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Anybody Shooting the WSM Cartridges?
Ambrose
Member Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
From what I've seen at gun shows and gun shops, the .300 seems to be the only one that has survived. I don't see or read anything anymore of the SAUM's or the RCM.
Comments
WSM=Wasted Serious Money
Ambrose.........
Going from my old memory here........but weren't there complaints about excessive recoil, for the case size? Some were theorizing that was due to the large casehead diameter. Your thoughts?
The closest I've come to that "style" of case......is a 20BR pd rifle. I did add a Vais muzzle brake, to reduce felt recoil.........that helps with "self spotting".
My 17PPC is kinda-sorta similar......and here's a pic.
I have a Win 70 deluxe in 300WSM and Win 70 Super Shadow in 270WSM. Both have taken critters and performed well. Both rifles are more accurate than I am and I never needed more than one shot. I settled on the Federal Fusion ammo for both and the couple of bullets I managed to recover had great expansion and close to 90% weight retention. Are they any better than a lot of other cartridges - probably not, but they have worked really well for me. Bob
Ammo is or to me seems very hard to find and higher than a hawks nest. Glad I sold the ones I had when I did !!
Agree. 300 & 270 are about all you find & expect to pay nearly a "C" note for a box. This info came from the largest dealer in my state.
Have always been pissed off at WW when it comes to their proprietary ammo. If the guns dont sell, they quit making ammo as well as brass. IE: 307, 375 Big Bore, 358, & 358.
Forming brass & reloading is all you have,
grasshopper wrote:
Ammo is or to me seems very hard to find and higher than a hawks nest. Glad I sold the ones I had when I did !!
I recently got some 270WSM experience.
I just recently started playing with a Win 70 stainless, controlled feed 270WSM that a guy asked me to install his Vortex $400 scope, glass bed the wooden stock and work up a accurate hunting load of average 1/2 inch consistent groups. Really a nice looking rifle, but
He knew I played with bolt action hunting rifles as a hobby.
I came to me with Box of 150gr Federal Fusion ammo F270WSMFS1 and I found his rifle shot excellent groups, mild recoil, about like 30;06 with 150 gr bullets. (these are Boat Tail bullets)
Their is a Federal Fusion F270WSMFS2 that is flat base bullet. ( usually prefer flat base bullets when shooting out to 300 yards, but I let the rifle make the final decision when testing for accuracy.
When reloading this rifle does not like 130g bullets for consistent good groups. It will average 1 1/2 inch groups at best with the 130g. Most regular 270 calibers kinda prefer 130g bullets for good consistent accuracy of 1/2 inch or less.
I tried 130gr and 150 gr bullets with H4831, H-1000, N560 and could not match the Federal Fusion accuracy so I pulled a bullet and looked at and weighed the powder. I seen a ball powder @ 65-66gr.
Also when at the shooting bench I have to watch and make sure the next round get's picked up and chambered. It will miss picking up the next round sometimes even though it's a claw extractor. Bolt just slides over the top of the shell. The magazine follower has some extra factory cuts in it like maybe that is suppose to help a feed issue?????? A hunter would need to look and make sure the rifle actually chambered the 2nd round if he did not immediately snap the gun for a 2nd shot. (not walking around without a shell in the chamber when hunting)
I loaded 65g of MagPro ball powder and got 1/2 inch groups using 150g #2740 HDY Interlock bullets and Magnum primers.. (which matched the performance of the Federal Fusion Factory ammo which costs about average of $65 box of 20.
I would not purposely buy a WSM, (I mean like go shopping for a new one just because it's a WSM) might buy one if it was at a bargain price of some sort, due to extra expense of factory ammo or even reloading for, just seems to be a MACHO type thing to me. He can say, I'VE GOT A WINCHESTER SHORT MAGNUM.
Too me It is not all that great as a true High Velocity long range magnum. A regular 270 caliber shooting a 130 gr bullet will stay with this WSM and do it a lot cheaper and more user friendly.
He is going to have to pay for Brass, Powder, (the MagPro BALL powder is purposely made for the WSM calibers), reloading dies and WSM shell holder.
He and I got lucky that his box of $60 Factory Fed ammo shot good accuracy so as I could use the factory recipe as a hint as to what the rifle liked for good accuracy.
He might also go down and buy another $60 box of Federal fusion sometime later and get different accuracy results. (that is why I reload)
I do not need any more of the WSM experience's.
