new to the 300 whisper

[deerhunter]

I am new to the 300 whisper and dont know anything about it. I am looking to buy the 300 for my son to deer hunt with in alabama. I have call the gun stores around here and nobody can give me any help the say they havent ever heard of it. What do i need to get started reloading for this bullet? What size brass do I need? I know this post may sound stupid but I just need some help.

[dksd39]

I am new to the 300 whisper and dont know anything about it. I am looking to buy the 300 for my son to deer hunt with in alabama. I have call the gun stores around here and nobody can give me any help the say they havent ever heard of it. What do i need to get started reloading for this bullet? What size brass do I need? I know this post may sound stupid but I just need some help.

First, you need to spent alot more time reading up. There is a ton of info on this and other internet sites.
Second, after you read up you will realize this is not the gun you want to buy as your sons deer rifle.
Third, welcome to the site- it is a wealth of knowledge.

[Gpz1100]

dksd39, i’m curious, why do you think the whisper is not a good caliber to hunt with?

[Garrett]

...Second, after you read up you will realize this is not the gun you want to buy as your sons deer rifle.
Just a follow-up on that comment. Do you plan on using a suppressor to hunt with (and is that legal in AL?) If not, what lead you to the .300 Whisper?

With subsonic loadings, no bullet is going to expand very well (at all), so bullet placement is all that much more important. This would not be the best suited to someone just learning to shoot / hunt. What is your son's experience level?

On the other hand, the .300 Whisper is actually not a bad cartridge for deer, so long as you load for it appropriately. With supersonic loadings you can push bullets in the 125, 150, 170 range to where they match those of a .30-30. This would be an excellent deer cartridge with the added bonus that it can easily be made to function well in a semi-auto, unlike a .30-30.

If you are looking for a medium-range brush gun, something a .300 Whisper with supersonic bullets is a viable option. However, keep in mind that this round is still basically a wildcat. You are not going to find factory ammo on the shelf at WalMart. If you are a reloader, that's great. If not, and you plan to use this once or twice a year to shoot a deer with, you might want to look at some other options.

OTOH, if you just want something different - because you can - I'm all for that, just so you are aware of the abilities and limitations of the cartridge (of course, that could be said for any cartridge / gun).

[320pf]

First, you need to spent alot more time reading up. There is a ton of info on this and other internet sites.
Second, after you read up you will realize this is not the gun you want to buy as your sons deer rifle.
Third, welcome to the site- it is a wealth of knowledge.

dksd39,

I am also curious as to why do not consider this a good rifle for "deerhunter's" son. The 300-221 Fireball loaded with a 125gr spitzer (like the Nosler 125gr Ballistic Tip) bullet at 2250fps is a much better round than the 125-130gr 30-30. The Hornady 150gr VMax is also a pretty good load to take deer with. It also has pretty mild recoil.

Here are some results:

Subsonic loads: Here is the link to the orginal Quarterbore post: http://www.quarterbore.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2173

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk217/hugginsvilleHA/nov08178.jpg

Supersonic load: Here is the link to the orginal Quarterbore post: http://www.quarterbore.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1768

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y146/abyssdncr/Whisper/Hunting05Whisper1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y146/abyssdncr/Whisper/Hunting05WhisperLungs.jpg

So what is the problem with building a 300-221 Fireball for a first rifle?

320pf

[Colohunter]

I would guess that he is suggesting it is not a good round to get into if you aren't willing or able to put in the effort to make brass and use a cartridge that has almost no factory support. For somebody that is used to being able to pick up ammo before a hunt may not be prepared for the work involved to get the Whisper ready for a hunt.

[Gpz1100]

or, perhaps instead of criticizing his question and basicly telling deerhunter to piss of, he could have answered it, so deerhunter would be able to make an informed decision...



i don't reload anymore so i would be a poor choice to answer his questions. i think telling someone to go look someplace else and then say welcome is crap.

[dksd39]

wow guys this topic got busy. So I will address some of your concerns.

Gpz1100-- I did not tell him to piss off. I asked him to do a little reading because he is truely cluless and he would be better served reading for a few hours. He would then be better prepared to ask productive questions where more experienced members could help. If you have some usefull info for deerhunter by all means lets hear it. I feel it is usefull for him to read some of the vast info that is provided on this site.

Honestly do you expect members to answer "what size brass do I need?" every time a new member signs up--I didnt see any of you answer all of his questions either. Reading the stickys and a few pages of threads would do any new and curious member wonders. We are all here to share info but the info he is asking is already available.

Now I can address my statement- "this is not the gun you want to buy as your sons deer rifle."

In order to explain this I will ask deerhunter a few questions-

1- Do you reload?
2- Have you ever loaded a wildcat?
3- Is your interest in this as a super-sonic rifle or sub or both?
4- How old is your son?
5- How did you hear about the 300 whisper?

I agree with most of what has been said that yes the whisper can be a good deer rifle under a given set of conditions. Are there better choices for a well rounded rifle- yes. As you all know- subsonic, this rifle has limitation but I have hunted subsonic and still enjoy doing so. That said loading super makes it functional but does not make it better than other choices. One thing loading super does is remove the intended purpose of the rifle. It was designed to be subsonic and that is where it shines and is the most fun- in my opinion. Now lets talk about the cost of the discision. This is a custom rifle so it will cost more than a store bought deer rifle. You are forced to reload- I do not consider corbon a viable option.

Its not a matter of the rifle working or not working with a given set of conditions. We do not know the conditions deerhunter has. I look forward to a continued discusion and more info from deerhunter. In fact as an offer of good faith I will provide deerhunter with 100 pieces of brass free if he needs them to get started. There are few people that go thru as much 300 whisper as I do but I am not a know it all and still learn more every chance I get.

