30-378 weatherby mag. or the 300. wsm?

Question

I asked a question earlier on the best big game rifle and someone answered saying that i should buy a 30-378 weatherby magnum. I always wanted this gun but everyone told me it was too big but i never thought so. I know its expensive but the ballistics are so increadable. the 300. wsm is another nice gun and is cheaper and comes in a variaty of models.

Answer 1

Why not consider the .300 Winchester Mag....  It has a proven track record and isn't a "johnny come lately" cartridge.....

30-378 Weatherby magnum???  WOW --- Do you really want the recoil and terrific muzzle blast one of those has???  

At $100 a box you have to be rich to want to hunt with that stuff!!!

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.ex...

Answer 2

Both are great guns but the .300 WSM is more affordable and will easily take any of the North American Big Game animals.

Answer 3

with out a doubt you have to look at the 300 wsm

Answer 4

The 30-378 exists mostly because it was possible to make a dinosaur-proportioned varmint rifle, the varmints being the very largest Grizzlies at long range. People own this gun for the jazz of it, and there's nothing wrong with that! Hornady's Fifth Edition reloading manual (with incl reloading tutorial) quotes 6 different loads for 30-06 level performance in the 30-378, so by downloading, you can get away with using it broadly. A lifetime bag of brass drops to wholesale cost. http://www.midwayUSA.com/ and their google competitors have everything you will need, to own and use the "monster" 30-378 on everything short of African 375/40 Cal-required game. Live your dream! Regards, Larry.

Answer 5

I suspect the 300-378 weatherby magnum has too much recoil for 95% of shootes.

What are you doing that needs such ballistics? What are you doing that a nice 30-06 or even a 300 savage could not do?

Even if you can handle the recoil for a few shots, you can at best shoot 10 times before 'shooter fatigue' sets in and your accuracy starts to drop.  This is true of even the best shooters, even Roy Weatherby himself!

Remember, handling the recoil  doesn't mean you can shoot the gun without dropping it, it means your accuracy is not effected by the recoil levels.

Plus as the guy above me states, the ammo is INCREDIBLY expensive.

You can get a 30-06 and practice your shooting A LOT for the price of a single box of 20 300-378 cartridges.

Anyone who knows anyhing about guns will look at you and your 300-378 and laugh

Answer 6

I see no justification for purchasing the .300 WSM.    There is nothing that the .300 WSM can do that the 300 Win Mag can not do better.  The .300 WSM is limited to smaller weight bullets in comparison to the .300 Win Mag.

If you want the most recoil in a .30 caliber rifle and wish to pay the most $$ for a box of ammo, then run right out and purchase the .300-378.   There is little that a .30-378 can do that the .300 Rem Ultra Mag can not for less money.  With the .300 RUM, you can purchase the Power Level Remington ammo and down load it to your purpose.  Power Level 1 starts out at .30-06 ballistics and is about the same price $ as premium .30-06 ammo.  Power Level II is .300 Win Mag ballistics and Power Level III will run along with .300 Weatherby Mag and .30-378 Weatherby Mag.

Answer 7

454 casull terminal ballistics are way inferior to the 30-378 weatherby magnum. 454 casull is a pistol round; and even though they make rifles for it, it doesn't improve it to a rifle cartridges capabilities. If that were the case a 9mm carbine would be better than 338 lapua . . . it just aint so. Anyway, to me too big for elk would be the 338 lapua. keep in mind that the grain of bullet you use, the amount  of powder, and the burn rate of the powder can change the veracity of the cartridge. I know guys that load 30-06 for rabbits, because they reload their cartridges to meet the specifications they need for the animals they hunt. granted there is not a great variety of commercial ammo out there for the 30-378 weatherby magnum; so learning to reload, if you currently arent involved in reloading, might be a consequence of owning a 30-378 caliber rifle. Still, i think the commercial stuff available for 30-378 is just fine for elk. Handloading has its benefits; reloasding is a satisfying hobby, it provides a great shtf source of ammo, the cartridges you make are far more accurate than commercial ammo after you find the right powder and bullet, and its cheaper than buying factory ammo. the initial cost, if you buy  "LEE" Reloading  dies can be as little as 150 bucks, maybe even less. I'm not defending my position on buying the 30-378 over the 300wsm . . . and i do believe that 30-378 is not too big for elk . . . its still a 30 caliber bullet . . . i'm just pointing out your options. if this will be the only gun you keep, i wouln't buy something this big; id find something more versatile.

hey i found a poll for best elk cartridges check it out . . . your gonna hate it, but it seems 30-06 is winning