yetidude69
Well-Known Member
anyone got any experience with this calibre? thinking about applying for but would i be better just getting a regular 223 for fox and vermin?
cheers James
cheers James
223 wssm?
- Thread starter yetidude69
- Start date
I do. I don't own one but I have two friends that own three of them between them so I have shot them a bit. They are real turkey. Even the Winchester rifles have feeding issues and accuracy was sub-par.
Additionally, and I know that news travels slow across the Atlantic, the WSSM's are dead, commercially speaking. The retailers have cleared their shelves of them and I don't think anyone chambers new rifles for them anymore. When you find components they are at clearance prices.
My advice? don't bother. Buy a nice .222 or .223 and be happy.~Muir
Additionally, and I know that news travels slow across the Atlantic, the WSSM's are dead, commercially speaking. The retailers have cleared their shelves of them and I don't think anyone chambers new rifles for them anymore. When you find components they are at clearance prices.
My advice? don't bother. Buy a nice .222 or .223 and be happy.~Muir
Ive a .223 and more than happy with it, cheap factory ammo and easy to reload yourself. I got a Remmy 700 sps and had the barrel shortened for foxing at night and im well chuffed with it, nothing fancy , just a good tool to shoot with.
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Thar
Well-Known Member
I don’t own a 223 WSSM but I do own its big brother, the 243 WSSM. The 243 is overbored, but the 223 even more so, the case is better match to a 6.5/25cal for a more balanced cartridge.
WSSMs are pretty much a reloaders cartridge if you want a guarantied supply of ammo.
The WSSM cases take a bit of work to get the best out them when reloading, the brass is very thick to withstand the magnum pressures these cartridges are able of generating. The thick necks can lead to problems getting consistence neck tension; inconsistence neck tension can lead to inaccuracy. To get round this you can use a Lee bullet crimp or have a custom neck turn chamber for your rifle, the former is a much cheaper option, and what I use. I get 5/8 inch groups out of my home loads but I have been advised on a USA site that my loads are 4gns under max’ I know the velocity of my home loads is about 100fps less than can be achieved. (See Muir I am not the speed merchant you thought).
You need to anneal the cases from time to time to help prevent the necks splitting as well.
I have not had any problem with feeding from the mag’ with my A-Bolt, I have heard that Winchesters are not quite as good. That said the bolt does feel a bit clucky feeding them fat cases compared to a 308/30-06 based cartridge.
The WSSM is getting a niche following among AR15 users, with uppers now being available for use with cartridges base on this case often necked up to 6.5/7mm or 30cal, this gives better performance than a AR10 in a smaller package, not too relevant in the UK of course as we can’t own semis.
To conclude the advice you have been already given is good, if you want a fast 22cf the 22-250 takes some beating overall.
ATB
Tahr
WSSMs are pretty much a reloaders cartridge if you want a guarantied supply of ammo.
The WSSM cases take a bit of work to get the best out them when reloading, the brass is very thick to withstand the magnum pressures these cartridges are able of generating. The thick necks can lead to problems getting consistence neck tension; inconsistence neck tension can lead to inaccuracy. To get round this you can use a Lee bullet crimp or have a custom neck turn chamber for your rifle, the former is a much cheaper option, and what I use. I get 5/8 inch groups out of my home loads but I have been advised on a USA site that my loads are 4gns under max’ I know the velocity of my home loads is about 100fps less than can be achieved. (See Muir I am not the speed merchant you thought).
You need to anneal the cases from time to time to help prevent the necks splitting as well.
I have not had any problem with feeding from the mag’ with my A-Bolt, I have heard that Winchesters are not quite as good. That said the bolt does feel a bit clucky feeding them fat cases compared to a 308/30-06 based cartridge.
The WSSM is getting a niche following among AR15 users, with uppers now being available for use with cartridges base on this case often necked up to 6.5/7mm or 30cal, this gives better performance than a AR10 in a smaller package, not too relevant in the UK of course as we can’t own semis.
To conclude the advice you have been already given is good, if you want a fast 22cf the 22-250 takes some beating overall.
ATB
Tahr
Just another thought, how about looking at a .22-243?
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