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WSM cartridges - advantages or disadvantages

bhayes420bhayes420 Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 2002 in Ask the Experts
The post on the 300WSM caught my eye. I have been wanting a new rifle chambered in 270WSM. No reason, just want one "because"! I have looked at different rifles for the round, read what I could find on the WSM's, talked to several gun shops about it, but still can't find a definitive answer on what sets the WSM apart from the regular rounds. Why a 270WSM over a 270? Might be a stupid question, but those of you in the know, give me some pros and cons between the 2.
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Comments

  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The shorter, fatter cartridges are more efficient giving you the same, or nearly so, velocity as the longer cartridges (in the case of the .270, it is the .30-06 cartridge, substantially longer. Shorter cartridge means a shorter bolt throw and probably a little less weight. Is that a significant enough advantage to justify the cost of a new rifle? You decide. The only real con is the possibility, as with any newly introduced cartridge that it will turn out to be a fad, with insufficient sales to support its continued production and eventially making ammo difficult or impossible to find in a variety of bullet weights/shapes, and generally expensive. Currently .257 Roberts is only offered by three manufacturers, and each offers it in only one bullet weight. .264 Win Mag, to some extent .280 Rem and others have suffered a similar marketing fate. In my view, and it is my opinion only, this is not a significant leap forward in bullet development, it is only another ploy by the marketing folks to seperate you from your hard earned cash. You should make your own choice on it however.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    He Dog's examples are right on target. If you don't plan to hand load, you might wait a bit. The 270WSM has more velocity than the standard 270 doesn't it? I don't have any charts here at work so I don't know, but I would assume so. If that is the case, you will have faster flatter trajectories from that round than the standard 270 and better knockdown at distance. The short and fat cartridges yield a more consistent gas pressure, and therefore are an inherently accurate design. Just look at the 22-250, 243, and 308 just to mention a few.

    A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.
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