try the 9.3 or 458 based on wsm cartridge ...
Thoughts on the 300wsm?
- Thread starter Aabradsh
- Start date
try the 9.3 or 458 based on wsm cartridge ...
John Barsness and Sisk created the 9.3x62 based on 350/6.5 rem mag case.
h t t p s ://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/840133/Re:_9.3X62_Barsness-Sisk
h t t p s ://www.thefreelibrary.com/Creative+wildcatting%3A+the+9.3+Barsness-Sisk%3A+a+rifleman%27s+whim...-a0244650329
then also 458 bm and 9.3bm.
based on the action of the wsm lenght but with rum cartdrige cut ...
h t t p s ://www.b-mriflesandcartridges.com/458-bandm
h t t p s ://www.b-mriflesandcartridges.com/9_3-bandm
enjoy.
it is a little diversion from the op i will say lol ...
That's another case that was necked down to 22 and up to 45, with pretty much every stop in between you could think of. very useful case, slightly more case capacity than the 30-06. - dan
Man Barnsness has been there , done that, on everything. Think he’s a 338 wm guy though Phil 
Been dreaming of a 500 B&M short for almost as long as the 35 Sambar.
Another fav the 500 belted magnum; 460 wby trimmed to 2.5 and loaded with 510 bullets in a standard length action
What were we talking about again?
Oh yeah WSM; still wondering why the 7 didn’t take off but the 270 did and who decided to make an 8mm instead of a 338.
Been dreaming of a 500 B&M short for almost as long as the 35 Sambar.
Another fav the 500 belted magnum; 460 wby trimmed to 2.5 and loaded with 510 bullets in a standard length action
What were we talking about again?
Oh yeah WSM; still wondering why the 7 didn’t take off but the 270 did and who decided to make an 8mm instead of a 338.
Last edited:
I seem to remember barnsness writing that he doesn’t use his 338 anymore since switching to a 9.3x62!
I’ve lusted after one of the B&M variety’s for a long time. I do have a pretty redundant Kimber 7 wsm that would make a pretty swell sambar or 9.3 BM but I’ve yet to take the plunge
I’ve lusted after one of the B&M variety’s for a long time. I do have a pretty redundant Kimber 7 wsm that would make a pretty swell sambar or 9.3 BM but I’ve yet to take the plunge
Awe, look at us scum in the same thread.
I’m one of the 18.5 guys mentioned above and they peer pressured me into the rifle. No ragrats!
And a your 18.5 will still perform better than a 300rcm. I’ve posted lots on my 300wsm cut to 19” over the last 15ish years, got lots of criticism over it back then. Never regretted doing it, a nice modest 165gr btsp at 3000spf will do anything in North America, 38.5” over all length makes it real handy. The other thing I get criticized for is my zeroing at 300yds but that’s what I’ve been doing starting with my 3006 45 year ago. My old 300wm was a little better shooter but 46” OAL and 10lb I don’t miss it for hunting.
Last edited:
I have owned 3 300WSMs, and to be honest, the reason why is that I went all in when I purchased my first one by buying "competition" level reloading equipment when I bought my first one. The first was a Remington 700 XCR - while it shot average (1.25"-1.5" groups), ; The second was a Remington 700 XCR RMEF. This rifle shot beautifully when I found my pet load for it (i.e., 180 g TTSX over 62.5 g of H4350 in WIN cases, ave vel.=2950 fps). I settled on this load after it shot three consecutive, 4-shoot groups under an inch during load development. This was a consistently sub-MOA file.
The PROBLEMS:
- The 1st REM700 XCR had a poorly cut chamber - it would leave what looked like a rifling-mark on my brass (an spiral-like tool mark in the chamber???) and feeding ramp was rough and would leave chatter marks on the bullets
- The 2nd REM700 was essentially problem-free. My only gripe, and one that also afflicted the 1st WSM, was that REM700 would only feed reliably with two rounds in the magazine. I made a mistake in selling this gun
- The 3rd 300WSM was supposed to be my dream gun - a Sako M85 Finnlight. While this gun was acceptable in the accuracy department (accuracy load, 168 TTSX over 58.0 g RL 15, ave. group size 0.95", range of 0.75-1.25" - i.e., not consistently Sub-MOA), it suffers from the notorious Sako M85 ejection issues - i.e., ejected rounds would hit the windage knob of the scope and fall back into the feed) - I am forced to mount my scopes with a 90 degree rotation - a pain when I love using Leupold CDS-ZL scopes.
