Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hornady's sour grapes with WSM

Lots of panties in a wad here over a description in a loading manual...

OK, I'll admit that "spiteful" may be a little off, but, to me, I think the point of those descriptions in the manuals is to talk about the merits and peculiarities of each cartridge, just like they do with the other cartridges. I thought the 270 WSM description was decent. With the 300 WSM, I didn't really see a single favorable comment other than the case capacity. And even that couldn't be left alone because the next statement says the RSAUM is slower but more efficient... Another backhand in my opinion. The entire description seems to lead the reader to believe that the 300 WSM is pointless and inferior to the RSAUM. They could have talked about how inferior it was to the RCM, but that would have been too obvious.

I personally don't care if Hornady likes or loads the WSM. I just expect them to be a little more objective, I guess. I don't have anything against ANY cartridge out there. Some I like and some I don't, but I don't consider any of them pointless. Some are possibly redundant, but if we never tried new things, we wouldn't have smokeless powder or ballistic tip bullets.

I only recently heard about the WSM royalty issue. Had I known sooner, I may not have bought any of the WSM calibers. I am on the fence as to whether Jamison deserves anything for a similar design, but I may not have invested in a cartridge with so much baggage. Personally, I'd like to see something like a slightly shorter and slightly fatter case than the 30-06AI, but that would probably be really ridiculous.

"Spiteful" was more than "a little off".

This is why I usually don't bother to post on any forums any more. Nobody is allowed to have an opinion anymore. I gave an opinion and even said I don't expect anyone to agree, but here you jump in and tell me I'm just wrong. Not giving an opinion, just telling me I'm wrong. I'm out. Life's to short to argue over fly sh*t.

no, parasites suing big companys and winning happens all the time. the cost just gets passed on to you and me.

'good for them' right?

So he should have done all the research & development for the cartridge, and not receive anything for it?

Hornady is being obstinate about not loading the 300WSM, at least. It is the best-selling cartridge introduction in a long time, and will continue to become the "standard" American magnum cartridge as time goes by. They are simply losing out on the opportunity to make some money, royalties due or not. That's called being stubborn, not smart.

I developed my short fat seven thirty-one years ago. Should I get some money from someone for that?

"Spiteful" was more than "a little off".

This is why I usually don't bother to post on any forums any more. Nobody is allowed to have an opinion anymore. I gave an opinion and even said I don't expect anyone to agree, but here you jump in and tell me I'm just wrong. Not giving an opinion, just telling me I'm wrong. I'm out. Life's to short to argue over fly sh*t.

I guess if you develop a new line of cartridges, someone else basically steals your design and then you go to court to recover damages you are a "parasite"?

That is exactly what happened with Rick Jamison, Winchester and the WSM cartridges. Winchester tried to cheat Jamison, then got taken to court and lost - as they deserved.

Groeder_300,

Congratulations! You only have 11 posts and already have a flaming thread 6 pages long and counting. My best one was one I started with a question about the merits of belts.

Welcome to the fire.

8mmwapiti

A little perspective...

Wildcatting has a long history. It's part of the tradition of handloading. It's not especially expensive for anyone to develop their own. It really comes down to shop drawings, reamers, and forming brass, primers, powder and bullets. It is, however, quite expensive for a factory to offer a new round to the market (I was told by an industry guy around 250K for each new round).

"Winchester" didn't "steal anything from Jamison. Winchester doesn't make ammunition, Olin does.

If anything it would be as appropriate to say Jamison "stole" the short/fats from those before him. I believe the concept started with the Gradle line in the 1950's. There are two local smiths here in my corner of Montana that developed short/fats too. One is an older retired smith that did his with a Weatherby radius shoulder in the 1960's, the other, Dave Gentry, did his on the 404 case in the 1980's. There are others including Wade and HE. So it could be said Jamision profited on others work.

The only thing "unusual" about Jamison's rounds is that he patented "his designs." So while he obviously had a legal standing to sue Olin, he broke with the long tradition of wildcatting in doing so in order to profit from his own and others work.

I have no respect for the man, and think he is symptomatic of our pariah society, but he was apparently within (the sometimes obtuse) body of law that surround US patents.

Jamison took a big ole' chit on handloading tradition... but at least you and I get to pay him every time we buy loaded WSM ammo or brass.

Groeder_300,

If you decide to stay around don't worry about agreeing with everyone. If you stand on one side there will always be someone to jump on the other side sometimes just to be contrary. Most threads which go over 3-4 pages have quickly derailed from the original thread. If it bothers you don't read the rest. If I was you I would keep reading, some of these guys are funny in a tongue in cheek kind of way.