7mm WSM vs 7mm SAUM

[tahoe2]

what's the difference between the two, performance wise, recoil, etc... I know they were designed to equal the 7mm Rem Mag in a short rifle,
but is that all there is to it? Those that have shot them, own them, etc... Thanks for all of your input.
I already have a 7x57 mauser & a .280 Remington. So my question is for the two short 7 mags ... thanks!

 

[helotaxi]

I have a 7WSM. With middle weight bullets it eclipses the 7 Rem Mag by 100fps or so. The RSAUM is about 50fps slower than the Rem Mag. Browning and Winchester still chamber factory rifles in the WSM. The RSAUM is dead, and not just the 7mm either. Winchester was the first to the short mag party and theirs caught on particularly the .300 and .270s. There's nothing wrong with the RSAUM they were just late to the game. Same reason that the 6mm Rem and .280 Rem never really caught on.

 

[jmr40]

Winchester came out with the WSM line

Remington countered with the SAUM line.

They are very similar in performance. Winchester's 300 WSM and 270 WSM are solid rounds that sell well. The 7mm WSM is on the fence, it might be a succcess, it might die. The SAUM line of cartridges are on life support and long term success doesn't look good

I have a 7WSM. With middle weight bullets it eclipses the 7 Rem Mag by 100fps or so

In my experience the opposite is true. The WSM's with selected loads will sometimes equal or beat the velocity of the long action counterparts with selected loads. But at any bullet weight you will always find a load slightly faster for the traditional magnums.

Not that that is a bad thing. If I already owned a belted magnum rifle in 7mm or 300, I wouldn't trade it for a WSM unless I were trying to build an ultralight rifle in that chambering. But if I were looking at one of the 7mm, 270, or 300 mags for the 1st time I'd go straight to the WSM lineup.

You get 98% of the speed, but in a smaller, more compact rifle, with about 5-10% less recoil. The WSM chamberings are proving to be slightly more accurate as well. In another 20 years the 300 WSM will surpass the 300 Win Mag in sales, maybe sooner. Not sure where the 7mm is headed, although it is probably the best of the WSM's at least on paper.

If you handload, you can get load your 280 to within 75-100 fps or so of the 7mm WSM. Just a thought to keep in mind.

 

[MachIVshooter]

For all intents and purposes, the two are equal. The WSM has slightly more case capacity, the SAUM has a stronger case head (which is why ArmaLite chose the SAUM when they were offering the AR-10(T) magnum). Neither the target or the shooter is going to detect any difference between the two.

As JMR said, the .300 and .270 WSM are doing OK, but the 7mm WSM isn't doing so hot, and WSSMs and the 325 WSM are hanging on by a thread.
The 7mm WSM is loaded by Winchester, Federal & Cor-Bon

The SAUM line? Practically obsolete already. AFAIK, only Remington makes rifles now, and Remington and Nosler are the only sources of factory loaded 7mm SAUM. Remington has always been a leader with cartridge introduction, and they have many success stories. The SAUM isn't one of them.

With either the WSM or the SAUM, you're $2 a shot and up.

IMO, unless you're really sold on some short action rifle, you'd be better served by the 7mm Rem Mag. More available, more affordable, definitely not going away. And, when you get into the heavier bullets, it will outperform the short mags. Case capacity is very similar to the WSM (83.0 grs. vs. 83.2 grs.), but as with other short action rounds in short action rifles, when you start loading heavier pills, action length dictates deeper seating that encroaches on powder capacity. The 7mm Rem Mag holds a 50-150 FPS advantage over the WSM in all of my load books with bullets north of 150 gr.

 

[Still Shooting]

7mm WSM

I bought a NIB Savage Model 11 FHNS about 18 months ago, for a very nice price ($450). I was originally looking for a Savage in 300WSM, because I like the short action. After a re-stock (the Savage synthetic just didn't fit me!) and about 80 rds. to "settle in" the barrel, I am getting repeatable 0.5 to 0.7" five shot groups at 100 yds.

I am handloading with 140gr. Nosler BT's; have not yet found the "sweet spot" for 160gr., and am about to play with some Nosler 150gr. CTBT's, but factory in the 140gr. loads (Winchester and Federal) are about 1 moa at 100.

I have pretty much abandoned the idea of a .300WSM because I see that the ballistics on the 7mmWSM actually deliver a little more kinetic energy at 500 yds+, due to better BC's.

BTW, the Federal Premium 140 gr. Nosler BT's have exactly the same POI as my handloads - but the handloads cost $0.94/rd., and I paid $2.10/rd. for the factory loads.

All the above probably indicates that I'm a real fan of the 7mmWSM.

 

[helotaxi]

I lucked into a clearance sale at Midway on Federal Premium loaded ammo ($20.49/20) with 160gn Nosler Accubonds. I bought 10 boxes.

I'd argue that Armalite went with the 7RSUAM because the longer neck makes for better neck tension reducing the chances of bullet creep and the gentler shoulder angle makes for more reliable feeding in the semi-auto.

The reasons that I went with the WSM over the full size Rem Mag is the belt on the older mag is a pain to deal with and pointless to boot and I hate trying to bridge the action on a long action with current short bodied scopes. For the heavy bullets, assuming that our rifle action won't support anything longer than 2.800", the Rem Mag can give you a touch more velocity, but all the resources that I've referenced from reloading manuals to Cartridges of the World, 12th ed. cites the WSM as slightly faster with bullets in the 140gn range. Not really of material, unless you're talking about shooting super long range. I'll be converting a 300 or 270WSM left handed Savage to 7WSM shortly for that exact purpose. The Savages are nice in that the action will support nearly a 3" cartridge OAL allowing you to keep the case capacity with long bullets. I plan to get the throat cut a little on the long side to support 160gn+ VLDs loaded long. Should make a fantastic long range hunting rifle.

 

[mshootnit]

this is off topic so forgive me, but someone ought to neck down the SAUM to 6.5 and possibly chamber that in a Semi Auto like the FNAR.

 

[mshootnit]

still shooting:

I have that same rifle in 270 WSM getting about 1.25-1.5 MOA right now with about 40 down the pipe. Accustock/Accutrigger.

I hope it settles down and shoots like yours.

 

[taliv]

i have at least 3 friends shooting 6.5 SAUM (necked down from the 7). very impressive ballistics. (they're shooting 140g berger VLDs and hybrids at 3200 fps. could go higher but most comps have speed limits