Question on the .300WSM cartridge and Tikka/Sako rifles

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

        Can anyone tell me of first hand experience with the .300 WSM and also of the Tikka T3 and Sako 75/85 chambered for same please?

    I ask as a friend has a notion to buy a new rifle and is thinking of the .300 WSM. I have suggested the standard .300 Win Mag as I have experieince with that cartridge and have none with the WSM only what I have gleaned from the forums and not all that was positive. I seem to recall that some makes of rifles and soem rifles had feeding problems. He presently has a Tikka T3 tactical and Sako Finnlite both in .308 Win but wants a more powerful cartridge to push heavier bullets suitable for driven Boar. The .30-06 was briefly considered but discounted as soem European countries restrict the use of Military cartridges which is why the .300 mags came up. .300 means he already has some bullets in stock and good .308 bullets are easliy available however loaded ammunition is also important and looking at the WSM it seems that most makers only seem to have one bullet weight offereing 180 grain, of course the old Win Mag is available in many bullet weights.

   A concern of mine that I raise with him is how long the WSM's may be around? we don't see many of them and not many places stock ammunition so naturally wondr abotu long term availabilty. Hopefully members here might have more insight on that than I do.

[wareagleguy]

I think the 300 WSM is here to stay.  I don't own a Tikka or Sako in a WSM round but have heard that the extra long throats in the WSM cause slower bullet speeds.  I have a T3 lite in 30-06 and recoil is all I want so I can only guess what a magnum is going to be like.  I would say a 30-06 would be great cause heaver bullets could be shot in the 06 and lighter ones in his 308.

[poncaguy]

I have a Winchester Super Shadow 300 WSM, 1/2"-3/4" groups, no feeding or extraction problems of any kind with it. I really like the round and the rifle.......

[DakotaElkSlayer]

Hi All,

        Can anyone tell me of first hand experience with the .300 WSM and also of the Tikka T3 and Sako 75/85 chambered for same please?

Buddy, I got a story for you!!!  A friend and co-worker did a little whitetail hunting last month.  I carried my CZ 550 FS in 6.5x55 and he had his Tikka T3 Hunter in .300WSM.  We were walking up this ridge when we came upon five deer.  They ran a few steps and stopped at around 35yds.  KA-BOOM!  My buddy jacked another round in since these deer were mentally challenged and were now looking at us from 45yds.  I didn't have a good angle, so I told him to shoot again.  KA-BOOM! And the deer ran off.  "I can't believe I missed," my buddy said as he started to face me with BLOOD running down his face.  On both shots the scoped kissed his face on the bridge of his nose.  A little while later, we jumped a nice buck that slowly loped off.  KA-BOOM!  And I told him to hold it, another deer was coming...  KA-BOOM!  Yet another miss...  This time, the scoped kissed him twice above the eye.  He looked like he just went a round with a young Mike Tyson.  This is when he figured out he was shouldering his Tikka against his daypacks shoulder strap...which cause the butt to slide when he shot.
  About a week ago, he came to work after getting out of the field.  Told me about this huge buck that he jumped from 30yds.  He stated how he never saw a deer run so slow.  I asked him why he didn't shoot, and he just looked at me...  I knew the reason why immediately...
  Moral of the story...Tikka rifles are LIGHT!  If you get a light rifle that kicks like the proverbial mule, get a scope with more eye relief than a Bushnell Trophy! 

Jim

[quickdtoo]

I thought about that up front Jim, I put a Nikon Omega on my 338WinMag T3 Lite, it has 5"+ of eye relief.

Tim

[Brithunter]

Thank you all for your input 

   John is planning on getting a wood stock this time, seems he has learned that wood is more pleasant to hold that plastic/synthetic  now I don't know if that will effect the weight or not. The Finnlite is light and he does not shoot particularly well with it from prone unless he shoots rapidly  if he shoots fast one after the other he seems to group them tightly, slow fire it opens up, yep strange I know but that's the way it is.

    I will pass on the info about needing longer eyerelief although I don't know what type of scope he plans on using. The Finnlite has a Swaroski  1 1/2-6 varible on it and if memory serves the T3 Tacticle has a Swaroski larger varible. He brought the 1 1/2-6 for the Boar hunt he has just been on, before that it had a sort of Mid-entry level varible on it which got shunted to his .22 rimfire but he has not replaced that with a Leupold fixed 6x he picked up. Not sure what his Tikka 695 in 222 has got on it.

   We will have to see about the factory ammintion side as the offereings available here seem to be thin on the ground.

I would say a 30-06 would be great cause heaver bullets could be shot in the 06 and lighter ones in his 308.

   .30-06 is not an option due to some restrictions on military chamberings in some European countries. At present he cannot take his rifles to thso as the .308 is also classed as a military cartridge despite it being actually different than the 7.62x51 Nato cartridge although very close. I had suggested the 7x64 as it's very popular for Boar and deer but as he handloads already for the .308 and .222  he thinks than sticking to .308 bullets will make things easier for him  I don't understand that but that's up to him.

   Glad to hear that Tikka T3 Hunter fed those dumpy cases OK. Pity about educating those deer though, they will be more wary of folks now I would expect.

[Tunaman]

I have a T-3 Lite in 300wsm and while the kick is notable, it is not intolerable. I put a limb saver on her and she kicks muck less than you would expect. I have a Zeiss conquest 3.5X10X50 mounted on her and the weight helps as well. She is very accurate and and very reliable. I would have no problem recomending this setup. BTW, How did your 338 shoot, Quick?

[quickdtoo]

Sorry, it's still a virgin, no range trip yet.

Tim