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300 Remington Ultra Magnum (300 RUM) Full Profile | 300 Ultra Mag vs 300 Win Mag
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May 10, 2024
To learn more about popular hunting calibers like the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum, visit: https://huntingguns101.com/optin1615146914565?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=HG101&utm_term=YT&utm_content=300rum Most hunters would probably agree that, on paper anyway, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum (300 RUM) looks like a fantastic hunting cartridge. Capable of launching a heavy bullet at a very fast velocity, the .300 Ultra Mag delivers extremely flat trajectories and hard hitting performance at long range. The .300 RUM undoubtedly deserves the “Ultra Magnum” moniker, but that incredible performance does come at a price. The magnum era in North America kicked off with the introduction of the 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum in the early 1960s. Other magnum cartridges like the 30-378 Weatherby Magnum and 300 WSM have come along since then, giving hunters looking for serious magnum performance no shortage of options to choose from. So, what was Remington trying to accomplish when they released the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum in the late 1990s? In this video I answer those questions and discuss the pros and cons of the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum in detail. Plus I also provide some information on the 300 Ultra Mag vs 300 Win Mag so you can decide which one fits your needs best as a hunter. To read a more detailed analysis of the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum and comparison of the 300 RUM vs 300 Win Mag visit: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/300-ultra-mag-300-rum/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow BGHB: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBigGameHuntingBlog Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebiggamehunter_/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBigGameHunt
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hi there, I'm John McAdams, founder of the Big Game Hunting blog, and in this video I'm
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going to do a full profile of the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, and I'm also going to compare
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that cartridge to the .300 Winchester Magnum. Now, most hunters would probably agree that, on paper anyway, the .300 Remington Ultra
0:19
Magnum looks like a fantastic hunting cartridge. Capable of launching a heavy .30 caliber bullet at a very fast velocity, the .300 Ultra Mag
0:28
delivers extremely flat trajectories and hard-hitting performance at long range. Now, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum undoubtedly deserves that Ultra Magnum moniker, but that
0:40
incredible performance does come at a price. The Magnum era in North America kicked off with the introduction of the 7mm Remington
0:47
Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum in the early 1960s. Other Magnum cartridges, like the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum and the .300 WSM, have also
0:58
come along since then, giving hunters looking for serious Magnum performance no shortage
1:03
of options to choose from. So what was Remington trying to accomplish when they released the .300 Remington Ultra
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Magnum in the late 1990s? Well, in this episode I'm going to discuss the history as well as the strengths and weaknesses
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of the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum in detail, and I will also provide some information on
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how the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum stacks up next to the .300 Winchester Magnum so you
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can decide which one fits your needs as a hunter the best
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Now, as usual, let's start off with the history of the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
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Now, around the same time that ballisticians at Winchester were doing their initial development
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of what would become the Winchester Short Magnum line of cartridges, the folks at Remington
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were also working on a major cartridge development project. Interestingly enough, both companies decided to use a larger diameter, beltless case as
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the basis for their projects. However, Remington decided to go the opposite direction from Winchester
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Instead of building a series of short-action cartridges that closely approximated the performance
2:07
of popular standard-length cartridges, Remington elected to design a new cartridge that was
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both physically larger and more powerful than the competition. Released in 1999, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, also known as the .300 Ultra Mag or
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the .300 Rum, was the result of that development. Remington built the .300 Ultra Mag using a modified .404 Jeffrey case necked down to
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use .308 caliber bullets, slightly shortened to 2.85 inches long, and blown out to maximize
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case capacity. They also gave the cartridge a .534 inch rebated rim that is compatible with standard Magnum-sized
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bolt faces. Finally, since the .300 Rum uses a beltless case, it has a 30-degree shoulder for head spacing
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With an overall length of 3.6 inches, it is a little bit longer than cartridges like the
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.30-06, 7mm Rim Mag, and .300 Win Mag, and that extra length means that the .300 Ultra
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Mag must be used in a Magnum, instead of a long or a standard-length, action rifle
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However, that extra length, combined with the fact that the cartridge has a .550 case
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diameter that is larger than the cases used by cartridges descended from the .375 H&H
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which has a .513 inch case diameter, means that the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum has a
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gigantic case capacity. Now, interestingly enough, this was the first .30 caliber Magnum cartridge that Remington
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had ever developed, and the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum joined the 6.5 Remington Magnum
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7mm Remington Magnum, 8mm Remington Magnum, .350 Remington Magnum, and 416 Remington Magnum
