popeye2

OK, I'll admit that I'm a bit bored today.

What happened to the WSSM craze.

Seems like all of the magazine writers and publicity guys who were falling all over themselves have stopped writing entirely about it.

I'm not trying to defend the WSSM, just making an observation.

Personally, I think most people (myself included) passed on the whole WSSM idea because it really didn't bring anything to new to the party and as a result sales have been terrible.

IMO the WSSM class of cartridges is all but dead, much like Remington SUAM.

Alsatian

It was a way to try to sell more rifles. The gun manufacturers are in the business of building and selling firearms. When you have saturated the market and every potential customer has several firearms and your product -- unlike Detroits automobiles -- are engineered to last several lifetimes, what can you do? You can create a "virtual" product need through marketing hype.

Does a .270 WSM kill a deer deader than a classic .270? No. Does your average hunter shoot his rifle more accurately when it is a .270 WSM rifle than a classic .270 rifle? No. Synthesized market demand. Some people bought into it. I never did. I bought a classic .243 and a classic .30-06 in new rifles well after the advent of the "short magnum" craze. Just didn't see the point or the need for these new cartridges.

popeye2

I was actually referring to the Winchester Super Short Magnum line not the regular Short Magnum's. IMO the 270 WSM and 300 WSM will be around for a very long time. I'm not so sure about the 7mm WSM, for some reason the 7mm doesn't appear to be selling.

jeepkid

I think the WSSM's have a place in the AR-15 market, but thats about it...

statjunk

The first time I saw a WSSM cartridge my first thought was, this isn't going to make it and those that buy into it will end up screwed on the brass because there won't be any or it will incredibly expensive.

I think the WSSM have some merit, smaller lighter action, smaller ignition column etc... It's just not for me.

Tom

Jacob Garrett

I looked at one when they can out but was afraid ammo would be hard to find later on. I am glad I didn't buy it because I haven't seen ammo for any of them at the local gun stores in awhile.

spaniel

Whereas the WSM line has some real benefits, especially in custom guns, it's much harder to justify the WSSM. I've never shot one but I have heard many reports that they feed poorly due to the sharp shoulder and reduce magazine capacity. There is such little noise and so few of them on the shelf I won't vouch for either assumption.

For example, planning for a rifle build I was recently comparing the fast 6mm options. I came to 243AI, 6mmRem, 243 WSSM. What I found was that the WSSM gave a very, very minimal velocity advantage over simply punching the venerable 243 to 243AI at the price of some additional issues (brass, ammo $$ and availablity, feeding, aftermarket mag compatability).

salukipv1

Just because something is quality/better doesn't mean it'll become popular and sell.

I think only the .25WSSM offered anythign really, and that was a very short actioned .25-06, the .243 and .223 WSSM are shorter versions of already short cartridges, sure I think most offered an extra 100fps or something, big deal.

Also they looked really weird, which maybe to some guys doesn't matter, but I think alot of guys are like what's this weird thing?

I think writers are all about something new that's good, but when market demand is gone they stop pushing a dead product...

As for the 7mmWSM, I think that may be the best of the bunch, but again the .270 and .300 are the popular ones. Not sure how that .325wsm is going, I figure it too will eventually die, but the .270 and .300wsm should be around forever, or at least a while I think.

skb2706

At this point anyone who is a gun fanatic already should realize that buying ammo/components/powder etc can already be difficult enough for even the most common of chamberings. Adding into the mix the WSSMs and a potential owner could easily be stuck with a gun that there is no ammo for.
I have nothing against any chambering and would own one of all of them if I thought there was a future in it. But a .223 WSSM really has nothing on my 22-250AI.

vabyrd

How would you like to be one of the moron gun writers that swore by the things? Swear at them is more like it. Winchester just wanted to sucker someone into believing they really needed that pos.