Has anyone made 7 WSSM for competition?

[std7mag]

So i've been thinking about building a rifle for F Open, and some informal training to 1,000 yards.
Have been going over cartridges, and wondered if anyone has tried necking a 25 WSSM to 7mm?
I would prefer to neck down, but from my understanding 25 caliber is largest WSSM caliber.

Thoughts?

Std7mag

 

[spclark]

I would prefer to neck down, but from my understanding 25 caliber is largest WSSM caliber.

There’s a reason behind that. Leads to discussions over case capacity and how it affects performance as bullets grow longer, heavier with the increase in bore diameter.

I’ve messed with a 6.5WSSM and know others who have and do, with some limited successes out to 1,000 yards. Forum member Mikecr comes to mind. You might want to bounce your thoughts off him before ordering up a reamer, he’s a fan, done a lot of refining to get it to where it works well for him.

 

[Terry]

I have 7SAUM's that I built for 1,000 yard Benchrest. The wssm case may be too small.

 

[mikegaiz]

Winchester WSSM brass will not hold up. No one makes that brass except WW.....

 

[TZaun]

I have not used either of these, but had saved these links when I was shooting a 6.5 WSSM Ackley. If you're really serious they might be worth checking into. I use Federal 243 WSSM brass. By the sounds of it, it's much better than the Winchester, but the only time I ever saw it I bought it.

https://www.hillbillybrass.com/

https://www.rccbrass.com/

 

[STOMP442]

What performance increase is there over the tried and proven .284 Win? Is all the extra work and money on a wildcat cartridge worth the gain?

 

[Loggins J]

I had a 6.5 wssm it shoot very good but I had bolt thurst so I changed to 6.5 wssm AI that got ride of the bolt thurst if you want hillbilly brass will form it from any brand that you send them I have won with both wssm and wssm AI

 

[mikegaiz]

I have not used either of these, but had saved these links when I was shooting a 6.5 WSSM Ackley. If you're really serious they might be worth checking into. I use Federal 243 WSSM brass. By the sounds of it, it's much better than the Winchester, but the only time I ever saw it I bought it.

https://www.hillbillybrass.com/

$2.50 each out of stock

https://www.rccbrass.com/

$4.50 each WOW......

 

[whatwind?]

I think your asking for the most efficient way to push a 180/184 7mm bullet to 2800-3000 fps

Probably some 40 degree should cartridge that can do it with 5x gr powder

7/300wsm it takes 61 ish gr,
I think a 284 kmr/Rahm it’s about 56 I think
7 SAUM it’s about 58 guessing

there is a 7mm SAW, which is a 35 degree shoulder 7-08 with small rifle primer, which might be close, but takes some pressure


so can you design something that requires 52 gr to push 180 gr bullet 2900 ish?

 

[whatwind?]

https://westtexordnance.com/7mm-saw-barrel-length-and-power-tests/

Here 7mm saw info

might be possible with 30” bbl and about 47 gr powder

after reading this again it might not be 35 degree shoulder, that would just be a 7mm creedmoor, which might be the ticket with small rifle primer and 30”bbl

 

[mikecr]

Winchester WSSM brass will not hold up.

I'll go ahead and suggest that if you can't make the thickest existing case per area last, you're truly lost in reloading, or chasing a failure in design/plan, or,, your statement is purely made up, with zero actual basis.
It's one of these.

 

[mikegaiz]

I'll go ahead and suggest that if you can't make the thickest existing case per area last, you're truly lost in reloading, or chasing a failure in design/plan, or,, your statement is purely made up, with zero actual basis.
It's one of these.

Have you tried making a 6.5 AI, or 7mm WSSM, Or you just talking??? I have,,, and the brass causes a lack of accuracy after about 5 firings....

 

[dogdude]

I'll go ahead and suggest that if you can't make the thickest existing case per area last, you're truly lost in reloading, or chasing a failure in design/plan, or,, your statement is purely made up, with zero actual basis.
It's one of these.

Mike G lost in reloading? Haa, I think Not !

