7 mm wsm vs 7mm
- Thread starter rem44m
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WSMandWSSM.jpg
Yeah I think they are here to stay...........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rifle_cartridges
Here is where wikipedia is your friend !...........
Yeah I think they are here to stay...........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rifle_cartridges
Here is where wikipedia is your friend !...........
cal30_sniper
Member
7mm WSM vs 7mm what? There are a lot of 7mm cartridges out there...
MCgunner
Member
First of all, it's the latest and the greatest and the most up to datests, so you ain't serious unless you jump on the band wagon....or so would say the gun companies and magazines that are vested in selling new products. It's all about sales, as if they need gun sales boosted what with current politics.
Short action cartridge. Probably a bit more efficient. I won't be selling my 7 mag to get one, though.
NCsmitty
Member
It gives 7mm Remag ballistics in a short action rifle, which is lighter in weight over a long action.
NCsmitty
MCgunner
Member
Personally, every time I pull the trigger on my 7, I'm kinda glad it's heavy.
I think your answer lies in how many rifles come chambered in the 7mm Rem mag vs how many come chambered in the 7mm WSM? 270 WSM, 300WSM aren't going anywhere, but 7mm WSM is tough to find new behind the counter, and 325 similar. I think only winchester chambers for the 7mm WSM right now. Kinda a pitty, as 7mm rem mag ballistics in a short action are pretty impressive. But I see no reason to move away from such an established and beloved chambering like the 7mm rem mag for the perceived advantage of a shorter action. I've personally been pretty happy though that I can always find brass and bullets for reloading the 325 during this time of famine.
Shadow 7D
Member
Gees
just get a 7mm Mauser and be happy with it
just get a 7mm Mauser and be happy with it
The whole idea behind all of the WSM cartridges is to offer ballistics near their long action counterparts from a short action. Whether or not a short action is important to you depends on how you hunt. If you walk a couple of hundred yards from your truck to a tree stand it probably won't make much difference. If you scramble over the mountains and how your rifle handles is important to you, it's a big difference. Horses for courses.
The 270 WSM and 300 WSM are big sellers and are here to stay. The 7mm and 325 aren't doing so well.
The 270 WSM and 300 WSM are big sellers and are here to stay. The 7mm and 325 aren't doing so well.
crazy that the 270 and 7mm WSM could take such differing sales paths. they are ballistic twins, and i've always preferred the .284 bullets to the .277.
I wonder if it's because people compare the 270 WSM to the 270 winchester which gives the WSM variety a large ballistic advantage. While the7mm WSM gets compared to the 7mm Rem mag which it only equaled?
Either way you can find lots of manufactures that chamber the 270 WSM while the 7mm WSM is left by the wayside
I wonder if it's because people compare the 270 WSM to the 270 winchester which gives the WSM variety a large ballistic advantage. While the7mm WSM gets compared to the 7mm Rem mag which it only equaled?
Either way you can find lots of manufactures that chamber the 270 WSM while the 7mm WSM is left by the wayside
I'll take a stab but with the 300 WSM compared to the 300 WM since that is what I have experience with. The WSM's are all in short action rifles, which by its self is not a huge deal since most rifle makers don't really make them any lighter, but they can. If you compare a Kimber in any of the WSM's they are considerably lighter than the same rifle in 300 WM. Most rifle makers would sell a lot more of the WSM's if they would take advantage of this.
All of the WSM's are more efficeint. My 300 WSM uses about 15% less powder, but only gives up about 1%-2% velocity with the same bullet weights compared to a 300 WM. The 300 WSM will also have about 10% less recoil in rifles of equal weight, or about the same recoil in rifles roughly 1/2 lb lighter. Having no belt is a bonus as well. Since they are more efficient they work better in shorter barrels. A 300 WM really needs a 26" barrel, the WSM's don't need anything more than 24", and do quite well in 22" or even shorter. Ruger made one with a 16" barrel before they dropped the WSM's in favor of their own RCM line.
The 300 WSM has proven to be one of the better long range chamberings. All short fat cartridges tend to burn powder more efficiently than long skinny cartridges resulting in more consistent accuracy, and less recoil for the same velocity. The 300 WSM recently set a new 1,000 yard benchrest record.
The 300 WSM and 270 WSM are definately here to stay. The 7mm WSM does the same things compared to a 7mm RM. But because of production problems the 7mm version was very late being introduced, more than a year after the others, and it has been slow to catch on. Many who wanted one of the WSM's went with the other 2. It may be the best of the bunch, but is also the one most likely to become obsolete.
If I had a standard magnum rifle I'd have a hard time selling it ane replacing it with one of the WSM's unless my goal was to build a custom as light as possible. Or possibly if I were buying a Kimber. But if buying new the WSM's offer enough small advantages that they are the only way I'd go. I fully expect the 300 WSM to eventually replace the 300 WM as the top 30 cal magnum round just as the 300 WM replaced the 300 H&H, and for exactly the same reasons.
mdauben
Member
I've read some people complain that short magnums are all chambered in short barreled rifles. Is the 7mm WSM in a 22" bbl for example really giving the same ballistics as a 7mm Rem Mag wit a 26" tube? If it does take a long barrel to get the best performance out of the short magnums, how much differences does the short action actually make in weight and handling?
