277 Fury Vs 300 Win Mag: Can the Fury Hang?

Can you really compare a short-action rifle cartridge designed for a carbine to a magnum long-range rifle cartridge?

You might be surprised how the 277 Fury vs 300 Win Mag battle turns out because the Fury packs more of a punch than other non-magnum rounds, if we can even call it that.

Keep reading to discover why the 277 Fury cartridge could be the next rifle round to take the shooting world by storm!

.277 Fury vs 300 Winchester Magnum Caliber Comparison

Because I don't believe one round is superior to another based on one factor, we will compare each caliber in nine scenarios to help you determine which is best.

Before we find out how well each round stacks up against the other in the following scenarios, let's start with the specifications of each cartridge.

277 Fury and 300 Win Mag Cartridge Specs

Considering the overall length differences, I doubt you'll get these two rounds confused at the shooting range.

However, ensuring you're shooting the correct caliber in your gun is still critically important, as the 277 Fury would fit into a 300 Win Mag.

Still, it would cause severe injury or death to the shooter and those nearby if it were fired.

As you can see, the primary difference is not the bullet diameter but the casing. The most obvious starting point is the hybrid case of the 277 Sig Fury.

It utilizes a stainless steel base connected to a brass body by an aluminum lock washer.

This new rifle cartridge is designed like no other round I've ever shot, which makes me a little skeptical of it, if I'm honest.

Whereas the 300 Win Mag brass case is what we traditionally think of for small arms casings.

The case of the 300 Win Mag is half an inch longer than the case of the 277 Fury. It also holds nearly 40 grains more worth of powder.

One might think with more powder, the 300 Winchester Magnum would have a higher pressure, but that's not true in this instance. The 277 Fury has a much higher chamber pressure than the 300 Win Mag.

Let's see how the pressures equate to felt recoil of both calibers.

Recoil

Knowing how much recoil to expect is great for new and seasoned shooters. Typically, the more recoil, the more challenging it will be to remain accurate.

Most shooters, myself included, at times, will develop a flinch when firing a gun with excessive recoil, which will cause them to pull or push the bullet off target.

This is why I generally prefer a caliber with as little recoil as possible; at least, that's what I tell myself, so I don't think I'm a wimp!

The 300 Win Mag enters this competition with over 30.5 foot-pounds of recoil. That's 12 foot-pounds more than a 308 Winchester and 13 foot-pounds more than a 270 Winchester, two of the closest calibers to a 277 Fury in terms of performance.

However, we've already discussed how the 277 Fury has 16,000 psi higher pressure, so it should have more recoil, right?

Well, that's not the case. Many other factors influence felt recoil besides chamber pressure. Bullet weight, the rifle, and how it's shouldered are some others.

The 277 Sig Fury has a recoil of 20 foot-lbs or so, much closer to a 308 Win (used by snipers for years) or 270 Win, which makes sense. But when we compare the 277 Fury vs 223/5.56 NATO, that 20 ft-lbs is still a lot.

The 277 Fury takes the first category because it has 10 lbs less felt recoil.

Trajectory

When we measure a bullet's flight path based on bullet drop (in inches), we call it the trajectory. In other words, does it fly flat or need a big arch to reach the target?

A flat trajectory is what I want as a shooter because that requires fewer adjustments on my end, allowing me to be more accurate as we increase the distance.

The 277 Fury was designed to pierce near-peer body armor at long range, so we should expect a flat trajectory, especially with the kind of pressure this round produces.

When zeroed in at 100 yards with a 150gr polymer tipped Nosler bullet shot through a 16-inch barrel length, the 277 Fury drops 3.1" at 200 yards, 24.6" at 400 yards, and 43.7" at 500 yards.

The 300 Win Mag is no slouch on recoil, nor does it slouch on trajectory.

When zeroed in at 100 yards with a 150gr Superformance bullet, the 300 Winchester Magnum drops 1" at 200 yards, 6.1" at 300 yards, and 16" at 400 yards.

