Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles WSM's dying????

The 325, 300, and 270 will live on. Peculiar thing about the 325- it sure seems to get its hooks into hunters that try it! I still see plenty of components being run for the whole lineup as well. I just wish Lapua made brass for them.

7mmWSM and 325WSM are dead; they lack mainstream factory rifle chamberings.

The population of rifles in safes chambered in 270WSM and 300WSM will keep their existence afloat, but new rifle sales in these chamberings will continue to wane.

I've owned both 270WSM and 300WSM. Both were very accurate.

During the previous decade's component shortage, my stock of brass for both WSMs was limited and both rifles sat idle. I decided then the odd ball WSM brass was not my cup of tea.

The 270WSM factory rifles need faster twist barrels to capitalize on the newer (longer) bullet offerings w/ high BCs. Long range shooting is in vogue, and 270WSM factory rifles/ammo can't fully compete. The 100-200fps speed gain of 270WSM over 270win was not worth the effort. Do I really need a 130 pill at 3200fps to kill a deer?

As a handloader, the 300WSM was advantageous over the 300WM; no belt, abundant medium to slow powder choices, adequate barrel twist, and 90% of the WM speed. Again, brass is the limiting factor.

Magazine capacity for WSM is also usually 1 or 2 less than 270Win, 300WM, etc. And I do find longer cartridges are easier to handle with cold / gloved hands.

If you gave me a WSM for free, I'd shoot the barrel out. But it wouldn't be my primary rifle, and I wouldn't buy/build one.

How'd you like to be holding a .30 TC or .30 Marlin Express 20 years from now?

Ive had 3 didn't do much for me. Learned alot though. Bolt thrust and grinding a shellholder come to mind. Did not feed well at all for me. I pretty much thought there was some on the market already that didn't make it. Weatherby, Lazorini (spelled wrong) and my favorite the 6.5 Remington Magnum (which I really did like) Couple of gun writers felt the belt was a terrible thing and anything on a 404 case could do no wrong. I wonder if Rick Jamison still gets his 3%?

I am seeing the opposite, at least on 300 WSM. A lot of my friends who run 300 win mag are steadily switching over to the WSM--this is why I switched myself. With factory ammo, the 300 wsm really does get you 300 win mag external ballistics for a little more than 30-06 recoil. I see more 300 wsm ammo on shelves in more places than I have in the past.

I agree with all the above criticisms of the rounds--lower capacity and iffy feeding in Remington actions. For the average hunter...no they don't need any magnum cartridge at all.

The 7mm WSM is a fine cartridge but it kind of got screwed by the different shoulder, it being farther than the 300's. 325 will live on because it just is better suited to the platform for practical hunting distances, those that discover it will like it, and it is a relatively simple conversion from 300 WSM brass. Plus it's still supported by factory loads from Winchester and others.

The 270 WSM has always been touted as the one which has the greatest advantage over the standard comparable cartridge (270 Win). I get great feeding and great accuracy from my Winchester 70 Featherweight. The rifle is beautiful to boot, like all Winchester 70 Featherweights. They are be best looking factory rifles ever made in my opinion.

My favorite bullet for mine is the Nosler 140 Accubond. It is extremely accurate!

I really don't want one but I don't want them to die out. I thought about one in 358 or 366 but I found a 673 in 350 RM so I'm there. Capacity of the '06 in a short action. I have found over the years there is a price in penetration with more velocity. The bullets have to be harder, .......... Be Well, Rustyzipper.

The pre-64 Model 70 with original chamberings. Have 7 of them. None of the
WSMs will fit nor are as accurate. The new rifles have no iron sights. Winchester should have kept the original pre-64 Model 70.

A few facts about the wsm currently. There is still plenty of components, custom ammo makers make ammo(quite a few), and you can use any wsm brass for the other. The 270,300,and 325 are all the same case.Winchester has the budget XPR in 325. Winchester also does a run of 325 every couple of years. I still get Winchester, Nosler and Bertram brass. Dying? Maybe, but not to me or other reloaders paying attention. Besides, I already have enough brass for my lifetime. Maybe even two other lifetimes- lol.

So, Lampson, you've probably had enough time to wring out your Eddie Fosnaugh 270WSM, by now. How does it shoot?

Oh, damn don't say its true.. WSM's dying? Oh for fu cks sake..

From a manufacturer angle... PRC has better backing,
From a compeition angle SAUM has better performance for now

But when it comes to chambering (accuracy of off the shelf rifles), then the Creedmoor & PRC as way ahead of the curb.

Which one would you want ?

Alright, I'll take the Nosler...

They couldn’t get the performance they wanted while trying to develop a 338wsm. That was the original plan that never came to fruition. So they stepped down to the 325wsm. I bought two 325wsm rifles. Not the most practical choice in terms of availability. There are enough good 8mm projectiles out there though. And all the wsm cases are the same(except the 7mm in the shoulder). So any case can be used for the other. Or a simple barrel swap(and new dies) to one of the other wsm cartridges. There is so much overlap with all the available cartridges out there today,that it’s hard to fill a void. So many conversations can be had about the impracticality of many. But it’s always fun to add rifles to one’s collection. If they die off you can simply accumulate brass and reload.

Totally agree. I have 2 different 300 WSM's and a 270 WSM, had a 7mm WSM, that I wish I still had. I am in a couple different Facebook hunting pages dedicated to hunting here in AK. Several people have claimed they switched to the 300 WSM in the past few years, and many people seem to be picking up 325 WSMs as well. I can't say the same for the 270 WSM up here, but it does have a small following. I carry one of my .300 WSM's about 50% of the time for all of my hunting. I don't see them completely drying up, but I do think you'll see less over time.

Both my 325 wsm rifles rock. It would be nice to have Lapua brass but it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t overly fuss to reload for them. .75 sub moa 10 shot groups out of my sporters is good enough for now. Besides I’d only feel the need to get tighter 10 inch groups if I had a custom long range rifle in the cartridge.

I have a 300 wsm and 325 wsm.. I used to carry the 325 wsm all the time. But haven’t hunted it in a few yrs. Did hunt the 300 wsm this fall for moose.

The 300WSM will never die. The others are on their last leg. Ready to fall off into the abyss like their little brother the WSSM...

The only "unfeedable" guns are those antiques chambered for obscure rimfire rounds. Anything else is obtainable over the internet. No problem when there isn't a scare on. When there is a scare on having some less common cartridges means you are more likely to find ammo for sale.