Still, with some of the information, we have already discussed, we can make some assumptions about the accuracy of these cartridges. That’s almost 500 fps faster than the.308 Win., so you can quickly appreciate the difference between them. While there is a significant difference between several of the .300 Win Mag and .308 rounds at the 400-500 yard mark, there is some middle ground where the two cartridges have rounds similar in trajectory. Before we wrap up the .300 Win Mag vs .308 comparisons, we want to take the ten rounds we have looked at and pick a few of our favorites for certain shooting/hunting scenarios. The reason for this is because of the heavy recoil associated with these cartridges. We will cover penetration after looking at the rounds energy. And this is one of those categories where we like to caution people. Mag. An improved trajectory is needed especially for long range shooting. If you are going to be shooting long range when you are hunting, this difference is going to weigh in. The major difference is in the case dimensions. can use bullets of 120 grains, but things usually top out at 175 or 185 grains. The 308 - is a cartridge we use in NRA Highpower Rifle matches and very popular in NRA Silhouette. The .308 was introduced by Winchester in 1952 where it gained an immediate following in the hunting community. The 308 is essentially a shortened version of the 30-06 Springfield cartridge used by the U.S. Military from 1906 through the late 1950s. Re: .260 vs .300 Win Mag - Bolt Action Rifle 260 is a very flat shooting cartridge that's capable of 1,400 yard shots in a properly equipped rifle but that's on the higher end of it's practical capabilities. While all of the ballistic properties are important, it doesn’t make a difference if the bullet is not carrying enough energy when it reaches the target to make a clean and humane kill. We hope this gives you a little more confidence in the results and it should also back up our claim that the smaller samples are giving us accurate results. That’s quite a bit more recoil and it is a big enough jump that it is likely to give a lot of potential users pause. About Us | Write For Us | Advertise| Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer Policy And FTC Affiliate Disclosure |. So. Get our PDF with 13 pistol & rifle targets (worth $48) including expert instructions for FREE! We have also included in this section all of the average tables. Your email address will not be published. The .308 barrel will last a lot longer than the .300 WIN Mag. We do want to note, that the gap continues to increase as the rounds move downrange. More specifically, the type of game that is hunted there. This means that both have near penetration although the 300 Mag has better penetration based on its heavier weight. Everything that we know so far about these rounds line up with what we just observed in the short range trajectory. I like the .308 NATO round. There is little over an inch of difference at the 200 yard mark and there is also some overlap between the two cartridges. Looking further, the 300 Mag has a higher recoil than the 308, as the force generated by the 300 beats that the 300 Win Mag on an average by about 6 ft.lbs. It’s this type of difference that drives us crazy when someone points to it and says it’s the better cartridge. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. For longer range, as we saw the higher penetrative power and improved trajectory, velocity give the 300 the advantage. The bullet energy is the highest of the selected .308 rounds with 1,300ft.lbs of energy at the 500-yard mark. They’re both readily available at sporting goods stores. There is no such thing as “308 Win Mag”. As an example, let’s take two rounds, both with a .30-inch diameter bullet (30 cal). We have listed these rounds below. The surface area of the penetration is the same but the second round should have more penetration because of the increased mass. Required fields are marked *. Gravitational force and wind will have less effect on a bullet if it is traveling at a good velocity. Especially when these cartridges are being used for hunting purposes. adds considerably more punch and recoil. Sure the 338 is just a tiny bit wider and the bullet is just a tiny bit bigger, but does that really make a lot of difference?” If you were to ask a deer shot at typical distances of 100-200 meters, the answer would be a definitive NO. A 300WM has enough ass behind it to reach out much further but at the cost of significantly increased recoil and ammo expense. There is some variability in recoil generated for each cartridge depending on the bullet weight and muzzle velocity that is given. And these are just averages, while the .300 WM rounds overall, have the higher numbers, there are .308 rounds that remain supersonic out to 1,100+ yards though the number of options for this performance is much more limited than compared to the .300WM. The faster a bullet travels, the less effect wind and gravity have on the bullet. I just bought a Mauser M18 308. The consensus is around 1,000ft.lb of energy for whitetail and 1,500ft.lb of energy for elk. We will see shortly what the bullet momentum numbers look like shortly. When taking shots within the 200-yard mark, both of these cartridges perform extraordinarily well at close ranges, and they also do well in use around heavy brush and timber although the .300 Win Mag rifle might be a little more cumbersome. It is famous for its uncommon compatibility with the 30-cal bullet. If we were to look at the averages of these rounds, we would see a little over 200ft.sec difference between the .300 WM vs .308 and this difference increases slightly as the rounds move downrange. How do you like the m18 been thinking about getting one. While bullet energy and penetration are critical to understanding a cartridges stopping power, it is not the only component to making a round effective in dropping an animal quickly; bullet design, shot placement, and wound type also are important factors but are more difficult to compare quantitatively, especially when only comparing two cartridges. We can’t quantify the recoil you will feel when firing a rifle chambered for one of these cartridges. In the Federal Vital-Shok, 6.5 Creedmor works out to $1.72/round, while .300 Win Mag comes out to $2.40/round. The powder loads most likely differ between the rounds as well although that data is not given and we took the liberties of using the same powder loads for each round of the same cartridge based on load data from Nosler. There is some overlap between rounds of each cartridge from the muzzle to 200 yards but from that mark out to 500 yards we see a visible grouping of the two rounds with the .300 Win Mag rounds showing higher velocities. Along with the flatter trajectory, the .300 Win Mag rounds will normally have a higher ballistic coefficient making them more resistant to drag and drift. More so than a single shot is any potential follow shots after such recoil is going to be extremely difficult to put back on target with the .300 Win Mag. The way we will measure penetration quantitatively is by looking at the sectional density of the rounds we have selected for each cartridge. The .300 Win Mag is not only a hunting cartridge but is also favored by long-range competitive shooters. With proper shot placement, this round still has the energy and the velocity to make a clean kill. We consider these numbers more of guidelines than hard rules. Even though the .300 Win Mag has heavier bullets, the increased powder loads the casings can hold provides a flatter trajectory than the lighter weight .308 rounds and make long-range shots for large game more achievable. Recoil: Recoil is far less in a 308 than a 300 win mag. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. We have selected five popular rounds that are most often used in the field so even though there are a lot more options out there, what matters for most marksmen and hunters is what is most available. This is where the similarities end. The.300 Win. This round has a great BC for .308 rounds, and when paired with the velocity and long-range trajectory, you have an excellent round for precision shooting. can nudge a 200-grain bullet to about 2,400 fps and generate muzzle energy of about 2,550 ft lbs. With over 200 yards difference between the supersonic limits of these cartridges, it’s not much of stretch to say that the .300 WM might provide a little easier time with extreme distance shots. Momentum and sectional density are linked in this idea of penetration as sectional density influences the amount of resistance the round will encounter. There is so much more that should factor in to the performance of the cartridge. Component bullets for handloaders are available from 125-grains to 200-grains, giving the rifleman a wide range of choices for everything from varmints to critters like moose and bears. Try running the numbers on a 215 Hybrid at 2850fps (typical 300 win mag velocity for this bullet) with a 10 twist and an altitude of 1500ft. Sure, the .300 WM has a lot more kinetic energy associated with it than the .308 Win rounds. We have listed retail prices for these rounds, but be aware that these prices are subject to change based on availability and demand. When looking at the limits of supersonic flight for these cartridges, we saw that the .300 Win Mag, on average, extended that speed out a little over 200 yards. By looking at all of these different components, we will have a much better understanding of which scenarios either one of these cartridges will be better suited. Both cartridges are excellent for use on medium to large sized game. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'gunnewsdaily_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',112,'0','0'])); The ballistic coefficient determines how streamlined a cartridge would be. The.300 Win. Both shoot the same diameter bullets. Let’s take a look at the larger data set and see if the .300 Win Mag still has a higher BC, on average, than the .308 Win. While the .300 Win Mag is more known for its long-range ability, the .308 is often associated with closer range and hunting in thick cover though we will see that the .308 is not too shabby when it comes to longer range shots. The results that we see are nearly identical to the numbers pulled from the graph. The life of the 308 barrel life doubles or even triples the count of shots you will be shooting with your 300 Win Mag. Another important factor in accuracy that is often neglected is the recoil. Let’s take a look at the numbers from the larger data set and see if this difference in kinetic energy persists. And it is still found in military and police circles, just not to the extend as it was earlier in its lifetime. In the graph below, we have presented the momentum of our ten selected rounds from the muzzle out to 500 yards (Graph 10). The 300 Win Mag is produced by Winchester, coming into use around 1963. Even though the difference is small, there is a trend towards the .300 Win Mag rounds having a flatter trajectory than the .308 Win even if it is only around an inch of difference on average. While the 308 Win Mag and the 300 Win Mag will both do well when shooting within 200 yards, the 300 excels better when the range goes further. No it can not the cartridge will jam in the magazine, Please tell me where I can buy a “308 Winchester magnum ” rifle. 300 Win Mag vs 30-06 A ballistic coefficient is a number that you will run across when doing any research on cartridges. Loved the article. Again, there are other factors that go into accuracy, most importantly the person on the smart end of the gun, but accuracy is a major variable in the overall equation. Once they fall below supersonic speeds, they become much more unstable and unpredictable which means it requires a lot more skill and calculations to be accurate at these ranges. This round is affordable which is an important consideration when you plan burning through quite a few. And as we go through these various categories, keep in mind that they all play off of one another and all influence the performance and profile of each round. Anything within that yard mark is no issue. A flat trajectory aids your accuracy helping you aim better and shoot sharper. As you can see, 6.5 Creedmoor is generally much cheaper than .300 Win Mag. The .300 Winchester Magnum (also known as .300 Win Mag or 300WM) (7.62×67mmB) is a belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963. When looking at the .300 Win Mag vs .308, we can’t tell you which is the best as we don’t believe there is a definitive answer. Recoil in a 308 is usually around 12 or 13 ft-lbs, while it’s 20+ ft-lbs in a 300 win mag. You will see the bullet is perfectly stable. Both the 308 and 300 have good kicks as the 300 and the 308 can boast of a force at least 20ft.lbs. Since we looked at short range trajectory, we also want to take a look at how these two cartridges compare when on a longer flight path. If you are deciding on a cartridge to be used in shooting competition or to just spend time on the range showing up your friends, this section might not be as important in your decision. The .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 Winchester Magnum are all outstanding big game hunting cartridges. Your email address will not be published. Penetration is especially important when hunting for game with tough and thick bone and tissue where a shallow wound is not going to bring it down. And we don’t have any sentimental attachment to either cartridge and we certainly aren’t trying to push the .308. Let’s take a look at our ten selected rounds and see how the sectional densities (SDs) compare (Graph 9). So, given what we saw in the sectional density section, let’s see if the momentum gives more of an edge to the .300 Win Mag or brings it closer to even for the .308 Win. Since 2001, we have provided the latest in gun rights news, tech reviews and product information. Pertaining to the 308 and the 300 Win Mag, the 300 Win Mag has a higher ballistic coefficient than the 308. Gravitational force and wind will have less effect on a bullet, Disclaimer Policy And FTC Affiliate Disclosure |, Disclaimer Policy And FTC Affiliate Disclosure.
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