7mmWSM

[Ironworker]

Why is this cartridge dead?

 

[RegionRat]

It is difficult to find brass/ammo so it is becoming rare and unpopular.

 

[nakneker]

Some cartridges make it and some don't. The WSM made a big splash when they came out but they were never marketed like the creed or PRC, Winchester missed the boat on that one imo. You see the WSM mentioned less and less and the brass is difficult to find now. Your better going off with something you can buy brass for. The SAUM case has made a small resurgence and it’s similar to the WSM, the 6.5 PRC case is pretty easy to find right now and a guy could neck it up to 7mm, that’s being done a lot right now with great success, it’s slower than the WSM though but not by much. If you don’t mind a long action there’s a bunch of cartridges that will give WSM velocities. Just thinking out loud.

 

[Ironworker]

I have a 26" Brux bbl on my Mod 70 classic chambered in 7mmWSM. It's precision accurate . Its just brass is tough to fine. Faster than a 7mm PRC

 

[SeabeeKen]

Marketing marketing marketing. Hornady came out with the 300 and 338 RCMs which flopped. I have a 338 rcm and love it. Comes very close to 338 WM with light bullets and does it with 4-6" less barrel. Hornady necked the 300 rcm down to 6.5 and called it a prc and marketed it and it was a sensation. The ruger rifle wasn't well received either and I have it also. Excellent rifle and mine is very accurate. Its light, maneuverable in heavy cover, and being a short action, I can rack the bolt without taking my eye off the sights.
One thing I wasnt fond of with the 7WSM was its short neck as compared to the SAUMS

 

[whatwind?]

Easily accessible factory hunting rifles keep cartridges going

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've had two custom rifles in 7WSM. They were both very accurate and have accounted for an awful lot of kills. However, the fact that no one makes high quality brass in 7WSM became an issue. Win & Hornady are available but they need a lot of culling and brass prep. Reforming quality 300WSM or 270WSM brass is a PITA because the 7WSM case is longer.

I just built a 7PRC to replace my 7WSM, but so far, it will not shoot as well as either of my 7WSM rifles.

 

[Ironworker]

I've had two custom rifles in 7WSM. They were both very accurate and have accounted for an awful lot of kills. However, the fact that no one makes high quality brass in 7WSM became an issue. Win & Hornady are available but they need a lot of culling and brass prep. Reforming quality 300WSM or 270WSM brass is a PITA because the 7WSM case is a longer.

I just built a 7PRC to replace my 7WSM, but so far, it will not shoot as well as either of my 7WSM rifles.

Why do you think it's not shooting as well? My 7mmWSM is a Win Mod 70 classic( Bedded Macmillan synthetic) with a Brux #4 contour bbl 9"twist. With 66grs of H1000 behind a Berger 184gr Hybrid it's 3,000FPS and under 1/2 MOA. The thing is everyone says a MOD 70 won't shoot.

 

[Steve morgan]

It is difficult to find brass/ammo so it is becoming rare and unpopular.

I love 7wsm, also have a lifetime supply of brass.

 

[Charlie-NY]

Why do you think it's not shooting as well? My 7mmWSM is a Win Mod 70 classic( Bedded Macmillan synthetic) with a Brux #4 contour bbl 9"twist. With 66grs of H1000 behind a Berger 184gr Hybrid it's 3,000FPS and under 1/2 MOA. The thing is everyone says a MOD 70 won't shoot.

I'm not sure yet but I've eliminated most of the potential causes. I'm beginning to believe that the lack of accuracy may be caused by a bad carbon barrel but it's a bit early to say. I hope I'm wrong because I just paid $1,300 for the barrel and GS work to get it set up.

 

[Ironworker]

I love 7wsm, also have a lifetime supply of brass.

So do I; recently bought 100 pieces of Bertram brass.

 

[davidjoe]

If it is a “good thing” to minimize the sharp apex of peak pressure in the curve, for a given muzzle velocity, then all short, fat cartridges are less desirable than a longer more traditional option.

The spherical, cartoon TNT bomb we grew up seeing blow up Wyle E. Coyote is fastest way powder can burn while the shape of the “fuse” is the slowest. Two different powder columns must resemble one more than the other.

It’s easier on primer pockets, barrel throats, steel longevity and possibly also bullets, to spread out acceleration over a greater distance and longer time.

When overall cartridge length, weight, or the constraints of a very short barrel negate these benefits, short cartridges are required.

If we look at every rifle cartidge adopted by our military, or others, they have found nothing compelling about short magnums.

 

[Orr89rocz]

When overall cartridge length, weight, or the constraints of a very short barrel negate these benefits, short cartridges are required.

If we look at every rifle cartidge adopted by our military, or others, they have found nothing compelling about short magnums.

Isnt the 300 norma kinda a large short mag? Compared to 300 win, prc, rum, etc alternatives that could be used?

 

[davidjoe]

Isnt the 300 norma kinda a large short mag? Compared to 300 win, prc, rum, etc alternatives that could be used?

There’s a trend toward shorter barrels in military rifles, made up for with suppressors. Longer cartridges lose their benefits with shorter barrels.

Let’s try to figure out Norma’s agenda. The .284 Winchester has existed since 1963. Norma necks it down .5 mm and renames the cartridge the 6.5-284 Norma. After a long period of suffering short barrel life, nearly 100% of F-Class, and in its peak years, were back to using the original .284 Winchester.

The Remington 6BR existed for between 20 and 30 years in Benchrest, before Norma wants to rename it the 6BR Norma. This time, Norma didn’t even really change the cartridge. It changed the throat dimension in the chamber for longer bullets, and renamed the cartridge after itself, because of that, - a longer throat in the chamber.

The 300 Norma is constrained to fit an existing magazine length. Those rounds interchange in the magazine that the .338 LM uses and have the same COAL. I believe Norma makes decisions based more on name promotion than anything else.

Did we need a necked down and shortened 50 BMG? My recollection is that Barrett did that in response to California banning the 50 BMG. Yes, he sold some, one to me, but it is not superior to the 50 BMG in the view of military users.

IMO Norma had seen Lapua take off with .338 LM, and simply wanted to contend. They are also based on the Rigby, as the .348 LM is.

The 338 and 300 Norma reside where the sporting arms world had been when the short mags came on the scene. Someone decided in the late 90’s or a little after, that our guns were too heavy, could be built on short actions only, and that we banged the end of barrels into things because they were all too long, and concluded we could get 7/8’s the performance with 6/8’s the materials.

I would even suppose that the short cartridge craze was one generation pushing back, perhaps subconsciously, on the cartidge design philosophy exemplified by Roy Weatherby, considered a gun/business man looking to appeal to the rich. To this day the only real reason for a carbon wrapped barrel is to show what can be done.