paying more for a used gun vs new is crazy. You should ask him to walk it into the local gander mountain and see how much they would give him for it. Then make him a reasonable offer.

[Deerhunt]

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/640158039

[RC20]

If you know the rifle and how good it shoots and suits you, with the scope is pretty close to break even.

Still the issues is shooting a LA breakdown accurately enough to sue the cartridge.

[Deerhunt]

I am also thinking about a 308 or 270wsm maybe just for the sake of recoil

Edit: plus they are both short action