300 Win mag, 300 Wby mag or 338 Win mag?

[lcq]

I own both the 300 Win Mag and 338 Win Mag. They are both very good long range guns. If I had to chose one it would be the 300 Win Mag just because bullet and ammo are easier and cheaper to find. I used one on 2 trips to Africa and it killed everything with ease....I was not hunting elephant, hippo or cape buffalo.

I'll add you can easily find ammo in RSA if the luggage gets lost

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Hello All,
I received a Burris Eliminator III 4x16 scope as a gift any opinions on what to put it on.
I want a larger caliber for bigger game and this is a long range scope good to 1000+ yards.
Not that I will be shooting at that distance, but I want the best option for the scope.
I have a 300 win mag and a 300 wby mag, I was thinking 338 win mag?
Any opinions on the Burris Eliminator 111 scope?
Thank you all in advance for your help.
TomC

@TomC
Either of the 300s would make a good long range outfit with long range accubonds.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

'Phoenix Phil', not disagreeing by any stretch, just again saying that most of my hunting is done at 4x and 9x has easily picked up anything I've spotted even at distances well beyond my shooting comfort zone.

Good hunting to you and good luck in whacking those elusive and sneaky little Coues bastards. LOL

@Big5
I have 3 to 9s Or 3.5 to 10s fitted to my rifles all are usually set somewhere around 4 to 6. If I have the time I will wind them up for use off a good rest. Once you start going over 10 power on warm days mirage starts to play havoc.
Strange I started many years ago with 4 or 6 power scopes and never found them wanting at any range I shot game out to. Usually no more than 300 yards max. Getting hold of good quality fixed power scopes 8s a mission nowdays. What we used to shoot with 4 and 6 power scopes we now need 15, 18,or 2 4 power scopes for the same distance.
My son loves higher powered scopes but wondered why he was missing so much. I convinced him to wild the scope down to 4 power now he hits most things most of the time. LESS perceived WOBBLE off an unsteady rest. He has finally learnt to walk around the bush with his scope set on 3 or 4 and only winds it up when he has the time and steady rest.
I remember giving him the doors for shooting 600ml plastic bottles at 400 yards and he couldn't hit a thing. He worked it out he had to come up another bar or two on the scope. After he belted 5 in a row he told me I was an idiot and my doors were off.worked out my doors were 100% correct for 9 power on his scope. Problem was he had it set around his favorite 4.5 power and had to adjust for that.
If'n he can shoot 600ml drink bottles a 400 yards with a scope set on 4 and a half power why do we need more than 6 or 8 that were the long range scopes of yore
Bob

 

[Tanks]

@TomC
Either of the 300s would make a good long range outfit with long range accubonds.
Bob

I wonder what he decided on almost 6 years ago?

 

[Professor Mawla]

I am a massive admirer of the .338 Winchester Magnum ( especially when used with 250 grain Nosler Partition soft nosed factory loads ) .

 

[CoElkHunter]

I am a massive admirer of the .338 Winchester Magnum ( especially when used with 250 grain Nosler Partition soft nosed factory loads ) .

+1.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I wonder what he decided on almost 6 years ago?

Probably a .35 Whelen? Right Bob Nelson 35 Whelen? Ha! Ha!

 

[bruce moulds]

ceh,
but it might have been a pump action.
bruce.

 

[CoElkHunter]

ceh,
but it might have been a pump action.
bruce.

Bruce,
Yes it might have been? So, he could have chosen a Remington 7600 in .35 Whelen. Or, maybe he decided on a lever action? Browning BLR in .35 Whelen or .300WM. And I could swear I saw the BLR chambered in .338WM years ago from their catalog, but can’t find anything on it since. I was only looking cause my hunting buddy’s son inquired about it. I could only imagine the recoil with that straight stock!
Back on topic, maybe this guy wanted a semi auto in .35 Whelen? Remington 750? We’ll never know. Ha! Ha!
CEH

 

[bruce moulds]

for certain applications, the old woody in 35 whelen could not be surpassed.
bruce.

