Why the 30 Caliber Magnums?

[Rem1903a3]

.300H&H is the gentleman's .30

It is slow kicking and milder than a .300Winmag. It has a proven feed from the 375 parent case. It has a very long neck to shoot up to 240gr bullets and has factory loading much hotter and heavier than a 30-06.

Lastly, only pretty rifles were chambered in 300H&H so you have zero chances of owning a fugly girl.

In short, a 300H&H is as close to an.318WR or 338/06 as you're going to get, and it kicks less.

 

[Rem1903a3]

I personally went from 300Weatherby mag ,a great cartridge to a 300H&H ,a gentaler ,classic .

 

[Rem1903a3]

My reason for quoting Jack was to demonstrate that a .30 caliber magnum is a want not a need. When I went to Africa last year I took my 35 Whelen and 30-06 but thanks to Delta airlines I did have to use my PH's 270 on my zebra and kudu. If I had to pick one of Jacks guns to hunt Africa it would be the 375 not the 270.

How did the .270 perform on the Zebra and Kudo ?
It would be a boring place if we all shot the same cartridges
I am dieing to use my 6.5x53r and .300H&H.

 

[Savage Hunter]

How did the .270 perform on the Zebra and Kudo ?
It would be a boring place if we all shot the same cartridges
I am dieing to use my 6.5x53r and .300H&H.

my wife killed a Zebra with a 7-08 which is basically the same as the 270.
Kudu don't seem as tough as most other animals that size, so should be great.

 

[Desert Dog]

I personally went from 300Weatherby mag ,a great cartridge to a 300H&H ,a gentaler ,classic .

Yep, I went from 300 Win mag, back to 300 H&H a few years ago.

I get the same velocities with the same bullets, but the recoil pulse of the H&H is much more pleasant. Also, the H&H feeds smoother and seems to have much less extreme spread in my loads (probably because the neck is longer than the win mag and give more uniform tension). Loving the quality Nosler brass with the H&H too!

Honesty, I use the 300 mags when I will probably need long shots on big animals (free-range aoudad, sheep, and open country elk come to mind). If that is not likely, my 30-06 is a lighter, shorter, mildly recoiling alternative that shoots the same bullets, has twice the barrel life, and is cheaper to load for.

300 mags definitely have their place and have a history of great results, but they are not always the best tool for the job.

 

[Art Lambart II]

How did the .270 perform on the Zebra and Kudo ?
It would be a boring place if we all shot the same cartridges
I am dieing to use my 6.5x53r and .300H&H.

The 270 is a fine round but the first shot must be perfect. IMO the 270 is a bit light for follow up shots on larger PG.

 

[Bruce]

I disagree with Mr. Hawks whole heartedly! A 300 win mag or weatherby or whatever mag will do everthing a 30-06 does better and then some.. It shoots flatter, hits harder, 300 win mag argueably a more accurate round (that's one reason military snipers use it). Mr. hawks forgets that animals are killed by the effect of the energy transfer from the bullet to the critter aka hydrostatic shock. I can take a longer shot, an off angle quartering shot, etc and know that with a 200 gr bullet at 3050fps I can punch thru a lot of animal and deliver a lot of energy. Go try that with a 243, 270 I want to see you tear thru a ton of gut to get to the lungs at a quartering away shot on a big animal just not happening. In "real life" hunting you don't always get those perfect broadside volleys and with more gun in my hand I feel confortable taking less than ideal shots. So for my money if you can handle a 300 mag (or bigger) then why not use it? If you cant then shoot something less, shoot it well and be happy.
My basic principal my Daddy taught me many moons ago is son dead is dead hit em hard with the biggest stick you can and I don't care if you waste a little meat just make em dead!

Good fatherly advice there....I use the 300win mag for flat trajectory LOOOONG shots in open plains, like Tanzania and parts of South Africa. When bushveld hunting for meat, close range ( 80-150m) I find the meat damage from the 300win mag 180g excessive and prefer my 30-06 or even the trusty 375!!!
When on 2 x Tanzanian safaris and only allowed to import 2 x rifles.. OF COURSE, I took my 375 H & H AND the 300 win mag.

 

[Southwind]

I own 300 win mag, 300 wsm, and 300 h&h so I certainly don't agree. Like some others have noted these writers make a living with conjecture and controversy. Although he can make this argument based off the parameters he used it doesn't tell the whole story does it? I have never had an animal register a complaint about being dispatched by a 30 cal magnum.

 

[Rem1903a3]

I disagree with Mr. Hawks whole heartedly! A 300 win mag or weatherby or whatever mag will do everthing a 30-06 does better and then some.. It shoots flatter, hits harder, 300 win mag argueably a more accurate round (that's one reason military snipers use it). Mr. hawks forgets that animals are killed by the effect of the energy transfer from the bullet to the critter aka hydrostatic shock. I can take a longer shot, an off angle quartering shot, etc and know that with a 200 gr bullet at 3050fps I can punch thru a lot of animal and deliver a lot of energy. Go try that with a 243, 270 I want to see you tear thru a ton of gut to get to the lungs at a quartering away shot on a big animal just not happening. In "real life" hunting you don't always get those perfect broadside volleys and with more gun in my hand I feel confortable taking less than ideal shots. So for my money if you can handle a 300 mag (or bigger) then why not use it? If you cant then shoot something less, shoot it well and be happy.
My basic principal my Daddy taught me many moons ago is son dead is dead hit em hard with the biggest stick you can and I don't care if you waste a little meat just make em dead!

