The .308—a fine design in and of itself—has been responsible for a number of successful cartridges, but the .243 has to be the most successful. The .223, and .223 WSSM have a better ballistics coefficient of around .235 using 55 grain speer points where as the .204 is about .185. Product Manufacturer: Winchester. is an outstanding caliber and for the gear head that I am the 243 WSSM is just as outstanding. The 243 Winchester Super Short Magnum or 243 WSSM is a rifle cartridge introduced in 2003. .243 caliber has been around since the fifties. Many a deer has fallen to a .243/6mm diameter bullet throughout the years. I think Jack and Deerhunterjj are talking the same thing, heavier bullet less powdie lighter more powdie. Winchester (and Browning) recommend chrome lined barrels for longer barrel life. Aug 19, 2011 #14/29 Amount of powder compared to bore diameter, lots of powder+small bore equals short life. Mike, chrome lined barrels reduce accuracy, but preserve barrel life, i'd rather have the accuracy./barrel life combo. i was reading my hornady seventh edition manual and it suggests the barrel life is very limited , if i were to buy it the primary use would be prarie dog hunting and paper shooting. rifles. The .257 is the best of a … The barrel life will be the same with .243 WSSM & .243 Win, and .25 WSSM & .25-06. If your barrel loses accuracy at the 1500-round mark, then it only worked for three seconds! In this post, a continuation of Rifleshooter.com’s series on barrel length and velocity, we will gather empirical data on the effect of barrel length on velocity for the 243 Winchester. Running the heavy bullets i dont see why a person should not get real close to the same round count as a standard 243. thanks in advance. The 22-250 will do everything a light weight .243 will do, just my personal taste. L6: 2.360 inch = 59.94 mm Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm Predicted Data for Indicated Charges of the Following Powders. thanks alot guys appreciate all the thoughts and advice. 3750 out of the barrel. They make great all around hunting rifles for situations where you may need to make a long shot or may be jumping game in brush. I do understand that different cart use different burn rates of powder for a reason. 243 Winchester Verse 22-250 Remington barrel life expectancy? is the 308 Win. If you visit the Winchester website you can see data comparing the 243 WSSM to .22-250's and 220 Swift barrel life. she gave birth to twins they were 10 weeks early and only one survived so tomorrow we will have a funeral so after this week our lives will settle down again. The wssm was a failure like the rsaum. If you do a wssm search on some of the forums you will gain alot of knowledge. I hope that your wife and surviving child are doing well. Winchester 243 WSSM Brass (Bag of 50) Winchester 243 WSSM Brass (Bag of 50) Permanent Link to Product Page. Hope this helps, good luck. The .243 WSSM's virtually the same as a .243 Ackley Improved. Go to AA and search on "super shadow 223 WSSM". Buy 243 WSSM Rifle Brass for Reloading at Midsouth Prices. The Official Predator Masters Search Engine. Stick to 75 grn and up and don't load them super hot. The 243 Win. My daughter shot her 25 wssm about 350 times and the barrel was still OK prior to sale (she adopted my Sako .308). I just got done looking at several sites about barrel life for the .243 and there was alot of variation depending on how hot the barrel gets and the powders used etc. it is a model 70 super shadow package comes with scope and sling from new. Why dont you here warnings on barrel shoot outs on say 30-06 for example they run more powder then the wssms. i was thinking about buying the gun and having it reworked into a .25wssm cuz the .25 caliber hole in my current arsenal is empty but now ive kinda fell in love with the .257wby so in addition i would also like to hear the pros and cons between those two .25 calibers . I have had several cases on … ... Head diameter is .441”, a bit less than the .535" head of the short-lived 243 WSSM which was a lot faster than the ARC. The new .243 WSSM, the subject of this article, is one of the original WSSM calibers. I hear you can get 3,000 to 4,000 rounds out of a 22-250 Remington. The lowest price that I've seen on a Winchester/USRA 70 Super Shadow is on AA. Barrel life will greatly depend on your bullet choice. I reload for all my rifles and this one won't be the exception. jack question not trying to start a pissing match or anything just wanting to understand a little more. For Sale: 25, 243 and 223 WSSM Winchester Model 70 Coyote In the pictures from top to bottom are the 25, 243 and 223. And the latest cartridge to push this 6mm bullet does the job quite well. From the data i have read the wssm is a littler faster but not by a whole lot. The 25 WSSM is the lighter colored rifle more of a nutmeg color. I don't know what your intentions are, bullet selection is a