.300 Win Mag vs. .300 WSM

D

deanf

New member
I've read the magazine articles about the new .300 Winchester Short Magnum. I've read a few comments about it here. It seems that people here may not be all that impressed.

I'm no expert. I own a .300 Win Mag that I like.

So my question is: what's wrong (if anything) with the .300 WSM given that the action is shorter, the chamber pressures are lower, and the velocities are faster than the .300 Win Mag?

[Edited by deanf on 01-02-2001 at 02:44 AM]
 
You tell me?

Longer cartridges feed smoother.

Why not create a .35 and .375 Winchester Magnum from the .300 Winchester Magnum case instead?
 
Well I was thinking that the shorter action would be nice. Enlighten me. I've a .308, but it's a lever action, so I really have no experience with a short action bolt gun.
 
I'm no expert on magnum cartridges, but I think that a shorter cartridge is a good thing for two reasons: it allows a shorter action length and a lighter rifle, and I believe that a shorter and fatter powder column will deliver more consistent powder burning and better
accuracy---like the .22 PPC has done. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see the .300 WSM unseat the .300 WinMag in popularity for long range shooting.

It will be interesting to see how Remington's Ultra Mags fare against Winchester's new Short Magnums. Of course, the market can be wrong, as demonstrated by the .243 Winchester's and .270 Winchester's dominance over the 6mm and .280 Remington rounds. In this case, however, I think Winchester has the winner. I think the Ultra Mags will flop because the average hunter will not want to put up with the recoil.
 
Belted case = bad.

Unbelted case = good.

Theoretically, the short fat case of the WSM should make a more accurate rifle, all other things being equal (which they rarely are).

Personally, I detest belted magnums. The belt is a evolutionary throwback and has no good purpose on modern cartridges used in modern arms. I'll take a .300 Dakota or .300 WSM any day over a .30 magnum with a belt.
 
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