.243 wssm... a good all around cartridge?

[brian923]

hey guys, wanting to know some about the .243 wssm. i have a barrel that is used, and has been cut down, to about 20" the chamber is for a 243 wssm, and i was wondering if i were to make a rifle out of it, would it be a usefull cartridge?? i was going to use the barrel to make an ar-15 6x45, but everytime i go to have the work done, i get more and more curious about the original chambering.


i just wanted to know from you guys who have shoot one, or own one, if the 243 wssm is a good cartridge. i would probably make it into a varmite/coyote/ fun target gun. would i be limiting myself with the 20" barrel?

what do you guys think about it??? thanks, brian.

 

[NCsmitty]

The 243 wssm is a fat little cartridge that meets or exceeds the regular 243 win ballistically.
I know that it's available in certain AR's and in uppers, so I know it's doable.
Good luck!

NCsmitty

 

[exbiologist]

It's no elk cartridge, but I think it's great. Deer don't like, neither do coyotes, it's extremely accurate, a bit more powerful and flatter shooting than a reg .243 Win. I don't care for the 95 gr Ballistic Tip load for shoulder shots on deer, it's a little light for that, but the 100 gr Power Point does just fine, and I imagine the new 95 gr XP3 will do the same job well. I've got a couple friends in Texas who think WSSMs are magic for nearly everything. I load my .243 WSSM with 85 gr TSXs and it's wonderfully accurate and deadly on deer. I'm not much of a varminter, but it's certainly done the trick everytime I pointed it a coyote.

 

[gvnwst]

It is a great cartridge that has about the same ballistics as the 6mm remington, but it can fit in a AR sized platform. One thing about that is, they use custom bolts (and so assossiated parts), so i am not sure if you can get your barrel to work, don't think they allow you to send in the barrel to be modified.

 

[rangerruck]

for a boltie, I would say it is great, I understand you can get almost 4000 fps from the muzzle, but for an AR? I would see some serious feeding issues in
the future...

 

[natman]

When I look at the limitations of the 243 Winchester, none of them are cured by more velocity.

 

[JimmAr]

WSSM Waste of money..

 

[sourdough44]

I'm not a big fan of the cartridge. It may be a better deal if you reload. The AR uppers have breathed some life into it.

 

[brian923]

hey guys. i may have mislead you a little.. i was going to use the barrel for an AR, but i would like to keep it for a bolt gun build. but thats okay, i get the jist of it. i just may go ahead and start thinking of a good plateform to start building. thanks guys, brian

 

[NCsmitty]

brian923, I didn't address the 20" barrel in my previous post.
You probably would lose about 200fps compared to a 24" barrel. But a 20" barrel would probably be more stable due to being a little more stiff.
The velocity loss should not be a deal breaker, so use it with confidence in what ever action you chose. It's a snotty little round.
I've loaded the 223 wssm which is the same case, and it's a joy to load.

Good luck!

NCsmitty