Just out of curiosity how many people here own and use rifles chambered in .223WSSM? I have a cartridge and it sure looks very interesting and looks like it would be an efficiant, ultra high velocity cartridge. however i read that it got a reputation for throat erosion and barrel wear and became a very unpopular cartridge because of that. so i wonder just how popular or unpopular it really has become and are the throat erosion and barrel burning stories true? it seems like a lot of people don't care for most of the short/compact magnums that have been introduced in recent times. I only have any interest in about 2 or 3 of them myself but the .223WSSM is definately the main one of them along with the .270WSM. i also might could consider a compact .338 someday maybe, possibly. back to the most interesting one to me another question just out of curiosity is what is the highest velocity you can get out of the .223WSSM?

Pez,

Use the 'Find' button above and search the forums for the information you seek.

George

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
Pez,

Use the 'Find' button above and search the forums for the information you seek.

George

i did and could not find the exact info i'm looking for, like the velocity question etc. i do use the find option and try not to post things already posted or that i can get my info from the find option, but if i can't find the exact info i'm looking for i figure it's alright to post a thread about it. i used the find option and did not find anything at all about the top velocity of said round or the popularity of it and saw nothing about throat erosion or barrel wear either. so i figured and hoped this was a worthwhile and original post. i try my best not to overindulge myself with my passion on here. thanks very much.

thanks very much for the tip though.

I have a mod 70 super shadow in .223wssm , it has made a great truck,walking varmint gun. 200 rounds down the tube . it is a very accurate 2 shot gun, barrel is thin and short, very over bore so it heats up fast.It has been very accurate cold bore. The 64 gr factory super X is most accurate of the factory loads for me. I sighted in 4 of these guns and mine was most accurate, luck of the draw.In short its a screamer but I would not build one as the reloaders have problems with thick brass, they do not feed well. Ammo is sometimes hard to find locally. It will never replace my pre 64 swift varminter, or .223rem nor 22.250,218bee But it rides every day I can grab it with confidence.When I mis with it it is because I shaded high... flat shooting and warp speed. I think winchester let some bad ones out the door late in the game before the door were locked for good the contributed to the trash talk ..

I had one of the early Winchesters in 223 WSSM and it was a dog. It was never very accurate and quickly became simply awfull in the accuracy department. I believe it was that stupid chrome lined barrel.

I sold it to a guy who eventually rebarreled it to 243 WSSM and it shoots great.

As to velocities, it was smoking! I do not have my data in front of me, but I seem to remember facoty 55 grain loads went about 3900 fps. My reloads were pretty fast, with 40 grain bullets going over 4600 fps from that short 22 inch barrel.

The cases are quite thick. The necks especially. With 40 grain bullets going 4600 fps it still smoked the necks. It did not do it with heavier bullets.

There are other firearms resources by shooters besides AR.

http://wssmzone.com/main/defau...nces&n=reloading&d=1



.

quote:

Originally posted by TX Nimrod:
There are other firearms resources by shooters besides AR.

http://wssmzone.com/main/defau...nces&n=reloading&d=1



.

hey, thanks very much for the link! checking it out now!

That round is a real POS!

I don't have any experience with the 223 but my cousin has a 25 WSSM. He made the gun into a sub 5lb ultralight. IMHO that rifle/cartridge combo is one of the best for deer hunting.

My son had a Winchester in 223wssm, and it was the worst shooting gun I've ever encountered.

He traded it for a Browning in 223wssm, and this gun will shoot. His coyote load is a 60gr Nosler Btip @ 3,700fps.

Hornaday shows 4,600fps with a 40gr Vmax.

Winchester and Browning chrome lined the barrels of the WSSM line and they claim barrel life like a 22-250.

Not to step on toes or intentionally risk offending anyone, but I have a 223 WSSM and a 25 WSSM and love them both! A lot of the rumors were just that-rumors.

A lot of them ain't rumors.

