300 Winchester Magnum vs 308 Winchester: Ammo Comparison

It’s a rather common debate: is 300 Winchester Magnum (Win, WM or Win Mag) better than 308 Winchester (Win)? Are they at all interchangeable, or are they strictly use-specific? If you had to choose just one cartridge, which would it be? These two .30 caliber, Winchester-designed cartridges each have a lot to offer. We’re going to go through the details and let you know which we think is the better of the two.

300 Win Mag vs 308 Win Spec Comparison

Why compare 300 Win Mag vs 308 Win?

If you checked out the specifications above, you might have noticed the 308 Win does indeed have many smaller dimensions than 300 Win. However, its maximum pressure is close despite its overall smaller size. These are both .30 caliber rounds created by the same manufacturer within a decade of one another. Those factors alone make them fascinating to compare. But that close maximum pressure? That makes it all the better.

308 Win is a little older than 300 Win Mag, by just more than a decade. That scant decade of difference doesn’t really translate to an enormous difference when it comes to the technology of the time. But while 308 Win seems to have been relegated to having once been a great round, 300 Win is maintaining its hold on popularity. Which cartridge is better? Is there as big a difference as you might first assume?

It’s the cartridge vs. cartridge face-off: 300 Win Mag vs. 308 Win.

300 Win Mag Review

As a magnum cartridge, 300 Win is a favorite. Its ballistics make it an impressive performer in the field, whether it’s on steel or big game. There’s a lot of ammunition available for it in a wide variety of loads. There are also countless guns chambered in it. This is a cartridge that’s carved out a solid place in the ammunition world.

300 Win History and Purpose

Winchester created 300 Win in 1963. They made specifically it for hunting big game, but it also managed to prove itself in combat. To this day there are sniper rifles chambered in 300 Win used by certain members of the military. For the public, 300 Win is a common go-to for any long-range work, whether that’s ringing steel or dropping elk from a distant ridge.

375 H&H was the parent cartridge of 00 Win Mag and it’s safe to say the latter has managed to outshine the former. Interestingly, 300 WM was designed not long after Winchester began producing the 264 Winchester Magnum, 338 Winchester Magnum, and 458 Winchester Magnum. It was a magnum-rich time and Winchester capitalized on that.

People often assume that 300 Win Mag is better than 308 Win. It’s bigger, faster, and more precise…right? And unlike the 308 Win, which isn’t so favored by the military anymore, they still use 300 Win for specific purposes (so is 308 Win, but one could easily say it’s being phased out). Winchester hit an undeniable home run with the 300 WM.

Pros and Cons of 300 Win Mag vs 308 Win

Best Ammo for 300 Win

300 Win has been around long enough that there are all kinds of ammunition options. These are our picks for 300 Win:

308 Win Review

The 308 Win is an undeniable classic. People have been using the 308 Win for three quarters of a century and can rely on it to do the job. Although it might not be the flashiest cartridge out there, it’s solid. It also has one of the more enjoyable histories to delve into thanks to the way it was created.

308 Win History and Purpose

Winchester designed 308 Win in the early 1950s. Technically, it’s related to the 7.62x51mm NATO used by the military, but it got out into the public a couple of years before 7.62x51mm NATO saw military use. When the military was working on their NATO round, it involved working on the T65 series of experimental cartridges, and that’s where 308 got its start.

It was 1952 when Winchester put the 308 Win out there for hunters, a full two years before the official 7.62x51mm NATO would become a duty caliber. It took no time at all for 308 Win to become a favorite of hunters. This was, and still is, due to its ability to take all manner of game. The cartridge found favor in the tactical world as well, thanks to its use as a truck gun and home defense option.

Manufacturers make 308 Win available in just about every firearms platform. You can get an AR-10, bolt-action, lever-action, just about any gun can be found chambered in this round. We usually see this cartridge as a mid-range option, not long-range. For the average shooter, that’s just fine. 

Pros and Cons of 308 Win vs 300 Win Mag

Best Ammo for the 308 Winchester

Because 308 Win has so many uses, there are varied loads of ammunition for it, too. That means loads specific to self-defense, target practice, and hunting. It’s more affordably priced than 300 Win Mag, too. These are our top picks for 308 Win ammo:

Ballistics Comparison: 300 Win vs. 308 Win

When you’re comparing a larger magnum round like 300 Win to something smaller, such as 308 Win, you might believe you know what you’re going to find. And it’s true: a magnum cartridge is likely to move faster and hit harder than a standard rifle round. That doesn’t mean 308 Win can’t hold its own in some ways, though. Let’s find out.

