The Guns & Ammo Network

Rifle Cartridge Deathwatch: Winchester Super Short Magnums

by J. Scott Rupp • September 14, 2011 • 25 comments
hunter with pronghorn and .25-06 rifle

While ballistically the .25 Winchester Super Short Magnum is neck and neck with the .25-06 the author used here (it's a Tikka with Burris Laserscope aboard), the market has spoken: The .25-06 will soldier on while the .25 WSSM likely won't.

Musing on what chamberings will end up in the dustbin of history is always an entertaining theoretical exercise—unless of course you’re the person or company who developed said cartridge. It’s also a popular undertaking, with various writers in various magazines penning articles on cartridges  they think will fade into “handloading only” status.

 

But this is the internet, where the ensuing comments are always more interesting than the article that generated them. Over the next several days, weeks, whatever, I’m going to single out a few cartridges (or cartridge families) that I think are in a death spiral.

Winchester Super Short Magnum

A few weeks ago a writer queried me on an article comparing the .25 WSSM with the .25-06. Why the hell would I want that? The race has already clearly been won by the .25-06.

The WSSM is a Hollywood turn on cartridge design: Find a good idea and keep rehashing it. The .300 Winchester Short Magnum has been the clear winner in the short magnum craze, and Winchester of course wanted to capitalize on that success. They upsized and downsized that case (not to .264, lamentably) and also created a new family, the Super Shorts.

First came the .223 and .243 WSSMs. Okay, I can almost see the .243 WSSM. I shot a .243 WSSM on varmints but frankly got my fill of that pretty quickly as it was way too much recoil to be receiving on prairie dogs. I also used it on a pronghorn, and it got the job done, but the .243 Win. would’ve worked just as well (the shot was less than 100 yards).

I’m not even a .243 Win. fan, but I think it’s a decent choice for people starting out in their hunting careers, a choice bolstered by the cartridge’s mild recoil. The .243 WSSM defeats that purpose due to stouter recoil and more muzzle blast.

And the same goes for the .223 WSSM. Why would you want the added oomph? One of the things I like about the .223 Rem. is that I can spot my own shots in the field due to the low recoil. Forget that with the WSSM version. And if I want overbore, there are plenty of options beckoning with the good ol’ .22-250 or the Swift.

The latest (last?) entrant to the WSSM family is the aforementioned .25 WSSM. Here I have to confess my undying devotion to the .25-06, the cartridge the WSSM is supposed to equal, albeit in a much shorter round. Sorry, but I get the performance I want with better feeding, better rifle selection and better ammo availability with the .25-06.

And that, in a nutshell, is what will doom the WSSMs. There’s nothing wrong with the ballistic performance, but I don’t think anybody—not even Browning/Winchester—currently chambers new rifles for it, and nobody other than Winchester (the ammo company) loads it. (And a caveat here: We’re talking major producers, not custom and semi-custom manufacturers.) I just don’t see where the WSSMs have enough of a leg up on the cartridges they’re up against to keep on keepin’ on.

Okay, WSSM fans. Bring it.

In Ammo, Ballistics, Uncategorized • Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
  • Seth

    I am a long time fan of the 25-06 and my pet 25 -Ought is a Remington Sendaro we have tweaked a bit by glass bedding, a new trigger, and some Cerakote.

    It flat out kills antelope, prairie dogs, anything you point it at. Why anyone would want any WSM let alone a WSSM is beyond me.

  • Brian

    The WSM and WSSM's are an interesting concept. But the ballistic improvement over their originals are marginal. That being said, their ability to accept a wide range of projectile weights is extremely limited and I believe that to be their biggest downfall. Such as the 300WSM. It's great if your happy with the 180gr. loading. Versatility is key, especially when hand loading. My 308 loadings go from, 110gr.'s for plinking fun, low recoil. Then a 168gr. or 175gr. for competition. Then maybe a 200gr. 220gr. for hunting. That is a versatility that I don't believe WSM or WSSM's have.

