.300 Winchester Short Magnum

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300 Winchester Short Magnum
300cal.jpg
From left to right: .300 Winchester Magnum, 300 WSM, .308 Winchester, .223 Remington
TypeRifle
Place of originUnited States
Production history
Designer Winchester
Designed2001
ManufacturerWinchester
Produced2001–present
Specifications
Case typeRebated-rimmed, bottleneck
Bullet diameter.308 in (7.8 mm)
Land diameter.300 in (7.6 mm)
Neck diameter.344 in (8.7 mm)
Shoulder diameter.538 in (13.7 mm)
Base diameter.555 in (14.1 mm)
Rim diameter.535 in (13.6 mm)
Case length2.100 in (53.3 mm)
Overall length2.860 in (72.6 mm)
Case capacity80.4 gr
Rifling twist1-10"
Primer typeLarge rifle magnum
Maximum pressure (C.I.P.)63,817 psi (440.00 MPa)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/typeVelocityEnergy
150 gr (10 g) SP3,313 ft/s (1,010 m/s)3,657 ft⋅lbf (4,958 J)
165 gr (11 g) HP3,223 ft/s (982 m/s)3,807 ft⋅lbf (5,162 J)
180 gr (12 g) HP3,095 ft/s (943 m/s)3,830 ft⋅lbf (5,190 J)
200 gr (13 g) SP2,822 ft/s (860 m/s)3,538 ft⋅lbf (4,797 J)
Test barrel length: 24"
Source(s): Reloading data at Accurate Powder
Measured Drawing, 300 WSM Cartridge 300WSM.PNG
Measured Drawing, 300 WSM

300 Winchester Short Magnum (also known as 300 WSM) is a .30 caliber rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridge that was introduced in 2001 by Winchester. [1]

Contents

Specifications

The overall cartridge length is 72.6 mm. The cartridge case length is 53.34 mm. The bullet diameter is .308 in (7.82 mm), which is common to all U.S. .30 caliber cartridges. The principle at work in the short magnum cartridge is the fitting of larger volumes of powder in closer proximity to the primer's flash hole, resulting in more-uniform ignition. .300 WSM has a case capacity of 80 grains. The .30-06 Springfield holds 69 grains; .308 Winchester holds 56 grains; 30-30 Winchester holds 45 grains. The .300 Winchester Magnum has a case capacity of 93.8 grains. While providing ballistic performance nearly identical to that of the .300 Winchester Magnum, 300 WSM does this with about 14 grains less powder. The .300 WSM also head-spaces off of the case shoulder, versus the older .300 Winchester Magnum's belted head space design.

The advantage to this round is the ballistic performance is nearly identical to the .300 Winchester Magnum [2] in a lighter rifle with a shorter action burning 8 - 10% less gunpowder. A disadvantage of cartridge case designs with relatively large case head diameters lies in relatively high bolt thrust levels exerted on the locking mechanism of the employed firearm. Also, in small ring actions the larger chamber diameter removes more steel from the barrel tenon, making it weaker radially.

Use

The .300 WSM is adequate for hunting all big game including (but not limited to): moose, black bear, brown bear, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer in forests and plains where long range, flat shots are necessary. The .300 WSM is also used in benchrest shooting.

The .300 WSM has a standard bullet diameter of .308 in (7.82 mm) and takes advantage of the numerous bullet options available in that caliber.

Warnings

The 300 WSM is a Delta L problem cartridge, meaning it can present unexpected chambering and/or feeding problems. The Delta L problem article explains this problem in more detail. The .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum has very similar cartridge dimensions but is not interchangeable.

Muzzle velocity

Comparison

300 WSM performance comparisons [3]
CartridgeBullet Weight (gr) Muzzle velocity (fps) Muzzle energy (Ft-lbs)
300 WSM20028223536
.300 RSAUM 20027903456
.300 Win Mag 20028503607
.300 Wby Mag 20030604158
.300 RUM 20031544417
.30-06 Springfield 20025692930

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartridge (firearms)</span> Ammunition consisting of a casing, projectile, propellant, and primer

A cartridge or a round is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile, a propellant substance and an ignition device (primer) within a metallic, paper, or plastic case that is precisely made to fit within the barrel chamber of a breechloading gun, for the practical purpose of convenient transportation and handling during shooting. Although in popular usage the term "bullet" is often informally used to refer to a complete cartridge, the correct usage only refers to the projectile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.308 Winchester</span> Rimless, centerfire, bottlenecked rifle cartridge

The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winchester Short Magnum</span>

Winchester Short Magnum, or WSM, refers to a family of rebated bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridges developed in the early 2000s by the U.S. Repeating Arms Company, the maker of Winchester rifles and one of the oldest firearms manufacturers in the United States. All of the WSM cartridges are inspired on the .404 Jeffery non-belted magnum cartridge which is shortened to fit a short rifle action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.270 Winchester</span> Rifle cartridge

The .270 Winchester is a rifle cartridge developed by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1923 and it was unveiled in 1925 as a chambering for their bolt-action Model 54 to become arguably the flattest shooting cartridge of its day, only competing with the .300 Holland & Holland Magnum, also introduced in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7mm-08 Remington</span> Necked down .308Win

The 7mm-08 Remington is a rifle cartridge that is almost a direct copy of a wildcat cartridge developed around 1958 known as the 7mm/308. As these names would suggest, it is the .308 Winchester case necked down to accept 7 mm (.284) bullets with a small increase in case length. Of cartridges based upon the .308, it is the second most popular behind only the .243 Winchester. However, the .308 is more popular than both. In 1980, the Remington Arms company popularized the cartridge by applying its own name and offering it as a chambering for their Model 788 and Model 700 rifles, along with a limited-run series within their Model 7600 pump-action rifles during the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.257 Weatherby Magnum</span>