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cartridges that were previously released by the company. Typical .300 Ultra Mag ballistics are a 150 grain bullet at 3,450 feet per second, a 180
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grain bullet at 3,250 feet per second, or a 210 grain bullet at 2,920 feet per second
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The .300 Ultra Mag is known for lots of power, along with minimal bullet drop and wind drift
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at extended range. Now that power does come at the expense of lots of recoil, though, and we'll talk more
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about all that stuff in a little bit more detail here shortly. Now, how does the .300 Ultra Mag compare to the .300 Win Mag
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Well, in a nutshell, the .300 Ultra Mag can fire the same bullet weight approximately
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200 to 300 feet per second faster than the .300 Win Mag
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This results in a little bit flatter trajectory, more resistance to wind deflection, and more
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retained energy at longer range. However, the .300 Ultra Mag also has a lot more recoil than the .300 Win Mag
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Now, like I said, that's how the two cartridges compare to each other in a nutshell
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As we drill down into the details of their similarities and differences, though, several
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especially important factors emerge. So first, the .300 Win Mag and the .300 Ultra Mag both fire the same .308 caliber bullets
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Now there is a lot of overlap in the common bullet weights that they use, but the .300
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Remington Ultra Magnum generally provides a little bit better performance than the .300
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Win Mag with longer and heavier bullets. So for instance, the .300 Win Mag commonly uses bullets in the 150 to 210 grain range
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with 150, 165, 180, and 200 grain bullets being the most common
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Now the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum typically uses bullets in the 150 to 220 grain range
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with 150, 165, 180, 200, 210, and 220 grain bullets being the most common
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Now since there is so much overlap in their common bullet weights, rifles for both cartridges
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typically use a 1 and 10 inch rifling twist. Now perhaps the biggest difference between the two cartridges is the massive advantage
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the .300 Ultra Mag has in powder capacity, though. Since it has a longer 2.85 inches vs. 2.62 inches and larger diameter .550 inch vs. .513
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inch case, the .300 Ultra Mag has about 25% more case capacity than the .300 Win Mag
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That additional powder capacity is how the .300 Ultra Mag can fire the same bullet weight
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so much faster than the .300 Win Mag can. Now at the same time, the .300 Ultra Mag has a slightly longer case neck than the .300
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Win Mag of .306 inches vs. .264 inches. In general, a longer neck helps hold a projectile securely and concentrically, both of which
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can help with accuracy. Additionally, the .300 Ultra Mag has a minimally tapered, beltless case with a 30 degree shoulder
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The .300 Win Mag uses a belted case with a 25 degree shoulder
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At the same time, the .300 Ultra Mag uses a rebated rim case, while the .300 Win Mag
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does not. Now the fact that the .300 Ultra Mag has a beltless case is something of an advantage
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when it comes to reliable feeding. On the other hand, the fact that the .300 Ultra Mag has a rebated rim can potentially
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result in some reliability issues. So take both of those things for what you will
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For the most part, both cartridges generally have very good reputations for reliable performance
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in most rifles. Now finally, the .300 Ultra Mag has a higher semi-maximum pressure of 65,000 PSI vs. 64,000
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PSI for the .300 Win Mag. Okay, now let's compare the ballistics of each cartridge, and we'll do so with some
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Nosler Trophy Grade factory ammo using 180 grain Nosler Acubon bullets with a .507 BC
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for each cartridge. Now just as you'd probably expect, the .300 Ultra Mag has a flatter trajectory and more
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kinetic energy retained at longer range than the .300 Win Mag. That shouldn't be surprising at all, especially considering that literally the only difference
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between these particular loads is their muzzle velocity. The bullets weigh the same and they have the exact same ballistic coefficient
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So specifically in this case, the .300 Ultra Mag shoots the exact same Nosler Acubon bullet
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300 feet per second faster than the .300 Win Mag. This results in the .300 Ultra Mag having a flatter trajectory with about 7.5 inches
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or 24% less bullet drop at 500 yards. Now the .300 Ultra Mag also has about 21% more muzzle energy than the .300 Win Mag
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and that advantage stays more or less the same at all typical hunting ranges for these
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two cartridges. Now those same trends hold true with regards to wind deflection
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At 500 yards, the .300 Ultra Mag has about 2.2 inches or about 15% less wind deflection
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than the .300 Win Mag with a 10 mile an hour crosswind
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So the .300 Ultra Mag does definitely have an advantage in this area, but that advantage
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is entirely due to the higher velocity of the cartridge, so the gap is relatively small
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but once again, not nothing. Now let's talk about recoil, and just as you'd probably expect, that extra performance does
9:17
