300 wsm Ammunition

[VENOM1]

Due to how many gun enthusiasts there are on this site I thought I would ask for assistance here instead of a stuck-up firearm or big game forum.

Last year I purchased a Tikka T3 Ultra Lite Stainless in 300 wsm and shot Barnes TTSX 165 grain copper cored bullets. The more research that I do the more I would like to get away from a copper cored bullet and into something that is more standard, and I feel this will also help my groupings. According to research and a couple of gunsmiths that I have spoke to the Tilkka can be picky with ammunition so I am looking for opinions and what to shoot.

So that you know, this is a hunting rifle for elk and deer and will be hunting in the Rockies so the average shot is about 200 yards but can be as far as triple that in some cases. I know that I can go lighter in powder for deer but think that I should up to 180-200 grain for elk.

I have looked at Nosler Trophy Grade (180G), Federal Premium Trophy Bonded (180G), etc. but have NO IDEA as to how to pick a round as this is my first big game rifle I have owned. I shoot well and it is sighted in at 0 at 200 yards and have shot up to 500 yards with it as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated and sorry for ranting on.

 

[MDShelby]

The important thing is that the ammo shoots well out of your gun and performs as expected on the game you are hunting. The toughest part is getting those two things close. It shoots well, but doesn't perform as expected or it performs well and doesn't like your gun. Trial and error with accuracy can be done on paper. Performance - short of your own experiences you have to depend on what others say, manufacturers recommendations, etc. That just takes research. Good luck with your gun and your hunting.

 

[GTSpartan]

The 180gr Accubond from Nosler is the perfect Elk slayer. Devastating round. Depending on barrel length, right around 3000 fps.

I dropped my Nevada elk at 537yds with a 180 AB 300 mag (pretty much the same ballistics). Passed clean thru.


Federal and Hornady make good factory stuff too.

 

[90goldtsiawd]

Due to how many gun enthusiasts there are on this site I thought I would ask for assistance here instead of a stuck-up firearm or big game forum.

Last year I purchased a Tikka T3 Ultra Lite Stainless in 300 wsm and shot Barnes TTSX 165 grain copper cored bullets. The more research that I do the more I would like to get away from a copper cored bullet and into something that is more standard, and I feel this will also help my groupings. According to research and a couple of gunsmiths that I have spoke to the Tilkka can be picky with ammunition so I am looking for opinions and what to shoot.

So that you know, this is a hunting rifle for elk and deer and will be hunting in the Rockies so the average shot is about 200 yards but can be as far as triple that in some cases. I know that I can go lighter in powder for deer but think that I should up to 180-200 grain for elk.

I have looked at Nosler Trophy Grade (180G), Federal Premium Trophy Bonded (180G), etc. but have NO IDEA as to how to pick a round as this is my first big game rifle I have owned. I shoot well and it is sighted in at 0 at 200 yards and have shot up to 500 yards with it as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated and sorry for ranting on.

I shoot those same exact rounds from my Browning X-Bolt Stainless Hunter and it loves them. They've been sold out EVERYWHERE for over a year so if you have any left you want to get rid of let me know!

 

[Weather Man]

Really, just pick up a couple boxes of quality name brand hunting ammo and go to the range. Your rifle will tell you what it likes best. Make sure barrel is really clean before you start.

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Really, just pick up a couple boxes of quality name brand hunting ammo and go to the range. Your rifle will tell you what it likes best. Make sure barrel is really clean before you start.

Not exactly accurate advice. Most guns shoot better dirty.

The correct response is to figure out if your gun likes a clean or dirty barrel, then find what grain size works best. If your rifle shoots 165 grain great, use it instead of the bigger bullet you think you need to take an animal down but may group horrible. There really isn't much difference in size. My 30-06 will only shoot 165 grain accurate, so that's what I use for everything.

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Due to how many gun enthusiasts there are on this site I thought I would ask for assistance here instead of a stuck-up firearm or big game forum.

Last year I purchased a Tikka T3 Ultra Lite Stainless in 300 wsm and shot Barnes TTSX 165 grain copper cored bullets. The more research that I do the more I would like to get away from a copper cored bullet and into something that is more standard, and I feel this will also help my groupings. According to research and a couple of gunsmiths that I have spoke to the Tilkka can be picky with ammunition so I am looking for opinions and what to shoot.

