The 300 Winchester Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge for .308-inch bullets that Winchester introduced in 1963 and that is loaded today mainly for long-range big-game hunting and long-range target shooting.
This guide sets out what Barnes, Federal, Hornady and Nosler themselves publish for their 300 Winchester Magnum loads: muzzle velocity and energy, what is left at range, and how far each bullet drops, with the zero beside every drop figure. Where a maker’s table stops, this page stops.
300 Winchester Magnum ballistics chart
Each row of the muzzle table is one load, identified by its item number, with the bullet weight, muzzle velocity and muzzle energy the maker prints for it. Two things change from row to row. Only Hornady (26") and Nosler (24" barrel, 1-10" twist) state a test barrel, so the other rows cannot be lined up against them as though one rifle had fired them all. And the ballistic coefficient is not one measure: Barnes prints G1 figures, Hornady prints a G1 and a G7 figure, Federal does not say which drag model it used, and Nosler publishes no figure at all. The makers label the Nosler 210 gr and the Barnes 220 gr as match or target loads and the rest as big-game hunting loads.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Tipped TSX | 32239 | 130 gr | Tipped TSX | 2,910 fps | 2,445 ft-lb | 0.337 G1 | Big Game, Medium Game (Pursuit); Hunting (Purpose); line: VOR-TX RR | Not published |
| Federal Jacketed Soft Point | 300WGS | 150 gr | Jacketed Soft Point | 3,150 fps | 3,305 ft-lb | .389 not stated by maker | Big Game, Long Range | Not published |
| Hornady ELD-X® | 82041 | 178 gr | ELD-X® | 2,960 fps | 3,463 ft-lb | .552 (G1); .278 (G7) G1 and G7 | Medium Game 50-300 lbs; Large Game 300-1500 lbs (line: Precision Hunter®) | 26″ |
| Federal Trophy Copper | P300WTC1 | 180 gr | Trophy Copper | 2,960 fps | 3,502 ft-lb | .523 not stated by maker | Big Game, Long Range | Not published |
| Nosler HPBT RDF™ | 60158 | 210 gr | HPBT RDF™ | 2,750 fps | 3,526 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Target/Match | 24″ barrel, 1-10″ twist |
| Barnes OTM | 30740 | 220 gr | OTM | 2,775 fps | 3,763 ft-lb | 0.611 G1 | Match/Target (Purpose); Target (Pursuit); line: Precision Match | Not published |
Velocity and energy downrange
Velocity and retained energy are printed for every range a maker’s own table reaches. The Nosler 210 gr table runs to 800 yd, the Federal, Hornady and Barnes 220 gr tables to 500 yd, and the Barnes 130 gr table stops at 300 yd, so any cell beyond a table’s last range reads “Not published” rather than being filled in. Read down a column to compare loads at one range, and keep the test barrel in each row label in mind.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes 130 gr (barrel not published) | 2,910 fps / 2,445 ft-lb | 2,636 fps / 2,006 ft-lb | 2,378 fps / 1,633 ft-lb | 2,135 fps / 1,316 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 150 gr (barrel not published) | 3,150 fps / 3,305 ft-lb | 2,898 fps / 2,798 ft-lb | 2,661 fps / 2,358 ft-lb | 2,435 fps / 1,975 ft-lb | 2,221 fps / 1,643 ft-lb | 2,017 fps / 1,355 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 178 gr (26″) | 2,960 fps / 3,463 ft-lb | 2,789 fps / 3,075 ft-lb | 2,625 fps / 2,723 ft-lb | 2,467 fps / 2,405 ft-lb | 2,314 fps / 2,116 ft-lb | 2,166 fps / 1,854 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 180 gr (barrel not published) | 2,960 fps / 3,502 ft-lb | 2,780 fps / 3,088 ft-lb | 2,606 fps / 2,715 ft-lb | 2,439 fps / 2,378 ft-lb | 2,279 fps / 2,075 ft-lb | 2,124 fps / 1,803 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 210 gr (24″ barrel, 1-10″ twist) | 2,750 fps / 3,526 ft-lb | 2,617 fps / 3,194 ft-lb | 2,488 fps / 2,886 ft-lb | 2,363 fps / 2,603 ft-lb | 2,241 fps / 2,341 ft-lb | 2,123 fps / 2,101 ft-lb | 2,009 fps / 1,881 ft-lb | 1,898 fps / 1,679 ft-lb | 1,790 fps / 1,493 ft-lb |
