Winchester Super Short Magnum, or WSSM is a line of rebated bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridges introduced by the U.S. Repeating Arms Company (Winchester Inc). [1] It is a further development of the Winchester Short Magnum concept utilizing smaller bullets, but of a still higher velocity.
Winchester and Browning partnered to create a new shorter version of the popular WSM (Winchester Short magnum) case. The new "super short" case was to be based on design principles currently proving successful in benchrest competition, such as the 6 mm PPC and 6 mm BR Remington. In 2003 the first cartridges of this design, the .223 and .243 Winchester Super Short Magnums (WSSM), were introduced. The .25 WSSM was added to the family in 2004.
None of the cartridges has managed to capture any large market share. This is likely due in part to the fact that all three cartridges have similar performance to existing popular cartridges. In addition, the .223 and .243 versions early on attained a reputation for quickly eroding the rifling in barrels. [2] Concerns about short barrel life are a common problem for high-velocity cartridges, making the WSSM rounds no different than other high-velocity cartridges. To help mitigate the problem, Browning currently uses chrome-lined barrels on all of their guns chambered for .223 WSSM. [3]
There are basic advantages inherent to the Short Magnum concept. The idea is that the short, fat powder column gives a more uniform load density and ignition rate and therefore a more consistent burn. This in turn should translate into improved accuracy and potentially moderate recoil due to more efficient use of propellants.[ citation needed ]
Another advantage is the action size. For example, if we compare the .25 WSSM to the .25-06 Remington, we find that the .25-06 requires a .30-06 length action, commonly called a standard or long action. The .25 WSSM case which is almost a full inch shorter, can make use of an existing short action such as used by the 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington family of cartridges. Some manufacturers have even created extra short actions to accommodate newer short rounds. The intrinsic accuracy benefits of a short, stiffer action over a long action are well-established principles of rifle design. The resulting rifle is smaller, lighter, more compact, and quicker handling as well.[ citation needed ]
The relatively large diameter cases result in reduced magazine capacity and reliability along with a thinner bolt face, meaning it can break easily especially under the higher pressure of the cartridges.[ citation needed ]
The cartridges in this family are, in order of development:
| Name | Year | Bullet diameter | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .223 WSSM | 2002 | .224 in. (5.69 mm) | performance similar to .220 Swift and 22-250 |
| .243 WSSM | 2003 | .243 in. (6.17 mm) | performance similar to 6 mm Remington and .243 winchester |
| .25 WSSM | 2004 | .257 in. (6.53 mm) | performance similar to .257 Roberts and .25-06 Remington |
| 6.5 WSSM |
As with any new case introduced, wildcatters like to see what they can do to make new cartridges. Two of the more notable children or offshoots of this case are the .325 Corbin, which is essentially an 8 mm WSSM, [4] and the .22/40 SMc, which is essentially the .223 WSSM with an elliptical shoulder. [5]
A wildcat cartridge based on the .25 WSSM, called the .358 WSSM or .358 BFG, has similar performance to the standard .358 Winchester and .35 Whelen. [6]
Additionally, Olympic arms created the .300 OSSM, which is a 25 WSSM necked up to .308” giving performance between 30-06 and .300 Winchester Magnum.[ citation needed ]
A wildcat cartridge, often shortened to wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and/or firearms are not mass-produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge, or may merely be intended as novelty items.
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.
Considered by many as the most balanced of the "quarter bores" for hunting medium-sized game, the .25-06 Remington remained in obscurity as a wildcat cartridge for nearly half a century before being standardized by Remington in 1969.
The 243 Winchester Super Short Magnum or 243 WSSM is a rifle cartridge introduced in 2003. It uses a .300 WSM case shortened and necked down to accept a .243in/6mm diameter bullet, and is a high velocity round based on ballistics design philosophies that are intended to produce a high level of efficiency. The correct name for the cartridge, as listed by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI), is 243 WSSM, without a decimal point. Winchester has discontinued the manufacture of 243 WSSM ammunition. As of the first half of 2016, Winchester/Olin did manufacture and release for sale some WSSM ammunition. The product is only manufactured periodically, often at inconsistent intervals.