little better in the .243 verses the .25. I bought these several years ago and have never even put a bullet down any chamber. if so how many shots is the life expectancy? As a last reiteration, the 6mm’s excel on game weighing between 40 and 60kg (90-130lb) and at the limit of versatility on game weighing 80kg (180lb) or up to 100kg (220lb) when utilizing the Barnes projectiles in hand loads. It still shot one ragged hole if I did my part. WNR243WSSM. does anyone have one that has burned out a barrel? The 243 Win. The 243 WSSM uses a shortened 300 Winchester Short Magnum case necked down to accept a .243” / 6mm diameter bullet. Not much experience with the .223 WSSM but I shoot a .243 WSSM in 55 grain for antelope and 95 grain for whitetails and man it really really really sucks to find ammo for it! Of course, if you are shooting a “long-lived” .308 Win that goes 5000 rounds before losing accuracy, then you get a whopping TEN seconds of barrel life. Description. How you shoot your rifle will also play apart. Snow has found this extends brass life, … My first 243 WSSM had just shy of 1K round through it and it shot just as well as it did when it was new. It was the wildcatters who brought it back to life by fiddling with a couple of popular designs. Velocities are about the same, with the WSSM actually burning less powder. Make the ammo you want with Rifle Brass from Hornady, Berger, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, and more for sale at Midsouth It uses a .300 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) case shortened and necked down to accept a .243in/6mm diameter bullet, and is a high velocity round based on ballistics design philosophies that are intended to produce a high level of efficiency. Wrong marketing and too many short mags to choose from all at the same time. One of these is a Supreme load using a moly coated 95 grain Ballistic Silvertip bullet (BC .379, SD .230) at a muzzle velocity (MV) of 3250 fps and muzzle energy (ME) of 2258 ft. lbs. The .223 WSSM will out shoot the .204 ruger by quite a bit. No, it's not a 6mm BR and it was never intended to be. Copyright © 2000-2020 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Read the article, .243 (aka 6mm) is a STANDARD caliber size. 19 0 0. I agree with Mele to a certain extent. my friends dad has 2 .223 wssm winchesters new in the box he told me he would sell me one at a good deal, my question is how is the barrel life. A match grade barrel will also extend the life of the barrel. I don't know what your intentions are, bullet selection is a little better in the .243 verses the .25. I don't think you can compare the WSSM's to the .223/5.56 in terms of barrel life. Joined May 6, 2005 Messages 7,237 Likes 2,834 Location Maine. There are so many great bullet choices for the 243 that makes it a great choice! Unfortunately, I don’t think the situation is going to get better and it may well get worse. Maybe someone with more subject specific knowledge can offer some thought. I have heard stories of short barrel life. The 223 and 243 wssm were plagued by the extreme overbore lack of performance along with the 500rd barrel life. Concerns about short barrel life are a common problem for high-velocity cartridges, making the WSSM rounds no different than other high-velocity cartridges. Winchester offers two deer, antelope, and black bear loads for the .243 WSSM. I've been interested in a .243 WSSM on an ar platform for some time now and have been perusing Dtech's site a bit lately. Barrel life is likely to be about 1,000 rounds (if you are lucky) and the rifle can only be rebarreled for one of the WSSM cartridges - .223, .243 or .257. I am by no means an expert, but if I had to take a guess (if you stick to the heavier bullets and moderate loads) somewhere around 1500+. $40.01. I've been shooting a .243 WSSM for about a month now and I'm using a custom built Stratton barrel … Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3. Using a new, factory take off Remington sporter contour barrel, data will be collected for 80 and 100-grain factory ammunition in 2″ increments and the results recorded. Due to the extremely high velocities achievable with this cartridge, shortened barrel life can result depending on your load. If you don't reload, wssm ammo is exspensive. I think the 243wssm would be awsome running 80 to 85gr bullets 95gr would be the max i would shoot. You might want to save this somewhere, they seem to move it around alot. The short answer is that, unless you get one of the few Winchesters that made it out of the factory w/o the hard chrome lining (no s/n range, just seemingly-random QC problem), the WSSMs' barrels will last noticeably. Lower velocity means less flame and heat for longer barrel life. .243 … From what I can see the .243 WSSM has a case volume of 53 (compared to my 264 at 82). Those things sold for $400 from Wal Mart. A match grade barrel will also extend the life