come at the cost of more recoil. When those same Nosler Acubon loads are compared in identical rifles, the .300 Ultra Mag has
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nearly 50% more free recoil energy than the .300 Win Mag. Yes, you heard that right, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum has about 50% more free recoil
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energy than the .300 Winchester Magnum. Now that is really saying something too, because the .300 Win Mag is known for having a somewhat
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stout recoil itself, and not only does it have substantially more free recoil energy
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but the faster recoil velocity of the .300 Remington Ultra Mag makes for a sharper quote
9:54
unquote kick. Added together, the result can be tooth-rattling recoil. Now having a properly fitted and well-designed stock with a good recoil pad can mitigate
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felt recoil to a certain degree. The same thing goes for having a suppressor or a muzzle brake
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However, combining a muzzle brake with a fire-breathing magnum, like the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
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can result in some very unpleasant muzzle blasts, especially for people standing off
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to the side of you when you shoot. So make sure you wear ear protection if you go that route
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Alright, so where do we stand overall with these two cartridges? Basically, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is capable of firing the same weight, or maybe
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a slightly heavier bullet, at a faster velocity than the .300 Win Mag
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That translates into a flatter trajectory, a little more resistance to wind deflection
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and more kinetic energy at typical hunting ranges. If you want to use the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum for elk hunting, the additional couple
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hundred foot-pounds of kinetic energy the cartridge provides might come in handy, especially
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at extended range. However, the .300 Win Mag is still plenty powerful for that sort of hunting, and I doubt
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any elk will be able to tell the difference between getting hit with one versus the other
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The flatter trajectory and more resistance to wind drift of the .300 Remington Ultra
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Magnum can also help with shot placement. This does make the cartridge a little bit more forgiving of range or wind estimation
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errors than the .300 Win Mag. However, that extra recoil can also negatively impact shot placement with some shooters
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It is certainly true that many shooters and hunters, especially when shooting a rifle
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with a well-designed stock that fits them well, can handle the recoil of the .300 Ultra
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Mag without any trouble. Those shooters are better suited to take advantage of the improved ballistics of the .300 Remington
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Ultra Magnum. On the other hand, that's not the case with everybody
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So don't underestimate the impact that recoil has on the ability of a person to shoot accurately either
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Regardless of how well a given person handles recoil, all other things being equal, they
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will absolutely shoot better with a little bit milder recoil and cartridge
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This is a classic example where the saying, a hit in the right place from a less powerful
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cartridge is much more effective than a hit in the wrong spot from a more powerful cartridge
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really rings true. It's a plain and simple fact that the .300 Ultra Mag does have more recoil than many
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hunters can handle. Now let's talk about barrel life. Since the two cartridges use the same diameter barrel, throat erosion occurs quite a bit
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faster with the .300 Ultra Mag because it has a lot more case capacity
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Simply put, burning more powder in an equally sized space will result in shorter barrel life
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Not surprisingly, the .300 Ultra Mag has a reputation as a barrel burner, especially
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in situations where the barrel is not given enough time to cool between shots
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.300 Remington Ultra Magnum barrel life can be pretty short, in less than a thousand rounds
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in some cases. That might not be an issue for some hunters, but typical .300 Ultra Mag barrel life is
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usually significantly shorter than typical .300 Win Mag barrel life. So that means that in general, the .300 Ultra Mag will just wear out barrels faster than
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the .300 Win Mag, which can be a little bit of a barrel burner itself
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Exactly how fast that occurs does depend on a number of factors like the quality of the
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barrel, the exact ammo used, etc. So along with recoil, the difference in barrel life between these two cartridges is certainly
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something to keep in mind. All things considered though, both the .300 Win Mag and the .300 Ultra Mag are very accurate
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flat shooting, and they both hit hard enough for use on a wide variety of game at practical
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hunting ranges. Regardless of whether you're using a .300 Winchester Magnum or a .300 Remington Ultra
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Magnum, no pronghorn, mule deer, or elk will go far if you put a well-constructed bullet
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into the vitals. Now, of the two cartridges though, the .300 Win Mag is by far the most popular with hunters
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This is reflected in the prices, availability, and variety of factory ammunition and hunting
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rifles currently in production for each one. So even though the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum does have some advantages on paper, those
