.300 WSM
Encyclopedia
.300 Winchester Short Magnum (also known as .300 WSM) is a thirty caliber
rebated rim
bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridge
that was introduced in 2001 by Winchester
. The cartridge overall length is 72.64mm, cartridge case is 53.34mm in length and the bullet diameter is .308 in (7.82mm), which is common to all U.S. .30 calibre cartridges. The principle at work in the short magnum cartridge is the advantage of fitting larger volumes of powder in closer proximity to the primer's flash hole, resulting in more uniform, consistent ignition. In field use, this round mirrors the performance of its older counterpart, the .300 Winchester Magnum
, which is based on a modified .375 Holland&Holland
belted magnum casing.
The big advantage to this round is ballistics that are nearly identical to the .300 Winchester Magnum, but in a lighter rifle, with a shorter action.. Of importance to some rifle shooters is the increase in efficiency of shorter casings, which results in greater inherent accuracy.
When addressing this topic, it is useful to consider the true degree of accuracy involved. This degree is fairly minute for most uses, and is primarily important to target shooters, and hunters who rely on a rifle to be capable of extreme long range accuracy. Very few rifle shooters are able to shoot better than their rifle. The basic issue at hand is that this cartridge is in a class that is already filled with numerous choices in similarly performing rounds, and has little to distinguish it but nominal increase in accuracy, and lighter felt recoil. The .300 WSM is, however, the most modern .30 caliber cartridge in the magnum class, utilizing the best available knowledge in cartridge design. As such it represents the best combination of ballistic performance, round-to-round consistency, and reduced recoil and muzzle blast.
for elk
, mule deer
, and whitetail
and on the plains, where long range shooting is almost always a must. While being relatively new cartridge, the .300 WSM has already had some success in benchrest shooting
, although flatter trajectory rounds such as the 7 mm WSM
, .270 WSM, etc., are normally preferred.
As with all high speed large game rounds, bullet construction plays a major role in terminal ballistic performance. If the gun is accurate enough for its intended purpose, what will make or break it is what the bullet does when it strikes its intended target. High velocity—extremely high in this case—cartridges have a set of problems all their own. If a bullet intended to perform perfectly in a lower velocity cartridge of the same caliber (such as .308 Winchester
, or .30-06 Springfield
) is used in the .300 WSM, the result is fragmentation and a shallow cavity; i.e. essentially a massive surface crater with poor penetration. With the right bullets, the .300 wsm is a devastating round on medium to heavy North American game animals.
The actual bullet diameter used in this cartridge is .308 inches. Care should be taken to avoid using improper ammunition.
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
rebated rim
Rim (firearms)
A rim is an external flange that is machined, cast, molded, stamped or pressed around the bottom of a firearms cartridge. The rim may serve a number of purposes, the most common being as the place for the extractor to engage...
bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
that was introduced in 2001 by Winchester
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...
. The cartridge overall length is 72.64mm, cartridge case is 53.34mm in length and the bullet diameter is .308 in (7.82mm), which is common to all U.S. .30 calibre cartridges. The principle at work in the short magnum cartridge is the advantage of fitting larger volumes of powder in closer proximity to the primer's flash hole, resulting in more uniform, consistent ignition. In field use, this round mirrors the performance of its older counterpart, the .300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Magnum
The .300 Winchester Magnum is a popular, belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963 as a member of the family of Winchester Magnum cartridges. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a magnum cartridge designed to fit in a standard length...
, which is based on a modified .375 Holland&Holland
.375 H&H Magnum
The .375 Holland & Holland Magnum is a powerful rifle round and one of the best-known and most popular medium-bore cartridges in the world. The .375 H&H was only the second cartridge ever to feature a belt, now common among magnum rounds. A popular misconception is that the belt is for headspace,...
belted magnum casing.
The big advantage to this round is ballistics that are nearly identical to the .300 Winchester Magnum, but in a lighter rifle, with a shorter action.. Of importance to some rifle shooters is the increase in efficiency of shorter casings, which results in greater inherent accuracy.
When addressing this topic, it is useful to consider the true degree of accuracy involved. This degree is fairly minute for most uses, and is primarily important to target shooters, and hunters who rely on a rifle to be capable of extreme long range accuracy. Very few rifle shooters are able to shoot better than their rifle. The basic issue at hand is that this cartridge is in a class that is already filled with numerous choices in similarly performing rounds, and has little to distinguish it but nominal increase in accuracy, and lighter felt recoil. The .300 WSM is, however, the most modern .30 caliber cartridge in the magnum class, utilizing the best available knowledge in cartridge design. As such it represents the best combination of ballistic performance, round-to-round consistency, and reduced recoil and muzzle blast.