.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.
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.
300 Winchester Short Magnum is a .30 caliber rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridge that was introduced in 2001 by Winchester.
The 8×68mm S rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge was developed in the 1930s by August Schüler of the August Schüler Waffenfabrik, Suhl, Germany as a magnum hunting cartridge that would just fit and function in standard-sized Mauser 98 bolt-action rifles. The bore has the same lands and grooves diameters as the German 7.92×57mm Mauser service cartridge. This is one of the early examples where a completely new rifle cartridge was developed by a gunsmith to fit a specific popular and widespread type of rifle.
The .223 WSSM is a .224 caliber rifle cartridge created by Winchester and Browning based on a shortened version of the Winchester Short Magnum case.
The .25 Winchester Super Short Magnum is a third member of the Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) cartridge family created by Winchester and Browning. It is the largest caliber of the WSSM line and is the most capable of handling large game such as deer and wild boar.
.22 caliber, or 5.6 mm caliber, refers to a common firearms bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm).
The .404 Jeffery is a rifle cartridge designed for hunting large, dangerous game animals, such as the "Big Five" of Africa. The cartridge is standardized by the C.I.P. and is also known as .404 Rimless Nitro Express. It was designed in 1905 by London based gunmaker W.J. Jeffery & Co to duplicate the performance of the .450/400 Nitro Express 3-inch in bolt-action rifles. The .404 Jeffery fired a bullet of .422 in (10.72 mm) diameter of either 300 gr (19 g) with a muzzle velocity of 2,600 ft/s (790 m/s) and muzzle energy of 4,500 foot-pounds force (6,100 N⋅m) or 400 gr (26 g) with a muzzle velocity of 2,150 ft/s (660 m/s) and 4,100 foot-pounds force (5,600 N⋅m) of energy. It is very effective on large game and is favored by many hunters of dangerous game. The .404 Jeffery was popular with hunters and game wardens in Africa because of its good performance with manageable recoil. By way of comparison, the .416 Rigby and .416 Remington Magnum cartridges fire .416 in (10.57 mm) bullets of 400 gr at 2,400 feet per second (730 m/s) with a muzzle energy of approximately 5,000 foot-pounds force (6,800 N⋅m). These cartridges exceed the ballistic performance of the .404 Jeffery but at the price of greater recoil and, in the case of the .416 Rigby, rifles that are more expensive.
The delta L problem refers to certain firearm chambers and the incompatibility of some ammunition made for that chamber. ΔL is a Commission Internationale Permanente (C.I.P.) geometric dimensioning and tolerancing definition for cartridge cases that are longer than the chamber they have to fit in. "Delta L" essentially means "difference in length".
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.
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.
Parker Otto Ackley was an American gunsmith, barrel maker, author, columnist, and wildcat cartridge developer. The Ackley Improved family of wildcat cartridges are designed to be easily made by rechambering existing firearms, and fireforming the ammunition to decrease body taper and increase shoulder angle, resulting in a higher case capacity. Ackley improved not only standard cartridges, but also other popular wildcats, and was the first to create a .17 caliber (4.5 mm) centerfire cartridge.
Varmint rifle is an English term for a small-caliber precision firearm or high-powered airgun primarily used for both varmint hunting and pest control. These tasks include killing three types of pests or nuisance animals that spread diseases or destroy crops or livestock:
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.
The .350 Legend, also called 350 LGND (9×43mm), is a SAAMI-standardized straight-walled intermediate rifle cartridge developed by Winchester Repeating Arms. The cartridge was designed for use in American states that have specific regulations for deer hunting with straight-walled centerfire cartridges. At the cartridge's introduction, Winchester claimed that the .350 Legend was the fastest production straight-walled hunting cartridge in the world, although some .450 Bushmaster .444 Marlin and .458 Winchester Magnum loads are faster and have much more energy, and the .350 Legend would be surpassed in 2023 by the .360 Buckhammer. It is designed for deer hunting out to a maximum effective range of 250 yards (230 m).