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300 Winchester Short Mag (WSM)
.300 Winchester Short Magnum (also known as .300 WSM) is a .30 caliber rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire short magnum cartridge that was introduced in 2001 by Winchester. The cartridge overall length is 72.64 mm, cartridge case is 53.34 mm in length and the bullet diameter is .308 in (7.62 mm), which is common to all U.S. .30 caliber cartridges. The principle at work in the short magnum cartridge is the advantage of fitting larger volumes of powder in closer proximity to the primer's flash hole, resulting in more uniform, consistent ignition. In field use, this round mirrors the performance of its older counterpart, the .300 Winchester Magnum, which is based on a modified .375 Holland & Holland belted magnum casing.
The advantage to this round is ballistics that are nearly identical to the .300 Winchester Magnum, but in a lighter rifle with a shorter action. A disadvantage of cartridge case designs with relatively large case head diameters lies in relatively high bolt thrust levels exerted on the locking mechanism of the employed firearm. Also in small ring actions the larger chamber diameter removes more steel from the barrel tenon making it weaker in a radial direction Suggested Use
- Deer (long range)
- Black Bear (long range)
- Sheep / Goat (long range)
- Moose
- Elk
- Buffalo / Bison
Performance
The .300 WSM is adaquate for hunting moose, black bear, brown bear, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer in forests and plains where long range, flat shots are necessary. The .300 WSM is also used in benchrest shooting.
The .300 WSM has a standard bullet diameter of .308 or 7.62mm and takes advantage of the numerous bullet options available in that caliber.
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