 

[McFred]

I have a 7mm WSSM. A friend volunteered to be my guinea pig to test out the idea a few years back. One requirement was that it feed from a short action magazine and it does.

1. a straight WSSM (30˚ shoulder) has less capactiy than a similarly-throated .284 Win chamber. The WTO 7mm SAW (effectively a 7-08AI) has less H2O capacity from the data I've read: 55.3gr vs 51.7gr

2. on a 28" 1:9 Bartlein 180 hybrids run about 2850fps. I believe the original barrel is still doing fine at about 1800 rounds.

3. He got about 30 reloads on his first 50 Winchester ".223" brass then the necks started cracking. Annealing frequently made a difference:

Yes, Winchester brass needs a decent amount of prep and sorting. Federal made some brass a while back. I have a pile of it and the production lot I have is better than Winchester I've handled. This was all worked up around the extended 2012 component shortages. Reamers were cheaper than brass so we went with what was available: oddball WSSM brass, and even that dried up.

The objective was mostly for shooting steel so I don't have paper targets and aggregated "serious" competition documentation. My friend has an F-Open rifle in 7mm WSM that is more suitable for 1K paper punching so he uses that instead of the WSSM. This is his somewhat neglected thread: http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6521043/m/7191005091

*edited to include case capacities*

 

[std7mag]

This is exactly what i was thinking!
Thank you for sharing!
I'll try to PM him to see if he's still shooting it, round count, etc...

 

[McFred]

Some considerations. Right now brass of many makes are currently available.

7mm WSM 60¢ per case
300 WSM 56¢ per case (7/300 wildcat)
7 SAUM 80¢ per case
284 WIN 68-85¢ (Win vs Norma)
7mm-08 39¢ per case (if pursuing a 7mmAI) 82¢ if necking down Lapua palma 308

Quality WSM, 284 and SAUM dies are readily available. Reamers, barrels, receivers, and bullets all cost the same. Your 2800fps goal can all easily be met with existing cartridges. If you just want a WSSM then go for it, but if you're serious about being competitive you might try a larger case, especially the .284 Win.

 

[mikecr]

Have you tried making a 6.5 AI, or 7mm WSSM, Or you just talking??? I have,,, and the brass causes a lack of accuracy after about 5 firings....

I put together a 6.5wssm Imp. Turned necks, fitted chamber, custom BAT for the cartridge. Burnt through 2 barrels with an accurate barrel life of 1800rds(on 3rd barrel now), with the same 50 cases. That's like ~80 reload cycles, with zero body sizing (thanks to my chambers).
I know these Win reloading cases will last well beyond my lifetime, if not forever, as nothing has changed since fire formed.
The load is 47.4gr I4350 with either 140VLD or 139Laps. I chose a mid-node at 3020fps with 28" barrels. By QL it's right at SAAMI max, 65Kpsi.

This is as good as practical for 26cal.
I do not think it's a good capacity for best in 28cal bullets.

 

[whatwind?]

This is a great forum of information!

so, any 40 degree 7mm creedmoor with SRP?

here. http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/7mm-creedmoor-realalistic-expectations.3930792/

looks like a 7-08 ai with SRP would be the ticket

here http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/7mm-08-ackley-improved.3328952/page-3

looks like not enough room for 2900

 

[skiutah02]

Have you tried making a 6.5 AI, or 7mm WSSM, Or you just talking??? I have,,, and the brass causes a lack of accuracy after about 5 firings....

I've made it. Before I knew that other's had played with this long before I did, I remarked to my GS friend that I'd call it the 6.5 Diggler. WSSM brass is very thick, tough brass. 6.5WSSM on left, fireformed to 6.5WSSMAi (6.5 Diggler) on right. Both with a 150SMK loaded. Still makes me laugh looking at it. Drew

 

[skiutah02]

I will remark that my two 50-piece Win 25WSSM bags had several defective pieces that would have caused problems if fired, so I would sort this for safety sake if nothing else. Folds in the neck/shoulder junction area. wrote to Winchester about it. Crickets. I believe I still have two sealed bags of 223 WSSM if you would be interested. Drew