300WM bullet weights and brands

[charles mann]

Iv heard for many many years, that HP or BTHP/HPBT are for plinking, not for hunting. I harvested many a deer using 168gr bthp match ammo in .308 and NEVER lost my game.
I have a 300WM i want to use as a multi-purpose platform, be it plinking out to around 800-1200 yards, hunting and hopefully be on time this year, for 2024's elk/deer tag sale date/time for idaho, since i missed it this past dec for 2023.

As stated above, i have harvested a LOT of deer and only deer, no elk or bear, just WT deer from kansas to texas, using BTHP match ammo, so PLEASE, keep the "bthp is not for hunting game blah blah blah" comments out of this, IF!!!! there are any, im not interested in those opinions/propaganda and you would be better off arguing with a stop sign. I know what works to put food on the table and they work fabulous. My overly extended belly region can attest to that.

Now, finding 300wm at my usual online sites has been difficult these past few years but my neighbor was able to find an assortment of different grains and brands at a mom n pop shop where his parents live, and i had him buy them out of the 6 boxes (rem and S&B) of random grains they had on hand. I also picked up 5-6 boxes of what i could find, and 3 boxes of 220gr MK248 Mod1, or a clone of the military load from freedom munitions, and after doing some research, found out that that load, in an off the shelf rifle, not built for that specific cartridge, is considered a HOT load and could lead to premature barrel and throat wear, or worse, severe injury from the chamber/bolt exploding, due to chamber pressures exceed the safe SAAMI chamber pressure, which was cited in several different articles and forums.

Now, knowing the MK248 ammo could lead to disastrous events, i will put it away for a special time, if it ever comes.

My question is for the bthp users if there are any or know first hand from users of that type, for general hunting, LR range hunting and for long range plinkers, which wt., 175gr, which it what I moved to M118 LR 175 smk for my .308, 190, 200 or lower powder grain loads behind a 220 grain smk or equivalent bthp match round? HSM, BH match and freedom munitions have been my go to for the past 7 yrs, but none of them or their retailers have in stock anything for the 300wm. I did run across a 200rd case of federal 190gr smk for $650, not apposed to buying it IF that is a relatively flat shooting round, in the 300wm caliber.

Next question, pull the bullets out of the assortment of brands my neighbor found, dump the powder, pop the primers and IF i can get my hands on some H-1000 or equivalent powder and some magnum primers (may keep the oem primers in the cases for testing) and do a reload of the 300+ live and spent rounds/cases with a recommended bullet wt.?

Thank you for your time and hopefully some great info is put out for myself and others.

[barbender]

 On this Forum, you don't get to dictate responses.

 A whitetail and an elk are very, very different animals. As many a Western outfitter will tell you, elk ,"can take a lot of lead". 

 A bullet being a hollow point isn't the important detail when it comes to a thicker skinned and heavy boned animal like an elk. The bullet's actual construction and jacket thickness are what determines how it will perform there.

[Walnut Beast]

All the 300WM,WSM and Ultra are one of the best!

Shooting game at 800- 1,200 yards is a recipe for wounding and losing game.

[charles mann]

A whitetail and an elk are very, very different animals. As many a Western outfitter will tell you, elk ,"can take a lot of lead".

 A bullet being a hollow point isn't the important detail when it comes to a thicker skinned and heavy boned animal like an elk. The bullet's actual construction and jacket thickness are what determines how it will perform there.

I am very much aware they are very different critters. i didn't say they are the same, or very similar. Shot placement is as much, if not more of an important and contributing factor as a bullet's construction and material. Without a doubt, a .22 LR will drop a deer in its track, so im pretty sure a much smaller sized bullet than the 300 winny would take down an elk or nearly anything that walks the N and S american continent with proper shot placement. 
Back to the questions at hand in wt. and or hand loading from the random rounds. I dont want multiple dope charts and round workups, if i can find a good wt. v trajectory with a lil give and take on one end or the other. 

[charles mann]

All the 300WM,WSM and Ultra are one of the best!

Shooting game at 800- 1,200 yards is a recipe for wounding and losing game.

you are correct. i wouldn't take a chance on loosing an animal i had intensions on eating by shooting that far. 8-12 was plinking, maybe even yotes or hogs, but 99% plinking steel. eating animals 400-500 MAX, other animals, ehh. Factory would be a strain to get that far depending plate size, but it would get me a starting point, then do some hand loads based of the best effective grain bullet without buying several different wt. bullets, shooting who knows how many rounds till finding what worked. Im not planning on doing comps, just the occasional neighborhood meet up, or whatever turns the corner. 

[btulloh]

I’ve done a lot of loading for long range shooting although not for the 300 Winmag.  Same things apply though and used mixed brass is not going to provide repeatable accuracy. Details really matter at long range. I favor Lapua brass but it’s not the only game in town. Brass should be carefully prepared and trimmed.  Best to keep track of times fired and load sets with the same history. Necks need to be re-annealed after a couple firings or switch to new brass. Plinking rounds are one thing but for accuracy the small details are crucial. 

To work up a good load from scratch I would buy several different bullet versions and test. Not every barrel likes every brand of bullet the same. The barrel, chamber, and bolt face really need to be work on for best results. A good gunsmith would be invaluable. 

There are a number of good bullets for elk and the manufacturer’s info can guide you to the proper choices. Still need to try several different ones to find the right recipe in your gun. There are no shortcuts to getting accurate loads at the distances you’re talking about. It’s fun working up loads for long range but it sure takes a lot of testing and attention to detail. Good luck - sounds like fun!

[BilgeRat]

Shooting a 300 wsm here been shooting 180 grain nosler accubonds for exactly what your wanting to do target shooting at 900 is my farthest so far, eating critters all shots are sub 500, worked well for Idaho elk last year.