Lloyd Smale
Member
i refer to the 300wsm as thats the one ive loaded for. I also have a 300win mag. My wsm is a 22 inch gun and my 300 win is a 24. First ill say that they are not equal. Shoot them both with factory ammo and for all practical purposes they are but who uses factory ammo. Handloaded to the same pressure levels the 300 win is going to beat the wsm every time. With every bullet weight and about every powder. Now thats not saying it leaves it in the dust but i dont think ive ever seen where my win wouldnt push the same bullet about a 150 fps faster
Handling wize id take the 22 in short action browing i have anyday over the long action 24 inch rem LSS. Its at least a lb lighter and just feels better in the hand and id much rather carry it all day in the woods. Now if you put a 24 inch barrel on it no doubt it would probably close the velocity gap up to a 100 fps or a bit less but id take the handiness of the shorter lighter gun over the 100 fps in velocity.
Still Shooting
Member
7mm WSM From an owner
About 2 years ago I was looking for something with more "punch" than my biggest "hot" cartridge, a .270win. I kind of wanted a .300WSM, but happened across a NIB Savage 11 in 7mmWSM. Bought it for $450, figuring I could swap barrels in future for a .300WSM barrel. -Pretty easy with the Savage, about 20 minutes.
After breaking in the barrel and finding the gun's "sweet load," it pushes a 140gr. Nosler BT into repeatable 1/2 moa 5-shot groups at 100yds, and at 500yds (according to the ballistic tables) it will match or exceed a .300WSM in kinetic energy because of the 7mm's better BC. I really like the round.
I bought plenty of brass, because I expect the 7mm WSM will ultimately be phased out, but if it becomes really hard to find brass, well, I'll switch it to a .300WSM. A few months ago I talked to Savage Service Dept. and they quoted me $240 to swap it to a .300WSM, and will return the 7mm barrel to me with the rifle. Of course I could buy an E R Shaw drop-in barrel as an alternative.
About 2 years ago I was looking for something with more "punch" than my biggest "hot" cartridge, a .270win. I kind of wanted a .300WSM, but happened across a NIB Savage 11 in 7mmWSM. Bought it for $450, figuring I could swap barrels in future for a .300WSM barrel. -Pretty easy with the Savage, about 20 minutes.
After breaking in the barrel and finding the gun's "sweet load," it pushes a 140gr. Nosler BT into repeatable 1/2 moa 5-shot groups at 100yds, and at 500yds (according to the ballistic tables) it will match or exceed a .300WSM in kinetic energy because of the 7mm's better BC. I really like the round.
I bought plenty of brass, because I expect the 7mm WSM will ultimately be phased out, but if it becomes really hard to find brass, well, I'll switch it to a .300WSM. A few months ago I talked to Savage Service Dept. and they quoted me $240 to swap it to a .300WSM, and will return the 7mm barrel to me with the rifle. Of course I could buy an E R Shaw drop-in barrel as an alternative.
I have a 270 wsm which I like a lot. I would prefer it over a 7 because I prefer a 277 130-140 gr bullet. There are also some cool lightweights in this caliber due to the 6.8 phenomenon, like the 85 gr Barnes TSX. These could be launched at 220 swift velocities if you were so inclined.
While I like the 7mm WSM it's not all that popular.
I wanted a WSM as I never liked the belted rounds that have adequate shoulders that they could have headspaced on.
Of course 'new' cartridges are about selling more rifles but that's business.
The 270 WSM seems popular as there was no significant 270 mag. out there. The 7mm WSM is going to have a tough time of it as the 7mm RM is established.
Be careful about sizing up 270 WSM's to make 7mm WSM brass as the 7mm's headspace is longer. It would be better to size 300 WSM brass to 7mm WSM and set the die down a little at a time until the empty new case just chambers. That you can feel resistance when closing the bolt.
I wanted a WSM as I never liked the belted rounds that have adequate shoulders that they could have headspaced on.
Of course 'new' cartridges are about selling more rifles but that's business.
The 270 WSM seems popular as there was no significant 270 mag. out there. The 7mm WSM is going to have a tough time of it as the 7mm RM is established.
Be careful about sizing up 270 WSM's to make 7mm WSM brass as the 7mm's headspace is longer. It would be better to size 300 WSM brass to 7mm WSM and set the die down a little at a time until the empty new case just chambers. That you can feel resistance when closing the bolt.
Float Pilot
Member
Of the current WSM cartridges I can only see the 300 WSM and 270 WSM being with us, in an easy to find format, for the long run.
It may have been mentioned already, but the lack of the old magnum belt, which was never necessary in the first place, helps make the WSM cartridges potentially more accurate in a wider variety of firearms.
Most hand-loaders get around the magnum belt BS by letting the case headspace on the shoulder. But those pesky belts can still cause occasional trouble during chambering, depending on how they whack into each other in the magazine...
It may have been mentioned already, but the lack of the old magnum belt, which was never necessary in the first place, helps make the WSM cartridges potentially more accurate in a wider variety of firearms.
Most hand-loaders get around the magnum belt BS by letting the case headspace on the shoulder. But those pesky belts can still cause occasional trouble during chambering, depending on how they whack into each other in the magazine...
Kachok
Member
Ideally I think the 7mm WSM is a better design then the 7mm Rem Mag due to it's shorter action and lack of pointless belt, that said 7mm WSM brass is hard to find so I would stick to the Rem Mag unless it becomes more readily available. I went with option #3 and bought the 270 WSM no animal will ever know the difference between a 140gr .277" or .284" bullet at 3200fps. Ballistics used to favor the 7mm but new 270 bullets have comparable external ballistic in the lighter weights. While ballistics are a wash I prefer the 270 WSM over the big 7 in lighter bullets, tends to be more accurate and noticeably less recoil, but anything over 150gr the 7mm is the clear winner in my eyes.
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