| Barnes 220 gr (barrel not published) | 2,775 fps / 3,763 ft-lb | 2,633 fps / 3,388 ft-lb | 2,494 fps / 3,039 ft-lb | 2,360 fps / 2,721 ft-lb | 2,230 fps / 2,430 ft-lb | 2,105 fps / 2,165 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
A drop figure means nothing without its zero, so the zero is in each row label. Federal and Nosler state a 100 yd zero (Nosler also prints drop for a 200 yd zero, and the row here uses the 100 yd zero). Barnes and Hornady print no zero, so the zero shown is the range where their own table reads 0 in: 100 yd for Barnes and 200 yd for Hornady, which is why the Hornady row reads +1.5 in at 100 yd and 0 in at 200 yd. The Barnes 130 gr and both Federal loads publish drop only to 300 yd.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes 130 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3.5 in | −13.2 in | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 150 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −2.7 in | −10.2 in | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 178 gr (200 yd zero) | +1.5 in | 0 in | −6.6 in | −18.8 in | −37.6 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 180 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3 in | −11.1 in | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 210 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3.6 in | −12.8 in | −28.2 in | −50.6 in | −80.6 in | −119.3 in | −167.7 in |
| Barnes 220 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3 in | −11.6 in | −26.5 in | −48.3 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
What the numbers mean for a shot
The fastest load is not the one with the most energy
The Federal 150 gr leaves at 3,150 fps, the highest muzzle velocity in the table, and carries 3,305 ft-lb. The Barnes 220 gr leaves at 2,775 fps and carries 3,763 ft-lb, the highest muzzle energy in the table. The Barnes 130 gr, from the reduced-recoil VOR-TX RR line, starts at 2,910 fps with 2,445 ft-lb, the lowest muzzle energy here. Energy is set by weight and speed together, so a slower heavy bullet can carry more than a fast light one.
What is left at 500 yd
Downrange the picture changes. At 500 yd the Federal 150 gr has slowed to 2,017 fps and holds 1,355 ft-lb, the least of the loads that publish that range. The Hornady 178 gr is at 2,166 fps and 1,854 ft-lb, the Federal 180 gr at 2,124 fps and 1,803 ft-lb, the Nosler 210 gr at 2,123 fps and 2,101 ft-lb, and the Barnes 220 gr at 2,105 fps and 2,165 ft-lb. The ballistic coefficients in the muzzle table point the same way, .389 for the Federal 150 gr against .552 (G1) for the Hornady 178 gr, but Federal does not say which drag model its figure uses, so treat that pair as a hint rather than a measurement. The Barnes 130 gr table stops at 300 yd, where it holds 2,135 fps and 1,316 ft-lb, so nothing can be said about that load at 500 yd.
Drop, and why the zero comes first
From a 100 yd zero, the drop at 300 yd is −10.2 in for the Federal 150 gr, −11.1 in for the Federal 180 gr, −11.6 in for the Barnes 220 gr, −12.8 in for the Nosler 210 gr and −13.2 in for the Barnes 130 gr. The Hornady 178 gr reads −6.6 in at 300 yd, but it is zeroed at 200 yd, so its figures cannot be set beside the others. Past 300 yd, drop is published only for the Barnes 220 gr, the Nosler 210 gr and the Hornady 178 gr. From a 100 yd zero the Barnes 220 gr reads −26.5 in at 400 yd and −48.3 in at 500 yd, and the Nosler 210 gr reads −28.2 in and −50.6 in, then carries on to −80.6 in at 600 yd, −119.3 in at 700 yd and −167.7 in at 800 yd. The Hornady 178 gr, from its 200 yd zero, reads −18.8 in at 400 yd and −37.6 in at 500 yd. Nosler is the only maker in these tables that publishes drop beyond 500 yd.
