I'm going to be the owner of a ruger m77 mark 2 chambered in 300 win mag tomorrow. With all the ammo choices out there i'm lost figuring out, what type bullet to shoot, what grain to shoot, and what brand to shoot. My main goal is shooting standar 130-150 pound deer, and hogs out to 300 yards tops. I don't want it to blow the legs off the deer,or blow the back side of them off, or anything like that. Does anyone have a suggestion, what i should try. I'd like to be able to buy it just about anywhere. Thanks, in advance.

I shot a Ruger mod 77 in 300 win mag for years. It loved the 150 grain rem core locts. I shot stuff out to 350 yards with no problem never too more than 2 steps if that. Sold it last year to buy a new bow. It was a great gun, I just like my mod 77 in .338 just a bit better.

With all due respect given the useage and distances you've outlined why would you buy a 300Wmg? I can understand getting a really good deal on something but unless you handload, or shoot the Lite Recoil stuff that is downloaded for you and negates the value of the 300Wmg performance to begin with, IMO you take a chance in doing exactly what you indicated you did not want to do as far as meat destruction.

I love shooting a 30 cal magnum and have for many many years...and past 300 yards it just gets more gooder and gooder as a critter getter. But rifle calibers are just a tool to be used in the appropriate circumstance. Like the movie character, Crocodile Dundee said about the punk with a switchblade and pulled out his bowie knife..."Now THIS is a knife"... and thats what a 30 cal magnum is on Texas sized White Tails at under 300 yards.

Having said that, in answer to your question, I would shoot 200 gr'ers, and no less than 180 gr'ers, in a very hard bullet so you don't get the explosive bullet expansion the lighter faster bullets will give you. I'd stay away from all the plastic tipped bullets for sure as they are the worst offenders for rapid expansion by design. I would try and NOT shoot deer especially on shoulder joint shots and see if I couldn't stay a little back into the ribs for bullet placement.

I cleaned a clients first deer he saw, a 2 year old 4 pointer, that was shot at 75 yards with a 7RMg in a classic no hair touched "Texas heart shot" after I asked him not to. When I saw where the bullet went in for sure I positioned the deer halfway up in the fork of a tree to get some drainage before I unzipped the critter that in 15 minutes had already startd to bloat. I had the client stay downwind of me in a fit of meaness until he threw up for the third time...but amazingly we lost no meat as the bullet made a complete pass thru out the brisket's cowlick without ever getting into anything but innards ...and ALL the innards had turned to the same jellied goo from AHole to Appetite that we needed washed out at a local car wash with soap and water and soaped down his 24" bowie knife three times to get all the goo off of it since he wanted me to use it cleaning the deer....so try and shoot'em in FRONT of the diaphram!
Ron

he is right use something that expands slower, which is usually the cheaper ammo also try not to hit it high or in the shoulder or you will lose both shoulders or the backstrap I think it is a great choice otherwise if you hit them with that the are not going to go far

I shoot a Ruger 1 300 win mag and love it. I am certainly no expert in bullets, loads, grains, performance, etc. I do know what I have found performs best in mine though. I tried several and went back to the remington 180 grain Core loct. I practise each year before I go to Kansas as we have the opportunity for longer shots there than we do where we hunt here. I set mine to shoot 3" high at 100 yards. we had a range set up and where we had to put our shooting rest was at 287 yards. I still shot 2" high at 287 yards. I thought no way in heck and put 3 more rounds through it and it looked like a smiley face on the target. I killed a coyote at around 325 yards in the snow in Kansas last year, put it dead on his neck and squeezed. I should pick up that full body mount any day. I also took a Buck at 300 yards, held it right on the boiler and squeezed and down it went, a couple of week's later in Texas we jumped a bunch of piglets I took 2 out of the bunch, both running away shots, 2 shots with a single shot, 2 pigs down. Needless to say it has become my favorite weapon, probably because I have such confidence in it. I have others but love my 300wm. I said all that to say this, try different loads/grains see which one it performs with best and practise. You'll love it.

How bad does the 180gr cl tear up the animals ? what about even closer ranged animals. Most of my shot will be 100-200 yards, but an occasional 300-400, when i comfortable with it. I just don't want to distroy the animal too much.

The Coyote I killed wasn't tore up bad at all, I was afraid it wouldn't be worth mounting. But it was in good shape. I have killed does at a 100 and hogs at 60 yards. Does a number on the heart and lungs but not too much else where. I wouldn't take a direct shoulder shot, you'll mess both shoulders up. Heart, lung or neck and your OK. Try em out I think you will be pleased with there peformance and they are readily available at most stores. Good luck, let me know what you went with and how it performs. I have a box of Fusion 165 grain that came with gun when I bought and haven't shot them yet. May play with them after this season but from what I have learned from others that for better performance on the 300wm stay at 180 grn or over.

Like wiley said it is definately more gun than is required, but will do the job. I completely agree on the staying above 180 grain bullets. I would also recomend you try nosler partition bullets, you cant find them anywere, and they arnt the cheapest, but they are darn good bullets, I have always goten great accuracy out of them, and awsome on game performance, puts them down without meat destruction. I recently aquired a 300 weatherby so i am in the same boat, I shoot 200 gr partitions and they are great.

matt

I got a good deal on mine, so i'm quite happy. Thanks for the help guys !!

CC, I was in no way trying to tell you not to buy this 300Wmg...just be aware of what you are putting down range and where the bullet needs to go to maximize your return on skillet fare. Like I said I've ben shooting a 300WMg since the mid 70's and like it a great deal.

HTR, not surprised at the lack of expansion on the 'yote even at the distance you described. That ability to reach out and "touch" a critter is what the boomers are all about, but a coyote is not dense enough to create a bullet to mushroom especially when using a heavy bullet designed for elk & moose. Sounds like you made a great shot.

I had a similar but different experience when Hector was just a pup using 90gr Speer FMJs out of a maxed out 243 to shoot turkey with at multihundred yards that were feeding in a winter wheat field and not repond to our feeders... absolutely no expansion, but they all expired rapidly from the hydrostatic shock of the bullets thru passage of the rearward bullet placement behind the diaphram & would break bones cleanly too. Ya'll have fun ya hear!
Ron

What is your drop difference say from a 100 to 300 yards? I haven't tried the nosler in the 300, would like to know more. Plan on playing with some different rounds this summer. Be hard to switch, even if one performs well. Guess because of my confidence being so high in what I am shooting now.
Makes good sense on the Yote, never thought of it that way.

Thought Id join in my pet load for my Rem.700 300Win mag is 70grains of IMR 4350 180 gr.nosler partion cci magnum primer and remington brass this pushes that 180grain bullet out about 3130fps. that said sited in at 1.5 inches high at 100 yard you will be dead on at 200,6 inches low at 300. I have taken everything from bobcats to elk with this combo over the last 10 years. Now if I couldnt hand load and money was not a object I would go with one of the premium ammos out in a 180gr. If I was on a budget you cant beat the rem. 180 corelocks.Hope all this babble helps.

I don't shot a 300 Win, I shoot a 300 Weatherby and i agree with you on the 150's. Apart from a Moose, i can't think of a single animal that i've hunted that required more than a 150 grain Nosler Partition.