If I had to choose between the two now, I would go with the 300 WM - will feed rounds reliably; easier to find factory-ammo for; supposedly easier to develop accurate loads for. However, if I were to choose today, I would choose the .300 PRC - mostly because I like shooting targets at long range for fun.
N.B., Where I hunt (North Eastern Ontario), all the moose I shot with my WSM (four) could have easily been taken with the .308 as well - all were broadsides (I waited for this presentation) and all were taken within a 100 M. However, I prefer the WSM (or WM, if I had that) as I will have the horsepower for longer shots and/or shots from less than ideal angles.
The PROBLEMS:
- The 1st REM700 XCR had a poorly cut chamber - it would leave what looked like a rifling-mark on my brass (an spiral-like tool mark in the chamber???) and feeding ramp was rough and would leave chatter marks on the bullets
- The 2nd REM700 was essentially problem-free. My only gripe, and one that also afflicted the 1st WSM, was that REM700 would only feed reliably with two rounds in the magazine. I made a mistake in selling this gun
- The 3rd 300WSM was supposed to be my dream gun - a Sako M85 Finnlight. While this gun was acceptable in the accuracy department (accuracy load, 168 TTSX over 58.0 g RL 15, ave. group size 0.95", range of 0.75-1.25" - i.e., not consistently Sub-MOA), it suffers from the notorious Sako M85 ejection issues - i.e., ejected rounds would hit the windage knob of the scope and fall back into the feed) - I am forced to mount my scopes with a 90 degree rotation - a pain when I love using Leupold CDS-ZL scopes.
If I had to choose between the two now, I would go with the 300 WM - will feed rounds reliably; easier to find factory-ammo for; supposedly easier to develop accurate loads for. However, if I were to choose today, I would choose the .300 PRC - mostly because I like shooting targets at long range for fun.
N.B., Where I hunt (North Eastern Ontario), all the moose I shot with my WSM (four) could have easily been taken with the .308 as well - all were broadsides (I waited for this presentation) and all were taken within a 100 M. However, I prefer the WSM (or WM, if I had that) as I will have the horsepower for longer shots and/or shots from less than ideal angles.
Well, the original stated velocities anyway. No longer. - dan
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I remember when the WSM came out and a co-worker's husband asked if I was going to sell my 300 WM for the short version. I never did because it made no sense for the hunting that I did and didn't offer any benefits over my then setup. But if a person was buying new and really wanted a short action rifle that was maybe built as a lightweight to haul around the mountains, there would be no reason not to go with it.
For the type of hunting that you do, it doesn't make a ton of sense to use a 300 WSM, especially if you already have a 308 that you're using now. But I think that if you were inclined to travel out West to hunt, or you got into a moose tag, then the 300 WSM is a common sense step up and a great solution for moose.
So at the end of the day, buy it if you want, or don't. You don't need it but it will definitely expand your capabilities.
My first hunting rifle and the one I still use about half the time is a Sako 85 Finnlight in 300WSM. I bought it because it seemed like a good compromise between the 308 or 30-06 and a 300WM in a short action. I have really enjoyed the rifle and 300WSM is a great round for the hunting I do. I spent a lot of time shooting 165gr bullets, but now I am shooting 200s and seem to like them more.
Honestly though, it's more rifle than I need most of the time. When I decided I wanted to try something new, I bought a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 and put it in a MDT HNT16 chassis. In the last year, I carried this rifle more than my 300WSM including on both deer and moose hunts, but never actually shot it at an animal yet. The only time I see myself wanting the 300WSM instead of the 7mm-08 is when I'm in grizzly bear country.
Honestly though, it's more rifle than I need most of the time. When I decided I wanted to try something new, I bought a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 and put it in a MDT HNT16 chassis. In the last year, I carried this rifle more than my 300WSM including on both deer and moose hunts, but never actually shot it at an animal yet. The only time I see myself wanting the 300WSM instead of the 7mm-08 is when I'm in grizzly bear country.
