There are several agencies and organizations in need of a precision rifle that can use a longer-range cartridge. Among such cartridges, the .308 remains the workhorse, but some operators need a bit more velocity, weight and ability to buck the wind. The .338 Lapua Magnum is becoming popular, but it has its drawbacks, with cost being the most obvious. It can cost more than some .50 BMG loads, often running as much as $4 per round, and be rather difficult to get. And .338 Lapua Magnum rifles, though not much larger than others of its ilk, can cost $8,000 or more. Many operators are priced out of .338 Lapua Magnum, so their solution is often the venerable .300 Winchester Magnum.
For years, this was the magnum caliber of choice. It was mine in one of my early custom deployment rifles. Incredibly versatile, it can easily be loaded with bullets ranging from 168 to 220 grains. The .300 Win Mag is a solid precision-rifle cartridge that is still in service with our most elite military forces. And its popularity among benchrest shooters is well known. Many F-Class shooters often start with this caliber, as it offers some solid performance improvement over the .308 from 600 to 1,200 yards, with a real sweet spot at 1,000 yards. And military competitors participating in the International Sniper Competition look to the .300 Win Mag chambering first…