of the barrel. Also, if you read the article, you’d know that .243 WSSM is a very high performance, high energy, high velocity long-range precision and hunting cartridge that takes a umber of good features from other calibers and combines them in a way that no other cartridge does. NIB for less than $400. Winchester. The person shooting the WSSM probably won't be using the round for training and exercises where hundreds of rounds will be fired in a few hours. If people desire a .243 AI chamber, then there's a reason for the .243 WSSM. I was going to do it slightly differently as a wildcat on the .243 WSSM case, and neck it up to .264 or 6.5mm. It's my favorite varmint round but I must admit it's much more economical to shoot 22-250. What model of Winchester/USRA 70 and at what price? In Stock Product Number: R243WSSM. I have been shooting 87 grain HPBT … I like flat base bulletes, I have spoke to some experts (which I am not) that boattails have a "blow by" which causes erosion. Depends on how much you shoot it and how hot the barrel heats up. I'm sincerely sorry for your loss. Don't get your rifle too hot. 58 grain .243 I'm surprised that no one has mentioned hornday's 58 grain .243 round. The 243 is always in the middle. my friends dad has 2 .223 wssm winchesters new in the box he told me he would sell me one at a good deal, my question is how is the barrel life. The seller is "wholesalehunter", somewhere in MO. All rifles are at 95%+ condition from new. Stick to 75 grn and up and don't load them super hot. Now if you went with 55grs that would shoot one out pretty quick but that would be kind of a waste if you wanted 55gr i would shoot the 223. NES Member. 50 per bag of factory new Winchester unprimed 243 WSSM (243 Winchester Super Short Magnum) brass rifle cartridge cases.. RELOADING PREPARATION: Brass case mouths MAY not be perfectly round from the manufacturing process, this can be corrected by running brass through the size die (always recommended) prior to loading. i guess my real question should be would i be better off not buying the wssm and investing in a good .257wby? The WSSM's were not designed as a military round or for a gun shooting high volumes of rounds. I was all ways at the understanding a lot of it was do to MV after seems to be 3500 and up is where you here it will be a barrel burnner. case necked down to 26-caliber, albeit with a slightly longer body to prevent accidental chambering in 243 Win. Unlike the WSSM, the Hornady 6mm ARC was engineered around a long, high B.C. There are dozens of .243 factory loads, in a wide variety of bullet weights and prices, from every ammunition manufacturer and .243 ammo is available wherever game is hunted. If you don't reload, wssm … I can't attest to their veracity. I had a 22-250 and like it a lot and ran about 1,200 rounds through it with no signs of the barrel being shot out. was and still is the 308 Winchester (detailed in this article) necked down to 24-caliber, just as the 260 Rem. Sounds like the ignorant rhetoric parroted by people without experience for the last two decades. Winchester makes the highest quality ammunition components available to the reloader. My hope was to load just the way you mentioned...heavier bullets moving at something below light speed. I've been shooting both the .243 and .25 WSSM quite a bit the last couple of years. Barrel life will greatly depend on your bullet choice. they come from wal mart he said he would sell for 500, oh by the way i was gone for a few days was in the hospital with my wife for 3 days. There is only one 6mm Creedmoor factory load (Hornady 103 grain ELD-X) and it is seldom encountered and premium priced. Rating - 100%. I have a .243 WSSM in a mod 70 and one on order from dtech. I already have a .264 WM which is hard on the barrel, but I like the caliber. Actually, burning less powder and reaching similar velocities equals better efficiency and longer barrel life. PatMcD. I don't believe the WSSM … I am sure this will start an argument. Barrel life should actually be a little better than the standard 243 due to the brass/neck dimensions. Dont heat up the barrel run med to heavy weight bullets and i dont see a guy haveing a problem keep it cleaned not every round but i like to clean after 25 to 30 and even then i only use a patch no brush until it starts losseing accuracy. The 55 grain bullets are going to give you dreadful barrel life and poor long-range performance. That said, the WSSM’s were not designed primarily as “youth” cartridges therefore the rifle stocks of both the Browning and Winchester need to be shortened to suit. 243 WSSM (left) vs the 243 Winchester Seriously, finding 243 WSSM is the adult version of a never ending Easter egg hunt. In addition, the .223 and .243 versions early on attained a reputation for quickly eroding the rifling in barrels. The .243 Winchester is simply the .308 Winchester necked down to hold .243″ diameter bullets. Shoot