.300 WSM….Is it a Dead Cartridge Commercially?

[gerry]

I'm in BC also and I've noticed retailers are stocking brass and various factory cartridge offerings these days. I was looking into the 300 wsm a few years ago and the story wasn't the same - hard to find brass for sure.

I'm thinking about getting a 300 wsm Tikka T3X in 2025 once their new lite models all come threaded, which was the rumor out of Shot Show in January. I think the 300 wsm is a well-balanced cartridge and I'd plan on loading 180-200 gr projectiles which would be a step up from my 308 win.

Welcome, always nice to have another BC boy here. The Tikka's are pretty popular around here. They are also updating the twist rate from a 1 in 11 to 1 in 10. I've read some of the updated rifles are already making it out. I would imagine that the ones with the threaded muzzles would also be the 10 twist.

Pretty tough to beat the versatility of the 300 WSM, it can handle a wide variety of bullets and powders and shoot well. On the Vortex channel on YouTube they have done some cool experiments using the 300 WSM you might have seen.

 

[salmonchaser]

...and more deadly.

Way cooler and I bet the 300wsm never has and never will kill an elephant rhino and hippo.

 

[superdrupal]

Welcome, always nice to have another BC boy here. The Tikka's are pretty popular around here. They are also updating the twist rate from a 1 in 11 to 1 in 10. I've read some of the updated rifles are already making it out. I would imagine that the ones with the threaded muzzles would also be the 10 twist.

Pretty tough to beat the versatility of the 300 WSM, it can handle a wide variety of bullets and powders and shoot well. On the Vortex channel on YouTube they have done some cool experiments using the 300 WSM you might have seen.

Good to know Gerry, I'll keep a look out. I noticed Tikka updated their twist rates the last few years, as you've mentioned - the 30s are 1 in 10" and the 7s are 1 in 9" now. A threaded barrel isn't a must have for me but I like the option of putting on a brake for load development. I don't hunt with them though.

I did see the "Super WSM" video by Vortex. Prety cool. I may do something kinda similar with the factory Tikka barrel - change out the bolt stop and run a LA magazine. Assuming I can seat the 212gr or even the 220gr ELDX, that would be sweet. I'd probably hunt with the 180gr or 200gr AB or PT.

 

[NYDAN]

I have noticed recently that the sporting goods stores here don’t offer the ammo anything like they used to. Is it strictly a hand loader cartridge now?

I think it is still alive and well. I was able to buy some brass last year. I haven't looked for brass this year. It is one of my favorite cartridges. I much prefer my 300 WSM over my 300 WM.

 

[300WSM]

I have noticed recently that the sporting goods stores here don’t offer the ammo anything like they used to. Is it strictly a hand loader cartridge now?

I've said this before and will say it again.
The shooting, hunting and outdoor trade market is by far the most trendy driven industry in the hobby and extracurricular segment. Without question far and away number one.

Think about this...this is a two part ordeal...
From approximately the 50/60's to the new millennium very little had changed. Caliber types, ammo types, even packaging saw minor alterations over half a century.
The 80's seen some funky shotshell loads like Remington duplex...but that wasn't really earth shattering.

Then...oh then...in a short window of a couple years we got to see the 17 HMR, 17 mach2, the Winchester Short Mags, Remimgton Ultra mags(short and long) the WSSM's, the .460 and 500 S&W,
every Tom, Dick and Harry started making 1911's and AR-15's, and ammo.
Corbon, Blackhills, anything black, magsafe,mag tech, mag, mag, mag,
A million scope sku's...
A million new bases and rings with QD capabilities

Powders that shoot in a blizzard. How did we ever shoot IMR4350 before when the weather was bad...

Moons ago people relied on the gun rags. Shooting Times, Guns and Ammo, etc...

In the middle 90's it was the internet.

So now the industry is as trendy as ever but it's in and out much quicker now.

So the WSM got a little pause because now it's creedmoor everything.

I might be the only person that refuses to join the Creedmoor train.


The WSM is the best non extreme magnum to ever come out.
Not picky with powder. Inherently stiffer action, velocities that can exceed it's taller brother the original 300 win mag.
More accurate. Longer case life.

But....
Trendiness rules the day so for now it's creedmoor, prc, arc, xyz, 1,2, 3...whatever....

 

[xphunter]

Not for hunting, but the 300 WSM with 215 Berger's is still the magic sauce for a lot of 600 and 1000 yards Benchrest shooters

 

[Blkram]

While I currently own a 300WSM, I have owned a 300 Win Mag, and have shot 300 H&H and Wby rifles;
I have to say that I prefer the 300 WSM, and it is working very well for me (accuracy, performance, and slightly less felt recoil).

