Wsm's

amber2010

amber2010

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I work part time at a sporting goods store in the firearms department. Just curious to know why some manufacturers , noticeably Browning, have recently become so enamored with the short magnums. Not that I have a problem with that but the short magnums have basically the same ballistics as the regular magnums. Of course the ammo is quite a bit more expensive than the standard magnums. I especially see see lots of 300 WSM and 270WSM's. So why is the 300WSM so much more popular(acording to Browning) than the 300 Win Mag? I have lots of customers coming in asking for the TRIED AND TRUE old favs only to be told that all I have in stock is the 300WSM or 270WSM. You should hear the comments against them. Now could it be that our purchasing agents have been sold by Browning on those or is it something that's becoming more popular? If so ,why?
I ask this because when you stand in front of a gun counter and see all the different ammo that is available why would manufacturers come up with new calibers when there was nothing wrong with the old, tried and true ones?
Ok, I'm an old fogey and haven't been up to date on what has been going on in the last few decades but geez why go to all this duplication of effort? Could it be just marketing? I think so.
Any comments?
Just some Sunday evening musings.

Tom
 
For actually effectiveness out hunting, the WSM's and regular magnum chambering they are compared too don't have any practical difference.

They do allow a S/A rifle to to achieve the "magnum" performance in a lighter package.

100% marketing , as a company do you wanna sell just shells for the old rifles or sell a few new rifles AND new more expensive shells?;)
 
amber2010 said:
........ why would manufacturers come up with new calibers when there was nothing wrong with the old, tried and true ones?
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To sell rifles.

Most firearms given decent care will last several lifetimes. In order for manufacturers to remain solvent they must sell product be it rifles or turnips.
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
For actually effectiveness out hunting, the WSM's and regular magnum chambering they are compared too don't have any practical difference.

They do allow a S/A rifle to to achieve the "magnum" performance in a lighter package.

100% marketing , as a company do you wanna sell just shells for the old rifles or sell a few new rifles AND new more expensive shells?;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply and yes I did have that in the back of my mind. Marketing is king! As for short action, like a 1/4" in your stroke will have a major factor should you require a follow up shot? Weight...again a few ounces will make or break your hunt? Guess we all have to get one of em, cuz that's what they're telling us. LOL
 
Personally I believe in the short fat case design. .284 win family, .375 ruger (and variants) saum's and wsm's are all great cartridges. It makes sense to me that there will be a more consistent powder burn in the shorter fatter case than there will be in a long skinny case, therefore resulting in better accuracy potential and better efficiency. Also the .300 wsm has a little less case capacity than the .300 win resulting in less recoil and muzzle blast while being less overbore. All differences are slight, but do they make a difference? I own 3 wsm's (none browning).......... maybe I just drank the koolaid but I won't be getting rid of them anytime soon!
 
There is nothing wrong with a little change. Yes, the Wsm's for the most part mirror the tried and true 7mm Rem mag and the 300 Win mag but the 270 Wsm is about the only one that I see with any real advantage over the 270 win. I have a 7mm Wsm in a Browning stainless A Bolt and it has been a great performer. For me, it is about owning something a little different than the good ol Standby. 7wsm holds several world records for long range accuracy so there has to be something to the short case-better burning of powder idea.
 
Short magnum follow the "short and fat" case design pionered in 6mm PPC cartridge. The design means:
  • more accuracy (+)
  • more efficiency (+)
  • shorter cartridge (++) shorter action
  • not as smooth feeding (-)
  • 1 round less in magazine (--)
  • beltless case (+) for reloaders (sorry I originally wrote rimless)
Both 270WSM and 300WSM are great cartridges but so are the time proven 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag.
It's a incremental improvement but does often allow for a lighter rifle (shorter action) and improved accuracy.

Alex
 
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7WSM replicates the 7 Rem Mag
.300WSM replicates the .300 Win Mag
.270WSM nearly replicates the .270 Weatherby Mag

They are nothing new in terms of performance, but they offer that same level of performance in a new and attractive wrapper.
 
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The marketing is one thing that leads to gun and hunting writers being sponsored to add to the entire scene. There are more spin offs such as dies, bullets, powders, scopes, rings, bases which in the case of purchasing a rifle for which you have no previous association could end up costing as much or more than the rifle. It has a trickle effect.
 
