Author Topic: 300 Savage 150 or 180 gr ??? (Read 1306 times)

Beeg · « **on:** February 15, 2005, 01:49:48 PM »

I have taken 17 deer with my 300 Savage using 150 gr psp bullets. I am going to Ontario this fall bear hunting and am planning on using Federal Hi Shok 180 gr psp or should I use Remington 180 gr soft point round nose bullets. I like the trajectory of the pointed nose of the Federal better but will not be shooting very far. I plan on bow hunting the first three days then switching to rifle for the last 3 days. As I do not reload I am stuck with factory ammo. I am open to suggestions as I want the best combination. I plan on having some new ammo and hitting the rifle range several times soon . Most of my deer shots are usually less than 100 yards so I will probably stick with the bear ammo for deer this fall. Thank You for your responses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oso45-70 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 15, 2005, 04:26:04 PM »

Beeg,

My choice for your 300 would be the Federal Hi shok 180 and try to keep the distance as short as possable. You shouldent have any problem if ya get a good shot in it. Good luck to ya...........Joe............

Daveinthebush · « **Reply #2 on:** February 15, 2005, 04:44:35 PM »

Even though bears are easy to kill go with the 180. The extra margin of penetration will help if that less than perfect shot happens.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2005, 09:35:48 AM »

I would go for the 180 grain bullet in the .300 Savage for black bear if I did not reload. When we are messing with black bear I normally carry 165 grain Nosler PT loaded to around 2630 fps in my .300 Savage.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2005, 01:23:45 PM »

You got me thinking about an old article about two guys hunting Polar Bear up in the Hudson Bay Country with .300 Savages. Apparently before the hunt they felt the 180 grain bullet in the .300 Savage was adequate. After being charged by the bear and the passage of time the author feels a little bit different. The difference was that the hunt took place in 1937 and the book was copyright in 1970. A lot changed over the 30 plus year period.

The author and his partner fired a number of shots at the bear, but only two shots from the author hit the bear. One in the fat between the skin and the spine. The other shot immediately killed the bear. It hit the bear in the forehead shattering the skull.

In the final analyzes shot placement was the critical factor and not the number of rounds find. The difference between a black bear and a polar bear is like comparing being hit by a VW Bug versus a 82,000 big rig. They can both kill you. It is like the big rig will do it faster and create a bigger, bloodier mess.

*DANGER! Explosive True Adventures of the Great Outdoors. Author Ben East. copyright 1970 by Outdoor Life. SBN 0-525-08855-5

NYH1 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2005, 03:32:29 PM »

I'd go with the 180 gr. ammo too. I'm going to Canada (still planning it) this coming fall. I'll be using my 280 Rem. with Federal's 150 gr. Partition or their 160 Trophy Bonded Bear Claw ammo which ever shoots better in my Rifle.

while99 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2005, 07:08:08 PM »

150s for deer and 180s for anything bigger. I wish one of the big 3 ammo manufacturers would bring out a 165 grain load for the .300 Savage. Maybe a handloaded 165 partition would be the best all around load for this cartridge.

Beeg · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2005, 02:04:08 AM »

Thank you for the feedback !!!!!!!! On Wednesday I ordered two boxes of the Federal Hi Shok 180 gr and received them on Friday for $16.99 a box from Midway USA. Good company to deal with. I prefer to buy local but the closest gun shop is 30 miles and they do not carry these shells. I saw a company called CP Cartridge on the net that carrys alot of ammo. In fact they even have 300 Savage in 200gr. Anyone ever buy from them? Thanks Again!!!