whatever make/ model you choose just make sure you use premium game bullets. magnum velocities reek havoc on plain 'ol bullets and the worst bullet you can find to shoot game is a hollowpoint match bullet.

monty

 

im just sticking with my 30-06 for a little bit my uncle has a 300 mag he said i can just use that he doesnt hunt much. and i was going to use it for a bear hunt in alaska if u were wonder next year.
thanks for all the replies any upgrades i should get for my gun ??

 

I've had a 300 WBY Mag rifle (Vanguard) for about 15 years. Nice rifle, very powerful round. Ammo is expensive, and it's really more of a moose or elk gun than it is a deer rifle.

Does it kick harder than a 30/06? Yes, but that's up to the shooter. The Vanguard comes with a recoil pad, so that should tell you something. Brace the rifle tightly against your shoulder, and it will rock you pretty good when it goes off, but nothing painful. Hold it loosely, and it will kick the daylights out of you. I have a friend who carries a scar between his eyes to this day because he held that rifle wrong, and the scope nailed his head. Fortunately, no damage to the scope.

We were out in the woods just blasting away one day. A friend fires into a tree with his 30/06, and hits it square. About an 8 inch sapling, it moved a bit when it was hit. I fired the Weatherby, and wood went flying out the back. Punched right through it. Has a neat sound when it goes off, too - sort of a deep, bellowing roar. Definitely not an ordinary rifle.

Only real downside to the 300 WBY Mag is the cost of the ammunition - around $35 for 20 rounds seems normal, though I've seen it for less. The casing is expensive, it has an extra ridge of brass at the base to contain the very high pressure. Get a reloading outfit - you can load for your situation better than the factory.

The 300 WBY Mag is still one of the most powerful 30 caliber rounds ever devised. You can hot up other loads to meet it's performance, but the 300 Mag comes that way from the factory, so you aren't pushing the limits of design.

One other interesting Weatherby fact - the 300 Mag was for a long time (and may still be) the fastest production round. With a 125 grain bullet, it fires at around 4200 FPS. Again, you can load other rounds yourself to faster velocities, but that was measured with a factory round.