 

[Badboymelvin]

I've owned all 3 and I would personally choose either the .300Wby or the .338WM over the .300WM simply because I like the first 2 more - not because of any deficiency of the .300 Win Mag. It's a fine round.

The .300Wby and the .338WM would both be in my top 5 favourite cartridges of all time...

Cheers,

Russ

 

[leslie hetrick]

my longest shots at game were two years ago at two prong horns in wyoming, useing a rem 7mm08 with my favorite leupold 2.5-8x scope useing clicks instead of hold over. one at 280 yards and one at 310 yards ranged with lazar range finder, prone with a harris bipod and both were one shot kills.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Probably a .35 Whelen? Right Bob Nelson 35 Whelen? Ha! Ha!

@ CoElkHunter and
@bruce moulds
I already have my savage Whelen.
The beauty of the Whelen is you don't need fast follow up shots, 99% of the time ONE shot is adequate and our aim is to dispatch game with one shot.
No need for more speed gents just shoot better.
Bob

 

[Fastrig]

Peace brother. Knew they had to have been someone who mastered those monstrosities. I am just begging you not to show up at our clays range with a scope!

I genuinely am curious what use you find for 16 or 24 power on a general purpose hunting scope. And I am not being argumentative - I am truly curious. As I type this, I can think of no shot I have made in the last 50 years that I couldn't have made with a max of 6-power (haven't been to the Stans yet, but have hunted the Rockies and the Alps, not to mention a lot of bean and cornfields). All of our rifle decisions are compromises of weight, recoil, length, etc. A 16 or 24 power variable adds a lot of bulk to a rifle. I still have drilling with a huge objective 6-power Khales scope on a rail mount. The Khales roughly has the dimensions of a modern high power variable. However, that scope was designed to shoot roe and boar from a high seat well after sunset (over snow, we would sit for boar until midnight). It destroys the balance and utility of the drilling for most hunting, but was a reasonable decision based upon the weapon's primary intended use. So, these higher powers must represent a value to you which outweighs their size and bulk. I have no doubt one can with practice adapt to such a high power glass, I am truly curious why one would want to do so.

Personally think the newer optics that run on the low side at 1.7-2.3 and the higher end at 12-18 may be the perfect hunting scopes, i.e great close and long range. They are pricey but think worth the coin as the vast majority of these have excellent glass, field of view, etc. Most of my scopes now are 2-12 and stay on 2 while in the field until I need to zoom closer, i.e. ready for the opportunity that may suddenly emerge close by. When I need to zoom out to longer distances the scopes accommodate with the quick turn of the throw lever. Best of both worlds, IMO. Agree that, for hunting, anything more is overkill.

 

[Fastrig]

@Big5
I have 3 to 9s Or 3.5 to 10s fitted to my rifles all are usually set somewhere around 4 to 6. If I have the time I will wind them up for use off a good rest. Once you start going over 10 power on warm days mirage starts to play havoc.
Strange I started many years ago with 4 or 6 power scopes and never found them wanting at any range I shot game out to. Usually no more than 300 yards max. Getting hold of good quality fixed power scopes 8s a mission nowdays. What we used to shoot with 4 and 6 power scopes we now need 15, 18,or 2 4 power scopes for the same distance.
My son loves higher powered scopes but wondered why he was missing so much. I convinced him to wild the scope down to 4 power now he hits most things most of the time. LESS perceived WOBBLE off an unsteady rest. He has finally learnt to walk around the bush with his scope set on 3 or 4 and only winds it up when he has the time and steady rest.
I remember giving him the doors for shooting 600ml plastic bottles at 400 yards and he couldn't hit a thing. He worked it out he had to come up another bar or two on the scope. After he belted 5 in a row he told me I was an idiot and my doors were off.worked out my doors were 100% correct for 9 power on his scope. Problem was he had it set around his favorite 4.5 power and had to adjust for that.
If'n he can shoot 600ml drink bottles a 400 yards with a scope set on 4 and a half power why do we need more than 6 or 8 that were the long range scopes of yore
Bob