Use & Performance
The .300 WSM is used in the Western United StatesWestern United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
for elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, and whitetail
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
and on the plains, where long range shooting is almost always a must. While being relatively new cartridge, the .300 WSM has already had some success in benchrest shooting
Benchrest shooting
Benchrest shooting is a sport in which very accurate and precise rifles are shot at paper targets from a rest or bench from a sitting position. Benchrest shooters are notoriously detail-oriented and constantly trying to further the accuracy potential of the rifle through experimentation. Nearly...
, although flatter trajectory rounds such as the 7 mm WSM
7 mm WSM
The 7mm Winchester Short Magnum is a centrefire cartridge developed in partnership with Browning Arms Company and Winchester ammunition, making its debut and introduced to the shooting public in 2001.-Specifications:...
, .270 WSM, etc., are normally preferred.
As with all high speed large game rounds, bullet construction plays a major role in terminal ballistic performance. If the gun is accurate enough for its intended purpose, what will make or break it is what the bullet does when it strikes its intended target. High velocity—extremely high in this case—cartridges have a set of problems all their own. If a bullet intended to perform perfectly in a lower velocity cartridge of the same caliber (such as .308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
, or .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
) is used in the .300 WSM, the result is fragmentation and a shallow cavity; i.e. essentially a massive surface crater with poor penetration. With the right bullets, the .300 wsm is a devastating round on medium to heavy North American game animals.
The actual bullet diameter used in this cartridge is .308 inches. Care should be taken to avoid using improper ammunition.
Muzzle velocity
- 10.69 g (165 gr) Full Metal Jacket(FMJ): 3,223 ft/s (982 m/s)
- 11.66 g (180 gr) Full Metal Jacket(FMJ): 3,095 ft/s (943 m/s)
Comparison
| Cartridge | Bullet Weight (gr GR GR may refer to:* Gabriel Richard High School, a private high school in Michigan* GR footpath, a type of long-distance footpaths in western Europe* Golden Retriever, a type of dog breed* Good Riddance, a punk rock band from Santa Cruz, California... ) |
Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns... (ft/s) |
Muzzle energy Muzzle energy Muzzle energy is the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from the muzzle of a firearm. It is often used as a rough indication of the destructive potential of a given firearm or load... (ft·lbf) |
|---|---|---|---|
| .300 WSM | 200 | 2822 | 3538 |
| .300 RSAUM | 200 | 2790 | 3458 |
| .300 Win Mag .300 Winchester Magnum The .300 Winchester Magnum is a popular, belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963 as a member of the family of Winchester Magnum cartridges. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a magnum cartridge designed to fit in a standard length... |
200 | 3029 | 4092 |
| 7.62 Jonson | 200 | 2935 | 3826 |
| .300 Wby Mag .300 Weatherby Magnum The .300 Weatherby Magnum is a .30 caliber rifle cartridge created by Roy Weatherby in 1944 and produced by Weatherby. It has become the most popular of all the Weatherby cartridges.-Background:... |
200 | 2987 | 3963 |
| .300 RUM .300 Remington Ultra Magnum The .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, also known as the .300 Ultra Mag or .300 RUM is a 7.62 mm caliber rifle cartridge , 7.62x72mm, or .30 caliber rifle cartridge introduced by Remington Arms in 1999. The .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is one of the largest commercially available .30 caliber magnums... |
200 | 3154 | 4419 |
| .30-06 Springfield .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
200 | 2,569 | 2981 |
See also
- .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum
- .300 Winchester Magnum.300 Winchester MagnumThe .300 Winchester Magnum is a popular, belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963 as a member of the family of Winchester Magnum cartridges. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a magnum cartridge designed to fit in a standard length...
- Winchester Short MagnumWinchester Short MagnumWinchester Short Magnum, or WSM, refers to a family of rebated rim 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...
- List of firearms
- List of rifle cartridges
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
- 7 mm caliber7 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge....
- Delta L problemDelta L problemThe delta L problem is a condition that occurs regarding certain firearms chambers and their practical incompatibility with ammunition made for the corresponding chambering....