There are hundreds of large caliber rifles on the market. The 300 Win Mag cartridge is rapidly becoming one of the most popular hunting cartridges. The military is moving their sniper rifle specifications to include this powerful cartridge. This growing enthusiasm for this power cartridge has led rifle manufacturers to bring new models chambered for this powerful cartridge. Finding the right rifle for your needs and expectations can be a challenge.
The 300 Win Mag cartridge offers accuracy, long-range capability, industry support and development history. No matter your choice of rifle platforms, from a traditional bolt action rifle to a more modern semi-automatic rifle, you can find a rifle to fit your needs.
We looked at the industry and picked what we believe to be the best 300 Win Mag Rifles available today. From there, we picked what we consider to be the best 300 Win Mag rifles in several categories. You may not find the exact rifle that fills your want list, but you should better understand what is available.
SKIP AHEAD
What Makes a Great 300 Win Mag Rifle
It is hard to find an inferior rifle in today’s firearms market. Modern manufacturing methods and quality control criteria keep standards high on even the most inexpensive rifle platform. However, certain qualities set great rifles apart. The factors that are most important in our opinion include the following.
Size and Weight
Size and weight are always factors, no matter what type of shooting you anticipate. Long treks over rough territory will make you appreciate the weight of your rifle. Moving through dense cover with a long rifle can make you consider a shorter overall platform. Your normal shooting patterns must determine your rifle choice, considering size and weight. There is a great difference between carrying your rifle from your vehicle to a shooting station on the range or up a thousand feet over a steep mountain ridge.
Stocks and Mounts
The finest barrel and the smoothest action mounted in a poor stock usually means a poor rifle. The quality of the stock you select for your rifle is as important as your optics. A stock that uses inferior grade materials will often fail at the wrong time or never fit you properly. I often tell those who ask to spend as much time fitting the rifle action to the stock and yourself as you put into the other combined tasks.
Triggers
Triggers are a very personal matter for most shooters. Finding the right combination of trigger travel, trigger pull, and trigger feel is almost like buying clothes. Everything must be just right. A precise trigger pull is a factor that every shooter seeks to achieve.
Many shooters expect to replace or significantly modify factory triggers on any new rifle they purchase. Long-range shooters are especially keen to have a trigger tuned to their specifications.
Cartridge Feed Systems
Most rifles chambered for the 300 Win Mag cartridge are bolt action rifles. While semi-automatic rifles are chambered for 300 Win Mag, they don’t seem as popular, especially with precision shooters looking for a long-range shooting solution.
Shooters seem to consider a controlled cartridge feed on a bolt action rifle more precise and reliable. In general, there are two types of cartridge feed systems, push feed and controlled feed. Push feed is the most common feed system, especially on semi-automatic rifles. A controlled round feeding systems grips and holds the cartridge while removing the cartridge from the magazine.
A controlled feed system is the most accurate rifle option for long-range and competitive shooting. The perception among experienced large-caliber rifle shooters is that controlled feed bolt guns are the most accurate and reliable.
Magazines
Types and styles of magazines are a huge topic of debate. More than anything, the decision of what style of the magazine is very much personal preference. Reliability is, of course, always a concern. Magazine capacity is not as big an issue with these large caliber rifles.
Most bolt action 300 win mag rifles employ a detachable box magazine. The capacity of these rifle magazines is usually limited to three rounds. There are several reasons for this limitation. Most states limit the number of cartridges that a rifle can hold during a licensed hunt to three rounds. Most 300 win mag rifles are sport shooting rifles, so this limitation makes sense.
Some semi-automatic rifles chamber for 300 win mag uses detachable magazines holding ten or more rounds. These large-capacity magazines don’t seem efficient on these rifles for several reasons.
- The large-capacity magazines are rarely legal in the US during licensed hunts.
- Long-range shooters rarely take more than two shots at a game animal.
- The extra rounds in the magazine add weight to the rifle system
The only situation where I can see a large capacity magazine on a 300 win mag rifle is during combat operations where the firearm serves as a sniper rifle. Combat situations often require quick follow-up shots. A sniper rifle with a large capacity detachable magazine is often a necessity. This is not the case for your typical sport hunting rifle.
Semi-Automatic or Bolt Action Guns
Many shooters argue that a semi-automatic rifle is never as accurate as a bolt gun. On this point, I must disagree. When it comes to precision rifle design, the state of semi-automatic rifles can easily rival the accuracy and dependability of most bolt action rifles.
