Age old question I face...

[jeepster09]

I picked up a Ruger 77 Hawkye in 300 Winchester Magnum. This my long range S.H.T.F., Wyoming big game gun. Ok....now the age old question? First, I don't reload. I would like to go with one weight bullet for all purposes to get good with it. What weight bullet do people recommend? 150, 165 or 180 grain? I also scored a Burris Eliminator scope for it. I am thinking 150 grain for perhaps less punishing recoil?

[Armybrat]

Don't know about the ammo, but that certainly looks like a great choice you got there.

[kenemoore]

What range are you thinking of? I find heavy bullets do better at longer distances. I have no stats to back that up, just personal observation.

[jeepster09]

I'm thinking 2-300 yards.

[CJB]

A 173 boattail has the best ballistic coefficient, as I recall.

Don't think you can get those, so... a 165 or 168 boattail, or 180 boat tail will do fine. Out to 300 yards or so, I'd go the lighter rather than the heavier, past that, heavier will retain a bit more energy.

(edit)

Correction to: How we fought two World Wars with the "wrong ammo".

WWI saw the Springfield rifle, and the 1906 ammo (refined from the 1903 ".30-06" ammo). This was 150g and had a max ordinate of about 3500 yards or so.
We got our butts kicked by German mg fire during WWI. After the war, in 1928, we copied the Swiss .30 cal ammo, and came up with the 30cal M1, 174g boattail (not 173, but heck I was close). No relation to the M1 rifle.
This did GREAT... except...
They wanted to use up all the WWI ammo first, for training, before using the M1 ammo. It was in the 1930's that we discovered that the ranges at bases were too short to allow an adequate safety zone behind the targets. Ooops. So they came out with the M2 ammo, a close copy of the 1906 ".30-06" ammo, at 150g again. They even dyed the bullets to sort of look like the cupro-nickel bullets in the 1906 ".30-06" cartridge.
By the time WWII came about, all of the old guard, and old machine gunners had passed on, were retired, or just out of the picture. We tried to use the M1 ammo in wartime, but the troops complained. Too much kick, too heavy to carry (when you're carrying lots of ammo, plus all your gear). They liked the softer shooting, lighter to carry ammo. The call went out for lots more M2 ammo, which was actually only "training ammo".

Hence, we participated in both WWI and WWII with the "wrong" (or inadequate) ammo. Just an interesting little sidenote.

[jeepster09]

What do you think of using 165 grain Remington Core-lokt ammo?

[CJB]

That's square base... look for a boat-tail bullet for the 300 WinMag

[Tpepper70]

I've used the 165gr core lok in a 308 for years. It will do just fine for under 500 yards. I've never had issues with the Core lok and have shot a ton of game with them. The trick is to not shoot them too fast, unless you get the Core lok bonded. Good luck and nice rifle.

Cruce Dum Spiro Fido

[Bawanna]

I've always been partial to the 165 grain stuff myself in 30-06 and 308. Kind of a happy medium and works good.

[Ikeo74]

OK, here is my recommendation: http://www.cabelas.com/product/federal-premium-174-300-winchester-reg-magnum-rifle-ammunition/740755.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3D300%252Bwin%252Bmagnum%252C%252B180%252 Bgrain%26x%3D10%26y%3D6%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearc h-All%252BProducts&Ntt=300+win+magnum%2C+180+grain I have shot 150 grain bullets and they break up or only wound big deer size and larger game. This ammo uses Nosler Partition bullets in 180 grain. They will give you 1 shot kills out to 300 yards and beyound. I think this is one of the very best big game bullets available. Felt recoil will be virtually the same when fired from the 300 Win mag. Be sure to read the 55 reviews with 5 stars.

[muggsy]

One shot clean kills come from bullet placement, not bullet weight. The 165-168 Gr. bullets have a higher ballistic coefficient for a flat trajectory. The only way to find out what's best for you and your gun is to test several different loads. That's the age old answer. It's also the old age answer. :)

[hardluk1]

For a guy shooting factory ammo you will need to see if your rifle has a preference for on brand over another . But for big game in Wyoming that covers grizzly , elk , mule deer , whitetail and speed goats so for a one round to try would be barnes . . I would try a 150gr and 165gr ttsx and see if one grouped better than the other . The barnes bullets are all copper so there longer for the weight than lead core bullets and stay together retaining near 100% weight and expand very well . I have shot one elk and one mule deer on a trip out west with 140gr tsx 7mm rem mag . The mule deer bullet was recovered after 51" of travel thru a number of bones and found under the skin at the front shoulder shot at 100 yards . The elk shot thru a shoulder and out the other side thru a first rib . Both fell in place . Shot at 410 yards .

I hate the partition . It kills well but game almost always run after a great shot with it . Nosler partition as a buddy favored round but trailed trail to many deer .

[Iggy]

I live in Wyoming. I've used a 300 H&H Magnum with 180 Grain Nosler Partition bullets since I was 14. I'm 72 now. My Dad also used the same bullet from the 1950 until the 1980's. Neither one of us ever had to fire a second shot on antelope, mule deer, elk, or moose.

[jeepster09]

Thanks all for the good feedback.:rolleyes:

[dustnchips]

Try different ammo until you find the one that is most accurate in your gun. Small differences make for a large spread over long distances.

[muggsy]

I always chose to shoot the ammo that grouped the tightest. Bullet placement is far more important than velocity, weight, ballistic coefficient or retained energy. A 300 Win. Mag is more than capable of taking down any N. American big game animal. A 300 Win Mag damn near took me down the first time that I fired it. I should have known that something was up when my old man asked me if I was game.:D

[Bawanna]

I live in Wyoming. I've used a 300 H&H Magnum with 180 Grain Nosler Partition bullets since I was 14. I'm 72 now. My Dad also used the same bullet from the 1950 until the 1980's. Neither one of us ever had to fire a second shot on antelope, mule deer, elk, or moose.

Always been fond of the 300 H&H. My damn Missouri honesty cost me a really nice Winchester pre 64 model 70 chambered for it. Fella passed on and my aunt was the executor. She brought it and a couple other guns over for a value estimate.
She asked if I wanted it and I told her I sure did but I couldn't afford half of it.
She was always generous to me and made sure my research time was compensated for but didn't like me enough to land me that 300.

[muggsy]

Always been fond of the 300 H&H. My damn Missouri honesty cost me a really nice Winchester pre 64 model 70 chambered for it. Fella passed on and my aunt was the executor. She brought it and a couple other guns over for a value estimate.
She asked if I wanted it and I told her I sure did but I couldn't afford half of it.
She was always generous to me and made sure my research time was compensated for but didn't like me enough to land me that 300.

You should have called me, Bawanna. I know your good for it. Besides you saw the picture of my target. :)

[jeepster09]

Well now that it is spring in March here [68 degrees today], I gotta get out and shoot it if the range isn't to muddy. I decided to keep the Burris scope. I think I got it figured out, seems like a sweet scope once you understand it. Cabelas had ammo on sale for $25 a box, so I picked up 3 different types to try.:laser: