.300 WSM - Advice for Plains Game

Rimbaud

Rimbaud

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I'm off to Namibia for a plains game hunt, and planning to bring a .300 WSM. If anyone has any experience with this caliber for plains game, I'd appreciate some feedback on bullet weight. I'm planning to use a 180-grain bullet, and suspect I will use Norma Oryx, but I don't know what I don't know. This will be my first Africa hunt. Thanks for any advice.
 
I took my 300 wsm to South Africa in 2015 . I used nosler Accubonds 180 grain and took 9 larger plains game species . 3 were over 200 yards and it took 9 bullets except for a couple which were down but needed a quick finish.
My son and I will both take 300 wsm' s in June to Africa.
What more can I ask for?
 
I have not shot any game with the 180 gr Norma Oryx, but I expect it will work well with proper shot placement. Paying particular attention to shot placement and angle if heavy PG such as Eland are on the menu. I wouldn’t try to bust through heavy bones with this set up.
I have used 180 grain Accubonds and 180 grain Swift Sciroccos in the .300 WSM with good results. I prefer the Scirocco, but just barely, although they are a bit more finicky. Some barrels shoot them well and some don’t.
165 gr TSX wouldn’t be a bad choice either.
 
Rickmt said:
I took my 300 wsm to South Africa in 2015 . I used nosler Accubonds 180 grain and took 9 larger plains game species . 3 were over 200 yards and it took 9 bullets except for a couple which were down but needed a quick finish.
My son and I will both take 300 wsm' s in June to Africa.
What more can I ask for?
Click to expand...
Thank you, Gentlemen. Much appreciated.
 
Rimbaud said:
I'm off to Namibia for a plains game hunt, and planning to bring a .300 WSM. If anyone has any experience with this caliber for plains game, I'd appreciate some feedback on bullet weight. I'm planning to use a 180-grain bullet, and suspect I will use Norma Oryx, but I don't know what I don't know. This will be my first Africa hunt. Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

Are you loading your own bullets or buying factory ammo?
 
PHOENIX PHIL said:
Are you loading your own bullets or buying factory ammo?
Click to expand...
I'm hoping to buy the ammo, but I can and do hand load. Just so damm busy lately that I think I may take the path of least resistance.
 
Rimbaud said:
I'm hoping to buy the ammo, but I can and do hand load. Just so damm busy lately that I think I may take the path of least resistance.
Click to expand...

I don't know much about the Oryx, so I won't comment one way or the other. Though I've not hunted with the Swift A-Frames, I would. And they're available I believe in factory offerings. And lots of guys like the Barnes TTSX's. So just some other options.
 
Rimbaud said:
I'm off to Namibia for a plains game hunt, and planning to bring a .300 WSM. If anyone has any experience with this caliber for plains game, I'd appreciate some feedback on bullet weight. I'm planning to use a 180-grain bullet, and suspect I will use Norma Oryx, but I don't know what I don't know. This will be my first Africa hunt. Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

I have hunted with one of my 300 WSMs a couple of times on plains game hunts. Used factory Winchester ammo with 180 grain Accubonds. I don't believe it is sold any longer although I have seen it for sale on several web sites. I believe Winchester now loads the Silvertips instead.

On kudu, gemsbok, and zebra, I was able to recover the balls from under the skin on the off side shoulder. Weight retention was good and they expanded as hoped. On springbok and blesbok I had pass-throughs. All animals were recovered within 100 yards.

If I were to take the rifle again, I'd probably use partitions or A-frames for the larger plains game. While the accubonds did the job, I'd prefer pass-throughs which I think would happen with one of the other two. But as is often noted, brand of bullet seldom makes up for poor shot placement.
 
Eric Zelanko said:
On kudu, gemsbok, and zebra, I was able to recover the balls from under the skin on the off side shoulder.
Click to expand...

I'm going to guess you meant bullets there. If not that's one helluva bullet!! :)
 
I shoot a .300 wsm and it did well in Africa. I used 180 grain ttsx handloads .

They don't make that in a factory load I don't believe, but Vor-Tx does load the 165 grain in their ammunition .

I've never seen factory loads with A-frames in the wsm, although semi-custom can be had.

For factory loads I'd stick with the ttsx but if you'll hand load you can obviously expand your choices .
 
I have used the Oryx quite a bit in 7mm guise. It is a superb bonded core bullet and would be terrific in a fast thirty like your WSM.
 
I've used the 180gr Norma Oryx in 30-06 the last two times I've hunted in Africa.
I will not use anything else.
It really is a superb bullet, it does everything you need it to.
Everything I've hit with it has been down to a single shot from Steenbok and Duiker to Zebra and Kudu.
I have bought the Oryx for my .375 and will use it in my .300WinMag as well and my .243.
I don't believe you will be disappointed with the performance.
 
The 300WSM is an awesome cartridge. If components were not so damn rare and expensive over here, I would have one. Personally, I would opt for the 165gr pills in the WSM, but, I am known to be biased towards the flatter shooting combinations.
 
165 or 168ttsx is my go to projectile in the 300 wsm and preforms very well on plains game.
 
The B.C. Is not that great on the Oryx. Accubond or Swift scirocco are much better. I have shot both out of a 30 06......love them both. Great Bullets and have used them on all plains game but eland....superb results. Used a 200 grain Nosler Partition at 235 yds on a 3 yr old eland bullfrom a 30 06 at 2630 FPS. Pass thru on first shot, and thru the heart....he just walked a few paces and stood there.left a hole in the heart that you could pass a tennis ball thru..PH shoot’em again, second shot quarter away lodged in off shoulder. A WSM should use a tough bullet especially if you have a closer shot. A Frame, ttsx, nosler, Woodleigh, Accubond or scirocco would all work fine, have read oryx may not be the best at magnum velocity on shorter range.
 
.300 WSM is close enough to .300 WM, to call them equal. Just using a short and fat case. If a bullet works with WM, it works with WSM.

If I were to take a .300 WSM hunting, I'd first verify that it works perfectly in my rifle. The sharp shoulder has potential to make feeding more rough than with more gently tapered cartridges.
 
If your 300 WSM like the 180 grain Oryx then stick with it and don't look back. The Oryx is a great hunting bullet with a solid reputation, you'll be happy with the results.
 
I really like Federal Premium with 180 grain Trophy Bonded Tipped bullets in my 300 magnums. Out of my Kimber mountain gun shooting 300 WSM I had one blow right through a big boar pig and into a sow on the other side. The sow needed a finisher but got her. Also blew through two shoulders and the heart on a mule deer out of my 300 win mag.

I am now using that new 200 grain composite bullet in Federal's new premium line for my WSM only because the heavier bullets are more accurate in my rifle. Sticking with the 180's in my win mag.

Just stay with premium ammo and especially premium bonded or TSX bullets and the load that your rifle likes best and you will do well.
 
That caliber will be fine. It will be especially fine if:

1. You work as a team with your PH and shoot when directed,
2. You will have practiced shooting off sticks prior to the hunt,
3. You will shoot often enough beforehand to have no flinching and are comfortable with it (sounds like you are already),
4. You will pay attention to shot placement on the animals you will be hunting via prior study, and listen to last second advice from the PH.
5. Call the shot and be ready for a follow up.
6. Use premium bullets. I like your plan for 180 grains.
7. Know your trajectory.

My experience is limited (one safari) but I think that shot placement with penetration is almost everything, although you get a bit more forgiveness with larger calibers. Not much, though.

Jeff
 
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