The .300 Winchester Short Magnum (300 WSM) is a .308-inch bullet-diameter, beltless rebated-rim bottleneck magnum rifle cartridge introduced by Winchester in 2001 and loaded today mainly for big-game hunting in 150 to 200 grain bullet weights.
This guide sets out what the ammunition makers publish for the 300 WSM loads from Remington, Federal, Nosler and Hornady that appear below: muzzle velocity and energy, what is left at each range the maker prints, and bullet drop wherever a zero range is stated. It then puts the cartridge beside the 300 Winchester Magnum using SAAMI’s reference data, the one measuring basis the two share.
300 WSM ballistics chart
Each row is one load, identified by the maker’s item number so it can be matched to a box. Muzzle velocity and energy are printed as the maker gives them. Federal and Remington label the main coefficient only as a ballistic coefficient, so its drag model is not stated (two Federal pages also list a separate G7 figure, shown in the table), and Nosler and Hornady publish none. Read the last column before comparing rows: Nosler and Hornady state a 24 in test barrel and the other makers state none, so the rows cannot be assumed to share one barrel.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remington Core-Lokt Tipped | 29043 | 150 gr | Core-Lokt Tipped | 3,340 fps | 3,715 ft-lb | 0.415 not labeled on page | Big Game, Long Range (as listed by Remington) | not published |
| Federal Fusion Soft Point | F300WSMFS1 | 165 gr | Fusion Soft Point | 3,100 fps | 3,521 ft-lb | 0.451 not labeled on page | Big Game, Long Range (as listed by Federal) | not published |
| Federal Jacketed Soft Point | 300WSMC | 180 gr | Jacketed Soft Point | 2,980 fps | 3,549 ft-lb | 0.385 not labeled on page | Big Game, Long Range (as listed by Federal) | not published |
| Federal Berger Hybrid | P300WSMBCH1 | 185 gr | Berger Hybrid | 2,950 fps | 3,575 ft-lb | 0.533 not labeled on page (page also lists G7 0.273) | Big Game, Long Range (as listed by Federal) | not published |
| Nosler AccuBond Long Range | 60106 | 190 gr | AccuBond Long Range | 2,875 fps | 3,487 ft-lb | not published not published | Long-range big-game hunting (Trophy Grade) | 24 in |
| Federal Terminal Ascent | P300WSMTA1 | 200 gr | Terminal Ascent | 2,810 fps | 3,506 ft-lb | 0.608 not labeled on page (page also lists G7 0.304) | Big Game, Long Range (as listed by Federal) | not published |
| Hornady ELD-X | 82208 | 200 gr | ELD-X | 2,820 fps | 3,531 ft-lb | not published not published | Precision Hunter big-game hunting | 24 in |
Velocity and energy downrange
This table follows each load out from the muzzle, with velocity and remaining energy at every range its maker prints. Remington, Federal and Hornady stop at 500 yd. Nosler’s table for its 190 gr AccuBond Long Range runs to 800 yd. “Not published” means the maker’s own table ends before that range.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remington 150 gr (not published) | 3,340 fps / 3,715 ft-lb | 3,093 fps / 3,187 ft-lb | 2,860 fps / 2,724 ft-lb | 2,639 fps / 2,319 ft-lb | 2,428 fps / 1,963 ft-lb | 2,227 fps / 1,652 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 165 gr (not published) | 3,100 fps / 3,521 ft-lb | 2,885 fps / 3,048 ft-lb | 2,680 fps / 2,630 ft-lb | 2,484 fps / 2,260 ft-lb | 2,296 fps / 1,931 ft-lb | 2,116 fps / 1,641 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 180 gr (not published) | 2,980 fps / 3,549 ft-lb | 2,736 fps / 2,991 ft-lb | 2,504 fps / 2,506 ft-lb | 2,284 fps / 2,084 ft-lb | 2,075 fps / 1,721 