The .257 Weatherby Magnum is a .257 caliber (6.53 mm) belted bottlenecked cartridge. It is one of the original standard length magnums developed by shortening the .375 H&H Magnum case to approx. 2.5 in (64 mm). Of the cartridges developed by Roy Weatherby, the .257 Weatherby Magnum was known to have been his favorite, and the cartridge currently ranks third in Weatherby cartridge sales, after the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum and the .300 Weatherby Magnum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.300 Winchester Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .300 Winchester Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked Magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a magnum cartridge designed to fit in a standard rifle action. It is based on the .375 H&H Magnum, which has been blown out, shortened, and necked down to accept a .30 caliber (7.62 mm) bullet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum</span>

.300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum is a .30 caliber short magnum cartridge that is a shortened version of the Remington 300 Ultra Mag, both of which derive from the .404 Jeffery case. The Remington Short Ultra Mag was put on the market shortly after Winchester released its 300 WSM round in 2001, resulting in the Winchester product getting the marketing advantage that has eclipsed the Remington offering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.444 Marlin</span> Rifle cartridge

The .444 Marlin (10.9×57mmR) is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms. It was designed to fill in a gap left by the older .45-70 when that cartridge was not available in any new lever-action rifles; at the time it was the largest lever-action cartridge available. The .444 resembles a lengthened .44 Magnum and provides a significant increase in velocity. It is usually used in the Marlin 444 lever-action rifle. Currently, Marlin, who is now owned by Ruger Firearms, does not offer the .444 chambering in any of their rifles. It remains to be seen when or if they will bring the chambering back into production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.338 Winchester Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .338 Winchester Magnum is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. It is based on the blown-out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .338 in (8.6 mm) is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin. The .338 Winchester Magnum is the first choice among professional brown bear guides in Alaska to back up clients where a powerful stopping caliber is required on charging bears. It is also the most popular medium-bore cartridge in North America and has the most widely available choice in rifles among medium bore rifles. The action length is the same as a .30-06, and most major rifle manufacturers in the United States chamber rifles for the cartridge including the semi-automatic Browning BAR Mk II Safari, making it a very powerful combination against charging dangerous game. The cartridge was intended for larger North American big-game species and has found use as for the hunting of thin-skinned African plains-game species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7mm Remington Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The 7mm Remington Magnum rifle cartridge was introduced as a commercially available round in 1962, along with the new Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle. It is a member of the belted magnum family that is directly derived from the venerable .375 H&H Magnum. The original purpose of the belted magnum concept taken from the .300 H&H Magnum and .375 H&H Magnum, was to provide precise headspace control, since the sloping shoulders, while easing cartridge extraction, were unsuitable for this purpose. Improved cartridge extraction reliability is desirable while hunting dangerous game, in particular when a fast follow-up shot is required. The 7mm Remington Magnum is based on the commercial .264 Winchester Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum, and .458 Winchester Magnum, which were based on the same belted .300 H&H Magnum and .375 H&H Magnum cases, trimmed to nearly the same length as the .270 Weatherby Magnum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8mm Remington Magnum</span>

The 8mm Remington Magnum belted rifle cartridge was introduced by Remington Arms Company in 1978 as a new chambering for the model 700 BDL rifle. The 8mm Remington Magnum's parent case is the .375 H&H Magnum. It is a very long and powerful cartridge that cannot be used in standard length actions, such as those that accommodate the .30-06 Springfield.

The .260 Remington cartridge was introduced by Remington in 1997. Many wildcat cartridges based on the .308 Winchester case had existed for years before Remington standardized this round.

The 270 Winchester Short Magnum or 270 WSM is a short magnum cartridge created by necking down the .300 Winchester Short Magnum and fitting it with a .277 caliber bullet. The correct name for the cartridge, as listed by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI), is 270 WSM, without a decimal point. It is a member of the Winchester Short Magnum family of cartridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.325 Winchester Short Magnum</span>

The .325 Winchester Short Magnum, commonly known as the 325 WSM is an 8mm caliber rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire short magnum medium bore cartridge. The cartridge was introduced by Winchester Ammunition in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.284 Winchester</span>

The .284 Winchester is a cartridge that has enjoyed a resurgence due to interest from long-range competitive shooters. Winchester has continued to produce brass cases for this since 1963. Introduced by Winchester in 1963, the .284 Winchester was designed to achieve .270 Winchester and .280 Remington performance from the new Winchester Model 100 autoloader and Winchester Model 88 lever-action rifles.

The .300 Ruger Compact Magnum or .300 RCM is a rimless, short-length rifle cartridge designed for the hunting of Medium-to-Large-sized North American game.

The .277 Wolverine (6.8x39mm) is a wildcat cartridge. It is a multi-purpose mid-power cartridge with increased ballistic performance over the AR-15's traditional .223 Remington cartridge. The use of a modified 5.56 case means that at minimum, only a new barrel is needed to convert any 5.56-based firearm to .277 Wolverine.

Nosler produces six different hunting cartridges. The first to be introduced was .26 Nosler, followed by .28 Nosler, .30 Nosler, .33 Nosler, .22 Nosler, and .27 Nosler.

References

  1. The 300 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) by Chuck Hawks (subscriptions req)
  2. ".300 Winchester Short Magnum".
  3. "Load guide for rifle and handgun" (PDF) (3.5 ed.). Accurate Powders. pp. 16–17.