Best 300 Win Mag Ammo For Elk Hunting: Budget-Friendly To The Best Of The Best!

The 300 Winchester Magnum gives elk nightmares all over North America. The best 300 Win Mag ammo for elk isn’t technically “good” for elk at all, but it’s a dream for the noble elk hunter.

Loading low-quality factory ammo in an expensive Weatherby hunting rifle is an injustice, and may just ruin your elk hunting trip. Stick with the rounds listed below to ensure you put elk steaks on the table this hunting season!

Top 300 Win Mag Ammo For Elk Hunting

Best 300 Winchester Magnum Ammo For Elk

Federal Premium 180 Grain Trophy Bonded - Best 300 Win Mag Ammo For Elk Overall

Specs

Federal Vital-Shok 300 Win Mag Ammo - 20 Rounds of 180 Grain Trophy Bonded Tip Ammunition

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$58.99

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• Casing: Nickel-plated Brass
• Bullet Type: Trophy Bonded (Polymer Tipped)
• Bullet Weight: 180 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,960 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,502 ft-lbs

Pros

• Trusted Brand
• Ridiculously Reliable
• Amazingly Accurate
• Plenty of Stopping Power
• Made in Minnesota

Cons

• Expensive

Why I Chose It

Federal 180 Grain Trophy Bonded is the best 300 Win Mag ammo for elk hunting because it’s reliable, accurate, and more than capable of ethically harvesting elk from 500+ yards away.

Federal Premium ammunition has been a favorite among shooters and hunters (myself included) because it has established a positive reputation for producing high-quality, reliable ammunition.

Few things are worse than getting a giant bull elk in your crosshairs, pulling the trigger, and hearing the dreaded click. That won’t happen with these rounds. When you pull the trigger, the high-quality Boxer primer ignites the propellant and launches the projectile toward the target.

One thing worse than hearing the dreaded click is getting a poor shot on an animal. The Trophy Bonded Tip has a boat tail design and polymer tip, so this round can be as accurate as possible, even when shooting several hundred yards.

The bullet’s solid copper shank and bonded core allow it to have excellent penetration, ensuring you reach the big game animal's vitals for a quick, ethical kill.

You’ll have to fork over a few bucks for this top-shelf. I don’t mind spending extra money on hunting ammo because I don’t pull the trigger that often. And when I do, I’m confident it’s going to put meat on the table.

Don’t delay picking up a few boxes of Federal Premium 180 Grain Trophy Bonded before your elk hunt!

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Sellier & Bellot 180 Grain SPCE - Cheapest 300 Win Mag For Elk

Specs

Sellier and Bellot 300 Win Mag Ammo - 20 Rounds of 180 Grain SPCE Ammunition

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• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Soft Point Cutting Edge (SPCE)
• Bullet Weight: 180 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,936 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,446 ft-lbs

Pros

• Well Known Brand
• Reliable
• Inexpensive
• Substantial Stopping Power

Cons

• Not As Accurate As Polymer-Tipped Bullets

Why I Chose It

Sellier & Bellot 180 Grain SPCE is some of the cheapest 300 Winchester Magnum ammo you’ll find on the market, making it the perfect choice for the elk hunter on a tight budget.

It’s easy to spend thousands of dollars on an elk hunting trip when you buy tags and supplies, which usually doesn’t leave much room in the budget for ammo. However, these Sellier & Bellot rounds are half the price of the other ammo on this list.

Even though it’s less expensive, I’ve always found Sellier & Bellot ammo reliable. It goes bang when I pull the trigger and is reasonably accurate, which is all I can ask for out of a budget-friendly hunting round.

These rounds also don’t lack stopping power. On elk, the SPCE bullet mushrooms slightly after impact, ensuring penetration deep enough to reach vital organs on a large bull. The SPCE bullet delivers terminal performance comparable to a conventional SP. The primary difference is that the base of the SPCE bullet has a cylindrical profile, with a rim where the cylinder transitions to ogive. This “step” tears out a wider, more injurious entry wound than a spitzer profile bullet can manage, and it also physically locks the jacket to the core, similar to the InterLock.

My biggest problem with SP bullets is that they’re not as consistently accurate as a polymer-tipped projectile. The semi-jacketed soft point bullet doesn’t have as high a ballistic coefficient (BC), which means it doesn’t slice through the air as efficiently as a bullet with a high BC (e.g. a polymer-tipped bullet).

Elk hunters on a small budget can’t pass up Sellier & Bellot 180 Grain SPCE because it’s half the price of other elk hunting ammo and still capable of ethically harvesting elk at 300+ yards.