    • Bart

      200 fps on the 55gr load for the 243 wssm over the standard 243 is more than marginal…….ask Lane Simpson, his 7mm STW was ONLY 200 fps faster than the standard 7mm Remington Mag's 140gr load and thousands of 7mm Mag owners had their rifles rechambered for it along with Remington selling 600,000 rounds of the 7mm STW in it's first year of factory production….all for 200 fps!!!!! :-)

      • Brian

        It's a 6.5% increase in velocity. Within 300 yards I just don't think it's significant. Beyond 300 yards the trajectory difference maybe. But my main point was no versatility in projectile weight.

  • Carro

    I work in marketing and look at the WSMs and WSSMs and have always been skeptical about these cartridges because they have all the trademarks of a classic marketing ploy. The playbook is; when faced with a market crowded with established competitors, invent a 'so marginal as to be non-existent' advantage and market the heck out of it until people start to believe that your 'feature' actually provides a 'benefit'. Sadly for Winchester (and probably Remington) people quickly realized that any advantage was imperceptible and they were more than outweighed by the very obvious drawbacks (recoil, ammo availability, etc.)

    The good news is that if you really want a WSM or WSSM, good used rifles should be dirt cheap in the near future.

    • Bart

      True, factory ammo is expensive and increasingly difficult to find. The advantage of the WSSM's is for the reloader. Case stretching is minimal, they burn clean and are very easy to load. I also like the option, due to the factory actions being built for higher working pressures, to load handloads "hotter" than even factory without giving up accuracy. Don't know if you've used them or not but felt recoil, even on hot loads, is no different than standard; at least in the .243 caliber. I agree that the WSSM's will not make it as they are all but dead already; however, they do offer added stability due to shortened action. The ballastic advantages are there also…..I don't believe it was a marketing poly, just hard to unseat the old standards. Also, most reloaders that want the superior ballistics can simply improve (ackley did this 60 yrs ago) the factory standards. I have a 257 Roberts Improved with a barrel length of 20" and have better accuracy/ballistics than the factory +P rounds from a 22" barrel. You are correct about the WSSM's being cheap. I picked up a Browning in 223 WSSM brand new 2007 model that had been sitting on the rack for 4 years, 300 bucks with same performance as a 220 Swift. Again, if you reload, deals are to be had! Now I need to get out to the rang and off the computer to see if the 223 is as good as the 243 I gave up years ago to by buddy???

    • Bart

      range not "rang" f'n keyboards, couldn't be the operator!!! ;-)

  • Bart

    I owned a 243 wssm in a lightweight winchester 70 shadow model. I used it once for 5 shots while sighting in the scope installed on it. A buddy of mine saw the .79 inch 5 shot group I laid down at 100 yds and wanted to bring it on wolf hunt in Canada. He used the 55gr BT from winchester. Not seeing a wolf on his hunt he took a nice yote at 185yd with one shot kill and with minimal pelt damage. I no longer own the rifle as he had to have it. Since then he has taken a MO buck with the 95gr BT winchester load, one shot kill. He has never had a jamming issue, excessive recoil for caliber or the muzzle blast so many write about on these blogs. Could he have done all of this with a standard .243 traveling at an average of 200 fps less than the wssm, sure….but what fun would that be????

  • http://www.gamecamerasreviews.com/ Joe

    I has WSSM cartridges with 2.36" overall length, necessitate a shorter action. Because of this, a super-short action size was designed for the A-Bolt rifle. The super-short action is not only shorter; it’s stiffer, quicker and lighter.

  • John (Australia)

    25-06 has worked just fine for a long long time just as the 30-06 & 270. Marketing hype to suck your dollars away, when will the companies actually create something truly different and useful. Note: At least the old cartridges feed nice and shoot plenty good enough as they always have.

  • luke (Australia)

    223 wssm bucks like a mule in the s/s stalker but i love it.

    just like a v8 chevy engine in a mini, you dont need it and its loud and uncomfortable but some of us just want it that way. long live the wssm.

  • Ted

    I bought a Browning heavy barrel laminate/stainless A-bolt in .223 WSSM simply because it is the fastest .22 caliber offered in factory guise. I use my .233's for 90% of my varminting but when they Loooooong shots are required why settle for a 22-250 or a .220 swift when the .223 WSSM simply outperforms them. My rifle has a 24 inch barrel and I really wish it had a 26 inch barrel screwed to it. After I purchased the .223 WSSM I sold my 22-250 and .220 Swift and haven't missed them a bit. The .243 WSSM and the .25 WSSM never offered anything I really needed but I'm sure they are fine cartridges as well.