To compare cartridges beyond 100 yards, we’re going to take a look at a few different loads. First, let’s consider Barnes VOR-TX 300 Win 180 grain TTSX with a ballistic coefficient of 0.484 against Federal Premium Power-Shok 308 Win 180 grain JSP with a ballistic coefficient of 0.382.

Distance (yards)	Barnes VOR-TX 300 Win 180 grain TTSX Velocity (fps)	Barnes VOR-TX 300 Win 180 grain TTSX Energy (ft-lbs)	Federal Premium Power-Shok 308 Win 180 grain JSP Velocity (fps)	Federal Premium Power-Shok 308 Win 180 grain JSP Energy (ft-lbs)
0	2960	3502	2570	2640
100	2766	3057	2345	2197
200	2580	2660	2131	1816
300	2401	2305	1929	1486
400	2230	1987	1740	1209
500	2065	1705	1565	979

As expected, 308 Win doesn’t produce the same velocity and energy as 300 WM. Muzzle velocity of the 308 Win in this particular load starts out rather close to that of the 300 Win, but the gap widens quickly. As for energy, by 500 yards the 308 Win is almost at half the ft-lbs of 300 Win Mag. Yes, 308 Win is slower than 300 Win.

If we change over to different loads and compare Hornady 300 Win 195 grain ELD Match with a ballistic coefficient of 0.584 and Federal American Eagle 308 Win 150 grain FMJ with a ballistic coefficient of 0.408, does 308 Win gain any ground at all?

Distance (yards)	Hornady Match 300 Win 195 grain ELD Velocity (fps)	Hornady Match 300 Win 195 grain ELD Energy (ft-lbs)	Federal American Eagle 308 Win 150 grain FMJ Velocity (fps)	Federal American Eagle 308 Win 150 grain FMJ Energy (ft-lbs)
0	2930	3718	2820	2648
100	2769	3321	2597	2246
200	2615	2960	2385	1894
300	2465	2631	2183	1586
400	2320	2331	1990	1319
500	2180	2059	1808	1089

Although this 308 Win round seems to do a little better than the last load, it still can’t match the performance of the 300 Win. Let’s take a look at drop and drift rate.

Distance (yards)	Hornady Match 300 Win 195 grain ELD Drop (inches)	Hornady Match 300 Win 195 grain ELD Wind Drift (inches)	Federal American Eagle 308 Win 150 grain FMJ Drop (inches)	Federal American Eagle 308 Win 150 grain FMJ Drift (inches)
0	-1.5	0.03	-1.5	0
100	0.0	0.55	0.0	0.8
200	-3.05	2.15	-3.6	3.3
300	-11.18	4.93	-13.5	7.8
400	-25.05	8.99	-30.6	14.4
500	-45.39	14.45	-56.3	23.3

It is surprising that the drop of 308 Win is not significantly different from 300 WM, which could be attributed to the heavier bullet of the latter. Despite the greater case capacity of the magnum round, these two cartridges do have similar maximum pressures.

It seems as though the results are clear…or does it? While 308 Win obviously doesn’t deliver for velocity or energy at the level of 300 Win, that doesn’t mean it’s not a better option in certain circumstances. Now, if you’re all about speed and impact on target, of course you’re going to lean toward the 300 Win Mag.

Our Take – 300 Win vs. 308 Win

This face-off is a draw. It might surprise you given the noticeable gaps in ballistics, but here’s the thing: you aren’t going to want the 300 Win in every situation. For example, 300 Win would carry with it an enormous risk of over-penetration in a home defense situation. And 308 Win isn’t the round you want to reach out and touch a distant target. Rather than an either/or situation, the case of 300 Win Mag vs. 308 Win is more a case of understanding the value of having the correct tool for the task at hand.

In addition, this comparison is a great example of the risks of claiming two cartridges aren’t really that different because they boast the same bullet diameter. There’s a lot more to performance on target than bullet diameter. Decide what’s required for the specific use and choose accordingly. That might be 300 Win and it might be 308 Win. Choose wisely.

Well, we had to pick a winner. For most people, the 308 Win will be easier to shoot, less expensive, and get the job done in a wide range of shooting sports. If you are looking for hunting, home defense, and target shooting, the 308 will do it all. If your focus is long range precision shooting and longer range hunting and dont mind the cost and recoil, the 300 win mag has proven itself in that arena.