The New Short Magnums

[warbirdlover]

Does anyone in here shoot the .270 WSM or the .300 WSM? I'm about ready to pull the trigger (pun) on a new SPS Remington and wondered if these are as accurate as the .300 Win Mag and other older stuff. They actually show to be flatter shooting in the ballistic charts.

I originally was going to stay away from these as the cost of ammo seemed steep but I see Remington makes some Core-lokt versions around $30 or so.

 

[HKFan9]

The short mags are generally a dieing breed I feel already. It's been like pulling teeth for our shop to get ammo in for them. I think your better off in the long run just getting a standard caliber. The resell value on them is usually lower too, since we have a hard time selling them.. especially when we don't have the ammo in.


That I would never limit myself to Remington Core-lokts just for some niche caliber.

 

[Doodlebugger45]

I have a .270 WSM in a Winchester Model 70 as well as a .325 WSM in a Browning BLR. They both shoot extremely well. Do they do something that another cartridge can't do? Nope. Is the ammo expensive? Not to me. I reload, so it doesn't cost any more to load for my 270 WSM than it does for one of my 7 mm mags or a .308. If I didn't reload though, I wouldn't own one of them.

There is kind of a "cool" factor in owning WSMs I guess. I do like the short throw on the action a lot. And they are kind of interesting in that they can get equal velocities using less powder than other cartridges. And subjectively, it seems like the recoil is less or at least different than some other cartridges have with equal velocities and equal bullet weights. I don't know how that works. But for instance, I can compare my 270 WSM shooting a 150 gr bullet to my 7 mm mag shooting a 150 gr bullet at the same velocity. Both rifles are Winchester Model 70's, but the 7 mm mag has more felt recoil than the 270 WSM.

The other thing I have noticed is that getting a good load worked up for my WSMs takes less effort than the big belted magnums. Both my 7 mm rem mags can get real good groups, but they are very finicky. The "sweet" spot for powder type, weight, and bullet is pretty narrow. My WSM's are much less finicky to get a really good group.

Mostly though I have them just to be different.

 

[warbirdlover]

Good answers, thanks. I might go with a standard .270 instead of the WSM version. You can get a box of ammo for $17!!

 

[270]

You'll get one less cartridge in the magazine than with a regular center, non-magnum cartridge. I doubt they feed quite as smoothly as the old ones due to a sharper shoulder on the case. I too believe they may die-out in time. As I've gotten older I go more for the older cartridges with a little less velocity but practically speaking as good as the latest hot cartridges. Seems right to me that the guns chambered for the short magnums might sell at a discount as someone has already said. I agree that the short travel of the bolt is a nice feature they provide.

I believe the gun buying public is "on" to the manufacturers coming out with something new all the time to improve sales. Gun writers would also have a lot less to talk about. Too, if they are too honest about the products they write about they stand a good chance of losing their job and trouble finding another.

I'll never have one although I'm sure they do fine.

270

 

[Doodlebugger45]

Not a bad choice. I try not to convince anyone to go the WSM route just because I like them. If you don't handload, I can't see how anyone can afford to shoot a WSM enough to get good with that particular rifle. I notice the 300 WSM factory ammo is coming down to semi-reasonable cost now and the factory stuff for the 270 WSM isn't as outrageous as it was for awhile. But the 325 WSM factory ammo is horribly expensive. I occasionally look at the factory ammo prices just to pat myself on the back. I figure I can reload any of my magnums for about $0.75 per round, or $15/box of 20 using premium bullets and the perfect powder. If I use Remington or Hornady bullets, which are still pretty good, I can do it for about $0.50 per round, or $10/box. The cost of .270 Win or 7 mm mag would be the same as a WSM, so why not go the oddball route for me?

Bottom line is if you don't handload, or if you aren't rich, or if you don't shoplift your ammo, then WSMs are probably not for you if you like to shoot a lot.

 

[hifi]

I have a 300 wsm in a Tikka and a Winchester. I like the caliber a lot and haven't had to work as hard finding a good load to run through them as my other rifles, not sure if that is because of the caliber or not. I also reload and that does make a difference if you have to buy ammo.

 

[10mmAuto]

Whether or not these particular cartridges "become extinct" short magnums are the way of the future because being able to work in a short action opens the cartridge to a lot of possibilities.

 

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

My opinion... The .270 and 300 WSM will make it.. Its a shame that the 7mm is dying, when its such a good cartridge..

 

[handlerer2]

I don't believe the WSM's will completely die, anymore than the 300 Savage, or the 6mm REM will ever completely die. What they will become is niche cartridges.

I don't think that a rebated rim magnum cartridge will ever really achieve the acceptance of a cartridge with readily available accessories, like the 308 class, or the 30-06 class.

That being said, I'm a niche shooter and loader. I load and shoot for 300WBY, 340WBY, 6.5x55, 223, and 44RM. I have been thinking of getting a rifle in 7mm RSAUM, that way it will at least be around as long as I am.