  • Matt

    I think the wssm cartridges can and will survive because of one sole reason they can be chambered in Ar platforms and bring true highpowered hunting power to the ar-15. Olypmic arms and other companies make rifles and uppers for the ar and Olympic necked up the 25 wssm to 30 cal giving the ar 30-06 power which is amazing and with all the ar rifles in america i think people will find out the can upgrade their ar to a hole nother power range and will love it.

  • Robert

    Well…….I love my. 243wssm……..however mine is in a custom AR with a 22" SS fluted bull barrel with a built in muzzle brake. It has less recoil than my .223 AR and is an absolute beast. My deer/elk cartridge is a 90guy grn swift sirocco and its more than capable. I have both 7 and 12 round mags……and shooting multiple totes isn't an issue! I love it! Long live the WSSM in Sr's!

  • DGES

    I guess its kind of like I have to tell my wife when she asks me why I need another rifle, or pistol, or revolver. "Its not what I need, its what I want". and I have just never wanted a WSM or WSSM, in any caliber. I guess because I didnt need it – - – :) . I have the .223, a .270, a 7.62 x 54, plus all kinds of .22 and .22 mag and .17's, those cover most of the bases for me. If I ever get the chance or choice to take an elk or bear, I think I'd go with something like the 300 mag or WSM, but only time will tell. Otherwise when I want to be really precise and "reach out and touch something", I pull out the .220 Swift on a M98 action set in a Bell/Carlson stock, Leupold 3 x 9 x 50 V3 and have at it. Enjoy your articles Scott – keep it up. DS

  • SGT USMC

    try to fit your 25-06 in a standard AR-15 platform?? I have used the 25wssm on everything from bull elk to foxes and nothing ever walked more than two steps after being hit I would like to see you take 4 coyotes out of one pack from 25 to 350 yards with your bolt action?

  • Ed in AZ

    I love tradition… Took me 10 years to move to the 7mm mag. Only when my '06 and all my other guns were stolen.. My favorite all time rifle was .257 roberts. Why pay a substantial price premium for ammunition when the old standards are available in great quality at Walmart?

  • R. P. Nadjiwan

    I have a left hand bolt in 243 WSSM browning medallion. And I'm always thankful that browning has remained committed to keeping the southpaw market in mind. I have found that great accuracy is no problem with the factory 100 grain power points. I have some 95 grain ballistic tips as well but haven't used them yet, largely because I'm so impressed with the 100 grain factory power points. Having the ability to take whitetail deer out to 300 yards has been a walk in the park. In my humble opinion Scott, I think your article is misleading and disappointing. Your allowing your emotions to dictate your choice of words, based on your own experience with a 25-06, and that doesn't really help anyone out who is really looking for useful information on a possible rifle acquisition. And yea, it's true the WSSM hasn't found a serious following out in the hunting market. But if I came upon a 25 WSSM in a left hand browning it would be tough to walk away from it. I like the short bolt throw, and the 60 degree bolt cycling on the Browning A-bolt as it's smooth and it stays completely clear of the scope when reloading. Personally I'm not interested in a 25-06 but I realize that there are those who will use it, and enjoy it for what it is. And I believe this to be equally true for those who have discovered the WSSM.

  • carl

    i have a 243 wssm and it is a great gun , been having it for 5 years i can honestly say i have not ever miss a animal and i have taken over 25 deer and also shot a bobcat at 300 yards , i am not saying its better than the regular 243 but i love it. I think everybody should shoot what gun they want and love ,i also own a 270 wsm and i love it to , i wish all the wssm and wsm nasayers would would quit hating on thes rounds because a lot of people love them we do not bash the old faithful rounds i own them to and like them.

  • DougU

    AR15…………those 4 characters are why they will survive. The only thing that might compete in a commercially manufactured AR15 is the grendel. I know I want one…….. and I already own a .243 win and a .25-06.