[dksd39]

opps- I forget to address 320pf - "So what is the problem with building a 300-221 Fireball for a first rifle?"

I dont think you can ask that without more info from deerhunter but I will give my thoughts.

first- why? why would someone build a wildcat as a first deer rifle. Hey if your rich and have money to burn I would expect you already have other rifles so it would not be your first.
second- he said its for his son- without knowing how old he is its not reasonable to answer.
third- I just dont understand the concept of using this only for super-sonic unless you are bored and wanting to try something different- maybe its just me. If he is intending to hunt sub I feel that would be limited by the age and understading of his son. Its not like you can take this rifle out (sub-sonic)-zero it at 100 and go shoot a deer without a great deal of thought and math needed to make a reliable, responsible kill. Heck the flight path looks like a rainbow.

once again maybe its just me.

[Gpz1100]

your right...




it is just you

[dksd39]

Thanks for your incredibly insightful info--oh wait- you have not provided any.

[320pf]

opps- I forget to address 320pf - "So what is the problem with building a 300-221 Fireball for a first rifle?"

I dont think you can ask that without more info from deerhunter but I will give my thoughts.

first- why? why would someone build a wildcat as a first deer rifle. Hey if your rich and have money to burn I would expect you already have other rifles so it would not be your first.
second- he said its for his son- without knowing how old he is its not reasonable to answer.
third- I just dont understand the concept of using this only for super-sonic unless you are bored and wanting to try something different- maybe its just me. If he is intending to hunt sub I feel that would be limited by the age and understading of his son. Its not like you can take this rifle out (sub-sonic)-zero it at 100 and go shoot a deer without a great deal of thought and math needed to make a reliable, responsible kill. Heck the flight path looks like a rainbow.

once again maybe its just me.

dksd39,

To address you first question "Why?" Why not build a wildcat rifle as a father/child (in this case father/son but could also be father/daughter) project? I can not think a a better way to spend "quality" time with your child. Design and build a wildcat rifle, make the brass, load up some ammo test it out... site it in. Go hunting with your father and shoot your first deer with the rifle that you and your father built. I can easily imagine that the rifle will end up being a VERY special rifle for deerhunter's son.

Your second issue is not for you or I to decide. Deerhunter has to make that value judgement for HIS son.

You third issue is you projecting your concepts/values. With the exception of question four, the questions that you pose to deerhunter are good questions that should defiantly be considered as part of the evaluation process weather to build a wildcat or not.

As I mentioned in my post, The 300-221 Fireball loaded with a 125gr or 150gr spitzer is comparable and more effective than a 30-30, which has killed many deer. The 300-221 Fireball is comparable to the 7.63x39mm Russian but has vastly more bullets to choose from than the .311 cal 7.63x39mm.

The bottom line is that we should not discourage people from the shooting sports and that includes building wildcat rifles. I agree however, that we should help people keep their expectations about their wildcat cartridge realistic.


Regards,

320pf

[dksd39]

320pf- I see you points and agree in general with your evaluation. The whole point of a discussion is to see other points of view and as long as those involved in the discussion are open minded everyone may be able to learn.

You mention building the rifle together as a father and son. I honestly had never considered that as my mind was focused more on the rifle being built by a builder but your points are valid as stated. Being that deerhunter is new to "whisper" the leaning curve is large and is very dependant on his level of understanding and comfort reloading. You are very experienced and I for one have learned several things reading your posts so I think you know where I am coming from. There is no set standard with the rifles or loads so trial and testing are part of the fun.

[deerhunter]

Sorry it took me so long to reply, but thanks for the help. Here are some answers to the questions. My son is 9 years old and has hunter for 3 years with me and has killed a hand full of deer with a .243. I dont reload right now but wonting to start even before this came around. I am wonting to load super-sonic. A buddy I work with told me about it his wife hunts with it and loves it. What is a good place to buy a reloading set up? Where would you recomend buying a barrel?

[Gpz1100]

i got 2 barrels from pac nor. they seem as reasonable as any price wise and quality was excellent. reloading equipment will be for the 300-221 or 30-221. it's a generic name for the patented 300 whisper. i buy loaded ammo from these guys.
http://shop.reedsammo.com/product.sc?categoryId=85&productId=1502
http://shop.reedsammo.com/product.sc?categoryId=86&productId=1619
good stuff and it'll get you started on some brass. sometimes cor bon has a limited production run on some.
you can make brass from 223 rem and 221 fireball. there's bunches of info here on how to make it. dillon has popular presses.

[dksd39]

You can start with any basic reloading kit that can be purchased locally or thru internet locations like midway. In addition to a basic kit I would recommend adding several other reloading manuals for reference and upgrading to a digital scale. The digital scale might cost as much as some reloading kits but it will make your life easier. Here is a reloading 101 thread on another forum that is worth reading- http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=96660#Post96660

I will thow out one word of caution-- reloading is addictive :) Once you start it is easy to find yourself always want to do more. As you may have gathered reading the thread there is not much factory support with ammo or brass but considering your needs I dont figure you will be needing thousands like some of us. My offer for 100 pieces of free brass still stands- just PM me an address and I will get it out to you. I went thru 3k rounds last year so I have tons of brass.

As for the barrel- do you know what rifle you would want this for? The easiest way is to go with a Thompson Contender. They offer a whisper barrel and that would give you unlimited options down the road. If you are not interested in a TC I will wait to hear your thoughts before I suggest other barrels or options.