So that you know, this is a hunting rifle for elk and deer and will be hunting in the Rockies so the average shot is about 200 yards but can be as far as triple that in some cases. I know that I can go lighter in powder for deer but think that I should up to 180-200 grain for elk.

I have looked at Nosler Trophy Grade (180G), Federal Premium Trophy Bonded (180G), etc. but have NO IDEA as to how to pick a round as this is my first big game rifle I have owned. I shoot well and it is sighted in at 0 at 200 yards and have shot up to 500 yards with it as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated and sorry for ranting on.

You're going to have to just buy different sizes and models of bullets to test. Yes, I know it's expensive, but it's the only way. I load Sierra Game Kings and either Hornady or Nosler BT's. Both are good bullets. I've used the Game Kings more. Once you find the correct grain and type, buy as much as you can or learn to reload.

 

[Weather Man]

Not exactly accurate advice. Most guns shoot better dirty.

The correct response is to figure out if your gun likes a clean or dirty barrel, then find what grain size works best. If your rifle shoots 165 grain great, use it instead of the bigger bullet you think you need to take an animal down but may group horrible. There really isn't much difference in size. My 30-06 will only shoot 165 grain accurate, so that's what I use for everything.

Most guys know it takes one or 2 rounds through a clean barrel for best accuracy, but your point is vaild. I admit I fire a group through my 270 and leave it dirty for hunting.

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Must be nice! Takes me about 6 rounds to foul the barrel up enough. I just have a couple boxes of cheap ammo laying around for that.

 

[VENOM1]

I have only shot the Barnes TTSX in 165 grain and my gun shoots dead on accurate whether the barrel is clean or dirty; literally no difference. I realize that shooting various types of ammunition is the best way but I figured I would check to see what others are shooting as a comparison. Especially since Tikka T3's and 300 WSM are becoming more and more popular so I thought someone may own one on this site and be able to chime in.

Although I would love to be able to reload my own rounds I simply do not have the time so need to concentrate on 'standard' ammunition and not a custom round. My goal for this season is to shoot 180+ grain for elk and stay at 165 grain for deer. Thanks for all of the assistance thus far.

 

[Redneckbmxer24]

You don't need a magic bullet to kill an elk. They are big animals but they aren't that tough skinned. Any or the standard hunting bullets will do. I'm personally not a fan of the Barnes bullets, they are overpriced and don't perform very well. Myself and many others have experienced bullets fail to open up where they just pencil through. A good shot is still a lethal shot but a bullet that expands properly tends to incapacitate faster as well as leave a large blood trail should the animal not drop in its tracks. Most controlled expansion bullets will experience this.

On the other end of the perspective I would stay away from bullets like the Nosler ballistic tip, winchester ballistic silver tip or hornady SST if closer shots are even a remote possibility. This bullets tend to fragment at higher impact velocities and they don't consistenly fragment, sometimes it is on the surface.

You also don't need two different bullet weights, one will do just fine for the other. Elk are dropped in their tracks at extreme distances with baby 243 bullets from well placed shots so anything 30 cal is going to be that much better. In a light rifle like a tikka I would recommend staying on the lighter end of the scale to help prevent any shooter error or developing a flinch. A well placed shot with any bullet is much more lethal than a poorly placed shot from the hardest hitting rounds. For this very reason I would stay with 150-165gr bullets.

If it were me I would pick up a box of the standard Remington core lokt, Winchester power point, and federal fusion in 150-165gr and shoot them all. Whichever you feel works best in your rifle is the one you should choose. Then order 200 rounds of that so you have a bunch of ammo of the same lot. Any one of those bullets are excellent performers on deer or elk as well as moose or bear.

 

[VENOM1]

You don't need a magic bullet to kill an elk. They are big animals but they aren't that tough skinned. Any or the standard hunting bullets will do. I'm personally not a fan of the Barnes bullets, they are overpriced and don't perform very well. Myself and many others have experienced bullets fail to open up where they just pencil through. A good shot is still a lethal shot but a bullet that expands properly tends to incapacitate faster as well as leave a large blood trail should the animal not drop in its tracks. Most controlled expansion bullets will experience this.

