Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles WSSM's in an AR?

What's everyone think of the performance and reliability of the WSSM's in their AR. I see a number of manufacturers adding these to their lineups.

Anyone have personal experience with Accuracy Systems and their Leviathan line? Looks like they put a 223 rim on the WSSM. They have a 1/2" moa guarantee. Any other reccomended manufacturers?

Looking at the ballistic tables the 243 or 25 WSSM would be an awsome reach out and thump-em round. Flat shooting, semiauto, hopefully accurate and 1000+- lbs. at 500yds!!

Give me your 2 cents ad I may just add another bad (expensive) habbit!

TK

I have a 243 WSSM that was made for me by a guy in Minnesota. Here's a link for him: http://www.dtechsuperstore.com/WSSM%20page.htm While I haven't had any dealings with him besides buying the upper, he seems like a very good guy to do business with and, with little use yet, it runs great!

Here's the thread that gives an link to his site and some other info on my gun. https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/634235/an/0/page/0#634235
I haven't handloaded for it yet but I'm delighted to find that all three factory loads shoot under an inch from .6 to .875. That shows me promise, if I want to get after it and more than adequacy if I don't.

There's lots of ways to go now with an AR that will give more range and versatility. Jeff Rost posted some info about a 6mm based on the 6.8 that White Oak Armory did up for him. That sounds like a nice set-up too. Here's a link to that thread. https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/692842/an/0/page/0#692842
Jeff has forgot more about AR's than most of us know. E4E too. Real experts and real gentlemen!

Good 6mm calibers are easy if you just do some homework and be ready to spend a few bucks.

The 25 in the WSSM needs to be set back into the case to run according to the guy who built mine. Even though I've always handloaded most everything, I just knew what my time was going to be like, so I opted for the 243 so I could get shooting it right away. He shoots a 243 identical to the one he built me. I figured that might be a good way to go since he can have any caliber and set up he wants. I'll put up some pics soon.

A 25 may be in some future plans if the start up company I've been spending my time on takes off like we hope it will. I figure I'll get my reloading figured out for the 243 and then think about the 25 since it must be reloaded. I'm not sure how seating factory a little deeper would work. I'd sure ask around before I'd do it. Pressure can be an ugly thing! ha ha!

Best wishes figuring out what's right for you.

Ricky

Be very careful about deep seating factory ammo. That could give a nasty surprise. It could be just fine but being that you can't start low and then work back up, it could be nasty.

I keep needing to take pics of the 6mm WOA round in a lineup and pic of the gun, yet time has not been nice lately.

And I'm itching to chrono the short tube to see how my guesses are holding up. They are shooting 107s out of the 6mm WOA and having trouble getting above 2700 or 2750 with it. But thats a lot of performance from a small case vs the probably 2900 or so you'd get from a Winny.

Bet your 243 WSSM is a cool critter getter too!! I keep falling back to what all my competition buddies play with, and that requires some barrel life so the WSSM rounds are mostly out for short tube life. But for hunting, how can one go wrong?? I'd love nothing more than to have a stable of one of every upper made for the AR. Have a good scope riser base and solid scope and just pick and play for hunting.

Jeff

I would like to see a WSSM case with a 30cal. bullet stuffed in it. This should give 308 performance out of a AR15 platform. There was a company that advertised in Shotgun News that said they could do a WSSM in 7m/m or 30 cal but repeated Emails to them got me nothing in return.

Jeff,
Thanks for the advice on seating factory ammo deeper. It didn't sound appealing to me in the least. There's some serious pressure there and a spike could ruin a guys day quick.

I haven't chroned my 243 WSSM yet either and am anxious to do so. But then I'm anxious to load for it too but the time just isn't there. Maybe in a few months.

I don't think I'd kick on 2700 out of your 6mm with a 107 if the accuracy is there. That should still be a pretty easy 300 yard antelope/deer round, I'd think. My barrel is 22" so I doubt I'll see 2900 but I'm gonna find out! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I got some factory stuff for the Beowulf to see how it runs too.

Barrel wear and tear, accuracy potential, component availability and capacity does make your 6/6.8 interesting. Maybe I'd better get what I have where I want it all and then start thinking about something else.....................naw!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Rick

Mike Milli (dtech) built a 25 wssm for me, yes to shoot the factory BST's you need to seat them .020 deeper in the case.
mine shot 3/8's during barrel break-in. It is an awesome whitetail rifle. The 115 gr BT's at 3000 fps just seem to mesh well togather with whitetail hunting.
Olympic arms has the 308 oly mag (300 wssm) on its agenda but when the assault weapons ban was lifted, they,ve been overwhelmed with demand for 223's so its been set aside for a bit till things calm down.
RR

Ridge runner,
I spoke with mike at Dtech about a 25wssm upper and he mentioned the deeper seating so i am leaning towards the 243 at this moment. I am not a hand loader so do you just tap them down 0.020" or press down? I would prefer a 25wssm over 243 if possible.
h

Its more than tapping or pressing. You will need to buy either a seating die for the 25 wssm and a cheap lee press. Or an arbor(plumbers) cheap press and a wilson arbor seater die. Then a dial indicator and set up the die to seat to the certain depth.

Since someone else is using them, the reseated factory must be safe in that gun, I'd still be uncomfortable till I knew it did nothing to my upper.

Jeff

Ridge Runner,

It sounds like you are getting great performance from that 25 upper Mike built for you. He said the 25's were easier to get to shoot good. If all you have to do is seat factory stuff .020 deeper, it sounds like he was right again. My AR will mostly get used for coyote and other varmints and I am pleased with the 243. It will see other uses too, where the laws allow. He needs to make a 5 shot clip for those states with capacity limits for magazines in big game seasons.