What he said , I take the opinions of. Those that have done over the opinions of those that have wrote.I don't know Mr Hawks history but I do know PH I have contacted recommend 300 mags for African plains game .

 

[Rem1903a3]

Guess some us sipped a wee bit too much of the 30 cal koolaid.

R.

Make mine the purple passion H&H ,with ice please

 

[lwaters]

You can get that 3050 with 200 grain bullet with a good handload.I doubt if a factory load in 300 mag gets much over 2800.

 

[Bart]

I own a Blaser R93 in 300 win mag. It has been taken to SA 10 times, first 2 hunts were with a 308. It has been equipped with a Nightforce NSX scope which is virtually indestructible. Since I live in Holland, i 'm not used to walk in mountain terrain, and the rifle has been dropped a few times, without any damage and without rezeroing. I shoot a light Bullet, a 168 grain Barnes TTSX. Bullets are reloaded with Vithavuori N550 58.5 grain. For me this my ultimate Africa gun, it shoots every antilope in any size. (Kudu, eland, blue wildebeast). Over 110 animals hunted in Africa with it. I love my 300 win mag.

 

[Milehighshooter]

The big difference, in my opinion, between most of the 30s, is really distance. A 300 Wby still shoots the same bullet as a 308, but what the 308 will do at 100 yards the Wby will do at 400. 30-06 vs 300 Win is pretty much a matter of 150 yards. Now saying that, yes the biggies will hit much harder at equal distances.

I think what Chuck Hawks is getting at, is that the vast majority of American hunters, do not need the extra power. Most of the American hunting, is for whitetail, and under 300 yards, probably closer to under 200 yards. Want and need are very different things, if they weren't, I wouldn't own 30 rifles lol. How often will your average deer Hunter in Georgia make trips to Colorado or Montana, let alone Alaska or Africa? I'd bet almost never.

 

[Buckdog]

You can get that 3050 with 200 grain bullet with a good handload.I doubt if a factory load in 300 mag gets much over 2800.

300 winnies love rl22 and h1000 and fed lg rifle match primers, try it you will like it

 

[Buckdog]

sorry for the error fed lg rifle magnum primers match grade are excellent

 

[ArmyVet]

I am a recent convert to this group of cartridges. Mostly due to the high praise they received from my PH and some friends a moose camp. But, no sooner have I sipped the Kool-aide then I read this disparagement of 300 magnums

http://www.chuckhawks.com/optimum_30_rifle_cartridge.htm

Ugh, way to harsh my mellow! But seriously, why do guys who like this class of cartridge like it? Is it worth the effort?

I love my .300Win Mag Sendero. I can put two rounds at 100ms side by side so they fit inside a quarter. Now I won't shoot more than 20 rounds at a time as it will bruise my shoulder. Just love the round. Used a loaner 300 and a 30-06 in SA last summer. Both stopped animals in their tracks.

 

[DHH45]

I am a recent convert to this group of cartridges. Mostly due to the high praise they received from my PH and some friends a moose camp. But, no sooner have I sipped the Kool-aide then I read this disparagement of 300 magnums

http://www.chuckhawks.com/optimum_30_rifle_cartridge.htm

Ugh, way to harsh my mellow! But seriously, why do guys who like this class of cartridge like it? Is it worth the effort?

 

[DHH45]

• I shoot a 300 weatherby and the 300 Rum.
• Mostly the Weatherby since the late 70's all over the USA, Canada and two years ago in Namibia. The 180 gr. In my ultra light are not fun. The 168gr Barnes TTX is the best round for me and extremely accurate.

 

[sgt_zim]

Practical advantages of 30 mags are lost on a lot of hunters, maybe even most of them. I expect that this does not include most people posting here, but shooting at 400 yards isn't just doubling what you're doing at 200 yards. Little mechanical/technique mistakes probably won't show up at 200, but boy do they ever start showing up at 300 and further - "booger flicking," bad cheek weld, breathing, etc.

Hawks' audience mostly isn't guys who go to Africa, guys who put in the time and expense of being good shooters. Most deer hunting in the US is done east of the Mississippi River (15 states east of the MS River annually sell 300K licenses or more, only 4 states west of the MS sell 300K or more). Sure, there are lots of pastures and cutovers and so forth where a long shot might be possible, but mostly the shots are under 200 yards. These guys are spending extra money and thumping their shoulders for no appreciable benefit. And if the hunting conditions don't demand competency at 300+, it's a sure thing they aren't practicing at 300+, either.

Hunters in general are the exception any more, and this group, here on this board, is exceptional even among hunters. So considering who Hawks' audience is, I don't find his remarks even a little controversial, let alone offensive or ignorant.

the whole 30 cal family can be summed up as "jack of all trades, master of none." There isn't anything in the world wrong with that, either.

 

[Abeln]

Damn sgt_zim...

That is a fairly deep analysis of ol' Chuckhawks there!

Perspective.