That's nearly as flat as Kansas!

If you can handle the recoil, go with the 300 Win Mag for long-distance shooting or when you need a ridiculously flat bullet trajectory.

Accuracy

I've already briefly mentioned that recoil can and will affect accuracy. However, as with everything else in shooting, that's not the only thing affecting a given round's accuracy.

The bullet, gun, shooter, trajectory, and conditions also greatly influence accuracy. So, I'll do my best to make as even of a comparison as possible.

For close-range shooting, saying anything less than 300 yards, the 277 Fury will be just as accurate as the 300 Win Mag, if not more so due to the reduced recoil.

However, as we venture further away from the target, most shooters will find the flat trajectory of the 300 Win Mag to be more accurate.

While the 277 Fury puts up a good fight, I still must give the accuracy category to the 300 Win Mag based on being more accurate at longer ranges.

Ballistic Coefficient

The ballistic coefficient (BC) measures how aerodynamic a bullet is mathematically and how much it resists wind drift.

Heavier bullets generally have a higher BC. A higher BC means the bullet is more streamlined (aerodynamic), better resists crosswinds, and is less susceptible to wind drift than lower BC bullets.

The heavier bullets of the 300 Win Mag have a higher BC than the lighter 277 Fury bullets, but it's not much.

They both have options of at least .500 BC, which is incredible for long-range shooting.

The 150gr polymer tipped 277 Fury has a BC of .500 right on the dot.

The 300 Win Mag gets a boost from heavier bullets like the Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond Long Range 190gr (.640 BC) and the Barnes Precision Match OTM 220gr (.611 BC).

Thanks to those heavier bullets, the 300 Winchester Magnum edges out the 277 Fury in this category.

Stopping Power

I found out the hard way not to bring up stopping power in the shooting forums. Especially when you believe stopping power is often overrated.

A well-placed shot with a smaller caliber is just as, if not more effective than, a poorly placed shot with a larger caliber.

However, there is still a benefit to having more stopping power because a perfectly placed shot isn't always possible.

So, does the 277 Sig Fury or 300 Win Mag have more stopping power?

The quick answer is that the 300 Win Mag has more stopping power, especially as we increase the distances.

However, one of the requirements from the US Army for the Next Generation Squad Weapons Program was for the 277 Fury to pierce body armor out to 500 yards. Which means it still has an incredible amount of stopping power.

While neither round lacks stopping power, the 300 Win Mag extends the ethical killing range for rifle hunters.

Hunting

The 300 Win Mag has a proven track record as a big game hunting cartridge, capable of taking down elk, moose, and bear at 600 yards.

The 277 Fury, on the other hand, has yet to prove itself as an effective hunting cartridge, but that's because it's still new to the American hunting market; after all, it was created for the US Military as a combat machine gun, but we civilians see the benefits of it as a new hunting rifle cartridge.

Because it has a proven track record in the hunting realm, it's an open-and-shut case; the 300 Win Mag wins this section.

Home Defense

In all honesty, I would only use either of these rounds for home defense if they were my only option. I'm too concerned with over-penetration from both of these calibers to say that either one is great for home defense.

However, both are better than nothing, and one caliber must win in the spirit of competition.

The 277 Fury is my first choice because it was designed for the AR platform, so you won't have to try to work a bolt-action hunting rifle in a high-pressure situation.

Ammo & Rifle Cost & Availability

I understand very few shooters have a giant pile of money sitting around waiting to be spent on guns and ammo. I sure wish I was one of those few individuals!

This means our budget tends to be a significant factor in our purchasing decisions, hence why this category exists.

Generally, the larger the caliber, the more expensive the guns and ammo, like my dream 338 Lapua, which costs 10x the price of my 270 Win hunting rifle.

However, that's not the case when discussing the price of the 277 Fury vs 300 Win Mag.