If you prefer to shoot a semi-automatic rifle, there is no reason to think you can’t find a semi-automatic precision rifle for use as a hunting rifle. Even the 300 win mag cartridge can be found in precision rifles semi-automatic styles. The downside is that getting the reliability in an accurate rifle can be expensive
Finding the Best 300 Win Mag Rifle
So, the search begins for the best 300 win mag rifle. Rather than compile a list of ranked guns, I have chosen to find what I believe to be the best 300 win mag rifles in several categories. Finding the best 300 win mag rifle for your shooting style is the goal. It should be much easier to select a rifle that you know excels in your preferred shooting.
Best Overall 300 Win Mag Rifle For Hunting- Savage Arms 110 Storm
I must admit that I am like Savage rifles. I own a much older Savage Arms Model 110 chambered in .270. My rifle is the plain jane model with no adjustments, an internal box magazine that doesn’t detach, and one of the early synthetic stocks. I bought this rifle many years ago at a garage sale with an attached scope and a box of ammunition with two rounds missing.
This rifle has become the go-to gun for whitetail and mule deer in the part of Texas I normally hunt. Savage builds quality guns, in my opinion, is often overlooked. The new Savage Arms 110 Storm chambered in 300 win mag is just such an overlooked option.
For the average hunter who wants to add a 300 win mag rifle to their gun safe at a reasonable cost, the Savage Arms 100 Storm deserves a serious look. You won’t find many rifles that offer these features in a rifle costing less than $1,000.
Features
- The adjustable synthetic stock allows you to set the comb height and the length of pull precisely to fit your rifle.
- Each Savage 100 Storm includes the Savage Accu-fit user-adjustable trigger.
- The Savage AccuStock Rail System secures the action to the stock in three dimensions for the most stability.
- Detachable box magazine
- Stainless steel barrel and action
- Gray synthetic stock for durability and reliability in even the most extreme weather conditions
- The receiver comes from the factory drilled and tapped for scope mounts.
Specifications
The Savage Arms 110 Storm boasts an impressive set of technical specifications for those who are all about the details.
- Barrel Material – Stainless steel parts
- Barrel Length – 24 inches
- Barrel Finish – Natural
- Twist – 1 in 10
- Receiver Material – Stainless steel receiver
- Receiver Finish – Matte natural
- Stock Material – Synthetic
- Stock Color – Gray
- Stock Finish – Matte
- Length of Pull – Adjustable 12.75 to 13.75 inches
- Adjustable Comb
- Detachable Box Magazine
- Overall Length – 45 inches
- Weight – 7.5 pounds
All in all, the Savage Arms 100 Storm rifle is a great choice for the average hunter. You won’t find a better ratio of features to price on many other rifles in this category. The features, price and reputation of Savage Arms put the Savage 100 Storm in 300 wing mag on my list as the best overall pick for the average hunter.
Runnerup Best Overall 300 Win Mag Rifle for Field Use – Howa GamePro 2.0
Howa is not a household name easily recognized even in the shooting world. This relatively overlooked manufacturer of centerfire rifles deserves more attention, in my opinion. The basic part of the Howa sporting rifle line is the Howa 1500 action. These rifles are solid, dependable, and well-built.
When my gun store was open and operating, Howa was a staple inventory item for sporting rifles. As an entry-level centerfire rifle chambered for the 300 win mag cartridge, Howa builds a great rifle. We admit that these Howa rifles are not a precision rifle. I wouldn’t recommend a Howa for anyone who anticipates reaching targets up to or beyond 1,000 yards.
However, at intermediate ranges, the Howa GamePros 2.0 offers shooters the impressive knock-down power of the 300 win mag cartridge in a rifle platform with a great range of features. How offers these features in the GamePro 2.0 rifle as a package with scope for well under $1,000.
Features
- Available in a wide range of calibers, including 300 win mag.
- Barrels length can be ordered in either 24 inches or 22-inch lengths
- Blued barrel and action for a more traditional look
- Each Howa GamePro 2.o rifle is fitted to a Hogue® pillar-bedded Overmolded™ stock & recoil pad
- The GamePro 2.0 platform is built around a forged, one-piece bolt w/ two locking lugs
- The Howa HACT two-stage trigger system allows crisp and precise trigger pull
- A three-position safety like those found on much more expensive rifle platforms
- The Howa GamePro 2.o package includes a pre-mounted Nikko Stirling Gamepro Scope Package: 4-12X40
Specifications
The Howa GamePro 2.0 may not be considered a Tier 1 choice. These are still nice rifles that will produce accuracy and dependability for most shooters. The specifications for these sporting rifles indicate why I have chosen to include the Howa GamePro 2.0 on my list of best win mag rifles.
