The 300 Winchester Magnum is one of the most popular magnum rifle cartridges of all time, owing this impressive status to the extreme versatility of the round and its adoption by a wide range of users, including hunters, target shooters, military units, and law enforcement departments.
The .300 Win Mag (or 300WM) was designed and introduced by Winchester in 1963 to fit into the standard rifle action. The ammunition company designed this rifle cartridge based on the .375 H & H Magnum, essentially, with variations in the case length and neck dimension, to contain .30 caliber bullets.
It is a popular choice for hunting moose, elk, and bighorn sheep as it can deliver better long-range performance with a better bullet weight than most other 30 caliber cartridges. The military adopted this round for long-range sniping and marksmanship. This is possible because it also boasts impressive accuracy, a fact alluded to by the several 1000-yard (910) competitions it has gone on to win.
The 300 WIN MAG's specifications
The case of the .300 WM is belted and bottle-necked. Its length stretches to 2.62 inches, just 0.1 inch longer than its parent cartridge, the .375 H & H magnum, while having a reduced neck dimension of 0.264 inches. The taper is also reduced, providing the cartridge with more volume for the powder. All these help the 300WM fit into the standard rifle.
Bullet
As said earlier, it is a 30-caliber cartridge, with the bullet diameter of 0.308 inches. There are different bullet weights due to the multiple types that shoot extremely well with the Winchester 300 Win Mag. This cartridge easily carries light and heavy bullets over a distance of 200–300 yards with accuracy and power, from the flat-shooting Ballistic silvertip at 150 grains to the 200 grain Partition.
Typical ballistics for the magnum cartridge is a 180 grain bullet, which can be driven at a muzzle velocity of 3000 fps, creating nearly 4000 ft lbs of muzzle energy.
Rifles chambered in .300WM
This cartridge can be used in every standard rifle. That is literally what it was designed for. You don’t need to have a battery of rifles to hunt a lot of different animals when you have the 300 Winchester magnum. From hunter rifles to sniper rifles, the 300 Winchester Magnum is a good all-round choice.
However, the Winchester magnum cartridge can produce a nasty recoil, especially in a 6-pound rifle. Without a quality cheek pad and brakes, it could loosen a few teeth.
However, in terms of ballistics, the 300 Win Mag has been surpassed in performance by the more powerful .300 Weatherby Magnum and later 300 Remington Ultra Magnum. Nevertheless, because of its iconic and long-standing reputation across the world, as well as the broad availability of ammunition, it is a highly popular caliber and will, I believe, stay so for some time to come. In the munitions sector, it truly is the jack of all trades, master of none, and considerably superior to the masters of one.
About
The .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo or .338 LM Ammo for short, is a rimless bottlenecked centrefire cartridge mainly developed for sniper rifles capable of taking out long ranged targets. The loaded 14.93 mm cartridge can penetrate body armor that is considered above military standard at ranges climbing up to 1,000 meters. Although, the maximum effective range of .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo has been recorded at 1,750 meters.
Manufacturer
The beauty that is .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo was a result of a joint venture between the Finnish rifle manufacturer, SAKO, the British rifle manufacturer, Accuracy International, and the Finnish ammunition manufacturer, more commonly known as Nammo Lapua Oy.
Uses
The .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo is the ultimate centrefire rifle cartridge and since it specializes in long ranged targets, it’s the perfect choice for military snipers. Thanks to the bullet’s long effective range and the accuracy it provides, it’s the first choice for sniper rifle users during wars. However, it’s reputation just doesn’t end in the military, when the target is beyond 1,500 meters, the hunters’ first choice is .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo. Regardless the type of game they are hunting, the choice is always .338 LM Ammo because of the excellent and accurate results it is capable of yielding.
This combat proven rifle round provides incredible performance, penetrating power and precision in the essential role of long range shooting.