If I had to choose a different 300 today, from a personal preference based on past performance, I would most likely choose the H&H just for nostalgic and performance reasons (I like how smoothly it feeds, and its velocity and accuracy), and the fact that it is less common today. The trick is finding a LH option...would most likely have to go custom.

The 300 PRC brings a lot of new tech to the table and may be the better option, and there are riflemakers producing LH versions in this chambering...but it is more than I need or want (at least at this time! ).

 

[300WSM]

Not for hunting, but the 300 WSM with 215 Berger's is still the magic sauce for a lot of 600 and 1000 yards Benchrest shooters

I'd take the WSM 30 cal over any of the 30 cal for any application.
Especially if I can only have one cartridge to do everything...
Most definitely the 300wsm
If that round would have come out in the 60's it would be more revered than the 308, plusvwould've been the sniper round of choice for all these years.

 

[300WSM]

While I currently own a 300WSM, I have owned a 300 Win Mag, and have shot 300 H&H and Wby rifles;
I have to say that I prefer the 300 WSM, and it is working very well for me (accuracy, performance, and slightly less felt recoil).

If I had to choose a different 300 today, from a personal preference based on past performance, I would most likely choose the H&H just for nostalgic and performance reasons (I like how smoothly it feeds, and its velocity and accuracy), and the fact that it is less common today. The trick is finding a LH option...would most likely have to go custom.

The 300 PRC brings a lot of new tech to the table and may be the better option, and there are riflemakers producing LH versions in this chambering...but it is more than I need or want (at least at this time! ).

300WSM for the win brotha

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

I would like a long throated 300wsm. Still seem reasonably popular here is Australia, however the wssm cartridges are absolutely dead and buried.

 

[SJB358]

I like the 300 WSM myself. Like a few others I have the H&H in a P64 and the 300 WSM in a Kimber Montana. Both are neat rifles a guy could use for everything and with ADG brass out there for the WSM it sure makes a slick case for that cartridge. I have a pile of the old WW H&H brass which seems to be lasting just about forever as well.

 

[300WSM]

I would like a long throated 300wsm. Still seem reasonably popular here is Australia, however the wssm cartridges are absolutely dead and buried.

and it's wrong but it did happen.
It wasn't long after the WSSM's were introduced the United States Repeating Arms Company ....
Or being employed in the industry we called them ( YOU'S RACK)...
It wasn't long after the introduction of both WSM/WSSM cartridges you's rack sold their soul to FN herstal.

FN stuck with it a short stint but ultimately stopped making the WSSM.
Browning held out the longest but they stopped too.

Why?

Too many sku's.
Around the tone and whole slew of new cartridges hit like the pic's, the Creedmoor's, ARC's and so on...
You start cutting any outliers to machine the "new kids on the block"
Thus the WSSM had to go.

It also didn't help Olin was the only one at the time doing ammo and they were buried in military contracts and only making the absolute most popular sku's. 223/5.56, 243, 308/7 62x51, 300 WM/wsm, the new stuff like Creedmoor...

No production on WSSM's.

That doesn't help support rifle chamberings whatsoever when there's no ammo.

 

[gerry]

Good to know Gerry, I'll keep a look out. I noticed Tikka updated their twist rates the last few years, as you've mentioned - the 30s are 1 in 10" and the 7s are 1 in 9" now. A threaded barrel isn't a must have for me but I like the option of putting on a brake for load development. I don't hunt with them though.

I did see the "Super WSM" video by Vortex. Prety cool. I may do something kinda similar with the factory Tikka barrel - change out the bolt stop and run a LA magazine. Assuming I can seat the 212gr or even the 220gr ELDX, that would be sweet. I'd probably hunt with the 180gr or 200gr AB or PT.

Finally have the chance to respond. The Super WSM video was pretty cool. I had a Browning in 300 WSM and still have the dies and brass. My Tikka in 6.8 Western was a 300 WSM and I still have the barrel for the future. With a barrel vise and wrench I could switch between both of them. Since mine is the 1 in 11 twist I was thinking about the 190 gr Speer Impact and for fun the old school 220 gr Partition.

With the 4 round magazine designed for the 6.5 PRC it allows for loading out to 3.07". I didn't have to modify the bolt stop on mine so as a 300 WSM that would give some additional length to load out the bullets you are interested in. Like you said if you need more it's easy to swap out the bolt stop and get an aftermarket magazine and you're in business. That's the beauty of the Tikka, you get a top notch barrel and you can easily modify it the way you like it. Hope you go ahead with the project, I'm sure you'll like it.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I used my fathers New Haven M70 in .300 WSM to take my elk last season. It worked very well. Being as I am starting to collect Model 70’s, I hope to end up with both it and the Push-feed .264 Win Mag a long, long time down the road when Dad doesn’t need them anymore.