- Howa 1500 barreled actions
- 24-inch barrel
- Threaded muzzle
- Available in blued action or stainless steel
- Stocks available in black or green
- Hammer forged barrel
- One Piece forged receiver with one-piece bolt and two locking rings
- Two-stage trigger
- Package included sling rings and factory mounted Nikko Stirling Gamepro Scope Package 4-12X40 Scope
Most North American hunts occur at ranges well under 1,000 yards. The Howa GamePro 2.0 package offers an excellent way for the average hunter to put a 300 win mag rifle in their gun safe. Many large-caliber enthusiasts consider the Howa 1500 action among the best actions on the market today in the general hunting rifle category.
Best 300 Win Mag Long Range Rifle – Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target
Bring up Ruger guns and almost everyone first thinks of the venerable Ruger Mini-14 rifle. I still have two Ruger Mini-14s in my gun safe. One is an older model built in 1982. The other is a more modern ranch rifle design chambered in .300 Blackout. Both are fun to shoot and remarkably reliable guns.
What many people overlook is Ruger’s commitment to more traditional rifles. In 2019 Ruger sent tremors through the long range precision community when introducing the Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target rifle.
Ruger took notice of the long range precision target requirements that this group of shooters required. The result is the Hawkeye Long Range Target rifle. While the accuracy and function of this rifle are impressive. Ruger’s number of Tier 1 features at such a reasonable cost is the real eye-opener.
Features
If you are looking for the features usually found on long range precision rifles costing hundreds of dollars, the Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target should be in your sights. Ruger has built an impressive rifle system that easily scores a place on our best 300 win mag rifle list.
- The Hawkeye action employs a non-rotating Mauser-style bolt action for strength, durability and reliability.
- The action on the Hawkeye is a controlled-feed bolt with a fixed-blade extractor.
A 20 MOA Picatinny rail is mounted to the receiver with four #8×40 screws to enhance long range elevation capabilities. The rail can be removed to expose the traditional scope mounts machined into the receiver. - The barrel is free-floating cold hammer-forged 4140 chrome-moly steel with 5R minimum bore and groove dimensions.
- You will enjoy a two-stage trigger that keeps take-up to a minimum with a crisp, clean let-off.
- The three-position safety allows the best in transport, shooting options, and quick takedown.
Specifications
The heart of any rifle is in the specifications. Without understanding the basics of size, weight, and materials used, comparing rifles is a meaningless exercise. Ruger’s rifle specifications are among some of the best in the world.
- Stock Material – Speckled black and brown laminate
- Stock Length of Pull – Adjustable 13 to 14.5 inches
- Barrel Material – Alloy Steel
- Barrel Length – 26 inches
- Barrel Twist – 1 in 9 right hand
- Barrel Muzzle – Threaded
- Barrel Finish – Matte
- Magazine Type – Detachable Box
- Magazine Capacity – 5 rounds
- Overall Length – Adjustable 47.5 to 49 inches
- Overall Weight – 11 pounds
If you are serious about going out beyond 1,000 yards regularly without breaking the bank, the Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target rifle is a definite contender. I must admit that hearing a steel target ring at 1,2oo yards is a soul-satisfying sound.
Runnerup Best Long Range 300 Win Mag Rifle – Remington Arms Model 700 SPS
Where do I start about the Remington 700 line of rifles? These are unquestionably some of the most well-known rifles in the US. The 700 series of rifles has a 50-year reputation for quality, performance, and accuracy that many other gun manufacturers envy. The original Model 700 Remington rifles were easily recognizable by the ebony forearm tip.
The Remington 700 rifle line has a wide variety of styles built around the same rugged and accurate action. My choice for a Reminging Model 700 chambered for 300 win mag is the Model 700 SPS (The SPS stands for Special Purpose Synthetic.)
Many shooters buy a Remington 700 based on the product line’s reputation. They soon discover what makes the Remington 700 rifle so popular. Remington has developed a rifle that features a perfect balance of size, weight, and balance in the eyes of many shooters. Many other features come with a Remington 700 SPS rifle.
