Bought browning Abolt 3 300 win mag whats the best grain bullet for hunting??

[Treestand]

I always thought a 180gr was a well balanced bullet for a .30 caliber.

Come-on jimbo Not every 30 Caliber Rifle shoot well with ALL brands of ammo, that's why Hornady came out with the 178gr ELD match, The most Balanced 30 Caliber Bullet. Check the Hunting & Target Reviews.on line.

[jhjimbo]

I always thought a 180gr was a well balanced bullet for a .30 caliber.

I am not referring to Brands, I am referring to weight. Since you think 178gr is optimum, we are only 2gr difference.

[Clay Cooper]

ken.mcloud said it best! “So, I think that the superior killing power of larger rounds is largely in our heads.(likely testosterone induced) A flat-shooting round that you can accurately place will produce as many if not more "bang-flop" kills as a heavy caliber round.”
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On the other hand
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"We have not heard from Ken McCloud in ages hope he was not carrying a fast stepping small caliber rifle and ran into a testosterone laden elephant that could not spell hydrostatic shock. Just teasing Clay. Kindest Regards"
-Happy Myles

[Treestand]

I always thought a 180gr was a well balanced bullet for a .30 caliber.

Its not me but Hornady With ELD = Exstream Low Drag out to 2,0020 yd So there is more {then 2gr Difference} It's the shape of the bullet and the new "No melt tip "
Try a box on your 300 or 7rem-mag.

[DakotaMan]

I have a tikka 270 which is my all around rifle I didnt want to get the 06 because the 270 and the 06 are very similar so i went the 300 win mag for larger game longer distances

Recnyc, if you are interested in long distances, try the 210g Berger hunting bullets and Hornady ELDs. Use the one that shoots most accurately at the long ranges you desire. You can expect to get better mushrooming at the slower long distance ranges with the ELD but I shoot the Bergers because of better consistent accuracy in my rifle. I find the Bergers capable of shooting .7" three shot groups at 600 yards with a precision barrel. Since hitting them in the right spot is what really counts, that is my go-to bullet and it works. Of course these are tuned hand loads.

[jhjimbo]

I always thought a 180gr was a well balanced bullet for a .30 caliber.

Tree, my longest shots would not be more than 300yds, probably more like 100yds.

[Recnyc]

RECNYC, Just what part of New York State do you hunt in, I'm asking just as an Ex-New Yorker who grew up in NYS and worked in NYC.

We hunt Deer and Turkey in Orange and Sullivan county and we hunt Bear in Greene county by the catskills...I live 15 minutes from the city and all I have to do is drive a hour and a half and I'm in the woods . A lot of people do a lot of hunting upstate ny

[Buckshott00]

So I will answer in ranges. I strongly encourage you to find a round and a load that works best for your rifle.

Ranges:
150-180gr whitetail sized game. Those Winchester Deer Season XP are super fun to shoot, smoking fast excellent expansion. See how they do in your rifle. I could shoot these all day

180-200gr Elk Sized Game. This is what I select for moose, elk, and tougher deer I hear Caribou are large but go down easy. I tend to go with Remington Core-lokt or Federal Premium. The Winchester Super X was just okay. I haven't tried Fusion with that rifle, but it works well in my .280rem. You will start to feel these.

200+ Bear / Dangerous Game. I haven't tried the 240gr as it is quite expensive. I hear nothing but good things though. If I was blessed enough to do a Brown Bear or Polar bear hunt I would use the 240gr. 200gr is a always something to consider when you're in bear country.

Have fun and enjoy your new purchase. I would definitely listen to WAM, Dakota's and Happy's Advice. With 160's in a .300win mag, you have serious velocity and take down power to spare. Have fun with On the Spot Drops!