I would recommend (if a guy wants a MAGNUM) a 7mm Remington Mag or a 300 mag instead of WSM's for a tried and true MAGNUM and I do like all calibers.
All the young guys in our hunt club had to have a WSM rifle when the rifles first came out.I dont think any of them still uses that caliber.
6.8 western is a slightly different take on the 270wsm already looks like Winchester is starting back off support on that
Can you explain further? (not sure what you are saying about Winchester backing off support
on that)
Are you indicating the 6.8 Western is losing some support ground like the other WSM's or what?
I see quite a few NEW Win 70, 6.8 Western calibers in gun shops for sale. I do not know if what I'm seeing indicates the NEW Winchester 70 rifles, 6.8 Westerns are not selling due to seeing them for sale in the gun racks or if they are selling good.
I have a 300 WSM in a Savage 16 laminated stock and a 270 WSM that originally was a Super Shadow and I changed it to a factory winchester walnut stock and added bottom metal to it, looks a lot nicer now. The 25 WSSM is a featherweight. These calibers didn't catch on, especially the WSSM which is basically obsolete now, but they're actually good rounds with good ballistics. Are they better than a 300 Win, 270 Win, or the 25-06? The old standard calibers will do what most of us will ever need to do and they will do it well and at less cost. The new craze now is for the long, sleek high BC bullets that are heavy for caliber. They're great if you are shooting long distance but my shots are generally 200 yds or less. I guess I will just stay with the old '06, 270. 308 and 300 win. Can't forget about the 7-08 either, a great whitetail cartridge.
My understanding of the concept for the 6.8 Western is to enable heavier bullets to be used in a .270 caliber cartridge by tightening the twist and thereby increasing the range. Duplicating the 175 gr. 7 Rem. Mag. load or thereabout.
30+ years ago at a gun shop, I noticed a stack of bullet boxes on a .270 shelf that had been there so long the labels had faded out. They were 170 gr. Speer round nose bullets. The price was so low as to be ridiculous so I bought a box, loaded them with H4831 and they shot great in my old model 70. So I went back and bought 'em all. I've acquired more since then; always cheap and, once, even a couple boxes free. Over the years, I've fired 82 5-shot groups and most rifles shoot them very well. I have 2 rifles, a Rem. 721 and a Marlin XL7 that won't keep a group in 10+" and a couple more that show "wobble" on the target. But my old worn out model 54 keeps them in close to an inch. I don't know what that load would be considered good for: it certainly isn't a long range load. But I guess my point is that the idea of a heavy bullet in a .270 isn't a new one.
I have a Benelli R1, Walnut in 270WSM. When I purchased the rifle several years ago I also ordered dies, 500 pieces of new brass, and bullets. It has always performed excellent & I am sure I will never need any more ammo for it.
WSM=Wasted Serious Money
My thoughts also.
If they could have somehow got a Creedmore type label in the name no telling where they might be right now.
I told the guy above I would not buy a 270 WSM due to the high cost of starting out but he just had to try it.
I did not make a recommendation to him because I knew he was not going to listen anyway,
(and he could always have a excuse to buy another caliber,
The PRC's heavy for weight calibers are something to watch for awhile, but I already have long range killers for myself.
Nope. I shoot long magnums, 7mm, 7mm STW, and some other long rounds.
Short magnums are designed to run in short actions which can usually make up a lighter rifle.You will also see that the shorties run at a higher operating pressure.
If you don't hand load, don't buy one, even the Creeds and PRC'S. Ammo available now might not be found on shelves when the edge wears off.
By the way, my son just got hold of a Springfield bolt gun in 6.8PRC. Do not and I mean do not get in a shooting match and try to out shoot one especially it the shooter is a crack shot. Darn thing will clover leaf at 100 yards right out of the box.
My 2 cents.
They never introduced a .358 WSM, so I never paid much attention to the others. Sure, 3 people isn't enough of a market, but I would've been two of them.
Never thought they were all that great despite the initial hype . Son in law bought a 270 wsm I was not impressed with it. Once the novelty wore off and the reality of brass and ammo costs hit ,it was soon sold off. It really did not do anything better that the old 270 did . I was afraid they would be like.307 winchester. Time proved me right.
I collect Remington 700 Titaniums and previously bought several WSM's and SAUM but have since sold them all. I kept all my traditional calibers. All I need now in that collection is 7mm-08 and .260.
1068029112 Got one box 243WSSM I found since this thread started. Lowest price on here ✅
I like my 300WSM
just like the short action
I'll stick with Jack O'Conner's favorite.