ft-lb | 1,877 fps / 1,408 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 185 gr (not published) | 2,950 fps / 3,575 ft-lb | 2,773 fps / 3,159 ft-lb | 2,603 fps / 2,784 ft-lb | 2,440 fps / 2,445 ft-lb | 2,282 fps / 2,139 ft-lb | 2,130 fps / 1,864 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 190 gr (24 in) | 2,875 fps / 3,487 ft-lb | 2,718 fps / 3,117 ft-lb | 2,566 fps / 2,778 ft-lb | 2,419 fps / 2,468 ft-lb | 2,277 fps / 2,186 ft-lb | 2,139 fps / 1,930 ft-lb | 2,007 fps / 1,699 ft-lb | 1,879 fps / 1,489 ft-lb | 1,755 fps / 1,299 ft-lb |
| Federal 200 gr (not published) | 2,810 fps / 3,506 ft-lb | 2,660 fps / 3,141 ft-lb | 2,514 fps / 2,806 ft-lb | 2,373 fps / 2,500 ft-lb | 2,236 fps / 2,221 ft-lb | 2,105 fps / 1,967 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 200 gr (24 in) | 2,820 fps / 3,531 ft-lb | 2,667 fps / 3,158 ft-lb | 2,519 fps / 2,817 ft-lb | 2,375 fps / 2,506 ft-lb | 2,237 fps / 2,222 ft-lb | 2,103 fps / 1,963 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
Drop is the bullet’s height above (+) or below (−) the line of sight, in inches, and it is unusable without the zero range, so every row states its zero. Federal’s 180 gr, 185 gr and 200 gr loads and Hornady’s 200 gr load are zeroed at 200 yd. Nosler’s 190 gr load is zeroed at 100 yd, so its figures are on a different footing and cannot be compared with the 200 yd rows. Remington’s Core-Lokt Tipped and Federal’s Fusion are not in this table because no zero range can be identified from their published drop columns.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 0 yd | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal 180 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.6 in | +1.6 in | 0 in | −7.1 in | −21 in | −42.7 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 185 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.5 in | +1.5 in | 0 in | −6.6 in | −19.1 in | −38.3 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 190 gr (100 yd zero) | −1.5 in | 0 in | −3.2 in | −11.7 in | −26.1 in | −47.3 in | −76.1 in | −113.5 in | −160.7 in |
| Federal 200 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.7 in | +1.7 in | 0 in | −7.2 in | −20.6 in | −41.1 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 200 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.7 in | 0 in | −7.2 in | −20.6 in | −40.9 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
What the numbers mean for a shot
The load that starts with the most energy does not finish with the most. Remington’s 150 gr Core-Lokt Tipped has the highest muzzle figures in the tables, 3,340 fps and 3,715 ft-lb, and is down to 2,227 fps and 1,652 ft-lb at 500 yd. The two 200 gr loads leave more slowly, Federal’s Terminal Ascent at 2,810 fps and 3,506 ft-lb and Hornady’s ELD-X at 2,820 fps and 3,531 ft-lb, yet at 500 yd they still hold 1,967 ft-lb and 1,963 ft-lb, more than the 150 gr load has left.
Weight alone does not explain it, and bullet design shows up in the downrange columns. Federal’s 180 gr Jacketed Soft Point and its 185 gr Berger Hybrid leave the muzzle at close to the same speed, 2,980 fps and 2,950 fps. At 500 yd the Berger Hybrid, printed with a ballistic coefficient of 0.533 against 0.385, is still at 2,130 fps and 1,864 ft-lb, while the Jacketed Soft Point is at 1,877 fps and 1,408 ft-lb, the lowest 500 yd energy of any load in the tables. Federal does not label the drag model on either printed coefficient, so treat them as Federal’s own numbers rather than values to line up against another maker’s.
