243 WSSM?

[FOTIS]

Is it dead? Does anyone chamber this anymore?

I must admit I like it, a lot!

Had a Model 70 fwt that shot great with H414. 3250 fps with 95 gr BT and .7" all day long.

 

[300WSM]

As of at this point none of the major names are making any of the wssm calibers.

Not Win, browning (although browning has had the WSSM symbol on their website for the last three years but havent made a rifle in atleast that. They still have the symbol.

Like in this link here. But no guns. :roll:
http://www.browning.com/products/catalo ... d=002&bg=x

I think the only thing you can get those calibers in currently are AR style rifles.

 

[FOTIS]

Oh well!

 

[DrMike]

Neat little cartridge, but I fear it is dead, as are all the super short magnums.

 

[Too Tall]

I have a Winchester Model 70 Stealth, in .243 WSSM. I head shot a coyote at 626 yards with a 95 grain CT bullet. Good shooting rifle. Good gun for those long shots on a stand.

 

[SJB358]

I know of a few guys that would like the WSSM's on the AR platforms for coyote hunting. I imagine brass will stick around for quite awhile though. Can't see being too scared of having one. I still see new brass in most of the reloading shops.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/909050239/Gu ... 3WSSM.htm#

 

[jmad_81]

http://www.dtechsuperstore.com/new_wssm.htm

I have been getting pretty turned on about one of these in 243 WSSM latley. Seems like a really cool application for a smoking round.

 

[CatskillCrawler]

A cousin of my hunting pardner has one. When we do our annual Pa trip he's always there and talks non-stop about his 243WSSM, and other things... :roll: He hunts and shoots well and has killed a pile of deer with it.

He did complain this year that he was having a problem finding ammo for it locally.

I can see why they would be awesome in an AR-type platform.

 

[Mickey]

I'm building one now, with a Rock River Arms lower. And the Dtech upper, chambered in 25 wssm.

 

[FOTIS]

I had fun with mine!

 

[nshunter]

I have one in a m70 supershadow, I'm not really a fan of the blind magazine, bit the rifle is a shooter and is a great deer/coyote rifle, so I will hang onto it until I can find a nice used ultimate shadow that has the floor plate. Unfortunately they are not being chambered anymore in new rifles, a real shame in my opinion. With the quality of the new model 70, I think the wssm cartridges would not be plagued by some of the problems they initially had when they were made in the old factory.

 

[Woodycreek]

I know of a few guys that would like the WSSM's on the AR platforms for coyote hunting. I imagine brass will stick around for quite awhile though. Can't see being too scared of having one. I still see new brass in most of the reloading shops.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/909050239/Gu ... 3WSSM.htm#

Guilty as charged.

 

[wildgene]

...I'm shooting a Browning Varmint Stalker in .25 WSSM. Everyone looks @ "book velocities", & thinks "Ho-Hum", but w/ RL-17, I'm @ .25-06/ .257 WbM v's using considerably less powder. The WSSMs are a good concept, but they (along w/ the WSMs) got a lot of "bad press" from the start, shame they didn't really ever get a chance...

(stock, outtadabox, [first 6 round @ 25yds. to get it on paper], 7-8 top of target, 9-10 bottom center square, 11-12 top/ center, 13-14 bottom post/ aimpoint, 85gr. NBT's)

 

[300WSM]

...I'm shooting a Browning Varmint Stalker in .25 WSSM. Everyone looks @ "book velocities", & thinks "Ho-Hum", but w/ RL-17, I'm @ .25-06/ .257 WbM v's using considerably less powder. The WSSMs are a good concept, but they (along w/ the WSMs) got a lot of "bad press" from the start, shame they didn't really ever get a chance...

(stock, outtadabox, [first 6 round @ 25yds. to get it on paper], 7-8 top of target, 9-10 bottom center square, 11-12 top/ center, 13-14 bottom post/ aimpoint, 85gr. NBT's)

One of the problems IMO was the roller coaster ride Winchester took over the last 5-6 years. Super shadow was a great rifle for the money. Problem being the alternative was getting an always pricey Browning. That mixed in with the Winchester/New Haven chaos at the time it was just a terrible time to introduce new calibers. The 300 and 270 WSM's were such a home run (7mm was ok but not on the same thrill level as the other two)...they also were brought out a few years before the WSSM calibers. WSSM is born, there is excitment, then boom..... Winchester is closed. I would have to guess Winchester has plans to bring back all three in that family as there is a pretty decent following. WSSMzone.com is a forum with a good amount of activity.
When FN started making rifles again they had to scale back to making the utmost needed calibers.


As far as bad press....for all the bad pr they got I believe they got much more good pr. WSM got even greater positive support.

Lastly the biggest problem might be this. There are still a lot of dealers with a lot of New Haven guns. Winchester is keeping production down until said guns of New Haven are nearly all purchased. After that I believe Win will ramp back up and start selling the super shorts along with some other very needed pieces they are missing.

 

[nshunter]

I have been patiently waiting for winchester to start production of the wssm's again, hopefully it won't be too much longer!

 

[FOTIS]

That would be cool 8)

 

[JohnD386]

I have a 243 WSSM A Bolt Stalker for my Wife. What a great gun. She loves telling people she hunts with a 243 WSSM. I took a Coyote with it @ 173yrds off the hood of my truck. Dropped him like a bad habit. Just a great caliber in my opinion. Anyone run 100gr Partitions in theirs?

 

[nshunter]

I use the 100 grain Partition in mine, with 42.7 grains of imr 4350. Works well, shot a small buck with it two years ago at 50 yards, behind the shoulder. He dropped in his tracks!