300 REM question.

[aujack]

I have a brand new Remington Model 700, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, 300 Rem. Ultra Mag that I won in a raffle. The only thing I use rifles for is to hunt deer with here in GA. I think the 300RUM is just overkill for whitetails, am I right? So I don't know if I should keep this gun and use it, or sell it and get another deer rifle in a smaller caliber with the money? I just can't really decide because this is such a nice gun, but I do think it is a little too much for my needs. What do you guys think? Thanks!

-aujack

Edited October 14, 2011 by aujack

[texastrophies]

Congrats on winning such a nice gun!!!!

Yes, it might be a little much for a whitetail, but, with that gun you could kill them a whole lot quicker than with say a .270 or so. But dead is dead. If you have any thougts that some day in the future you might want to go elk hunting, that would be the perfect weapon to take.

Personally, I would hang on to it. Sounds like a pretty nice piece of artillery.

[Shaun_300]

The .300 RUM is an awesome caliber, and Remington went one step further with the .300 RUM and the 7mm RUM in cartridges, offering different power levels for different hunting applications. Power level 1 is equivalent to a .30-06, power level 2 is equivalent to a .300 Win Mag/.300 WSM and the power level 3 is the full fledged .300 RUM. Check this link out and click on Power levels for info on the cartridges.

Centerfire Power Level Ammunition - Power Level Ammunition - Remington Power Level Ammunition

[colorado bob]

I will cost you an arm & leg to shoot it. Unless you reload. If it was me I'd sell it or trade it. Maybe get a nice handgun, shotgun or a more traditional caliber----ie 06, 270, 308

[redkneck]

It is very expensive to shoot. If you get a fair offer for it i would try to trade down. If youre the type that only fires 5 rounds a year then keep it.

[Leo]

Sounds like a great reason to learn about reloading

The 300RUM is essentially a necked down 404 Jeffrey's (Buffalo/elephant cartridge). It holds a huge amount of powder. The large powder capacity is one factor that drives the expense of these rounds.

No you don't need it for whitetails but if you like it and shoot it well, no reason not to use it for whitetails. I use my 300WBY for whitetails often. Not because I think I need it. I just like the gun. It is a great bean field gun. If elk or bear are in your future. Hang on to that gun.

[HUNTINGMAN]

I bought one when they first came out with them about 10 or 11 years ago to take on an elk hunting trip. I didn't kill an elk with it but kept it to deer hunt with. After shooting a few deer and seeing the devastation of the gun,I decided to sell it. It is the only gun that I can truly say I wish I had of kept. The shells were about 45$ a box but that was ok,I loved shooting it. I wish I could find one in a single shot,I would be all over it like white on rice.

[redkneck]

For what it's worth, I really don't think it's necessarily overkill. My 300 Wby is a great gun that gives me confidence when I take a long shot. The RUM has a little bigger case, and as far as I know is the largest factory 30 caliber case made. The problem is just the cost of the ammo, which without looking I'm guessing is going to hit you around 70-80 bucks a box nowadays. The extra brass and powder have little to do with the price hike, it's simply a factor of volume. The odder the cartridge (low sales volume) = high prices.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

I'd keep it and use it. But then again, I once killed a whitetail doe with a 375 H&H magnum.

[stevebeilgard]

I will cost you an arm & leg to shoot it. Unless you reload. If it was me I'd sell it or trade it. Maybe get a nice handgun, shotgun or a more traditional caliber----ie 06, 270, 308

the best advice. but, go with the '06. you can load down for deer, and up for moose/grizzly bear.

[aujack]

I think me and my dad are probably going to sell it. It's a very nice rifle, just way too much for what we would be using it for.

[fly]

I have had one for over over 10 years and in IL we can't even hunt with rifles. It's perfect for what I need though. I use it to bear hunt in Idaho and plan to use it for elk, moose, or any other North American big game I get the chance to hunt. The high power shells run me about 65 bucks, lower power is cheaper. The lowest power has a deer on the box so I figure it would work for deer, but when hunting bear I prefer higher power. I placed a nice scope on it and I was sighted in after half a box. Now I just shoot a few before taking it bear hunting. It is arguably one of the flatest shooting guns around and one of the few that can take an elk at 500 yards (at least that's what I hear). No way would I sell mine.

[Strut10]

There's no such thing as "overkill". Least ways, I can't ever remember of killing anything "too dead".

The .300 RUM has to rank high on the list of calibers that will "do it all" in North America (and most stuff across the globe, too). If it's REALLY NOT what you want, then, by all means, sell it. But you'll be parting with a fine rifle.

Like somebody else said.................. it's a fine time to learn how to reload.