Can anyone compare these two reels for me. I'd like to know how they do casting big lures. I was thinking of the cv-z253a and a 300te or other shimano.

I USE A 6600 MORRUM WITH AN GRAPHITE USA "WOOD CHUCKER"AND ITS LIKE BUTTER FOR THROWING THE BIG BAITS .BUT I LIKE THE NEW TE LINE FROM SHIMANO BUT FOR THE MONEY I LOVE THE MORRUM.

Seems to me that the Ambassadores from a few years back are much nicer.More metal and less plastic.I have the 6500 I bought in the 80's and a new in the box model 9000C I got two years ago on Ebay.The 9000C is a saltwater two speed automatic that is only sold abroad in Europe,New Zealand,Japan,and maybe a few other places.They were discontinued in the USA sometime around the mid 90's.This guy had bought a half dozen or so when his local dealer was closing them out.I picked up mine from him for $140.I believe he lived in No. Carolina and fishes saltwater striper and bluefish with them.You can find the 9000C and the slighty bigger 10000 model on Ebay on occasion.I have a millonaire 4HM , but that is the earlier version.I compare it with the Ambassadore 6500 ,it is a little gem.The Calcutta is much nicer ,but at more $$$.I say that,but what does the Millonaire run these days? The calcutta is an impressive reel.Scott Shaw

get the millionaire hands down. 10x better technology than the old calcuttas...not the TEs are a different matter, but there's no way i'd ever pay 350 for a small reel like that.

I own both reels in question, and fished the 300TE yesterday for the first time. If you can afford it the 300TE is one sweet reel. I didn't think it would cast that well considering the level wind is non-disengaging. However, this thing cast's like it's on steriods!

I agree with Leif, the price tag on the 300TE is hard to swallow. Thankfully I won mine.

The Diawa is a very nice reel, but it only holds about 15 yards more line than a standard Calcutta 250. The Diawa cast great, and the mag break control is wonderful. It is well made, but there are things I dislike about the Diawa. The disengaging level wind could be a bad thing. While it lets you cast farther, it also means that the level wind isn't lined up with the line coming off the spool when you hood a big fish. This means you don't have 100% drag until it's lined up. The drags in the Diawa suck! But they can be replace with Calcutta 400 drags. Once you replace the drags, you will notice a big difference in smoothness.

If it where my money, I'd probably buy two Diawa's for less than the one 300TE. But then agian I want the most bang for my buck. Then again nothing (and I mean nothing) compaires to the TE.