Hunting Forum

I am looking to do some reloading before deer hunting in November.  I have a Remington 300 Win. Mag that I have been shooting 180 grain bullets with.  I hunt where most shots are 200-400+ yards.  What kind of bullets would you recommend using to reload with?  Should I stay with 180 grains or move to a slightly lower weight bullet.  Any help would be appreciated.

ND Muley Hunter

I would go with 165 or 180. For the range you stated they are fast enough out of your 300 Win to shoot plenty flat. I run 165's in my 300 SAUM and 200's in my 300RUM. Use what shoots the best.

I hunt with a .300 Win Mag Rem Sendero and I shoot Swift Sciroccos that I re-load myself. The bullets are 150 gr with IMR3150 powder. I have shot 2 muledeer with these bullets at 412 and 410 yds each. The range was verified with a laser range finder. I find the 150's shoot alot flatter. A couple of other deer were shot at under or at 100 yds and they expanded really well.

Mr Ithorp
I believe you have an error in your post. I don't think you will find a 3150 powder in the IMR line up.

I would use a 165 gr. BT Bonded Bullet. Good luck.

I'm a one rifle/load type of guy so if I had 180's that were accurate in my rifle, and I do, then that's what I would use.

I was talking to my Buddy last night, planning our 2012 Antelope Hunt in Wyoming. I'll be using the same rifle/load for antelope as I will for deer, elk, and hogs. Yup, you guessed it, .300 Win Mag/180 Grains.

If you have a 180 gr load that shoots well in your rifle, then use that load. Mulies are not bullet proof and you do not need the super premium bullets for deer sized game. There isn't a mule deer alive that can survive being hit in the vitals with any 180 gr 30 caliber bullet on the market.

Stay with what works for you and your rifle.

was where you are last year. Never reloaded before or even shot a rifle, as I live inN.J. where shotguns only
We were going to South Carilina where shots of 300 yards were possible. After alot of expermitation settled with 180 grain Ballistic tips from Nosler infront of imr4350 or imr 4831.Both loads shoot 1/2' groups at 100 yards. Sot a 5 pointer, 102 yards took the heart literally. One of the things I read was that the 300 win mag was made for the 180 grain bullet. If you want to shoot smaller bullets shot less gun.
Hope this helps.

Joe Termite

I have shot everything from elk to antelope with a 300 win mag. Never found anything to compare to the Hornady SST.

i load nosler 180gr ballistic tip. Shot several at different ranges from 50 to 300 yds. only had to track one and the blood trail was VERY easy to follow the 30yds to find it. Not only was the exit hole very large it also jellied everything inside. all vitals where torn to bits. They work really well in my rifle.

I am here in Idaho. We usually have overlapping deer and elk hunts. I use Core Lokt 180's right out of the box. Sighted in dead center at 300 yards. I hunt in the mountains where I have hunted for over 50 years. Some fairly close shots, and some real eye openers. Those Core lokt have never let me down, and I have never lost a wounded animal. Just my two cents worth.

TSX 165gr

I know this is going to get some bad comments but I hand load my 300 WSM with 110 grain Hornady V-max and have killed elk from 120 yrds to 379 yrds and deer from 216 yrds to 418 yrds. None have taken more than a couple steps. Love the load as it is a 30 cal bullet leaving the muzzle faster and shooting flatter than my buddies 22-250. Ok, bring on the arguments...too small etc. lol

I agree with Tom. If you load Barnes 165 grain TSX bullets in a 300 Win Mag there is no animal on this continent that you can not bring down. I include animals from pronghorn to polar bear (never hunted either, but I stand by the statement).

ND?  Then you shoot big deer, just like up here in Saskatchewan.  Doesn't change my answer.

I have shot a few different loads in my 300. But my pet load is with a 165gr speer grand slam. Perfect performance on all game that I have taken from pronghorn to caribou.

I shoot A Browning A-Bolt 300 with 180 Grain Nosler partitions work's great you can see the 2 mule deer me and my brother took in 2012 in Colorado my brother was using a 30/06 with the same bullet. Shoot what you like and practice

If you want to go with a lighter bullet.  I wouldn't go any lighter than 165 grains.  I personally like Hornady's interlock bullet. I use it in 165 grain in my -06,  and in 180 and 190 grain out of my 30-338 Magnum.  But,  unless you just want a little lighter recoil while shooting deer.  Understandable.  If what your using is working.  I'd probably stick with it.

Like others have replied, deer aren't that hard to kill so just about any hunting bullet will work fine from a .300 WM. The lighter bullets will shoot faster and flatter, but because they have a lower ballistic coefficient, that advantage drops off at longer ranges. If you're only going to be hunting deer, I would recommend either a 150 or 168 gr bullet. Different weights and brands shoot differently in every rifle. Standard cup and core bullets will not have any problem penetrating into a deer's vitals so you don't have to buy the more expensive premium bullets. Use the bullet that is the most accurate in your rifle.

When I first started hunting, I lived in NW Colorado and back then we could buy deer and elk tags over the counter. The only rifle that I had then was a .30-06 and I filled my antelope, deer and elk tags for many years with 150 gr Hornady Spire Point bullets. In the last 30 or so years my rifle for deer size critters has been my .257 Ackley, shooting 117 gr Sierra GameKing, 120 gr Hornady HP, and 115 gr Nosler Balistic Tip bullets. They all have worked great.

A few years ago I built a rifle that I have wanted for 40 years, a .300 Weatherby. It shoots a variety of bullets very well, but the most accurate are 168 gr Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets. I have used this rifle and those bullets to make one shot kills on a variety of North American game animals up to bull elk, and African animals from a 30 lb Klipspringer to a 500 lb Sable.

I have also found that the Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets do not make as much bloodshot tissue damage as similar caliber and weight conventional bullets.