277 Fury rifles and ammo are not readily available because it's still a relatively new round, which drives up the price.

Ammo is minimally available because it's produced at the Lake City Ammunition Plant for the US Military, and the armory does not currently make rounds for civilians.

277 Fury rifles are also incredibly expensive compared to 300 Winchester Magnum rifles. A Sig Cross Rifle chambered in 277 Fury will cost you every bit of $2,000.

If you want to purchase "[T]he most innovative and advanced AR platform in the world." the MCX-SPEAR with an SLX suppressor, you'll spend well over $2,600.

While you can purchase a 300 Winchester Magnum rifle for less than $800 and easily find ammo for it.

The 300 Win Mag easily wins this category. However, as more companies like Federal, Hornady, Remington, and Winchester begin to make rifles and ammo in 277 Fury, I expect the prices to drop close to 300 Win Mag prices.

Reloading

Both rounds are reloadable, which you handloaders will love.

However, since the 300 Win Mag has been around for decades, more information and reloading supplies are available for it than the new 277 Fury.

For these simple reasons, the 300 Win Mag also wins this category.

.277 SIG Fury vs 300 Win Mag Ballistics

The team at Ammo.com has tirelessly worked on bringing you the best 277 Fury and 300 Winchester Magnum ballistics tables so you can quickly compare which round should perform best for your situation.

.277 Fury Ballistics Table

Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and is only informational. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

300 Winchester Magnum Ballistics Table

Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and is only informational. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

.277 SIG Fury History

The 277 Fury is a new cartridge created by Sig Sauer for the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) military procurement solicitations.

The exact details of the development of the 277 Fury are still classified, but we know the Army needed it to pierce current and future body armor at 500 yards.

The 277 Fury was first announced at the end of 2019. However, the SAAMI committee members couldn't meet until 2021 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions to decide on approving the new cartridge.

Eventually, it was approved and is currently produced at Lake City Arsenal. As civilians, we're patiently waiting for more companies to add the 277 Fury to their ammo lineup because Sig Sauer is the only ammunition company to make it available to civilians.

300 Win Mag History

The 300 Winchester Magnum was introduced in 1963 by, you guessed it, Winchester chambered in its long-action Model 70 bolt action rifle.

Remington quickly followed suit and introduced a 300 Win Mag offering in its popular Rem 700 bolt action rife. The 300 Winchester Magnum promptly became one of the most successful magnum rifle cartridges on the market.

In the decades that have passed, the 300 Win Mag has become a go-to for many big game hunters, especially those looking to take game at long distances.

Frequently Asked Questions

The team at Ammo.com has gathered several commonly asked questions regarding the 277 Fury vs. 300 Win Mag, and I've answered them below.

Is 300 Win Mag better than 277 Fury?

Yes, the 300 Win Mag is better than the 277 Fury because the rifle and ammo are more readily available and has a better trajectory. However, it also has a lot more recoil.

What is 277 Fury comparable to?

The 277 Fury is comparable to a 270 Win and a 308 Win, but it has better ballistics thanks to the higher pressure.

What is the effective range of a 277 Fury?

The effective range of a 277 Fury is 500 yards for a bad guy with body armor and 800 yards when hunting.

What is the issue with 277 Fury?

The issues with the 277 Fury are that it's expensive, not readily available, has high chamber pressure, and similar ballistics can be achieved with other more available rounds.

Is 277 Fury any good?

Yes, the 277 Fury is good in many instances. However, many people will find it comparable to their 308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, or 6.8 SPC and see no reason to buy the 277 Fury.

Parting Shots

After finishing the 277 Fury vs 300 Win Mag comparison, you can see that the 300 Winchester Magnum is the best choice for most people as it won 7/9 categories.

However, that doesn't mean the 277 Fury isn't something you should consider, as it has less recoil and makes a better home defense round.

Don't forget you can stock up on all your ammunition needs at Ammo.com!