These are the makers’ catalogue figures, not measurements from your rifle. Most rows print no test barrel, so small gaps between two loads should not be read as one being better than the other, and the tables carry nothing on wind or on how a bullet performs on game. Check your own drop on a target at the distances you shoot.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI’s standard test barrel for the 300 Winchester Magnum is 24.000 in long, with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in and a groove diameter of .308 in. Nosler’s test barrel for its 210 gr load, 24" with a 1-10" twist, matches that length and twist. Hornady tests in a 26" barrel, and Barnes and Federal print no barrel. If your rifle’s barrel is not the test barrel, your own velocities may differ from the printed ones. Beyond Nosler’s test barrel, none of the makers in the tables prints a twist rate.
SAAMI’s maximum average pressure for the 300 Winchester Magnum is 64,000 psi. That is a ceiling for the cartridge, not the pressure of any load in the tables: none of these makers publishes the pressure of its own load. Pressure is the reason to match the marking on the box to the marking on the barrel. Fire only ammunition marked 300 Winchester Magnum in a rifle chambered for it, and do not treat a similarly named cartridge, such as the 300 WSM, as a substitute.
Winchester loads are not in the tables
The store also carries Winchester loads in this cartridge. Winchester’s own page for one of them, the Expedition Big Game Long Range AccuBond LR (item S300LR), states that no ballistics data is available at this time, so no Winchester row appears above and nothing has been substituted from another source. Until Winchester publishes figures for it, this guide has none to give.
300 Win Mag vs 7mm Rem Mag: what the SAAMI reference data shows
Two makers’ catalogue tables cannot be laid side by side. Each maker measures in its own way, most print no test barrel, and a bullet’s shape changes the downrange figures as well as the cartridge does, so this comparison does not use them. It uses SAAMI reference data instead. SAAMI sets a standard test barrel for each cartridge and lists reference loads measured in it, which puts the two on one basis.
The cartridge set against it here is the 7mm Remington Magnum. SAAMI publishes velocity and pressure but not energy, so the energy in each cell is computed from that velocity and the bullet weight, as the caption says. The rows take the lightest reference load each cartridge lists, the one weight both list, and the heaviest.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 300 Winchester Magnum | 7mm Remington Magnum |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | 64,000 psi | 61,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 10.00 in | 1 turn in 9.50 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .308 in | .2837 in |
| Lightest reference load | 150 gr — 2,635–3,390 fps / 2,312–3,827 ft-lb | 125 gr — 3,290 fps / 3,004 ft-lb |
| The weight both are listed at | 150 gr — 2,635–3,390 fps / 2,312–3,827 ft-lb | 150 gr — 2,990–3,100 fps / 2,977–3,200 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 220 gr — 2,665 fps / 3,469 ft-lb | 175 gr — 2,750–2,850 fps / 2,938–3,156 ft-lb |
The pressure limits differ. SAAMI’s maximum average pressure is 64,000 psi for the 300 Win Mag and 61,000 psi for the 7mm Rem Mag. Both are tested in a 24.000 in barrel, the 300 with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in and the 7mm with 1 turn in 9.50 in. The groove diameters, .308 in and .2837 in, differ because the two cartridges take different bullet diameters.
The velocity rows need careful reading. The lightest reference loads are not the same bullet: 150 gr for the 300 Win Mag at 2,635–3,390 fps and 125 gr for the 7mm Rem Mag at 3,290 fps. Because 150 gr is also the lightest weight SAAMI lists for the 300, its cell repeats in the second row. At 150 gr, the one weight both list, SAAMI’s cell is 2,635–3,390 fps for the 300 Win Mag and 2,990–3,100 fps for the 7mm Rem Mag. Each is a span because SAAMI lists more than one reference load at that weight, and the 7mm’s span sits inside the 300’s, so at equal bullet weight this table does not separate them on velocity. At the heavy end the 300 Win Mag lists 220 gr at 2,665 fps and 3,469 ft-lb, and the 7mm Rem Mag lists 175 gr at 2,750–2,850 fps and 2,938–3,156 ft-lb. The 300’s row carries more energy, but with a heavier bullet, so the difference cannot be credited to the cartridge alone.
