Savage 111 .300 Win Mag (custom)

[Sarge01]

My 300WSM really likes 165 grain bullets, both the Nosler Accubond 165 grain and the Hornady SST 165 grain. I have a Sako A7 and I had a Simms Limb Saver recoil pad put on it. My gunsmith says the Simms Limb Saver removes as much recoil as a muzzle brake.

[USMC-MRALLEN]

"You'll probably get much better performance out of that 180gr SST. Are you sure that hard-earned handload is no longer accurate enough? Also, it would reduce your recoil if you load it on the lower side of the chart. 2600fps would essentially put you in the .30-06 recoil levels and be more than enough to drop any deer in North America."

This is a great point... I will load the 180's and the 210's. The lighter load maybe a dream to shoot... The copper fouling... I have not yet... waiting for the armors call to say all done... i have the sauce... I will do that again before a round touches the lands. Great reminder.

[Milldawg]

25-06 kills them just as dead without killing your shoulder.

[jhjimbo]

Try the IMR4350 and 4831 powders or the Hodgdon H-4350 and H-4832SC. H-1000 is way to slow for a .300Mag.

[Ernie]

This is a great point... I will load the 180's and the 210's. The lighter load maybe a dream to shoot... The copper fouling... I have not yet... waiting for the armors call to say all done... i have the sauce... I will do that again before a round touches the lands. Great reminder.

Somehow I missed this post when it started.
A lot of good advice has been given.
Are you still with us?
Have you taken a deer yet?
What kind of distances do you think you will be hunting at?
Blind/stand or spot and stalk?
If you had a decent brake put on your barrel, recoil should be noticeably less.
After you clean your barrel run 3-5 shots to re-foul it, and then check your 100 yard zero.
If you are shooting/hunting at shorter ranges...under 500 yards, keep your bullet weight lower, and it will greatly reduce your recoil.
With that in mind, I would use Partitions, Accubonds, Interbonds, Triple shocks, A-Frames, and the like, so that if you make a really close shot, the bullet will hold together and still perform.

I would like to give a big kick in the pants or head to any gun store pushing a 300 WM to a new rifle hunter.
I am not anti-big cartridges for hunting or shooting...I have a number of them
I know you have it now, and have invested a lot of money.
If you can hold 3/4 MOA when shooting from hunting positions, you will be good to go.
Once you are done doing load development, stay off the bench and do your practice from the same type of field positions, you will actually use when hunting.
Always try to find a solid front and rear support.
Do not be content with a poor field rest.
Enjoy!

[Ernie]

Quit worrying about cleaning your bore, until your barrel tells you it is time to clean it.
How do you know when to clean it?
When your accuracy starts to go away.
You probably have a sporter barrel, so give your barrel some time to cool down or you won't know what it is capable of.