Short Mag shooters

[Tater]

I'm looking for real, first-hand experience with any of the short magnum rounds. A friend of mine told me about the .325 WSM and, from what I've read, it's a fantastic round. Ballistics look good and I'm definitely interested. I've read a little about the .300/.270/7mm short mags and they all look good too. I'm also eyeballing the WSSMs for varmints but that's a subject for another thread. I don't know if it makes any difference but I'm looking at getting a new barrel for my Encore, not a whole new rifle. Again, I've probably read what you've read; I'm looking for real-world experience. Thanks in advance.

[buckhunter]

I do not have an experience with a 325 WSM however I do have exerience with a lot of "The latest and greatest" for a lot of years. Yes it looks good but will it be here in 5 years. Think about buying ammo in 2018.

[Mike Moss]

I like the new WSM's as they are better for handloading than that old belted rounds. I bought both a 7mm WSM and a 270 WSM.

The 7mm WSM is not popular and it may not stay.

The WSSM's seem dead. I would not get one for that reason.

[Brother Rockeye]

I shoot a .300wsm in a stainless synthetic model 70.
I like the caliber.the chronograph said that the 180gr. Supreme ammo was doin 3300fps the day I brought it home.
recoil isn't bad at all considering this config is fairly light.
overkill for deer size game imo but has its place for larger game.

[Charlie in TX]

Have not search reacently but a couple years ago you could not get an Encore barrel in a WSM case.

[Charlie in TX]

http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/encoreAccessories.php does not list any. Do you have an aftermarket supplier?

[Ridge Runner]

Originally posted by Mike Moss
I like the new WSM's as they are better for handloading than that old belted rounds. I bought both a 7mm WSM and a 270 WSM.

The 7mm WSM is not popular and it may not stay.

The WSSM's seem dead. I would not get one for that reason.

whats wrong with a belt, if your dies are adjusted properly for a belted case the cartridge headspaces on the shoulder anyway making the belt a "moot point", alot of myths reguarding belted cases.

and do you have any idea how many AR-15's have been built in the wssm line? its the only reasonable niche the wssm's could fill, imagine 2 million AR owners who can now use they're favorite rifle platform for med. game,
RR

[Tater]

Have not search reacently but a couple years ago you could not get an Encore barrel in a WSM case.

Charlie in TX - I found the same thing when I looked. I'm hoping, by the time I get back from Korea, there will be some out there as they seem to be gaining in popularity. If not, I'll look into buying a new rifle.

[Mike Moss]

Originally posted by Ridge Runner
whats wrong with a belt, if your dies are adjusted properly for a belted case the cartridge headspaces on the shoulder anyway making the belt a "moot point", alot of myths reguarding belted cases.

and do you have any idea how many AR-15's have been built in the wssm line? its the only reasonable niche the wssm's could fill, imagine 2 million AR owners who can now use they're favorite rifle platform for med. game,
RR

Whats wrong with belts on bottlenecked reloaded cartridges is that the case is weakened at the first shot and subject to further damage unless the FL die is set perfectly. Too many hand loaders set the FL die down to the shell holder and belted rounds won't last long at all like that.

Here is a post from another site which explains it for you.

"bear9963780,

You have received some good info here. The belt has to do with headspacing, only. Most belted cartridges don't actually need the belt to establish safe headspacing, but new unfired belted cases are headspaced off the belt, nonetheless. To get a better grasp of the advice you are getting here, it would help if you knew more about headspacing.

Technically, it is the distance between the bolt face and the case head. When a belted case is chambered and the front of the case's belt is in contact with the correlating belt portion of the chamber, the case is prevented from moving any further forward. The distance between the case head and bolt face is the headspace. When a nonbelted case is chambered and the shoulder of the case is in contact with the correlating shoulder of the chamber, the headspace is, again, the distance between the case head and the bolt face. Handloaders can ignore the belt when reloading a fireformed belted case and treat it as if it was nonbelted.

Here is where the problem comes in. Most factory rifles chambered for belted cartridges have some tolerance between the case shoulder and the shoulder of the chamber. This space is in addition to the headspace, and some chambers are generous than others. It seems that most factory chamberings for belted magnums tend to be generous. Of course, it is within SAAMI specs and is safe for a first firing, but it can be problematic for the reloader. The firing pin drives the case forward, but it is slammed back into the bolt face when the powder starts burning. The headspace is gone and the brass must stretch to fill a larger cavity. The more it stretches to fit, the thinner the brass gets just ahead of the belt. When you hear of case head separation, this is where it occurs. Many belted cases can be reloaded several times. Unfortunately, I have also witnessed case head separation on only the second firing. It just depends on how generous your chamber is. A good indicator that the brass is getting dangerously thin at the expansion ring is the appearance of a thin bright line just ahead of the belt. A prudent handloader will check fired belted cases with a tool (a bent paper clip will work) to feel inside the case for signs of a problem.

A good friend of mine was starting to experience case head separation on reloads in his 300 WinMag. His headspace was safe enough for a first firing, but not for subsequent reloads. For chambers like this, having a gunsmith fix the headspace issue should be the first item on the agenda if you want to continue firing reloaded cartridges in such a rifle. Short of that, necking up new brass to 8mm or .338 and necking back down incrementally to .308 will form a false shoulder to eliminate headspace issues from overly stretching brass, an the cases will last much longer.

If you want to get into handloading, acquire as many loading manuals as you can reasonably afford. If only one manual is in the budget, start with the manual from the bullet maker of your choice. All manuals have good information about handloading. Lyman's is a good neutral choice since they do not sell bullets or powder.

I'll get off my horse now. Good luck.

--------------------
Regards,
Sam Taylor
NRA Life Member
NAHC Life Member

SST's Rifle Room
http://www.angelfire.com/mo2/rifleroom/"