AlexF said:
Short magnum follow the "short and fat" case design pionered in 6mm PPC cartridge. The design means:
  • more accuracy (+)
  • more efficiency (+)
  • shorter cartridge (++) shorter action
  • not as smooth feeding (-)
  • 1 round less in magazine (--)
  • rimless case (+) for reloaders
Both 270WSM and 300WSM are great cartridges but so are the time proven 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag.
It's a incremental improvement but does often allow for a lighter rifle (shorter action) and improved accuracy.

Alex
Click to expand...

Alex, I'm curious why you consider a rimless case an advantage to handloaders, thus suggesting that a rimmed case is a disadvantage I've loaded thousands of rounds with rimmed cases without issue, in fact without noticing any difference during the process.

The difference in accuracy between a long magnum cartridge and a short one cannot be realized in the field, however, a long range match rifle fired in competition might benefit. A cartridge that exhibits cranky chambering however can be a problem in the field. What I dislike about short magnums, and discovered with the .350 Remington Magnum is that long shank mono-metal or heavy for caliber bullets seated deeply enough to run the cartridge through a short action magazine, effectively reduces the powder capacity of the cartridge, whereas with a standard magnum or a full length magnum cartridge it does not. Thus a .300 Winchester trumps a .300 WSM, and a .300 H&H trumps a .300 Winchester. Some folks consider the absence of a belt an important consideration, in which case an Ultramag, .375 Ruger, or .338 Lapua are all better options, IMHO, than the WSM. Thus if a hunter is truly sold on a WSM cartridge, he's further ahead by chambering it in a long action rifle and keeping the heal of the bullet ahead of the shoulder of the case. This however would likely be seen as defeating the purpose by those who envision .300 Winchester performance in a shorter, lighter rifle.
 
I forgot to mention, there are no belts! I hate belts! On the other hand if no one invented a new cartridge we would've missed out on thousands of these debates!
 
Boomer said:
Alex, I'm curious why you consider a rimless case an advantage to handloaders, thus suggesting that a rimmed case is a disadvantage I've loaded thousands of rounds with rimmed cases without issue, in fact without noticing any difference during the process.

The difference in accuracy between a long magnum cartridge and a short one cannot be realized in the field, however, a long range match rifle fired in competition might benefit. A cartridge that exhibits cranky chambering however can be a problem in the field. What I dislike about short magnums, and discovered with the .350 Remington Magnum is that long shank mono-metal or heavy for caliber bullets seated deeply enough to run the cartridge through a short action magazine, effectively reduces the powder capacity of the cartridge, whereas with a standard magnum or a full length magnum cartridge it does not. Thus a .300 Winchester trumps a .300 WSM, and a .300 H&H trumps a .300 Winchester. Some folks consider the absence of a belt an important consideration, in which case an Ultramag, .375 Ruger, or .338 Lapua are all better options, IMHO, than the WSM. Thus if a hunter is truly sold on a WSM cartridge, he's further ahead by chambering it in a long action rifle and keeping the heal of the bullet ahead of the shoulder of the case. This however would likely be seen as defeating the purpose by those who envision .300 Winchester performance in a shorter, lighter rifle.
Click to expand...


Hmm, the 300 WSM is 1.805" to the neck/shoulder junction, with a COAL of 2.86" for a difference of 1.055". The 300Win Mag is 2.356" to the neck/shoulder junction with a COAL of 3.34" for a distance of .984". So the 300 Win Mag would be encroaching on case capacity before the 300WSM.
 
I've had several short mags, including a few .300wsm, .270wsm and .300saum. They are what they are. Short action, medium bore cartridges with decent velocity and accuracy.
They work great, and will drop game like every other medium bore case, but there is no magic, nor was I expecting any.
 
I must say I am surprised that the short mags gained as wide a popularity as they seem to have. When they first hit the market, I thought they would be in the "dead cartridge" category within a very few years. I'm not the least bit interested in them myself, but neither do I have any interest in making disparaging comments about them, or about the shooters who have taken a liking to them. It looks like they are here to stay, and they provide preferred options for a significant number of firearms enthusiasts. How can that be a bad thing?
 
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