Hornady Precision Hunter 200 Grain ELD-X - Best 300 Win Mag Long Range Ammo

Specs

Hornady Precision Hunter 300 Win Mag Ammo - 20 Rounds of 200 Grain ELD-X Ammunition

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$58.99

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• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: ELD-X (Polymer-Tipped)
• Bullet Weight: 200 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,850 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,607 ft-lbs

Pros

• Trusted Brand
• Excellent Long-Range Ballistics From Heavier Bullets
• Jaw-Dropping Accuracy

Cons

• Expensive

Why I Chose It

Hornady Precision Hunter 200 Grain ELD-X is always a top-performing long-range hunting bullet because it’s accurate and designed to exhibit incredible terminal ballistics at any reasonable range.

The Hornady brand is synonymous with high-quality ammunition for target shooting and hunting. When I began hunting with Hornady ammo, I was embarrassed that I had waited so long.

Everything about this 200 grain bullet is designed to go further and reduce energy loss. The ELD-X bullets give hunters match-grade (sub-MOA) accuracy from factory loads thanks to a flat trajectory. The ELD-X exhibits controlled expansion and retains 50-60% of its weight with high velocity impact (0-400 yards) and 85-90% of its weight with low velocity impact (400+ yard shots), ensuring an ethical harvest of a big bull elk from long distances.

As expected, these big game hunting bullets are expensive, except when compared to Barnes TTSX, Federal Premium Barnes TSX 180 grain, and Nosler AccuBond Trophy Grade 180 grain.

Whether you want to challenge yourself with long-range shots or don’t believe you’ll be able to get all that close, Hornady Precision Hunter 200 Grain ELD-X will meet all your long-range elk hunting needs.

How to Choose 300 Win Mag Ammo For Elk

So long as you load the best ammo, it shouldn’t matter if you carry a Remington, Ruger, Browning, Tikka, or Springfield 300 Winchester Magnum rifle while elk hunting.

But how do you know what the best ammo is? Simply by testing it out. Certain rifles like specific brands better than others.

I suggest purchasing a few different brands, bullet weights, and bullet styles to determine what performs best out of your rifle barrel.

Range

If you’re uncomfortable shooting 500+ yards, you don’t need to get long-range rounds like Hornady Precision Hunter 200 Grain ELD-X or Federal Premium 200 Grain Terminal Ascent, which are designed for the long-range hunter.

Since the 300 Win Mag's effective range for elk is around 800 yards for a skilled shooter, those comfortable taking long-distance shots prefer long-range ammo.

Because of the 300 Win Mag's incredibly flat trajectory, anything within 400 yards is considered a close-range shot. Regarding range and ballistic performance, it’s comparable to the 7mm Remington Magnum (7mm Rem Mag), another common hunting cartridge.

Accuracy

My most significant consideration when buying hunting ammo is accuracy. I want to be confident that the bullet will impact where I’m aiming when I pull the trigger.  That’s why I prefer polymer-tipped bullets when hunting whitetail, mule deer, and elk.

Handloads often provide shooters with the most accuracy, but factory loads are still accurate enough to partner with on a hunt.

Price

Price was a significant consideration when I first began buying ammo while attending college. Now that I’ve established my family and myself, it’s not as much of a factor.

However, that doesn’t mean I don’t search out the best deals (often found here at Ammo.com, along with fast shipping and incredible customer service).

Soft point bullets like Sellier & Bellot 180 Grain SPCE and Remington Core-Lokt 150 grain PSP are often less expensive because they utilize an older bullet design that’s less ballistically efficient than new designs like polymer-tipped projectiles.

Elk hunting is expensive, and pinching pennies where you can will help convince your significant other that it’s worth it. Reloading can lower your costs in the long run, but it’s pretty expensive to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

The team at Ammo.com has gathered and answered some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the best 300 Win Mag ammo for elk hunting.

Is 300 Win Mag Good For Elk?

Yes, the 300 Win Mag is good for elk hunting.

Is 300 Win Mag Overkill For An Elk?

No, the 300 Win Mag is not overkill for an elk. It’s one of the most popular hunting rifle cartridges for harvesting American and African game animals.

Which 300 Win Mag factory loads are recommended for elk hunting?

Federal 180 Grain Trophy Bonded, Hornady Precision Hunter 200 Grain ELD-X, and Sellier & Bellot 180 Grain SPCE are all 300 Win Mag factory loads recommended for elk hunting.

Parting Shots: Best 300 Win Mag Ammo For Elk Hunting

The 300 Winchester Magnum is an excellent choice for your next hunting adventure, but it’s even better when paired with Federal 180 Grain Trophy Bonded – the best 300 Win Mag ammo for elk hunting!

Written by

Wes Littlefield