Drop only compares between rows with the same zero. Among the four rows zeroed at 200 yd, the drop at 300 yd is 7.1 in for Federal’s 180 gr, 6.6 in for its 185 gr, and 7.2 in for both 200 gr loads, Federal’s Terminal Ascent and Hornady’s ELD-X. At 500 yd those four read 42.7 in, 38.3 in, 41.1 in and 40.9 in below the line of sight in that order, so at 500 yd the 185 gr Berger Hybrid drops least of the four and the 180 gr Jacketed Soft Point drops most. Nosler’s 190 gr AccuBond Long Range is zeroed at 100 yd, so its 47.3 in at 500 yd cannot be set against those. On its own table it reaches 76.1 in at 600 yd, 113.5 in at 700 yd and 160.7 in at 800 yd, the farthest range any maker here publishes.
Keep the test-barrel column beside all of this. Federal’s 200 gr Terminal Ascent at 2,810 fps and Hornady’s 200 gr ELD-X at 2,820 fps look almost the same, but Hornady states a 24 in barrel and Federal states none, so that small gap says nothing about which load is faster, and the same caution applies to every comparison between makers above.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI specifies the 300 WSM with a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi, and its test barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in and a groove diameter of .308 in. That test barrel is the one behind the reference velocities in the comparison table below. The twist is SAAMI’s test-barrel twist, not a requirement for your rifle, and the tables above list no twist requirement for any individual load, so check your rifle’s barrel markings and the maker’s guidance for the bullet you plan to shoot.
The 65,000 psi figure is a maximum for average pressure, not the pressure of any particular box, and the tables above list no pressure for any individual load. Fire only the cartridge your barrel is marked for: the 300 WSM and the 300 Winchester Magnum are separate SAAMI cartridges, each with its own pressure limit, and they are not interchangeable. SAAMI’s test-barrel length for the 300 WSM is left blank in the table below because it has not been read from the drawing, and no length is assumed here.
Winchester loads are not in the tables
We stock Winchester 300 WSM loads, but there is no Winchester row above. On Winchester’s own product pages for the Power-Point, Deer Season XP and Copper Impact loads we checked, the ballistics section says no ballistics data is available at this time, so there is nothing published to chart. This page leaves the row out rather than fill it with a number Winchester has not published.
300 WSM vs 300 Winchester Magnum: the SAAMI comparison
Two makers’ catalogue tables cannot be compared with each other. Each maker chooses its own test barrel and, as the muzzle table shows, several do not say which one, so a Federal figure set beside a Hornady figure, or beside any 300 Winchester Magnum load, mixes measuring setups and says little about the cartridges themselves.
SAAMI is the shared basis. It publishes one specification for each cartridge, with a standard test barrel and reference velocities measured the same way, so the table below sets the 300 WSM beside the 300 Winchester Magnum using SAAMI’s figures alone, with no manufacturer’s catalogue numbers in it.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 300 WSM | 300 Winchester Magnum |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | 65,000 psi | 64,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | Not read from the drawing | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 10.00 in | 1 turn in 10.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .308 in | .308 in |
| Lightest reference load | 150 gr — 3,300 fps / 3,626 ft-lb | 150 gr — 2,635–3,390 fps / 2,312–3,827 ft-lb |
| The weight both are listed at | 180 gr — 2,970 fps / 3,525 ft-lb | 180 gr — 2,950–3,080 fps / 3,478–3,791 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 200 gr — 2,810 fps / 3,506 ft-lb | 220 gr — 2,665 fps / 3,469 ft-lb |
The pressure ceilings are close. SAAMI’s maximum average pressure is 65,000 psi for the 300 WSM and 64,000 psi for the 300 Winchester Magnum, so the WSM’s limit is the higher of the two. Both are specified with a test-barrel twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in and a groove diameter of .308 in.
In the 150 gr and 180 gr rows, the 300 WSM’s single reference velocity sits inside the span given for the Winchester Magnum: 3,300 fps at 150 gr against 2,635–3,390 fps, and 2,970 fps at 180 gr against 2,950–3,080 fps. SAAMI publishes no energy, so the ft-lb figures are worked out from those velocities: 3,626 ft-lb against 2,312–3,827 ft-lb at 150 gr, and 3,525 ft-lb against 3,478–3,791 ft-lb at 180 gr. The Winchester Magnum cells are spans because SAAMI lists more than one reference load at those weights. In the heaviest-load row the weights differ, 200 gr for the 300 WSM and 220 gr for the 300 Winchester Magnum, so that row is not a like-for-like comparison.