What the table does not settle is downrange performance. SAAMI publishes no ballistic coefficient and no drop, and bullet shape decides how a load holds its speed, so nothing here says which cartridge retains more velocity at 500 yd. For that you need each load’s own published table, one cartridge at a time, as above.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 7mm rem mag ammo.
300 Winchester Magnum ballistics questions
How far does a 300 Win Mag drop at 500 yards?
It depends on the load and on the zero, and only some makers publish a 500 yd drop. From a 100 yd zero the Nosler 210 gr reads −50.6 in and the Barnes 220 gr reads −48.3 in at 500 yd. From a 200 yd zero the Hornady 178 gr reads −37.6 in. The Federal 150 gr, the Federal 180 gr and the Barnes 130 gr publish drop only out to 300 yd, so this page gives no 500 yd drop for them. Compare rows only where the zero is the same.
What distance should I zero my 300 Win Mag?
The makers do not publish a recommended zero, so this page cannot give one. What the tables show is the zero each maker used for its drop figures: Federal and Nosler state a 100 yd zero, while Barnes and Hornady print none, so the zero shown for them is the range where their table reads 0 in, 100 yd for Barnes and 200 yd for Hornady. The zero moves every other number in the row: from its 200 yd zero the Hornady 178 gr reads +1.5 in at 100 yd, 0 in at 200 yd and −6.6 in at 300 yd. Pick a zero from the distances you shoot, then check it on a target.
Is a 6.5 Creedmoor more powerful than a 300 Win Mag?
This page cannot say. It carries no 6.5 Creedmoor table, and none of the makers here publishes a comparison between the two cartridges. Its only comparison is the 300 Win Mag against the 7mm Rem Mag, on SAAMI figures. What it does show is the 300’s own muzzle energy: the Barnes 130 gr load prints 2,445 ft-lb and the Barnes 220 gr load prints 3,763 ft-lb. To judge the 6.5 Creedmoor against those, its figures would need to be on the same basis first, ideally the same test barrel.
What is a 300 Win Mag equivalent to?
None of the makers here publishes an equivalent, and this page names none. The cartridge it sets beside the 300 Win Mag is the 7mm Rem Mag, and on SAAMI’s figures the two share a 24.000 in test barrel but differ in pressure limit (64,000 psi against 61,000 psi), twist (1 turn in 10.00 in against 1 turn in 9.50 in) and groove diameter (.308 in against .2837 in). At 150 gr, the one weight both list, the 300 Win Mag reads 2,635–3,390 fps and the 7mm Rem Mag reads 2,990–3,100 fps.
Which is more powerful, 45-70 or 300 Win Mag?
This page cannot say. It carries no 45-70 table, and the makers here publish nothing that sets the two side by side. Even within the 300 Win Mag the answer depends on the load: at 500 yd the Barnes 220 gr carries 2,165 ft-lb and the Federal 150 gr carries 1,355 ft-lb. The 45-70 would need its own maker-published table on the same basis before the two could be ranked.
What is the flattest shooting caliber out to 300 yards?
The makers do not publish a ranking of calibers, and this page holds only 300 Win Mag loads, so it cannot name one. Among these loads, from a 100 yd zero, the drop at 300 yd is −10.2 in for the Federal 150 gr, −11.1 in for the Federal 180 gr, −11.6 in for the Barnes 220 gr, −12.8 in for the Nosler 210 gr and −13.2 in for the Barnes 130 gr. The Hornady 178 gr reads −6.6 in, but its zero is 200 yd, so it is not a like-for-like row.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 300 Win Mag ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