On the other end of the perspective I would stay away from bullets like the Nosler ballistic tip, winchester ballistic silver tip or hornady SST if closer shots are even a remote possibility. This bullets tend to fragment at higher impact velocities and they don't consistenly fragment, sometimes it is on the surface.

You also don't need two different bullet weights, one will do just fine for the other. Elk are dropped in their tracks at extreme distances with baby 243 bullets from well placed shots so anything 30 cal is going to be that much better. In a light rifle like a tikka I would recommend staying on the lighter end of the scale to help prevent any shooter error or developing a flinch. A well placed shot with any bullet is much more lethal than a poorly placed shot from the hardest hitting rounds. For this very reason I would stay with 150-165gr bullets.

If it were me I would pick up a box of the standard Remington core lokt, Winchester power point, and federal fusion in 150-165gr and shoot them all. Whichever you feel works best in your rifle is the one you should choose. Then order 200 rounds of that so you have a bunch of ammo of the same lot. Any one of those bullets are excellent performers on deer or elk as well as moose or bear.

I appreciate you taking the time to write this post and I agree with your assessment. I will take your advice and and buy a box of each ammo I am considering and head to the range. I get the flinch comment a lot and shooting the Tikka T3 without the limbsaver recoil pad was uncomfortable to say the least but now that I have mounted the limbsaver in the factory recoil pads place I can shoot 50 rounds without it getting uncomfortable.

 

[POPPAJ]

At the local gun shows there are several places that do custom reloads. I've had them work up various loads for testing then bought quantity of what worked best.

 

[Katy TX5.0]

I've taken a stag (elk family) with a 6.8 AR shooting a 110 grain bullet. It stood for a few seconds and then dropped.

Like others and myself have said, you don't need multiple size bullets. Shoot the one that is most accurate. Federal loads Gamekings in their factory stuff. Gamekings are just cheaper for me to reload than BT or SST. I get a little better accuracy with the latter bullets though. 59.5 grains of 4350 behind a 165 grain bullet is awesome for my 30-06.

 

[YJSONLY]

I shoot Hornady in my .270 and 243 and shoot really well.

 

[Redneckbmxer24]

I appreciate you taking the time to write this post and I agree with your assessment. I will take your advice and and buy a box of each ammo I am considering and head to the range. I get the flinch comment a lot and shooting the Tikka T3 without the limbsaver recoil pad was uncomfortable to say the least but now that I have mounted the limbsaver in the factory recoil pads place I can shoot 50 rounds without it getting uncomfortable.

You could still be flinching and not really know it. 300WSM isn't a terrible recoiling cartridge especially with lighter bullets but the tikka does make it hit a bit harder. A flinch isn't the worst thing to get passed, the easiest way to see if you're flinching is to shoot in low/no light. If you don't see the muzzle flash through the scope you're flinching. Shooting is a good thing for many reasons and being familiar with the gun and not flinching is one of them. Just don't be the guy that buys a box of ammo for the year, shoots a few rounds the day before the season opens and goes out, that's how poor shots are made on game.

At the local gun shows there are several places that do custom reloads. I've had them work up various loads for testing then bought quantity of what worked best.

I recommend against this. Loading services are extremely hit or miss and are always expensive. The only one I would trust if the OP were to go that route would be copper creek. He's probably going to pay $3-4 a round though after he pays for the load development batch. That money would be much better invested in a basic reloading setup. I typically don't recommend Lee stuff but for a low volume shooter it works. For under $250 you can get a lee kit, some decent RCBS or Redding dies and a few other tools you will need. The rest is just components. Shooting a round like 300WSM that's expensive due to low demand and production is one you can save a lot of money with. By using good brass that will last 10+ firings reducing the loading cost quality ammo with great components can be loaded for less than $.80/round. I would actually suggest this if the OP is willing to
load. For the cost of the 3-4 boxes of test ammo plus 200 rounds of whatever shoots the best he can buy the loading setup and enough components to load more ammo for the same cost.