Now this certainly depends a lot on the quality of the scope/glass, but I’ve found most scopes start to lose clarity at settings of 3/4 or so of their max magnification. I don’t shoot past 7-9 mag normally but the clarity of view at these settings on one of my 12x scopes is much better than with one of my old 9x scopes maxed out. Didn’t notice as much when I was younger but as my eyes have aged I’ve noticed the difference more and more. 8-9 on my 2-12 scopes is crystal clear, where 8-9 on the 3-9 scope the view is somewhat distorted around the edges. These are all quality Leopold scopes of their day.

 

[Fastrig]

To Op’s question, any of those calibers in a quality rifle are excellent choices. All boils down to preference, IMO, though I would lean towards the 300 win mag but that’s only because it’s one of my favorites. That scope would also be great on a 257 Weatherby...flat, long shooter that could use the extended view of that optic.

 

[Happy Myles]

I have satisfactorily used all three cartridges on big game around the world. The 300 Weatherby I owned was just not as accurate as I preferred, i am sure it was that particular rifle and not the cartridge. My 338 is a wonderful rifle have taken more than a score of big game with it. My favorite is the 300 Win Mag using heavy for caliber bullets. Have lost track of the game, large and small, have taken with it enough ton wear out one barrel while prowling around the world for 70 years. I am 82 and this was my first year not to hunt some African country in more than 50 years.

 

[Spearhead]

There isn't much practical difference between the 300 Win. Mag. and the 300 Weatherby Mag. The only reasons I can see for going for one rather than the other would be availability of brass and ammunition and cost. Either of them would be better long range performers than the 338 Win. Mag.

I used to be more of a fan of high power scopes than I am now. Even if a scope is goot to 1,000 yards, most guns and most shooters aren't. For bench rest shooting it's handy to have a high power scope. For hunting even to the 500 or 600 yard range (which usually won't happen in Africa), I think 10X is more than adequate. I also agree with one of the posters above who said fiddling with the parallax adjustment is a worthless distraction when hunting.

As for opinions on the Burris Eliminator 111 scope since I've never used one I can't offer much. What I would suggest is going to the web sites of some purveyors of said scope such as MidwayUSA and reading the feedback there. I had been considering a Burris handgun scope until I read some feedback. Burris' rifle scopes may be different.

I’ll throw my 2 cajun cents in.... If a hunter thinks he/she needs it then they do. I for one am fantastic at doing myself in overthinking and analyzing Hunter gear (amongst other things). My opinion is if you think it will help make you better at connecting a quick humane kill, then you won’t be satisfied without it. I agree with gadgets are extremely distracting and can greatly hamper you..... just ask me if I missed an opportunity at a crossing whitetail this past season because I was looking at the weather on my phone ..... I have no opinion on which caliber. I’m still overthinking that too.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I’ll throw my 2 cajun cents in.... If a hunter thinks he/she needs it then they do. I for one am fantastic at doing myself in overthinking and analyzing Hunter gear (amongst other things). My opinion is if you think it will help make you better at connecting a quick humane kill, then you won’t be satisfied without it. I agree with gadgets are extremely distracting and can greatly hamper you..... just ask me if I missed an opportunity at a crossing whitetail this past season because I was looking at the weather on my phone ..... I have no opinion on which caliber. I’m still overthinking that too.

@Spearheaded
That's why I have cut back to 3 HUNTING cartridges 22,25 and 35.
Saves doing my head in on what to take. If I can't decide I just take the biggest and that covers everything. I know where's the fun in that, but before the hunt date had been and gone while I made up my mind.
Bob

 

[Tanks]

@Spearheaded
That's why I have cut back to 3 HUNTING cartridges 22,25 and 35.
Saves doing my head in on what to take....

So, no DG in your future?