I think the reason there are not a lot of responses to your question is that this topic has come up and there is not enough experiance with the WSM's or SAUM's to really know what the truth is.
It should not take this long to wring them out but I have not read all the facts yet.
I chronoed two 300 WSM's with factory ammo and they performed as advertised.
Here is an article my friend wrote about his two guns http://www.rifleshooter.com/Project%20guns/300wsm.htm
God Shooting
------------------
www.rifleshooter.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
I have a Browning Composite Stalker in 300WSM, 23"bbl. All velocities are measured @ 15ft from muzzle, unncorrected.
Factory 180gr Power Points - 2947fps
Factory 180gr Fail Safe - 2951fps
Factory 150gr Ballistic Sivertips - 3263fps
Handloaded 200gr Barnes X - 2934fps
Handloaded 180gr Barnes X - 3030fps
Handloaded 165gr Fail Safes - 3152fps
Handloaded 150gr Ballistic Silvertips - 3303fps
All handloads are MAXIMUM. I took 3 deer, 1 goat, 1 moose and a black bear with this rifle last fall. It is nice to carry, shoots very accurately (never did anything to it, took it out of the box and went hunting)and does everything my 300 Win Mag does only lighter and quieter.
...Peter
I had our local smith (Dave Gentry) shorten the barrel to 22". I picked it up today and will go out to the range tomorrow to find out what I lost. I've been too busy to handload for it, but will order some Redding dies this week. I'll report back on "lost" velocity.
Are you running H4350 in yours? Your handload velocities are excellent.
Brad Amundson
I'm using IMR 4350 in the 150 and 165gr and RL22 in the 180gr and RL19 in the 200gr. For sure let me know what your velocities are with 22"bbl. We are about 30fps diff between 23 and 24, I wonder if its barrel length or just a different (tighter barrel).
...Peter
I would think that the shorter the barrel (under 24") the better the 300WSM will look.
When the percussion cap replaced the flintlock, it had it's detractors, and rightfully so in some cases.(If you lose your caps, you aren't likely to find some in the creek bank, as you might a chunk of flint!) The same thing happened when smokeless powder replaced black, the 30/40 replaced the 45/70, the 30-06 replaced the 30-03 etc. etc.
The point is that the 300WSM does represent an advancement in technology.(effecientcy in shorter barrels) It is unfortunate however that Remington has muddied the waters with their own 300 SAUM etc etc.
Which will survive? Certainly not both! I would bet on the 300WSM for three reasons: 1; They were the first out of the gate. (A BIG plus) 2;The 300WSM has slightly more case capacity.(Not realy a valid argument except as a PERCEIVED performance potential) 3;Last but not least, 300WSM sounds better (from a marketing standpoint) than 300SAUM. I wouldn't be surprised if the third reason turns out to be the most signifigant. Nothing about the American consumer surprises me anymore, and it will be the (shooting)consumer, not the rifle crank, that determines the sucess of a new chambering.
------------------
Life is more exitin' when yer stickin' suppositories inta a wildcats behind!
[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited 02-25-2002).]