# Deer Ammunition for 300 wsm



## themaddmortician

Hello All:

I have a 300 wsm and have not quite figured out what shells work best on deer. In the past three years I have used 150 gr. Win Ballistic Tips. Each deer I shot inlcuding my largest buck 5x6 146 B&C died nearly fifty yards from where I shot them. I usually hit them in the lungs as I generally shoot high. None of the deer have had large exit wounds, mostly the size of the actual projectile. Last week at our local ammuniton store the clerk showed me some Federal 180 gr. Speer Grand Slams. Has anyone used these or can anyone give me some advice as to what ammo I should use for this gun.

Thanks.
T


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## Burly1

The Speer Grand Slam will likely have excellent penetration and little loss of bullet weight, about what you've experienced in the past. For factory ammo, I would suggest Federal's new Fusion bullet. This bullet was designed specifically for deer, and performance should be on par with a good quality spire point. It might be just what you are looking for. If you are wanting to anchor a deer in his tracks, shoot for the center of the shoulder, about halfway up from the brisket. They don't go very far with this hit with a premium, low expansion bullet. Even when you take out the heart and/or lungs, without some structural damage, most big deer are going to run a bit. Good hunting, Burl


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## dakotashooter2

> died nearly fifty yards from where I shot them


Actually it sounds like they died right where you shot them, they just didn'y know it yet.

Experience has taught me that to have a deer drop on the spot is an unreasonable expectation. I have seen identical shots on different deer cause totally different reactions. That is the way it is and will always be.

I'd be looking more at internal damage created than the exit would. Were the lungs a mass of mush? If so the bullet did it's job. If it just punched a clean hole then something is wrong. FWIW I tried BTs in a 243 and was not happy as it just "punched" a hole through.

I think the drop them where they stand mentality is fear based. Many hunters are not good trackers or confident shooters and don't want to deal with it. That is evident by the number of dead deer I find with good blood trails leading up to them.


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## gatrpaw

I to have the 300wsm and have had problems with the 150gr ballistic tip federals. The accuracy is great but, the bullet performance is less than desirable on deer in the 200# plus range at ranges between 150 & 250 yds (south Texas). I've had trouble with poor penetration and expansion. The bullets tend to explode on impact. So, I wouldn't recommend a shoulder shot with this bullet as mentioned by someone else. I'm still trying other factory ammo combinations and haven't found any with the accuracy of the federal loads. I've been told to try reloads using the sierra 165gr. game king or prohunter. That's my next try. I agree that nothing can overcome good bullet placement and in cases where tracking an animal is not a problem...go with what shoots best in your rifle. If dropping them in their tracks is best and ruining meat is not a problem..then I agree with the fellow on shooting the shoulder...but do it with a very good bullet!!


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## Horsager

TSX's through the center of both front shoulders wil cure your ills.


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## iwantabuggy

dakotashooter2 said:


> died nearly fifty yards from where I shot them
> 
> 
> 
> Experience has taught me that to have a deer drop on the spot is an unreasonable expectation.
Click to expand...

That's really weird. I have had many more deer die right on the spot than run away any distance at all. That includes both mulies and whitetail. From my experience there doesn't seem to be a difference. The ones that ran a ways weren't hit right in the first place. Everything that I have hit in what I consider to be "the right place" has died imediately. Come to think of it, that goes for elk too, with one exception. The bullet on the exception elk hit a small tree right before hitting the elk. My assumption is that the bullet mushroomed on the small tree, and didn't penetrate hardly at all. That elk was hit in the right place, but wasn't even trackable by blood, and there were sooooo many elk tracks in the snow that after a few hundred yards, I could tell which elk was mine any more.

Anyway, the short of it is, I disagree with you. I expect them to drop in there tracks, and IMHO, that is not an unreasonable expectation. Now if you start talking bears, I would have a different opinion.


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## foster_65

put a nosler 165gr ballistic tip in ones shoulder and you wont look are for you deer


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## browning300wsm

I used a 180 grian winchester super X in my 300 wsm on a deer on vancouver island. they are pretty small deer, so it went right through it behind the shoulder and just under the spine and back straps at 300 yards. so it didn't wreck any meat, however it did drop it on the spot and the exit wound was about the size of a hardball with some of the intestine dragged out of it so I concluded that the 180 grain in a 300 wsm is a bit of over kill, i definately would have managed fine with a smaller grain. i think the bullet was a boat-tail.


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## SaberX01

180gr Balistic Tip or my 300 RUM personal favorite, 200gr AccuBond. With a reasonable shot placement, tracking will not be an issue.

One thing I'd recommend, is "practice allot", with whatever bullet / cartridge combinatoin you choose. Short to 350/400 yards, wind /no wind, sunny / overcast, perfect / horrible conditions. Knowing how your setup will perform and being completely comfortable with it will drop more deer in their tracks than a bullet / cartridge change will. (IMHO)

Like the guy on the radio says, dont try and do 12,000 things 4 times, do the same 4 things 12,000 times.


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## Woodser

One of the best 30 cal bullets for deer that I have used was the old Speer 150 grain hot core flatbase. Used it in 308 and 30-06 for decades, and do not remember a single buck that ran more than 20 yards when hit in a vital area with it. It might expand too much at 300 SWM velocities, however.


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## huntin1

Use what is most accurate. If your rifle will shoot them try 165's or even 180's. I've been shooting handloaded 165 Ballistic Tips in my .308 for years and have had good luck with them.

huntin1


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## wmmichael20

my brother in law and I both had the same problem you had with the winchester balistic silver tips calibur size hole in and out no matter where we hit them we tried sholder , lung , and even neck shots but they all took off like a rocket after the shot some even required another shot to put them down after tracking over a time span of about 2 hours I personally switched back to the chepo remington corlocks and have since to have that issue since and my brother in law switched to the federals with barns tripple shocks and they dont even so much as twich after the shot just bang flop , and a few other guys in our area had the same isue and went to using the cheapo winchester silvertip softpoints and that cured there prob as well I guess somtimes the cheap stuff just works better for the use at hand


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## alleyyooper

Personally I like the 165gr. game kings in my 308 and 300 win mag. I also like and use the Speer mag tips.

Shot a deer a standing shot with my 30 30 many years ago. Deer sprayed blood waist high for close to 70 yards. Heart was gone deer was dead but the reflexes keep it going.

 Al


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## hunt4P&amp;Y

I use the XP3's they put everything from does-elk down!


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## texcl

I shot a very large doe early season at 100 yards with a 150grn. speer hot-cor bullet going about 3200fps and it performed great with no fragmentation and an exit wound, I shot another at 300 yards with a 150grn. hornady sst bullet at the same speed, it totally failed blew up like a grenade frags getting into the gut even though the bullet landed right behind the front leg with a broad side shot. I just shot a very large 200lb+ buck with a hornady 165grn. interlock at 40 yards bullet was traveling 3000fps the deer might have taken 2 steps, the bullet exited with a baseball sized exit wound with little fragmentation, I think it did well, not to mention it is a very accurate load 2" @ 200 yards which is about as good as I can hold it.


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## texcl

Those were all shot with my winchester model 70 in 300wsm, it will shoot some 150gr loads very well but it has an affinity for 165gr bullets I have never had a load that wouldn't shoot moa.


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