Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7mm WSM dying

unfortunately, being in the 7MM cult, might preclude me from some of the other cults, and I'd hate to talk about how many 30 Cals I have...

While I don't have a dog in this fight I find it hard to believe that the 7mm WSM isn't a noticable improvement over the 7mm/08, come on. So if you believe this you also believe the 7mm/08 is the balistic twin of the 7mm mag as well - yeah right.

Again, I don't own any WSM rifles currently so if this cartridge goes away then so be it - plenty of good alternative out there.

Yeah I agree with that, I dont own a 7WSM either, but to compare a 7mm WSM to a 7mm-08 aint exactly apples and apples, theres over 500 fps on average difference in muzzle velocity and quite a bit of difference in long range trajectory too. Its like saying that theres no difference between a .308 and a 300 RUM.

Well, I have shot and hunted with a bunch of 7mm's over the years. At one time I shot 7mm-08, 280 Remington, 7 x64 7mm Sharp and Hart, 7mm Weatherby and 7mm Remington Mag and 7 x 57. As of this date, I shoot a 7 x 57 and a 7mm Remington Mag. Its hard to decide which is better or not. I found I just like the rife so chambered for the 7mm x 57 a lot better than I liked the 7mm-08. I Have not shot a 7mm WSM or the Remington version. I don't really think it makes a difference. Any of them is going to bring home the venison with a well placed shot and a half way decent bullet. Its coming on spring and its either to cold to wet to go shooting or there is no hunting season open. And this thread shows one thing we are all board out of our minds.

I had a Montana in 7 WSM for a while and I enjoyed working with it. Alas I have a wonderful lil G33/40 in 270, now if I didn't have the G33 I might of kept the Montana.

For me they were about the same weight, and I could run a 150 Noz out of my G33 at (within 50 fps) of what I could run the 160 Noz out of the WSM.

So for me there was no reason to keep it around as I knew it'd just sit on the bench and not get in the game and I'm not big one having safe queens around.

So, I sent it down the road and the new owner appears to really like it.

As far as ballistics of it goes, my opinion is that it's just like the other WSM's, day in day out about 100 fps behind the original mags (and that's darn good company).

As far as the 7 WSM dying, I'd say for that to happen it would of had to lived first....grin

Bottom line, it had a very small slice of the pie on the old pie chart so I spect it won't be too long down the road and it'll disappear. But, I've been wrong b4 and may well be this time as well.

Still, IMO in the Montana it's a heck of a fine combo.

Dober

Whether it is commercially dead or not it doesn't mean it is a darn good accurate flat shooting round. I imagine for years to come it will be in a category similar to the .264 WM and .284 Win., not comercially chambered very often, but with a following of curious rifle loonies.

Too bad the rifle makers decided very early to stop chambering it before it had a chance.

Problem with the 7mm WSM is Winchester had to take it off the market to idiot proof it for those with the 270 WSM. While certainly other 7mm chamberings come close and exceed it (280/7RM/7ROY), there's not much difference between it and the 270 WSM. Personally, I'd take it any day over the 270 flavor as you have a better bullet selection. Also, I can't find any flies on a short action 280AI.

Good thing is there will be plenty of 270 and 300 WSM brass around to neck up or down when I finally do get one.

Pushing a 140 at 3200+fps and a 150 over 3150fps ain't a bad thing.

Well said and I totally believe that you're spot on!

Dober

I've always scratched my head over why people argue over whether the 270 or the 7mm is best. The difference is so small! 0.277 calibre versus 0.284 calibre. Some folks do get riled up over that 0.007/inch size difference.

Ya think....grin

Dober

Figured and was waiting for my comment to get a rise from someone.

Not sure if the difference between the 7mm-08 and the WSM is as great as 500fps-probably closer to 400fps-but even if so the 7mm-08 is primarily used on deer/black bear and perhaps elk. The same applies to the WSM. At normal ranges out to 300yd-and 300+ is beyond what is usually normal-don't think any of them would know the difference if they were hit with a 7mm-08 or 7mm WSM using the same bullet.

If I was inclined to go LR on stuff the size of elk, neither would be my choice.

No doubt you both are correct that the WSM is more potent, but not enough for me to get excited about in real world comparisons for the animals they are primarly used on. Obviously you see things different and thats what makes things interesting.

However I stand by one of my previous comments: "140s and 150s at around 2800-2900fps will get most things done that a 7mm needs to do without any contortions."

Ballistically, I don't think there's anything wrong with the WSMs or WSSMs. Perhaps the problem is one of saturation: they simply do not offer enough improvement over existing rounds to warrant the cost of a new rig and accessories such as reloading dies. There are no gaps left to fill except between the .308 Win and the .30-06.

But, a 7mm-.50 Cal Browning MG could prove interesting.

+1 for all that, we won't know for years what kind of a cult/loonie following it has, till the gun companies get hounded enough to re-introduce it in limited run rifles! Just the way they did with the cartridges mentioned, plus the .257 Robt.plus the .300 H&H, plus the .250 Sav...ad nauseum...
All tolled, I think I would tell those considering it what I tell the .30 cal guys. If you want a 7mm Mag, and don't have one, give it good hard look. If you have a conventional 7mmMag that you want to replace with the new whiz-bang, you might be spinning your wheels...
I've NEVER personally done anything like that!
Ingwe

When they first came out/announced them I figured the .270wsm would go belly up before any of them. Proved me wrong. I really thought the 7mm wsm had the most going for it out of any of the other wsm's.

I tried to pick one up last year but the only people chambering it were Browning and maybe someone else I wasn't interested in either. Can always rebarrel but then I'd probably just get something else if I did that lol.

It's not totally dead. I think some competitors are using it or what is close to it. I think they actually use a .300 wsm necked down to 7mm which is just a tad different because they started doing it before winchester came out with the 7mm wsm.

What short action can you put a 280 AI in?????

I think the biggest misconception of the WSM line is that they perform better than anything else on the market. I don't think the WSM line was meant to out-perform standard magnums. I think they were meant to out-perform other short-action cartridges, which they do handily. They offer magnum power in a short action.

I think the 7mm WSM is a great cartridge. I think (gasp) that it is far more versatile than the 270 WSM because of the heavier bullets. I just think the 270 WSM fits a niche because there aren't very many 270 caliber cartridges out there.

Like it was said before, the 7mm WSM will become much like the 284 Win, or even the 280 Remington. A cartridge for 7mm loonies.

But they don't smell as bad.

Hey, hey....watch it now.

OMG, what am I going to do with all this????

Why?