Did you get his muzzlebreak? I did, and the 243 WSSM stays on target through the shot with it. He said it would and it kinda amazed me. I'd be interested if it works as well on the 25.

Have you shot it much or handloaded for it yet? Let us know how it does.

Rick

I,ve prolly shot 150 rds through it during load developement and hunting. My hunting loads are all based around nosler ballistic tips in 100 and 115 gr. however this summer I wanna work with some 110 gr accubonds.
I've killed 6-7 deer with it and it really impresses me.
No i didn't get a brake, I also have an AR chambered in 458 socom and recoil isn't an issue, off all the deer I've shot with the 25 I've always saw bullet impact through the scope.
Rost, don't worry about the uppers, they can take way, way more pressure than what we're putting in them. Mike witnessed a destruction test on an AR once, nothing they could put in it would blow the action, until they loaded 26 gr of unique in a 223 case.
RR

Mine is a 22" fluted SUM w/ a 1 piece RRA mount and a Nikon Monarch 5.5x16.5. I've got maybe 150 rounds through my 25 including load developement. I like the 100 and 115 BT's with varget or IMR 4350. I will try 110 gr accubonds in the spring though.
No brake, I regularly shoot a 20" 458 socom (300 gr. hp @ 2200 fps) and can see bullet impacts on game and have saw bullet impact on the 6-7 deer I've shot with the 25. even the big bore AR's don't recoil much.
Rost, an AR will safely take way, way more pressure than we put in them, at OLY's plant mike witnessed a destructive test on a 223, they almost gave up trying to blow one up, as a last resort they fired a round with 26 gr of Unique in a 223, that did it, but it behaved like it was designed to, the bolt carrier gave way and the pressure was relieved out the magwell.

Hear ya on the pressure as I usually run 90s in a 20 inch tube at almost 2800 fps! But quirky things can happen from gun to gun. And reseating bullets deeper usually induces more pressure. As I can attest to having seen 2 lugs come off an AR bolt, its not always the high pressure round or two, but how many of them it might take to get it to fail. Noteably when shooting competition with the AR, I will fire between 4-20K rounds a year since about 91 off and on. So I've seen the results of pressures in the guns. They will constantly amaze you as to what they can handle.

BTW I'm curious on the socom. I run a 275 out of my 50 beowulf at just under 2200 fps. I was thinking the socom would be a quicker round-- may not be a bunch of difference. BTW more power to you on seeing impacts with the socom. I have shot a few animals and am no newbie to shooting, yet there is no way to see the impact of the 50 without a brake(maybe not even then), when using a scope.

And thanks for the chatter on the 25-- that could well be another addition to the stable in the future.

Jeff

Gee rost, my socom kicks about like a 243 bolt gun, I've taken at least 4 or 5 deer and a bear with it and have always noticed the bullet impact, when ya swat them that hard, they do take notice.
It may well do better but I'm shooting cor-bon loads, seems the dies which I paid the premieum price for were'nt up to snuff for forming cases so I'm getting a collection of once fired brass before I try a set of lee dies. I hear lil gun is the best powder for the big bores.
RR

Me too. However, I didn't have very good luck with it and neither did a couple of other guys who post here. I did have some good groups with Accurate 1680 and I know Rost has used 4198, too. Best wishes in your load developement and please share your results.

noticed impact, IE reaction on the deer or you see the bullet hit through the scope before you loose the deer in recoil? Maybe we are on 2 different subjects?? I"ve seen the impact in the scope on 243s and under, but not on the beowulf for sure.

PS had decent luck with lil gun when I swapped to Barnes bullets. one of the 4198s is accurate but slow. The other I"ve yet to test but works good in my nephews 45-70.


Jeff

No rost, honestly, when I bought the socom, tony rumore, who runs www.tromix.com, talked like recoil was brutal, I was leary the first couple shots, but the gas system on an AR is so efficient my 25 wssm recoils like a 223 bolt gun and the socom is a lil more. unless I'm in an awkward position while shooting I always see the bullet impact quickly followed by the games reaction to the hit.
RR

I'm impressed. But I may be more trained to breathe right after the shot which induces a blink so that the eyes are ready for the next shot.

I will say that a 50 beowulf does recoil more than a 223 bolt gun though. But its no where near brutal.

Hey, maybe I'll have to get a 458 too. The reaction to all game shot with my 50 so far is run like hell, except the coyote which flopped but his shoulder and spine were both broken.

The definition of brutal to me is 378 Weatherby.

Jeff

Hmmmmm.. this is a good question I want to ask. I have a barrel for my encore that I rechambered to 223wssm. and sience have been informed by some people. that it would blow up..question Is these military weapons that much stronger than a encore. that it is all that safer???

Rost, thats typical of whitetails and big bullets, if you use a large caliber for deer, you must expect some runners, seems the thin skinned critters aren't heavy enough to expand the bullet.
I used to hunt them with a 350 rem mag, they all ran after the shot, drill both shoulder blades, same results. ya want them DRT? hit the shoulder with an expanding bullet, at high velocity.
RR

275X bullets always open, even through the ribs. .5 inch in, 1.5 inch out.

Hubert-- The Encore is strong, but with short fat cartridges the issue is how fat vs the amount of steel remaining around the chamber. Thats where the strength issue is. As I'd inquired about a few larger calibers in the Encore also.

Jeff