 

[Hans]

I have that exact rifle in 300 wsm. It makes a great hunting rifle, but if you are going to be shooting a lot, you may want to think of getting a different caliber. Still too expensive to shoot much unless you reload.

 

[taylorce1]

Go with the .270 WSM you'll be happy with it. My buddy hunts with one and he calls it his point and shoot rifle. He uses the Barnes TTSX 110 grain factory ammunition from Federal. It prints real nice clover leaf groups and he says he doesn't worry about adjusting for hold over until he gets past 350 yards. He shoots it out of a Browning A-Bolt and it gets the advertised 3500 fps across my chrony with the 110 TTSX. He has taken everything from coyote to cow elk with this load.

 

[jmr40]

The 270WSM and 300WSM are alive and well. They are outselling the belted 300 and 7mm magnums. Most of the other short magnums are dying or already dead.

Ammo is a lot more expensive, but if you reload it is not a problem. The longer belted magnums have a slight advantage in performance, but I doubt you would ever tell the difference.

It is possible to get a smaller, lighter, more compact rifle with the short mags. If you are considering 2 rifles of the same size and weight, I would just go ahead and get one of the older rounds.

Savage is the only rifle where mag capacity is an issue. Most rifles hold 4 or 5 standard rounds in the mag and 3 magnum rounds in the mag. That is both the short mags and standard magnum rounds. For some reason, the Savage will only hold 2 of the short mag rounds in the mag vs 3 for standard mags and 4 for standard rounds.

 

[GeauxTide]

A friend has a 7mmWSM in a light synthetic Model 70. Very fast recoil and the favored 154 and 160gr bullets have to be seated mighty deep. At the chrony, it's not any faster than my 7mmRM. If you want a mag, get a 7mmRM or 300WM.

 

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

My "is it going to make it" gauge is the gas station test.. If I can pull into a gas station in the middle of nowhere in Idaho and Wyoming and they have it then its going to make it.. .270 and .300 WSM both pass this test... Not at availiable as .308, .30-06, .270 win etc, but not hard to get either.. Expensive yes, but far cheaper than the premium fare is for my .300 Weatherby..

 

[bluetopper]

I have a single shot Handi-Rifle in 500 S&W Magnum and love it.

Very cheap and easy to reload.

 

[LanceOregon]

Good answers, thanks. I might go with a standard .270 instead of the WSM version. You can get a box of ammo for $17!!

In addition, you can buy high performance ammo for the .270 Winchester, that allows it to come very close to the 270 WSM in performance.

The 270 WSM typically shoots a 130 gr bullet at 3,275 fps. But you can buy ammo for the 270 Winchester that can reach 3,200 fps.

That additional 75 fps really is quite insignificant.

If one is a reloader, though, then I think that the 270 WSM becomes a very viable option.

.

 

[GeauxTide]

Lance, the MV of the WSMs have been as advertised. I disagree with your assessment of 3200 with the standard. With 130s and the heaviest loads, a 22" barrel will just break 3000. A 24" barrel will make 3100. These are from my Oehler 35 Chronotach. Hornady and Sierra flat base.

 

[LanceOregon]

I disagree with your assessment of 3200 with the standard. With 130s and the heaviest loads, a 22" barrel will just break 3000. A 24" barrel will make 3100. These are from my Oehler 35 Chronotach. Hornady and Sierra flat base.

In that case, you are at odds with the legendary gun writer Jack O'Connor, who said that he was easily able to achieve 3,200 fps with his Winchester 70 rifles ( they had 24" barrels ) in .270 Winchester using 130 gr bullets with his handloads. And that was 45 years ago.

Read his book: The Complete Book of Shooting

In addition, you have completely overlooked the fact that Warbirdlover has only talked here about buying factory ammo, and has never stated that he has any interest in reloading. So what you can personally achieve yourself with handloads in your rifle is rather irrelevant to this discussion.

I was sticking to discussing factory loaded ammo, and both Hornady and DoubleTap have loadings that indeed achieve 3,200 fps with a 130 gr bullet in the 270 Winchester. However, I should note that one does need a 24" barrel to get that performance. That's no problem, though, with many companies like Remington, Winchester, and others making 270 rifles that have that barrel length.

.

 

[warbirdlover]

Well, I bought a new 700 SPS Buckmasters in the old .270 Win. I could have gotten the ugly black synthetic stock SPS in .270 WSM but the cheapest I found factory ammo is Remington core-lokt at $30/box. I can buy a box of .270 Core-Lokt or Super X for $17.

I used to handload and had as nice a setup as anyone. I could always beat the factory rounds for grouping. I got a M77 all-weather .300 Win Mag that would take the cheapest ammo and shoot clover-leaf 1/2" groups and the point of impact and group size would stay the same with 150-180 gr. bullets (different brands). Premium ammo was no better. There was no more reason to handload. This gun still shoots like that. One in a million. So I sold my handloading stuff. I can still buy a box of cheapo .300 Win Mag ammo for $25/box. And it puts the deer down.

I'm hoping this 700 SPS shoots 1/2 as good as that Ruger 77.