Feeding and WSM's

[sam700]

Never shot one of the WSM's but I've always heard they had feeding issues. I've talked to a few people who own them and none of them have had any issues.

For those who own rifles in a WSM caliber, how does it feed in comparison to a standard cartrage. What rifle and caliber do you have. Just curious if the feeding issue is more fiction than fact.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Never shot one of the WSM's but I've always heard they had feeding issues.

Lies and slander from the anti anything new (shortmag) crowd! I own no less than 3 shortmags and have never experianced a feed issue.

And so it is with the customers, I have not heard of anybody retuning and complaining about feeding problems of any shortmag we have sold them!

The cases are fatter, and on a mall ninjas cracker jack pocket computer I guess you can show how a fatter case 'could' experience more feed issues than a more slender cartridge.

But, as many things in life...that's just not the real world reality!

 

[ArmedBear]

Could sam700 be referring to WSSMs?

.223 WSSM:


WSM = Winchester Short Magnum
WSSM = Winchester Super Short Magnum

Those are different animals, and I understand they have had issues. I believe that Browning has abandoned the WSSM, and I know that the reconstituted Winchester hasn't started making any.

They can still be found in some AR uppers, I think, but unless you try hard, you're not going to find them anyway.

The WSM seems to be working just fine.

 

[sam700]

Nope, I was refering to the regular wsm's. Seems like you read about feeding problems all over the internet, but everyone I see with one at the range has nothing but good things to say.

 

[surjimmy]

I have a Tikka T3 in a 300wsm, one of the best rifles I have ever shot. It's recoil is less then the 300wm also. Never had any problems, action smooth as butter.

 

[ar24095]

No problems with mine a 300 WSM.

 

[dakotasin]

no issues w/ my wsm feeding... works fine, kills stuff dead.

 

[desidog]

Two .300wsm's here, a Winchester M70 (New Haven) and a CZ model 3...never had an issue; or heard of one til this thread.

In this day and age, a new-manufacture jamming bolt rifle is inexcusable. But those aftermarket AR uppers in the Super Short calibers that even the manufacturer (Winchester/FN) didn't see fit to keep in the line-up....i haven't heard anything, but would not be surprised.

 

[GJgo]

My Vanguard 300 WSM has never had a feeding issue. It's actually really smooth.

 

[MCMXI]

I have a Remington 700 Alaskan Ti in .300 WSM and feeding from the box magazine isn't a problem at all. In fact, it's an excellent and VERY accurate rifle, caliber/cartridge combination. I'm in the middle of fitting CDI detachable magazine bottom metal to a B&C stock so that I can use 5-round AI mags with it. Maybe feeding will be an issue after that but I doubt it.

 

[Runningman]

but I've always heard they had feeding issues.

I own two Tikka T3s in 270 WSM and 300 WSM. Have not had any feeding issues with them myself. In fact they both are the smoothest cycling bolt action rifles I own or have ever owned. I've also been very pleased with the accuracy out of both rifles. That is my experience.

 

[Horsemany]

The Tikka's will feed WSM's incredibly smooth with the single stack magazine. Controlled round feed rifles have more potential for problems.

I had a 2005 Kimber 300wsm that fed horrible and I sold it because of this. If you think about the case dimension. It's short, fat, and has steep shoulders. All of these things make it more crucial to have a rifle tuned to feed properly IMO. When the 300H & H came out one of it's biggest selling points was smooth feeding.

I now own a Sako 270WSM that feeds smooth. I know there are many WSM's that feed just fine but the only rifle I've ever discarded because of clunky feeding was still a WSM Kimber. Just sayin....

 

[Tirod]

I seriously doubt there are millions of WSM rifles in the hands of American shooters. That doesn't keep them from feeding just fine. Most bolt actions don't have the problem, controlled feed or not.

Semi-autos are a completely different breed. Dynamic feeding presents lots of problems, first and foremost the magazine has to present the cartridge at the right time and position for the bolt head to strip it out, push it forward, and chamber it. That is a situation that has to be fine tuned regardless of caliber.

Introducing a oversized bolt head to handle the cartridge adds another technical issue, especially in the AR platform. Go too big and it weakens the bolt. There is only so much room to enlarge it, and the larger bolt head takes up space where the magazine might sit, plus the barrel extension has a limited amount of room. Making the locking lugs bigger is a real problem in a restricted space.

The Russian case so many wildcats use, like the .264 LBC, is already pushing the limits of AR design. Hence the marketing of the alloy superbolts that resist pressures better. It boils down to the fact that you can't just shove in a big cartridge into an intermediate caliber without taking into account a lot of other factors. And since the WSM's are a niche market, there's really not enough cash loose to spend on developing an odd combination.

Millions of rifles would include the .30-30, .30-06, .308, .270, etc. WSM's aren't common at all in comparison.