I was given a Weatherby Vanguard in 300 Win. Mag for Christmas. I've scoped it with a Leupold VX3i 4.5x14 and have added a muzzle break. I've hunted most of my adult life with a 264 Win. Mag and generally used 129/140 grain ammo. My question is what recommendations on ammo for the 300 Win. Mag for South Texas Whitetail and or Colorado Mule deer.

For deer, I wouldn't use full power rounds. No need and it tears up too much meat. Try the Hornady Custom Lite ammo in .300 WM. Way more than enough umph to drop even the biggest deer. The ballistics match 30-06. Save the full power pills for elk and nilgai. Easier on your shoulder and your barrel too.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/186184...n-sst-box-of-20

PH has a good idea IF the gun shoots the Reduced loads well at enough distance to take advantage of the 300 boomer's reach.

When I was running a 300Winnie for LR WTails (paired with a 270 for under 300+ yards) I used 165's in Sierra GK's and a non max load that my gun shot well, and if THAT particular 300 dejour dinnit like the 165's I never found one that did not like 180gr SGK's set up the same way and again backed off the max loads until the gun showed me what I wanted to see. Accuracy ALWAYS trumps Speed.

Another idea might be to shoot Barnes TSX's that don't open as well as the TTSX's on thin body targets except on bone, and aim for softer lung/heart hits and stay off the shoulder bones if possible.

BUT let the rifle tell you what it likes and go from there first and foremost.
Ron

Hunted Whitetail for many years with a .300 Win Mag. Typically used 150 grain Remington Core Lokt ammo. Don't remember any of them being deader than others, so can't say it was overkill.

As noted above, let the rifle tell you what it wants.

This is what I use.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/290019...ion-polymer-tip

I mainly use my 300 wsm now for WT to Elk, I like the 180grn swift scirroco, works every time. BTW, haven't had any more destruction than I did with my 7mm with coreloks IMO, but I usually go for the double lung/heart, not the hams Shoulder bone shots arent all that different for me unless compared to like a 30/30, 25.06 and I don't have to mess with my scope settings for lighter/heavier rounds for WT-Elk.

IMO & YMMV the bottom line in the diff's 'tween the 30-06 & a 300WMg is about a 100+ yards in reach at the same POI...but the WMg up close can create substantially more tissue damage with that increase in MV's in the same bullet & POI until the Wmg's bullet has a chance to slow down to '06 velocities...and why I used a 270 for Texas WTails most of the time as most of my shots were taken at under 3-350 yards...

If I lived or hunted most of the time where my shot possibilities on game were in excess of 300 yards or on Rocky Mountain sized Mule Deer & Elk, my primary shooter would have been a 300WMg "back in the day"...todays much better performing bullets OTOH have changed that paradign.

The 212lb field dressed West Texas Mule Deer that was taken within sight of Van Horn, and on the wall over my head right now, was shot at under 60-75 yards with a over max loaded 270 that shot a 1st Gen NBT 130gr in one hole groups when I did my part correctly, after my partners 300Wby's Wby (Norma)150gr'er shot went over his back in the bottom of a dry wash...and was the 3rd largest of 13 MD's taken by our group of 15 gun industry folks, hunting on the White Horse Ranch some 30 years ago as guests.

That 1st Gen NBT bullet was NOT a good choice for that shot for numerous reasons though, but I pulled the lighter 270 out when I saw the height and steep angle of climb to reach the tops of the mesa's we were hunting, and 1st Gen NBT would have performed as designed at the anticpated +300 yard shots I expected, about like a Hornady AMAX does today at the expected distance and lower Impact speeds on thin skinned under 250 lb critters.

Nosler had to totally redesign the Ballistic Tip to what it has become today, but given those shot parameters I still would not use a NBT for that scenario at those est'd over 3100fps under 100 yard impact speeds at in any caliber...and why the NAB was created as the answer to that poor performance issue. FYI The purpose of that hunt though was to eliminate as many Auodad of any size, sex or or age as possible at any range possible, and OBTW take a Mule Deer too if you want to.
Ron

The rounds that were listed are good. Remington Core Lokt are alright as well.

Years ago I pulled this same argument on my Uncle. His response was simply, -- what do you want, a little bigger hole, or chase it for a quarter mile?

It's hard to beat a good 180-200 grain bullet in the 300 WM. It's fast and has good bullet weight for penetration. A 178 or 200 ELD-X, 180 or 200 Accubond would do fine. Even a simple 165-180 grain Sierra Game King would be a good fit. Here's some of my match grade hunting ammo options loaded to very tight tolerances. 300 WM is one of my favorite calibers, and I shot it for years in competition.

http://dallasreloads.com/product-category/rifle-ammo/300-win-mag/

When I use my 300 in South Texas, I shoot 150 gr Scirrocos. I shot a buck last year at 250 yds and it dropped in its tracks. I've shot several muledeer with both the Scirrocos and core-lokts with no problems. I have gotten some of the new Hornady ELD-X that I'm really curious to see how they do.

Shot the 300 win mag for over 20 years now. Settled on the 150 gr Federal Fusion.


Promise.

Can't beat Chad's loads with a stick!

180gr Accubond is my poison.

I shoot 180 grain partitions and 165 grain accubonds in my 300.

The 165 Barnes TTSX works well in mine and has comparatively moderate recoil in a rifle without a muzzle brake.

Also, the TTSX does not tear up a lot of meat.

The bottom line is you need to shoot a few to see what your rifle prefers. Recommendations are BS until the rubber hits the road and you put you rifle on paper.

Deer are easy to kill, but I admit I am partial to an accubond or partition. I would have to see more proof how the ELD-X performs on game at close ranges before I'd trust them personally. After 44 years of chasing whitetails and mule deer, you're just as likely to get a 50 yard shot as you are a 300 yard shot.

each gun handles different loads - find the brand and load that fits your rifle - I went through many with my 300 win mag and the Winchester XP3 did the job - either 150 or 180 grain - but go to the range and shoot several different ones to see what your rifle likes

I have the exact same gun and I shot 4 brands and 7 different boxes of ammo. The Hornady SST shot the very best...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/397693/...n-sst-box-of-20

Second best 3 shot group was the Nosler

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/325060/...e-tip-box-of-20

My 2 cents

Same here for the past 10yrs with my 300 win mag...

I use 180 grain partions and have been very please.

I appreciate all the different ideas and thanks.

Here's what 180 grains can do to a south Texas doe.