What bullet weight for 300 wsm elk moose hunting 200gr or 220gr .This is a grizzly bear country .?

GlacierWolf is right on about there being sooooo many variables. But one thing is for sure!! The heavy bullet is KING!! I have been in Alaska for 40 years and there are countless numbers of opinions on hunting. All those generations of big and dangerous game hunters are not wrong.





I was guiding a guy from Texas and he had his trusty 300 Weatherby with 180gr. Barnes X. I tried to mention that he needed heavier rounds but he insisted that his world class Weatherby was enough!! He shot a grizzly 5 times. 4 were very accurate kill zone shots, but he charged us and the guy was out of ammo. I fired a single round from a 450 Marlin using a 405 grain solid bullet maxed out @ 2200fps and over 4000 ft lb. The big guy wadded up on his face in two steps. When field dressed the wounds from the 300 were ok but looked shallow. The 450 entered the neck and exited the opposite HIND quarter.





There are lots and lots of great ammo. Get some 200s for your elk or whatever you think is good for you. But please keep the 220s loaded in the rifle until you see something you want to hunt. You will have plenty of time to slip in your favorite round.





My wife carries the 338 and I like my 358 Norma. Perfect for all things in NA and easy to shoot. Accurate past 400yards and does not make a big mess of valuable meat.What bullet weight for 300 wsm elk moose hunting 200gr or 220gr .This is a grizzly bear country .?
You should try both in your rifle - see which gives a better group. If you are not a handloader - well, you are STUCK with a very short list of ammo to choose from.





The 200 will shoot flatter, move faster - moving faster means it has less time in flight for the wind to bother.





The 220 really isn't that much heavier than the 200, but, technically, you will get a bit more penetration in a close range shot, expect more drop at 400-600 than the 200.





The real issue is bullet design in this caliber, not weight. A standard 220 round nose compaired to a Nosler 200gr Partition - the Nosler would be hands down the favorite. it would cost more, but, be worth every penny. Nearly any Nosler, Hornady A-Max, Sierra GameKing, or Barnes 30cal would be better than a round nose!





Barnes bullets - most are all copper - the difference would be a longer bullet in the 220 grain that translate to less drag in flight. It would probably be a better choice in a long range shot, but, again, the difference isn't really enough to make much difference.





Best to read over the answers you get, figure out what brand ammo you can get your hands on - and then re-ask the question.





If you are comming to Alaska to hunt with this 300 WSM - you better bring your own ammo. Most stocks of new calibers and Weatherby ammo sells out about 2 weeks before the season opens. If you are using a guide service - you need to send him $$ ASAP to buy ammo for you. Used to be you could have up to 50lbs of ammo in your checked luggage - now I see TSA is taking anything remotly chemical out of my bags. Good chance ammo will be the next to go bye bye.What bullet weight for 300 wsm elk moose hunting 200gr or 220gr .This is a grizzly bear country .?
220 encroaches too much into the case. 180's would actually do almost all the time, so the 200's are an easy choice.
*200*.
The heavier 220 grainer. Actually, a .338 Magnum would not be too much here.





H