 

[VENOM1]

You could still be flinching and not really know it. 300WSM isn't a terrible recoiling cartridge especially with lighter bullets but the tikka does make it hit a bit harder. A flinch isn't the worst thing to get passed, the easiest way to see if you're flinching is to shoot in low/no light. If you don't see the muzzle flash through the scope you're flinching. Shooting is a good thing for many reasons and being familiar with the gun and not flinching is one of them. Just don't be the guy that buys a box of ammo for the year, shoots a few rounds the day before the season opens and goes out, that's how poor shots are made on game.


I recommend against this. Loading services are extremely hit or miss and are always expensive. The only one I would trust if the OP were to go that route would be copper creek. He's probably going to pay $3-4 a round though after he pays for the load development batch. That money would be much better invested in a basic reloading setup. I typically don't recommend Lee stuff but for a low volume shooter it works. For under $250 you can get a lee kit, some decent RCBS or Redding dies and a few other tools you will need. The rest is just components. Shooting a round like 300WSM that's expensive due to low demand and production is one you can save a lot of money with. By using good brass that will last 10+ firings reducing the loading cost quality ammo with great components can be loaded for less than $.80/round. I would actually suggest this if the OP is willing to
load. For the cost of the 3-4 boxes of test ammo plus 200 rounds of whatever shoots the best he can buy the loading setup and enough components to load more ammo for the same cost.

I have only reloaded shotgun shells before and that was many years ago as a child with my father supervising the event. I am not saying that I would be against reloading I just know that I am one for buying something once and if I was to purchase quality reloading machinery and materials it would cost a fair amount of money. Moreover, I have absolutely no idea how to reload a rifle round but I guess I could look into it.....

 

[Redneckbmxer24]

I have only reloaded shotgun shells before and that was many years ago as a child with my father supervising the event. I am not saying that I would be against reloading I just know that I am one for buying something once and if I was to purchase quality reloading machinery and materials it would cost a fair amount of money. Moreover, I have absolutely no idea how to reload a rifle round but I guess I could look into it.....

Reloading is very easy especially if you stick to book lengths and charges. Finding your lands and stuff and loading for cartridges with no data or powder with no data is a little harder but it's still a pretty easy process. If you don't mind spending the money you can get a hell of a setup for $1k. I've got about $5k in my setup but I'm cranking out a lot of precision match rounds for high volume competition shooting and practice. On top of that I have another $10K or so in bullets, powder, primers, and brass. It's certainly not required though even for what I'm doing, it just makes it easier. If I was just loading up to a couple thousand rounds a year for hunting and casual practice then I'd probably have about a $500 setup as that is all that's needed.

 

[VENOM1]

Reloading is very easy especially if you stick to book lengths and charges. Finding your lands and stuff and loading for cartridges with no data or powder with no data is a little harder but it's still a pretty easy process. If you don't mind spending the money you can get a hell of a setup for $1k. I've got about $5k in my setup but I'm cranking out a lot of precision match rounds for high volume competition shooting and practice. On top of that I have another $10K or so in bullets, powder, primers, and brass. It's certainly not required though even for what I'm doing, it just makes it easier. If I was just loading up to a couple thousand rounds a year for hunting and casual practice then I'd probably have about a $500 setup as that is all that's needed.

I will look into it but between working on my MBA, working FT, a newborn a three year old and my wife plus the fishing and shooting I do now I am not sure that I have the time. if I decide against reloading due to time would you be willing to load and sell some rounds to me??

 

[Redneckbmxer24]

Manufacturing ammo for profit requires a special type of FFL license not to mention the huge liability involved. That's why companies that do custom reloading services and load work up charge out the ass for the services.

Reloading isn't that time consuming, like I said I reload a metric crap ton of ammo and I only spend 4-5 hours a week doing it. I have a lot of specialized equipment that speeds it up but I still don't spend much time. Tonight I sorted and deprimed 2k cases in about 30-45 minutes. It's 223 so I will load them on my Dillon and crank out about 400 rounds an hour after they finish tumbling.

Even with a basic lee loading kit and you can prep and load 200 rounds of ammo in a couple hours time. It's really not time consuming especially if you use a ball type powder that meters well that you can just dump nice even charges of.