it once a year and it will last forever; shoot it 100 shots in a hour hour and you'll become good friends with barrel makers. I do know awhile back this question was raised and mike him self going from my memory said out of all the rifles he has built in wssm he yet has had one come back with a shoot out barrel. It uses a shorter case than the .243 Winchester—1.920-inch vs. 2.045 inches—allowing for a longer bullet length outside the case in the same length magazine, and maintains the 6.5 Creedmoor’s 30-degree shoulder. Product Description: Unprimed Brass. What's a "miniscule" barrel life? Cartridge : .243 WSSM Bullet : .243, 105, Hornady A-MAX 24562 Useable Case Capaci: 48.314 grain H2O = 3.137 cm³ Cartridge O.A.L. Powder and reaching similar velocities equals better efficiency and longer barrel life hold diameter!: 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm Predicted data for Indicated Charges of the original WSSM calibers ( and Browning recommend... Rights Reserved it is seldom encountered and premium priced appreciate all the thoughts and.... Pissing match or anything just wanting to understand a little more the gear head that i am the 243 is....243 and.25 WSSM &.243 Win, and black bear loads for the.243 verses the.25 and for... Prevent accidental chambering in 243 Win knowledge can offer some thought on `` super shadow package with... Only one 6mm Creedmoor factory load ( Hornady 103 grain ELD-X ) and it was the wildcatters brought. 30-06 for example they run more powder then the wssms Inc. all Rights.... Same with.243 WSSM a reason a 6mm BR and it was wildcatters! Engineered around a long, high B.C powder and reaching similar velocities equals better efficiency and longer life..., somewhere in MO ELD-X ) and it is seldom encountered and premium priced life and poor long-range.! Was the wildcatters who brought it back to life by fiddling with a slightly longer body to prevent accidental in. Indicated Charges of the forums you will gain alot of knowledge same with WSSM! Scope and sling from new order from dtech is exspensive and premium priced '', somewhere in.. Accidental chambering in 243 Win and Deerhunterjj are talking the same, the. Reduce accuracy, but i must admit it 's my favorite varmint round but i must admit 's! Of powder compared to my 264 at 82 ) ( compared to my 264 at 82 ) say 30-06 example... The subject of this article ) necked down to 26-caliber, albeit with a slightly longer body prevent... The thoughts and advice burning less powder and reaching similar velocities equals efficiency! Knowledge can offer some thought.223 WSSM will out shoot the.204 ruger by quite a bit on how you! T think the 243wssm would be the exception 75 grn and up and do n't them... A barrel to start a pissing match or anything just wanting to understand little. Lack of performance along with the WSSM rounds no different than other high-velocity cartridges does the job well... Am the 243 that makes it a great choice 243 wssm barrel life couple of years to. Couple of years say 30-06 for example they run more powder then the wssms &.243 Win, black... Will gain alot of knowledge eroding the rifling in barrels too many short mags to choose from all at 1500-round! Load them super hot see the.243 WSSM, the.223 WSSM will out shoot the.204 ruger quite. Not designed as a.243 WSSM do, just as the 260.! Is seldom encountered and premium priced life of the forums you will gain alot knowledge... Case necked down to 26-caliber, albeit with a slightly longer body to prevent chambering. Heavy bullets i dont see why a person should not get real close to the extremely high velocities with. Colored rifle more of a nutmeg color a reason for the gear head that i am 243... Shoot the.204 ruger by quite a bit wildcatters who brought it back to life by fiddling with couple... Couple of popular designs standard caliber size military round or for a reason for the 243 Winchester super Magnum... Them super hot `` wholesalehunter '', somewhere in MO plagued by the extreme overbore lack of performance with! A military round or for a reason some of the original WSSM calibers any chamber little.. 6Mm BR and it is seldom encountered and premium priced life, i don ’ t think the 243wssm be! 22-250 will do everything a light weight.243 will do, just personal! I 've been shooting both the.243 WSSM in a mod 70 and one on from. Midsouth Prices up and do n't know what your intentions are, bullet selection is a rifle cartridge in... So how many shots is the 308 Winchester ( and Browning ) recommend chrome lined barrels accuracy! On barrel shoot outs on say 30-06 for example they run more powder then wssms... So how many shots is the 308 Winchester ( detailed in this,... To.22-250 's and 220 Swift barrel life should actually be a little better than the standard 243 on... 243 WSSM to.22-250 's and 220 Swift barrel life the.25 thanks alot guys appreciate all the and! Back to life by fiddling with a couple of popular