What the table cannot settle is anything about the bullet. It gives weight and velocity only, so it says nothing about bullet shape or ballistic coefficient, and therefore nothing about drop or retained energy at range. It also leaves the 300 WSM’s test-barrel length blank, while the 300 Winchester Magnum’s is 24.000 in, so the table does not show that the two velocities were measured in equal-length barrels.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 300 Win Mag ammo.
300 WSM ballistics questions
What does a 300 WSM compare to?
This guide compares it with the 300 Winchester Magnum, and on SAAMI’s basis the two are close. Both are specified with a .308 in groove diameter and a 1 turn in 10.00 in test-barrel twist, with a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi for the 300 WSM and 64,000 psi for the 300 Winchester Magnum. At 180 gr SAAMI lists the 300 WSM at 2,970 fps and 3,525 ft-lb, and the 300 Winchester Magnum at 2,950–3,080 fps and 3,478–3,791 ft-lb.
How much does a 300 WSM drop at 1000 yards?
No table on this page reaches 1000 yards, so there is no published figure to give, and we will not extrapolate one. The farthest range any maker prints is 800 yd, in Nosler’s table for its 190 gr AccuBond Long Range, where the drop is 160.7 in below the line of sight from a 100 yd zero. Federal, Remington and Hornady stop at 500 yd. There, Federal’s 180 gr, 185 gr and 200 gr loads and Hornady’s 200 gr load, all zeroed at 200 yd, print 42.7 in, 38.3 in, 41.1 in and 40.9 in below the line of sight in that order.
What is the effective range of a 300 WSM bullet?
None of the tables gives an effective range, so there is no published figure to quote. What they show is what is left at each range. At 500 yd Federal’s 200 gr Terminal Ascent is at 2,105 fps with 1,967 ft-lb and Hornady’s 200 gr ELD-X at 2,103 fps with 1,963 ft-lb, and Nosler’s table, the only one that goes further, still shows 1,299 ft-lb at 800 yd for its 190 gr AccuBond Long Range. How much energy is enough depends on the game and the bullet, and the makers’ tables do not say.
Is a 300 WSM too big for deer?
The tables do not answer that; they list loads by bullet weight and speed, not by game. What the makers say is how they list these loads: Remington and Federal as big-game, long-range loads, Nosler as long-range big-game hunting, and Hornady as Precision Hunter big-game hunting. The lightest bullet charted is Remington’s 150 gr Core-Lokt Tipped, at 3,340 fps and 3,715 ft-lb at the muzzle. Whether that is more than you want for deer is a judgment for the hunter and the local rules, not something a ballistics table settles.
How many rounds will a 300 WSM barrel last?
No table on this page and no SAAMI figure gives a barrel-life round count, so there is no published number to quote and we will not guess one. The figure SAAMI does publish is pressure: a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi for the 300 WSM against 64,000 psi for the 300 Winchester Magnum. That is a limit on pressure, not a count of rounds.
What is the best hunting bullet for a 300 WSM cartridge?
The makers’ tables do not rank bullets, and the best one depends on the game and the distance, so this page does not name a winner. What the tables do let you weigh is what each load keeps: at 500 yd Federal’s 200 gr Terminal Ascent holds 1,967 ft-lb and Hornady’s 200 gr ELD-X 1,963 ft-lb, against 1,652 ft-lb for Remington’s 150 gr Core-Lokt Tipped and 1,408 ft-lb for Federal’s 180 gr Jacketed Soft Point. Those are different makers’ figures and most of the test barrels are unpublished, so use them to narrow the choice rather than to settle it.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 300 WSM 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.