  • ken

    I have a lot of hunting rifles to chose from; 22-250, 243 win, 257 roberts, 270 wsm, 7 rem mag, 308 win, 300 wsm, 300 win mag, and 338 win mag. So why do I do almost all of my hunting with model 70s in 243 WSSM and a 30/06? They are light, accurate, and comfortable to shoot.. The 243 WSSM is a joy to carry, shorter and lighter than my 243 winchester (M70), and 257 roberts (m77), yet still delivers decent ballistics for blacktail and mule dear at modest range. I reload, so I'm not to worried about using an orphan, but I am disappointed to see the WSSM go (and the 7mm WSM as well). I hope the WSSM survives in the AR15, but I doubt they will. Too bad.

  • bmwclay

    You know that the WSM is all washed up when you see the ammo stacked up on Wal Mart's counter for 5 bucks a box.

  • Will

    I had to chime in here. I own 2-25 wssm's and I don't know why people hate them so much. Most of the time all people have to say about them is that they're no better then other cartridges that are available. Well as for the 25 wssm It's ballisticaly superior to the 257 roberts and the roberts is the only high performance 25 cal short action available (other then the 250-3000 savage which really isn't high performance) for today's shooter. The 25/06 is great, but I was able to buy both my 25 wssm's for a lot less then I would've paid for a 25/06. One is a M70 Winchester coyote, and the other is a Browning A-bolt composite stalker. I reload and have probably shot both my 25's 1000 or more times. Accuracy is great for both rifles, once I found out which rifle liked what bullet. I regularly shoot my Coyote out to 725 yards and love the way it performs. In fact with 115 nosler ballistic tip .453 ballistic coefficient bullets I can shoot less then 6 inch groups @ 725 yards. I wouldn't be a afraid to shoot an elk at that range either.. Any way I'm glad people didn't like them it made them available on clearance racks nation wide. I got my model 70 coyote for $549.00, and I got my Browning composite stalker for $625.00. The super short action makes the rifle's super light and handy especially here in the mountains where I've taken a big 5×5 elk at 263 yards, multiple big mule deer, lots of antelope, lots of coyotes, and bobcats. I also love the fact that with a super short action I'm burning quite a bit less powder to get roughly the same results. I've cronographed 115 grain bullets @ over 3100 fps with mine. A few years ago my brother had his 22-250 stolen, and he wanted to get a replacement rifle. So we found a Browning A-bolt stainless composite stalker in 223 wssm for $549.00! He loves it, better performance then a 22-250 for that price in that rifle can you say steal! The only feeding problem I've had is every now and again my model 70 coyote binds a little when the magazine is full. Otherwise my Browning a-bolt has never jammed or bound up, not once! I think Winchester should've built all the model 70's with control round feed, they probably wouldn't have gotten a reputation for jamming if they'd done that. Anyway the 25 wssm was the only factory high performance short action available to shooter's. Now if you want a short action you'd have to buy a 257 roberts or buy an expensive 257 roberts ackly improved to get similar performance in a short action. The 25 wssm did indeed fill a niche, but wasn't received well by the all knowing gun writing crowd. Writer's often like to give opinion's that sometimes aren't founded in real world experience.

  • Wild_Bill_H

    As touched on by a poster or two, the AR platform is the WSSM's future. I have two Olympic uppers, one in 25 and one in 300. Got the 25 first as a combo deer and long range varminter. In the AR it's manners are impecable. Muzzle blast is like a 25-06 vs the .223 noise. Recoil is…well almost like "what recoil?" With ballistics comparable (for all practical purposes) to the 25-06 stuffed into the trim AR15 what's not to like?

    Same for the 300 OSSM which is a necked up 25WSSM. Factory ammo with 150gr bullets for the OSSM chrono's just a hair under 3000 fps. That's 30-06 velocity or better, considering most published 06 velocities for factory ammo is optomistic. The 300 upper is beautifully balanced and handles wonderfully.

    As for the 223 and 243 WSSM, I initially thought they'd be great prairie dog rounds in the AR. However, now that Olympic has introduced a 22-250 (smart move on their part) there's really no reason to monkey with the WSSM in the small bores. The 22-250 is being produced but I can't to get off the backorder list. :-(

  • Densie Kendall

    Mate if you have never used a 223 WSSM or reloaded one how can you comment about it. The only thing comparable to it is the 22-243. With a 62gr Barnes it lowers stags here in New Zealand with one shot up to 400m. It is a fantastic calibre. Just wonder if its demise commercially is attributable to nonsense dribble like yours. No offense but you do not know what you are talking about.