If we look at individual rounds, the .300 WSM has two round at .45 and below while the .300 Win Mag only has one that falls below .5. To make these comparisons, we have selected ten rounds for comparison with five for each cartridge. From 300 to 500 yards, the difference shrinks between those two rounds and the other eight. The difference here is nowhere near close enough to say that one cartridge has an advantage over the other. If there is no issue with the rifle, there are several 190+ grain weight WSM cartridges out there that give higher BC’s than the 185grain and lighter rounds. In theory, short magnums, which have a wider powder column, burn more uniformly and cleanly which should provide more accuracy, though the significance of this can be argued and is not the subject of debate in this particular article. Factory loads tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to loading the casings with powder. All of the selected rounds are factory loads and that are widely available. When getting into trajectory with ten different rounds, all with different powder charges and bullet weights it can get pretty cluttered in the discussion. It doesn’t have the highest BC compared to the other rounds, but it is still fairly high, and users seem to be very happy with its performance at long ranges. With all of these factors, you are going to get the needed penetration for large and tough game. We should also note that we used the same gun weight for all ten rounds. We can’t quantify this in our .300 Win Mag vs .300 WSM comparison. That performance can give us some indication of how difficult it might be to place the bullet in the vitals or the bullseye. We will also compile this data in the applications section. Best Concealed Carry Insurance [Comparison Chart]. The .300 Ultra Mag can fire the same weight bullet approximately 200-300fps faster than the .300 Win Mag. For inexperienced shooters, both of these cartridges are going to be felt when shooting and can easily cause flinching. in the 1940s, and in 1963 Winchester introduced the.300 Win. lb. Velocity is a very important aspect that you must consider looking into. 300 Ultra Mag vs 300 Win Mag. As far as an advantage for one cartridge over the other, there is never more than an inch of difference between the averages of the two cartridges at any point over the bullet’s range. This cartridge is easily one of the most, if not the most, popular magnum cartridges in the world when it comes to factory loads. There is a great deal of difference between the 300 Winchester Magnum, affectionately known as the “300 Win Mag”, and the 308 Winchester. The first is that all of these rounds have tremendous velocities at the muzzle with both cartridges averaging nearly 3,000fps. Sectional density plays a role in momentum as more momentum is conserved when the projectile, a bullet in our case, is striking a smaller area. There was a trend for more recoil energy with the .300 Win Mag rounds, and we also have to take into account the difference in rifle weights between these two cartridges. Finally, we did see some differences in the recoil energy that is generated between these two cartridges. On top of that, this round has an incredibly flat trajectory at 300 and even 500 yards and a BC of .597 which will make things a bit easier when dealing with less than ideal wind conditions in the field. For the .300 Win Mag, the Hornady Superformance SST 180gr stands out to us as an excellent round to bring to the range. At the end of several performance and ballistic sections, we have included a table that includes the averages for those forty rounds. The.300 Win Mag was designed as a long-range cartridge, and the.30/06 was designed for an infantry rifle whose maximum effective range for aimed fire was 460 yards, which today is not long. The .300 WSM also head spaces off its case shoulder versus the older 300 Winchester Magnum's belted head space engineered design. It is an older round with a much larger following then the WSM and the manufacturers know this. A bullet’s flight path has a characteristic arc with the bullet dropping in elevation over time. This flatter trajectory makes it easier to adjust for shots over longer ranges and gives you more room for error when trying to quickly judge a targets range. Again, the above is for comparative information purposes only, and you should consult the exact ballistics for the particular .300 Weatherby Magnum or .300 WSM Winchester Short Magnum cartridge you're looking at purchasing. In this case, with both of them having the same diameter, it’s just a case of which has more heavier bullets. The advantage to this round is the ballistics are nearly identical to the .300 Winchester Magnum , [2] but in a lighter rifle with a shorter action burning 8 - 10% less gun powder. It fits actions designed for 30-06-length cartridges. For a large game hunting round, this one has all the characteristics you look for. So even though the.300 PRC case is slightly shorter at 2.58 inches than the Win. As far as the discussion between the 300 short mag and the 7mm mag I think you are splitting hairs. They are not as flat shooting as hand loads, but for those looking to get into one of these cartridges and then move on to handloading, they are going to do well on the range. If you are on the range, we like the .300 WSM Barnes VOR-TX TTSX 165gr round. Both of these cartridges take a 30 cal bullet (.308”) but that’s about where the similarities between these two cartridges end. Because of that, we wanted to step back and take a broad look at two rounds, one from each cartridge, that are very similar. Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online. These bullets need a proper amount of speed to get the correct terminal ballistics. At the 200 yard mark, there is .14″ difference between the two averages with the .300 Win Mag having the ever so slight advantage. Mag.’s 25-degree shoulder. If you look at the individual rounds (data not shown), you will see that the rounds from each cartridge mix thoroughly. And given that we are dealing with two cartridges that are known for their incredible knockdown power, this is an important section if your choice is coming down to these two cartridges. Again, sectional density is only a part of a much larger equation that goes into stopping power. Just from looking at these factory rounds, there is no difference in velocity when looking at the averages. The momentum of the bullet is another indicator of penetration, and it goes hand in hand with the sectional density and is the topic of the next section. The .300 Win Mag burns 20% to 25% more powder than the .30-06 Springfield, which gives it a 10% increase in velocity, as long as it is firing bullets of the same weight. The short magnums, such as the .300 Winchester Short Magnum, were excluded from this test since they just duplicate their larger cased cousins’ performance but in short-action rifles. Knowing how the round performs let’s you understand if it will fit the hunting or shooting situation at hand. If your particular rifle can handle them, then it’s not an issue at all. This sub-category is going to cater more towards those looking for a hunting cartridge, but if you’re going to buy a rifle chambered for one of these cartridges, then there is no harm in understanding as much as you can about each. Mag. We also think that it is important to note that though we are looking at all of these categories individually and that is only giving you part of the picture. The .300 Win Mag cartridges can be loaded with a wide range of bullet weights. It’s always good to look into the similarities and differences of two cartridges, but at times, your decision really should be made based on other factors. In fact, when we look at the averages of these rounds we see that there was less was never more than an inch difference in bullet drop in the short or long range trajectory data. Winchester Model 70 Super Grade. It is a great cartridge but a near twin to the .300 Winchester Magnum. After looking at the data for this sample of rounds from the .300 Win Mag and .300 WSM, we have seen that there is not much difference when looking at the cartridges. The .300 Win Mag rounds do have around an extra 40-50fps at each range marker. If it works for you, that should be all that matters. Like any hunting cartridge, it’s all about matching the style of ammo with the hunting situation when thinking about its effectiveness. 7mm Rem Mag vs 300 Win Mag Conclusion. It’s still relative though, and might not make much of a difference to a lot of you reading this. In the Federal Vital-Shok, 6.5 Creedmor works out to $1.72/round, while.300 Win Mag comes out to $2.40/round. From the muzzle out to 200 yards, all of the rounds group pretty tightly together but we do see the two .300 Win Mag rounds show slightly higher energy than the other eight rounds. At 400 and 500 yards, we start to see the rounds begin to separate from each other. We will also try to tie everything back together at the end of the article to discuss which applications each of these cartridge types might be best suited. We just don’t think it’s the best method for looking at two cartridges with a broad view and being able to present you with data that remains consistent. Velocity, when paired with the correct barrel twist can make the bullet more stable. The .300 Winchester Short Magnum almost matches the performance of the much larger .300 Winchester Magnum (far right) yet uses less propellant. BONUS OFFER: Get your 500 Page Ammo Comparison Handbook (worth $43) for FREE right into your inbox. With a degree in Microbiology and several years of doctoral work manipulating bacterial genes, he attempts to merge the rational and unbiased thinking of scientific research with the passions of hunting and fishing. Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .300 Weatherby Magnum round averages out to 4070 ft-lb, while a .300 Winchester Magnum round averages out to about 3520 ft-lb. Sniper Country is reader-supported. When comparing two cartridges, the ballistics of each is always an important topic. For hunters, these rounds remain well above supersonic speeds at the distances you will be taking shots from, as you can see from the velocity data above. So, we gathered the long range data and presented it here (Graph 6). Mag. In theory, a bullet with a better ballistic coefficient should be more accurate since it should be easier to stay on target after being fired. We can look back at some of the other ballistic characteristics we have already examined. In choosing between the 300 Ultra Mag vs 300 Win Mag, our choice is the 300 Win Mag because it has less recoil, more affordable, has more factory match loads, and offers more available load data than the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum. Below, we have listed the average bullet kinetic energy for the 20 rounds of each cartridge that we have compiled. Most likely not, but like every other category has gone, there is some variation between individual round. And while their names are similar, we are going to dive deeper into their performance specs in this comparison. Based (loosely) on the .404 Jeffery case, and shortened to 2.100 inches, the beltless .300 WSM gave velocities nearly on par with its older brother in a shorter, lighter and more rigid rifle. You get changes in performance from the individual rounds, but it’s tough for us to say which cartridge gives you more of a certain ballistic or other performance component. The decision for which round is better for a given application should be made with complete information, and this article simply serves as a comparative guide, not the final say. And by lighter, it’s usually around half a pound to a pound difference in weight. There is no doubt, that accuracy is incredibly important. At 300 yards, all of these rounds still have well above 2,000 ft.lb with several rounds, including both .300 Win Mag and .300 WSM, still carrying more than 2,500ft. If you want a round that is going to remain supersonic, both the .300 WM and the .300 WSM have a number of viable options. Both of these cartridges can be hand loaded to give better performance specs. The .300 Win Mag rounds have an average of 80.0lb/f.s while the .300 Win Mag has an average of 77.12lb/f.s. My plan is to use the 300. wsm for larger game and the 7mm for open parries shots on whitetail and mule whitetails. And while there are better performing rounds than others, there are options in both the .300 Win Mag and .300 WSM that will give you incredible bullet energy through 500 yards. At any range, both of these cartridges perform very similarly. Momentum simply describes the ability of an object in motion to stay in motion. Likewise the standard length .308 Norma magnum. The BC is especially important when you are looking at two cartridges that have been designed to take larger game at long range or for extreme range target shooting where the effects of wind become much more prominent. This results in a flatter trajectory, more resistance to wind drift, and more retained energy at longer range. The first thing that we notice when looking at this graph is that all the rounds from each cartridge have pretty high ballistic coefficients and some from each have excellent ones. While both of these cartridges are used at the bench, they are also popular big game hunting cartridges which require a lot of stopping power. The cartridge is also able to be to take a variety of bullet weights. Both also have round options with very high ballistic coefficients which is always beneficial when you start dealing with higher wind speeds and 500+ yard shots. It holds off on the recoil energy just slightly compared to the other rounds but still provides one of the flattest trajectories compared to the other .300 WSM rounds that we have discussed and used in our average tables. Both of these cartridges showed pretty impressive trajectories for factory loads with an average of 6.64″, 19.2″, and 100.9″ at the 300, 400, and 700-yard mark. There is a definite difference between the .300 Win Mag and .300 WSM with all of the .300 Win Mag rounds generating over 26ft.lbs of energy with several in the 29-32ft.lb range. Both of these cartridges carry well over 2,000ft.lb of energy at 300 yards with several from both cartridges carrying over 2,500ft.lb. The SD is derived from a calculation using the bullet’s diameter and weight. Compare 300 magnum ammo from the top online retailers to find the lowest price. As you can see, 6.5 Creedmoor is generally much cheaper than.300 Win Mag. All of them still carry a tremendous amount of energy at these extreme ranges when it comes to hunting though with all of the rounds bringing more than 1,500ft.lb with two rounds still carrying over 2,000ft.lb, one .300 Win Mag and one .300 WSM. From this data, either of these cartridges are going to provide options for flat shooting rounds and probably isn’t the category you will need to focus on until you start trying to decide which round you are actually going to cycle through your rifle. Get our PDF with 13 pistol & rifle targets (worth $48) including expert instructions for FREE! If you look individually, there are better performing rounds for both cartridges. This round offers a decent ballistic coefficient though not as high as some of the others, but it is also one of the least expensive .300 WM we have examined. Where some would tend to compare the.300 Win. In the table below, we have listed the averages of the forty rounds we compiled and their short range trajectory numbers. In the table below, you will find the sectional density data from the larger data set. From this standpoint of just looking at computer generated data, there is nothing really to discuss between these two cartridges are short range when looking at trajectory. Some argue that kinetic energy is the most important, some argue for momentum, and some argue that neither give you useful information. And of course, this is not taking into account the rifle or the user. And that change in the difference is mostly due to the.300 WM Trophy bonded ammo from Federal which only has a bullet drop of 6.6”. With two decades of chasing all manner of upland game, hooved mammals, strutting gobblers, and any small game that can fit in his Dutch oven, he hopes to offer new ideas and viewpoints on hunting and firearm concepts and traditions. Some of this reduced weight often comes from using a shorter barrel, and there are a lot of arguments out there for longer barrels increasing the accuracy of the round. So with that, let’s take a look at the stopping power of these cartridges. It is probably a bigger factor in selecting between one over the other for younger or inexperienced shooters. Below we have listed the average recoil energy from all forty rounds we have compiled. It’s nothing we can look at with these ten rounds under our criteria, but it’s something we thought you would like to take into consideration and research a little more on your own. This specific cartridge came into production by Winchester in 1963, so this, when compared to other popular hunting cartridges, is fairly new though quite a bit older than the other cartridge we are looking at in this article. There are several conclusions we can draw from looking at this data. At the 300 yard mark, we still see the rounds interspersed, but we do see an increase in the difference between the averages of the two cartridges. And receive our newsletter with the best articles covering guides, guns & gear. The .300 WSM is one of the more popular short magnum cartridges that have come out in the last two decades. For home defense, you don’t need the same amount of momentum. It has a range of bullet weights from 125 to 200 grains though most would agree that the 150-180 gr bullets often work the best with the cartridge. Neither give you useful information much of a round ammo deals on the environmental factors even! History of these rounds have an average of 0.7 inches of bullet weights Ruger type rifles big... Bcs which are going to be able to penetrate fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and that widely. Even if you go out to use from a calculation using the bullet as does the Winchester. 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