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advantages must be weighed against the very real downsides of the cartridge
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The .300 Win Mag is a fantastic hunting round, and it is a whole lot easier to find .300
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Win Mag rifles and loaded ammunition. Recoil is more manageable, and the cartridge is generally much easier on barrels
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So for these reasons, the .300 Winchester Magnum is probably the better all-around choice
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for most hunters. Now that said, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum does give hunters the ability to wring more
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performance out of a .30 caliber Magnum cartridge for long-range shooting and hunting
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So if you can deal with the recoil, and you want a flatter shooting and harder hitting
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cartridge, then the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum might make sense for you
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Now additionally, the .300 Ultra Magnum is a very good cartridge for reloaders, and reloading
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components for the cartridge are widely available, and it is possible to work up custom hand
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loads for the Ultra Mag that can safely improve upon factory ammo performance
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Now finally, since it uses the same .308 caliber bullet size that's also used by the .308 Winchester
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.30-06, .300 Win Mag, and .300 PRC, reloaders do have access to a good number of outstanding
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quality bullets that are suitable for use on a wide variety of game to choose from
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Now we'll talk more about this in a second, but realize that unlike the .300 PRC, the
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.300 Ultra Mag works best with about the same bullet weights as the .300 Win Mag
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It launches those bullets a couple hundred feet per second faster, but it can't use the
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really aerodynamic bullets that the .300 PRC can. Now with regards to rifles, there is currently a decent but not gigantic selection of quality
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rifles available for the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum. Now while they're not the only options available, the Browning X-Bolt and the Remington 700
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are probably the most two common bolt-action .300 Ultra Mag rifles. Fierce Firearms and Christiansen Arms also manufacture some nice rifles in the cartridge
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as well. Ruger and Savage have manufactured rifles in that chambering in the past, but not anymore
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so it is possible to find them on the secondary market from time to time
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Now note that most rifles chambered in .300 Ultra Magnum typically have a longer barrel
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typically 24 to 26 inches long. Since the cartridge has a gigantic case capacity, those longer barrel lengths are necessary
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to get maximum performance out of the .300 Ultra Mag. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, but just keep it in mind
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And if you're looking for a shorter, lighter, and or handier rifle, then you should probably
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choose a cartridge other than the .300 Ultra Mag. Now additionally, like I just mentioned, the .300 Ultra Mag isn't capable of using
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the really long and aerodynamic bullets that the .300 PRC can. Now this is primarily because .300 Remington Ultra Magnum rifles usually have a 1 in 10
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inch rifling twist rate. This is the same as the .300 Win Mag, but a little slower than that 1 in 8 inch rifling
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twist rate of the .300 PRC. So once again, just keep that in mind
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Now the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum certainly offers some significant ballistic advantages
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to hunters. In fact, it ranks right up there next to the .30-378 Weatherby as the flattest shooting
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and hardest hitting .30 caliber cartridge in widespread use. That said, there are real disadvantages in terms of excessive recoil and shorter barrel
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life that come with the cartridge. For hunters who can deal with those disadvantages, the .300 Ultra Mag is a fantastic choice for
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use on North American game like Pronghorn Mule Deer, Black Bear, Elk, or Moose where
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hunters can really take advantage of the flat shooting and hard hitting characteristics
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of the cartridge. The same goes for hunting game like Blue Wildebeest, Kudu, and Eland in Africa, or game like Neil
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Guy in South Texas. Make no mistake, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is an excellent cartridge
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Get a rifle with a good recoil pad and a stock that fits you properly, learn to shoot it
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accurately, and I'm sure you will be happy with how it performs for you afield
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Now if you enjoyed this video, then please make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel
18:25
right now. Just hit the red subscribe button below to make sure you don't miss out on any of my
18:30
new videos on hunting gear reviews, cartridge comparisons, and more. Now for more detailed information on the .300 Ultra Mag and the .300 Win Mag and how they
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compare to other popular hunting cartridges, click on the link in the description below
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or go to HuntingGuns101.com to get a free ebook I have written on the best hunting calibers
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Now I'm going to turn it over to you guys. Which cartridge do you prefer
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The .300 Ultra Mag or the .300 Win Mag? What game have you successfully taken with each one
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Let me know by leaving a comment on this video right now. Thanks for watching, have a great day, and happy hunting