7mm WSM- Wondering what are the negatives?

[rcol317]

I've been considering the 7mm WSM but as I have watched this site I see very little information on it. I know several guys that shoot 7mm SAUM and as I compare the WSM seems to have some benefits. I'm curious why the 7mm WSM doesn't seem to have a following. Any input would be appreciated. A friends selling one and I'm thinking I need a little more information.

 

[th82457]

Very good round, but hard to find brass for nowadays.

 

[wvuredneck09]

I have a 7wsm and I love it. That being said I'd got SAUM or 270-7mm WSM, or 300-7mm WSM if I were getting one chambered. The longer neck is great and brass is easier to find, although not for the SAUM. Mine is a factory savage for deer hunting and works perfect. Just my two cents, not to mention that the 300wsm popularity means brass will be available long after the 7wsm is no longer made which I believe is coming.

 

[BoydAllen]

I helped a friend make arrangements for having one built. The whole brass situation is a nightmare. For that reason alone, I would never suggest that anyone build one. IMO Winchester does not give a damn about its customers, and has no problem leaving them stranded without brass. There are workarounds but why should that be necessary? In any case, if you are considering building a short mag, and you want to be able to use all of its powder capacity with long bullets, you might want to start out with a long action. It is not an absolute necessity, but if you don't you could end up wishing that you had, and at that point, where is the advantage of the short mag.?

 

[dkhunt14]

Seeing this is basically an accuracy site and competition is the reason you don't see much on 7 WSM. It is a little over bore and is not as accurate as 7 SAUM. Lots of guys have tried it in 1000 yard BR and few have been competitive. The are not terrible but don't shoot small enough to win regularly as a rule. It just seems the SAUM is a little more consistent and easier to tune. I believe it is also true in F-Class from what I read. Matt

 

[rifleman700]

Short neck. 7saum is much better IMO.

 

[dkhunt14]

I helped a friend make arrangements for having one built. The whole brass situation is a nightmare. For that reason alone, I would never suggest that anyone build one. IMO Winchester does not give a damn about its customers, and has no problem leaving them stranded without brass. There are workarounds but why should that be necessary? In any case, if you are considering building a short mag, and you want to be able to use all of its powder capacity with long bullets, you might want to start out with a long action. It is not an absolute necessity, but if you don't you could end up wishing that you had, and at that point, where is the advantage of the short mag.?

The 300 wsm is really accurate and easy to get to shoot. It has made the other mags disappear at 1000 yard BR. The best reason is to build a long action, throat it out where it needs to be and still have the shells function in a magazine. It also has the ability to get them out without removing the bolt. Matt

 

[Steve morgan]

Very good round, but hard to find brass for nowadays.

Winchester recently made a run of brass.
I saw 4.cases at a dist bought 200 PC's.
39.00 per bag.

 

[CRhoades]

Very simple to neck Norma 300 WSM brass down to a false shoulder, I did it in one pass and it works great. Not sure what is nightmarish about it?

 

[rcol317]

Very interesting responses. It seems the SAUM is more accurate as it's the one guy's use use in F Class. I was looking and it looks like the 270 WSM neck up would be the easiest solution for brass or 300 neck down. I spoke with the Winchester rep a while back and he said market demand drives brass production so I doubt there will be any new brass soon. Thanks for the input. Rick

 

[dkhunt14]

Very interesting responses. It seems the SAUM is more accurate as it's the one guy's use use in F Class. I was looking and it looks like the 270 WSM neck up would be the easiest solution for brass or 300 neck down. I spoke with the Winchester rep a while back and he said market demand drives brass production so I doubt there will be any new brass soon. Thanks for the input. Rick

I believe Norma makes it and it would be better brass. Matt

 

[mikegaiz]

I have had some Winchester brass on back order for almost two years and it came this week. Maybe the dam cracked?

 

[Joe R]

I've been considering the 7mm WSM but as I have watched this site I see very little information on it. I know several guys that shoot 7mm SAUM and as I compare the WSM seems to have some benefits. I'm curious why the 7mm WSM doesn't seem to have a following. Any input would be appreciated. A friends selling one and I'm thinking I need a little more information.

I considered a 7 WSM but after checking for component availability I discovered the samething as you. I've had my 7SAUM 5 months now and couldn't be happier.

Resizing the Norma 300 SAUM brass is a piece of cake. Just run it through the die and voila you have 7 SAUM brass.

 

[Laurie]

In the UK, 7 WSMs based on 270 or 300 Norma brass are the norm in long-range F-Class and the SAUM is a relative rarity. Precision is superb and every GB 'Open' record score was likely made by a WSM user after several years of it being the primary cartridge used by GB League competitors.

Some top competitors, in particular former world champion Gary Costello, have tried both the 7 SAUM and the 300WSM, but nobody that I can think of stuck with the SAUM here. Likewise, former 284 and Shehane users have nearly all switched to the WSM at this level. It looked like the 300WSM might give the 7mm version some competition, but it's remained a minority taste.

The 7WSM didn't do well at Raton though in the 2013 FCWC event. It seems that it didn't cope with New Mexico temperatures as well as the 284 and SAUMs.

 

[Elwood]

7 WSM's wether they be 270/300 or 7WSM are the most finicky temperamental, patience testing, mind bending and frustrating round ever conceived. Having said that when (if) you get one working then you're in a very good place.

Laurie, there are a few very accurate SAUM's entering the league now, I know of three that if the shooter gets a hold of the conditions they take some beating, and soon there will be another, I hope .

 

[Laurie]

Laurie, there are a few very accurate SAUM's entering the league now, I know of three that if the shooter gets a hold of the conditions they take some beating, and soon there will be another, I hope .

I'm pleased to hear that Ian. I've always thought the SAUM should do well, but somehow it never seemed to catch on and the two or three guys I know who did shoot it for a season didn't stick with it for some reason. Frank Reynolds at Diggle uses one and when he's on form, gets very good scores.

 

[dkhunt14]

It seems the 7 Saum caught on here IN BR and F-Class. I know in BR, lots of guys have tried the 7 WSM and couldn't get it to be a winning cartridge. BR is mostly about group. Matt

 

[mikegaiz]

I think the issue is that there are not any good 7mm bullets, I have tried several and never got anywhere. That is the only reason no one is shooing them. The BC on most 7mm are out of sight,,,,,

 

[Whitehunter]

My light gun in 2015 was a 284 Shehane and I was the IBS shooter of the year with 40.53 soy points using 180 VLD. At the World Open I shoot a 100 with 6 x's that was 4.856" group using 180 hybrids. That was a 10 shoot group. I used same gun in 2016 for shooter of the year with 37.185 soy points. I think 7mm will shoot.

 

[artiglio]

I'll second Elwood's comments, getting my 7/270 to work properly has been incredibly frustrating, first barrel could do nothing wrong, 2nd I gave up on, 3rd is a work in progress. Depending on how it pans out, a 7saum may well be the next step.