The .300 WSM is a fine cartridge that I feel will be with us for years to come.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Lapua and ADG make brass now for the benchrest/hunter crowd but I wouldnt be surprised if Lapua and Berger add a loaded offering for factory guns. A medium length action and a longer throat would have made the 300wsm shine. I have 5 custom built 300wsm's with long throats on long actions. I also have a bunch of bigger 300 magnums (300wm, 30-8 Rem mag, 308 Baer, 30-28 Nosler, 300 Norma Imp, 300 RUM, 30-338 Lapua Imp, and 30-378 Weatherby Imp) but they are typically harder to shoot in lightweight hunting rifles.

 

[300WSM]

Lapua and ADG make brass now for the benchrest/hunter crowd but I wouldnt be surprised if Lapua and Berger add a loaded offering for factory guns. A medium length action and a longer throat would have made the 300wsm shine. I have 5 custom built 300wsm's with long throats on long actions. I also have a bunch of bigger 300 magnums (300wm, 30-8 Rem mag, 308 Baer, 30-28 Nosler, 300 Norma Imp, 300 RUM, 30-338 Lapua Imp, and 30-378 Weatherby Imp) but they are typically harder to shoot in lightweight hunting rifles.

The 300 WSM shines just fine as is. What's not to shine about it? A short action=stiffer and lighter than a long action. A powder column that allows all of it's charge to propel the projectile onward. Case life is phenomenal. With time in the lab the ballisticians have found some powders that make this round not only run with it's older, taller brother the 300 Winchester mag but in many instances it exceeds it. In some cases exceeding by some margin.
Considering the action size and it's inherent qualities, less powder used for performance achieved, exceptional case life this cartridge is a homerun.

The problem was really multi pronged. Timing being the handle driving both of them.
First problem was the WSM was introduced in 2001. Really it wasn't until 2002/2003 that people abroad heard about this HOT new round. ( including the 7mm, 270 and later the 325)
Blink twice, have a smoke and a cup of coffee and New Haven is shutting down all operations in early 2006.
Gun people are a finicky bunch. When people heard that many simply wrote Winchester off. For many who didn't like U.S.R.A.C. there were many more who knew Winchester as a fine weapon and it came from New Haven CT and were glad about that.

FN grabbed the reins and started making rifles here that were very well made firearms....the unknown...the change...(people don't like change) all things were not of good timing for a cartridge that was still so new.

After 2013 (I think) FN moved all WSM production to Portugal. While they might make a fine rifle that whole thing has turned a lot of Winchester faithful away! Yours truly is one of them. I think the greatest action of all time is the pre-64 model 70.
I will not buy a Portugal made model 70.

Problem/timing #2 is the window of time today for hot and then not is that of a basement window.
Years ago the window for hot and then not was a gigantic sized picture window.
Today new cartridges come out every other year. Get a couple of writers, youtube videos, blogs, all praising the next big thing and it takes off like a wild brushfire.

Many people in this trendy industry of ours will simply buy the newest hottest thing going. 5-10 years is long ago to many and they are now on the latest hot item.

Luckily for a time there the 300 WSM was WHITE HOT. Thus many mfg's made rifles chambered in the greatest all around 30 cal ever made.

Luckily of course for anyone looking for one on the used market there should be no problem finding one.
Even Weatherby were making Vanguard's chambered in that. Remington's were making them in the 700. ( I own one in the XCRII) od green stock with rubber inserts. Stainless Steel with a black coating. Adjustbale trigger. It's a fine weapon. I also own the 300WSM in 4 other platforms because too much of a great thing is no such thing.

 

[superdrupal]

With the 4 round magazine designed for the 6.5 PRC it allows for loading out to 3.07".

Good to know Gerry, thanks.
For hunting I don't like a large magazine where I place my hand for carrying. If only Tikka made a three round magazine for the PRC. I guess there are other after market options.

I'll probably start a thread when/if Tikka releases a threaded 300wsm stainless lite and I'm able to find one. It should be fun to semi-superWSM it and develop loads.

 

[PJGunner]

I never hunted with the .300 WSM but I have helped noobies get their.300 EWSMs sighted on various platforms and did the load work up for a .300 WSM Featherweight for my son in law. Nice cartridge but truth be told, unless I got an extremely good deal on one I'll most likely never own one.

Why? Frankly I don't see the need because I already own five rifles chambered to the .300 Win. Mag., a Winchester M70 with 26" Barrel and four Ruger #1s, three "S" version two of which are Bicentennial models and a "B" all of which have 26" Barrels. They all shoot s 200 gr. Speer hot Core close enough to 2900 FPS to take elk out as far as I care to shoot. One elk was at 530 yard as measured by Laser rangefinder.

If I should somehow find a Winchester m70 Featherweight in .300 WSM at a price I might consider then there would be the possibility that I might buy it but the odds are that is not likely to happen.
Paul B.