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
A lot of them ain't rumors.

150 rounds and a burnt out barrel ain't either. Adam

quote:

150 rounds and a burnt out barrel ain't either. Adam

Details, please.

Good firend in KY, had one and was sighting it in. Did the clean routine and after it was "broken" in he shot a few ground hogs and coyotes, about 150rds later he scoped it due to a miss @ 100yds found the barrel was toast. Said it had moved a full .1" in the 150rds. He turned it into some other WSSM (35cal I believe) but that 223WSSM was one of the worst I have seen. I want one to turn into a 35WSSM. Adam

Since all of the Browning and Winchester/USRA 223 and 243 WSSMs were cataloged with chrome lined bores, it is hard to believe that anyone could burn up a barrel without going out of their way to abuse it. I've seen people (idiots) burn up barrels shooting pdogs, but every single time it was a matter of shooting too quickly without letting the barrel cool between shots or between strings.

While I haven't shot either the 223 or 243 WSSM much, maybe 500 to 800 rounds total, I have shot over 5K rounds of 25 WSSM in unlined barrels without coming close to cooking a barrel.

After looking at the B-M WSSM wildcats, I'm gathering the part necessary to build a 460 S&W on a Winchester/USRA 70 Super Shadow.

www.b-mriflesandcartridges.com

I'm glad that you are happy.

A friend of mine that hunts our property has one. It also seems to like the 64 grn factory or handload best. I found it quite accurate, nothing to make you drool over, but fine. I shot a few chucks with it, and he has shot several deer. Nothing other rounds wont do, but nothing wrong with it either.

I have shot 1 whitetail doe with the 223 WSSM and 64 grain PP factory load. 1 shot through the lungs, through & through penetration with a big spray of blood and lung tissue in the snow on the exit side. The deer moved a little, maybe 30', before falling over DRT. The same sort of outcome that I've had with the 64 grain PP from a couple different 22-250s. The rifle was a Winchester/USRA 70 stainless Ultimate Shadow and the range was around 125 yards.

I have Browning in 223wssm and for a light little gun out of the box it shoots very well. It has 300 rounds through it so far and all is well. It is VERY impressive with light bullets on p-dogs, but it does take some patience because it gets hot fast. My gun is not really picky, shooting 40 and 50 grain ballistic tips into minute of rodent out to 400 with relative ease. On the down side it's only your spotter that gets to ooh and aaahhh at the impact, my light little gun jumps a bit. Pidgeons and even crows are also alot of fun as big chunks of fowel fly all over with square hits. I don't know if I'd get another one, but I enjoy this one.

Although I don't own one any longer,
I like the little screamer. I took a fair bit of game with the gun.

I had no worries taking the 400yd shot on
this Booner buck. It smoked him.

quote:

Originally posted by Scottyboy:
Although I don't own one any longer,
I like the little screamer. I took a fair bit of game with the gun.

I had no worries taking the 400yd shot on
this Booner buck. It smoked him.

very nice!

Wow!

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:
I don't have any experience with the 223 but my cousin has a 25 WSSM. He made the gun into a sub 5lb ultralight. IMHO that rifle/cartridge combo is one of the best for deer hunting.

I totally agree with the 25WSSM comment. I bought a lefty Browing Medallion. Damn thing was lights out. .75 3 shot with a bunch of different bullets. Pencil thin barrel heats up quicker than a RUM on a 100F day.

At one point I wanted to make a 25WSSM sniper rig so I found a Medallion lefty in 223WSSM. Bought it up. That rifle also shoots damn well. Only have about 4oo rounds in it. The 25WSSM is shot out at high 900 round count.

I am going to rebarrel the 25 as I do feel it one hell of a deer rifle. I've dropped about 10 deer with it. Mostly with Accubond and a few TSX. Drops deer like its an 06 and super light.

223WSSM was just a bad buy on my part. Except for the stock, real pretty wood.