The 300 Winchester Magnum is one very impressive rifle cartridge and the first high-powered rifle cartridge I have ever owned that I just fell in love with! Introduced by Winchester in 1963 it is the most popular member of a family of magnum cartridges consisting of the 264, 300, 338, and the massive 458 all introduced by Winchester. The 300 Winchester Magnum’s case, like the other members of its family, is based on shortened version of the H&H case.
- Ballistic Coefficient: 0.438
- Product Symbol: X30WM2
- Description: Delayed, controlled expansion. Deep penetration through thick, tough skin, heavy muscle tissue and bone. For large, heavy game.
Rifle Ballistics
| Distance (yds) | Muzzle | 50 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Velocity (fps) | 2960 | – | 2745 | 2540 | 2344 | 2157 | 1979 |
| Distance (yds) | Muzzle | 50 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Energy (ft. lbs.) | 3501 | – | 3011 | 2578 | 2196 | 1859 | 1565 |
| Distance (yds) | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 | 300 | |
| Short Trajectory (in.) | +0.5 | +0.8 | 0.0 | -2.1 | -5.5 | -10.4 | |
| Distance (yds) | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Long Trajectory (in.) | +1.9 | +1.6 | 0.0 | -2.9 | -7.3 | -20.9 | -41.9 |
180 gr. Super-X® Power-Point®
Which allows the cartridge to function thru a standard length long action. The case is durable with an overall length of 2.620”, just slightly longer than the 30-06; the minimum body taper, 25-degree shoulder angle, and case neck shorter than caliber maximize powder capacity. Some critics of the cartridge say the short neck hinders accuracy. Trust me, this is not case. The 300 is quite accurate, very powerful, and versatile. Being 30 caliber, the 300 shares the all the advantages of the 30-06 Springfield, only the 300 can do it with more velocity and a flatter trajectory. The trade off for the added velocity and flatter trajectory are more powder, heavier recoil, and increased muzzle blast. The 300 Winchester is defiantly not a cartridge for the faint at heart, but one that can’t be mastered with practice. Recoil is sharp and quick even in a heavy rifle like the Remington 700 “Sendero”, which is the gun I own. I can’t really tell there is anymore “push” in this rifle than what I feel from a standard weight rifle chambered in the 30-06 with a heavy load. From a lighter gun say a Remington 700 BDL or Ruger M-77 it is quite noticeable and some shooters may require a muzzle brake. I’m not a fan of brakes and would recommend shooting a rifle in this cartridge before having one installed. Accuracy is one department where the 300 can really shine, producing some excellent groups. My rifle will consistently print groups in the 1” range, and even smaller on a good day, with it’s preferred load. I hand load Nosler’s 180-grain Ballistic Tip over a maximum load of Reloader 22 powder. I use a Remington case that is only neck sized and Federal’s 215 “Gold Medal” magnum primers. Two friends, Bill Pirkle and Cody Crawford are also using this same load in their rifles with the same result. Accuracy is only the tip of the iceberg with the 300; field performance is even better. Trajectory with a 180-grain bullet is outstanding, seemingly riding a tight string to the target. Sighted in 1 ˝” high at 100 yards the bullet is dead on at 200, only 6” low at 300, and retaining almost 2600 ft-lbs of energy. Making it one of the best cartridges for hunting North America. I originally bought mine for hunting wild hogs and White-tailed deer in open food plots surrounded by thick woods and marsh lands where long shots are more common than not. In this type of hunting situation, “The Big Bad Wolf” as it has come to be known, has never let me down. Given I have done my part. I’ve cleanly taken a number of wild hogs with my 300 ranging from small to well over 350 lbs and all with the same result. A quick and powerful one shot kill.