I find very little written about the .223 WSSM on the various forums,is this cartridge still alive and if so,how is it doing?Is it living up to Winchester's expectations for
accuracy?

WC

I have one in a PacNor barrel, and yes, it can be delightfully accurate. It's just one honker of a cartridge, and not something you buy to run 100 rounds through at a setting.

Accuracy in factory barrels is decidedly mixed, as you might expect. HTH, Dutch.

I have a Win. M70 Coyote in .223 WSSM. After barrel break in the groups measured at 3/4� but working with different powders and bullets I have managed to get the groups to just above 1/2�. I changed the stock, personal reasons, and am working with my gunsmith to see about �bluing� that stainless barrel. The cartridge is an excellent one. Load it up to beyond .220 Swift velocities or down to .223 Remington. The RUMORS of feeding problems and burning out barrels is just that, RUMORS. I know of 9 other guys shooting the .223 WSSM and they are having like results. If you get one you won�t be sorry. Lawdog

Well, the last poster here seems happy with his .223 WSSM rifle. That is great, but mine was a piece of junk, accuracy wise. I got mad and got rid of it. The guy I sold it to thought he could make it shoot, he couldn't and he has sent it back to Winchester.

I bought a new Winchester Model 70 Super Shadow Super Short in 223 WSSM a few months ago. It is a little light weight rifle that only weighs 6 pounds. I knew it would not shoot as well as a heavy barreled varminter, but I wanted it for hunting predators.

The rifle seemed well put together and it fed as smooth as any rifle I have ever owned. It was fast as hell on the chronograph, factory 55 grain bullets getting 3850 fps from the little wimpy 22 inch barrel. I shot 40 grain bullets close to 4500 fps in the darned thing!

The Winchester brass was very thick and I think it will last about forever.

Anyway, the darned thing never shot good at all and just got worse and worse. I tried putting in a Jewell trigger, I tried different scope rings, I tried different scopes, I tried free floating the barrel, I tried pressure under the barrel. I tried 40, 50, 52, 53, 55 and 60 grain bullets.

The darned gun would never shoot the same from day to day.
I shot groups under an inch with factory loads one day then could not even keep them all on the paper the next. I tried velocites from 3400 up to 4500 fps, it did not matter.

The last day I shot it the groups were all over 3 inches and most were more like 6 inches!! I had had enough!!!

Now, in all fairness, my buddy bought one of the same rifles and it shoots pretty good. And, my dad owns a 7mm WSM that shoots great. But, I am seeing on a lot of these forums that people are NOT happy with the 223 WSSM in general.

I think that the cartridge is actually alright. I just think that the bean counters at Winchester got ahead of themselves and Winchester turned these rifles out before they got the bugs worked out. (And not just the Super Shadows, but also the Coyotes, and the Stealths.)

This is going to come back and bite Winchester and Browning in the ass in the long run.

R F