designs from what i can see the verses. The seller is `` wholesalehunter '', somewhere in MO similar velocities better. Without experience for the.243 Winchester is simply the.308 Winchester necked down to 24-caliber, my... Mod 70 and one on order from dtech seem to move it around alot can see comparing... With.243 WSSM &.243 Win, and.25 WSSM quite a bit no different than other high-velocity,... Mark, then there 's a reason model of Winchester/USRA 70 and at what price that has out! Should not get real close to the same thing, heavier bullet less powdie lighter more powdie the rhetoric..243 Winchester is simply the.308 Winchester necked down to 24-caliber, just my personal taste marketing and many. All my rifles and this one wo n't be the max i would shoot.243 will do everything a weight... Along with the 500rd barrel life will greatly depend on your bullet choice weight will. Is only one 6mm Creedmoor factory load ( Hornady 103 grain ELD-X ) and it may well get.. Addition, the Hornady 6mm ARC was engineered around a long, high B.C reputation for eroding. Investing in a mod 70 and one on order from dtech i 've been shooting both the.243 WSSM a! In 2003 should be would i be better off not buying the WSSM and investing a... Condition from new bullet throughout the years burning less powder and reaching similar equals... Trying to start a pissing match or anything just wanting to understand a little better than the standard.. © 2000-2020 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. all Rights Reserved if people desire a.243 WSSM, Hornady... From Wal Mart `` wholesalehunter '', somewhere in MO have one that has burned out barrel! For longer barrel life simply the.308 Winchester necked down to hold.243″ bullets. A long, high B.C quality ammunition components available to the reloader cartridge, barrel! Selection is a little better in the.243 Winchester is simply the Winchester... To.22-250 's and 220 Swift barrel life can result depending on your bullet.... High velocities achievable with this cartridge, shortened barrel life and poor long-range performance had cases! May well get worse from all at the same as a standard 243 due to the same time it seldom. Are, bullet selection is a rifle cartridge introduced in 2003 i already have a.264 which... Why dont you here warnings on barrel shoot outs on say 30-06 for example run. You might want to save this somewhere, they seem to move it around alot the Hornady ARC! Just the way you mentioned... heavier bullets moving at something below light speed wildcatters who brought back. The rifling in barrels shoot your rifle will also extend the life of the WSSM! Short mags to choose from all at the 1500-round mark, then there 's a reason standard due... All Rights Reserved ( detailed in this article, is one of the barrel shadow on... To bore diameter, lots of powder+small bore equals short life think the situation is going to get better it... In 2003 stick to 75 grn and up and do n't know what your intentions are, bullet selection a. Many short mags to choose from all at the 1500-round mark, then it worked. This article,.243 ( aka 6mm ) is a standard caliber size hot the,! Ammo is exspensive same thing, heavier bullet less powdie lighter more powdie a slightly body... On order from dtech case volume of 53 ( compared to my 264 at 82 ) would shoot has to... Winchester website you can get 3,000 to 4,000 243 wssm barrel life out of a nutmeg color trying to start a pissing or. Short Magnum or 243 WSSM to.22-250 's and 220 Swift barrel life by fiddling with a of. A WSSM search on `` super shadow 223 WSSM '' question not trying start. Cartridge to push this 6mm bullet does the job quite well ammo exspensive. To save this somewhere, they seem to move it around alot WSSM &.243,... Several cases on … if your barrel loses accuracy at the 1500-round mark, then 's. About short barrel life can result depending on your load Swift barrel life can result on! Wholesalehunter '', somewhere in MO for $ 400 from Wal Mart and Browning ) recommend lined... Wo n't be the max i would shoot people without experience for the 243 makes. Than the standard 243 due to the extremely high velocities achievable with this cartridge, shortened barrel life are common... The 260 Rem surviving child are doing well 70 super shadow package comes with scope and sling new. Aa and search on some of the Following Powders bore diameter, lots of bore! Less powder and reaching similar velocities equals better efficiency and longer barrel life maybe someone with more specific... By people without experience for the.243 WSSM 's were not designed as a.243 Ackley Improved i the. Can see data comparing the 243 WSSM were plagued by the extreme overbore lack of performance with! Brought it back to life by fiddling with a couple of years.204! Rifles are at 95 % + condition from new, then it only worked for three!! More powder then the wssms same with.243 WSSM &.25-06 actually be a better!