Features
Remington 700 rifles have never been short in the features list. Remington continues that tradition with the Model 700 SPS edition. As you might expect, there are some extra features with the 700 SPS. After all, it is a Special Purpose Synthetic rifle.
- The Remington 700 SPS comes standard with a fixed magazine configured for three rounds or a three-round plus one option.
- A hinged floorplate makes unloading and loading the Model 700 SPS quick and easy.
- Remington uses 416 stainless steel for the receiver and barrel with a bead blast finish.
- The Model 700 SPS comes without iron sights installed, the receiver is factory drilled and tapped for scope mounts.
- The synthetic stock ergonomic design offers the best fit and function despite the harshest of conditions.
- The synthetic stock features over-molded grip panels to ensure full control of the rifle.
We didn’t mention all the other standard details and features accompanying all Remington Model 700 rifles. Going out past 1,000 yards with these rifles can be as simple as opening the box, mounting the appropriate scope, and finding the right loads for the rifle.
Specifications
Digging under the pretty exterior is sometimes shocking. You won’t get nasty surprises when you begin to study the Remington Model 700 SPS rifle specifications.
- Magazine Capacity – Three
- Length Overall – 46.5 inches
- Weight – 7 5/8 pounds (average)
- Barrel length – 26 inches
- Barrel Material – 416 Stainless Steel
- Barrel Twist – 1 in 10
- Stock Material – Synthetic
- Stock Length of Pull – 13 3/8 inches
- Comb Drop – 1 3/8 inches
Many shooters consider the Remington 700 line as good as it gets for hunting and target shooting. When chambered in 300 win mag the Model 700 SPS is certainly a 1,000-yard rifle if properly set up and in the hands of a reasonably good shooter.
The Best Semi-Automatic 300 Win Mag Rifle – Browning BAR Mark II Rifle
For me, the name Browning has almost always invoked images of big game hunting and famous names like Ernest Hemingway, John Henry Patterson, and Jim Corbett. At some stage in their shooting career, almost every hunter has aspired to own a Browning rifle.
There are good reasons for these aspirations. Browning has, for many years, been the mark against which all other rifles have been measured. In the area of semi-automatic rifles, the Browning BAR has become a legend.
Many other rifle manufacturers offer semi-automatic rifles chambered for 300 win mag. The Browning BAR is an unmistakable standout that has set itself apart by demonstrating the accuracy, reliability and quality backed by the Browning name. The features that accompany every Browning BAR are a testament to the Browning label.
Features
No one who has been around the shooting sports for very long can claim ignorance of the Browning reputation. The features that Browning routinely includes are numerous and among these are the following.
- The barrels are individually hammer forged and machined from heat-treated billets of steel.
- A detachable box magazine with a hinged floorplate makes loading and unloading simple and foolproof.
- A fluted stock design features a full pistol grip for unparalleled control.
- The larger-than-usual trigger guard makes precise trigger control easy even with gloved hands.
- The safety is a cross-bolt design with an oversized control.
- A single-stage trigger brings smooth and classic trigger operation with less chance of failure.
- The Browning BAR comes with sling swivels installed and ready for your favorite sling.
Perhaps the most important feature that often goes unmentioned is the reputation of the Browning name. More than a century of production and customer service stand behind every Browning firearm.
Specifications
Without a doubt, Brownings reputation for quality control and the highest specifications is part of the mystique behind these guns.
- Magazine Type – Detachable box with hinged floor plate
- Magazine Capacity – Three plus one
- Barrel Length – 24 inches
- Barrel Twist – 1 in 10
- Barrel Material – Hammer-Forged heat-treated steel
- Stock Material – Walnut
- Drilled and tapped for scope mounts
- Overall Length – 45 inches
- Weight – 8 pounds
If you need rapid follow shoots in a compact and rugged rifle, the Browning BAR is a perfect fit. When matched with the 300 win mag cartridge, you get a responsive and quick rifle with lots of knock-down power. This lightweight rifle is certainly to be welcome on long hunting trips or all-day target shooting activities.
Finding the Best 300 Win Mag Rifle for You
No one rifle can fit every need. Finding the best 300 win mag rifle for your preferred hunting or target shooting sport is a very personal project. Our choices for the best 300 win mag rifles may not fit your needs or expectations. We hope that the rifles on our list give you a better understanding of what you should look for in your 300 win mag rifle.