Thank you for stopping by, and welcome to the WSSM Zone your one-stop shop for all things WSSM. This web site is in its infancy, so I ask you to please be patient as I get this site up and running.

Some have asked me, "Why are you opening a site dedicated to cartridges that are not, according to some authorities, going to make it in the long run."

My main reason in opening this site is mainly due to the lack of good quality information in a single place concerning these cartridges. When I was researching the 25 WSSM before I purchased one in April of 2005, it took me days and days to come up with any good solid information regarding this cartridge. After hours and hours of frustration I made a promise to myself to remedy this situation when I became a happy WSSM owner. Granted, it is almost a year since the idea was spawned, but my frustration again surfaced when I tried to find someone with firsthand experience in reloading this cartridge on a couple of popular reloading newsgroups.

Below is a list of some of the up-and-coming attractions of this web site. I just ask that you have patients while I put everything together. My ultimate goal is for this web site to be the definitive source for all things WSSM.

WSSM Zone Coming Attractions

A complete listing and description of each WSSM cartridge (.223, .243, .257). A complete listing and description of each factory loaded ammunition offering for each WSSM cartridge. A complete hand load listing for each WSSM cartridge, as well as, a number of articles for the beginning and experienced handloader. A photo gallery where users can post photos of their WSSM's, as well as, other weapons and trophies. A discussion board where individuals can come together to discuss, not only, WSSM cartridges, but other cartridges, as well as, number of other topics as well.

As you can see, there are a lot of exciting additions to this web site planed, so please feel free to check back regularly.

Bench rest shooters have long known that short fat cartridges are ballistically more efficient then standard raffle cartridges. Browning and Winchester simply took this idea to the next level by producing the WSSM family of cartridges. The efficiency gain of this design of cartridge case improves interior ballistics by exposing more powder surface area to the primer for ignition, thus making ignition more consistent. Also, these cartridges are beltless, so headspacing is off of the shoulder, thereby providing a better centering of the bullet to the chamber.

Some people taut the WSSMs as being unnecessary since they do not give you any ballistic advantage compared to previously established cartridges such as the 220 Swift, 243 Winchester/6mm Remington or 25-06 Remington/257 Roberts +P. Most naysayers also complain that with velocities topping 4000 fps will wipe out a bore as fast or faster than say that 220 Swift. However, Browning and Winchester have done extensive testing and found that the 223 and 224 WSSM do not ruin barrels any faster than the 220 Swift. Browning in Winchester were also able to determine that they could stretch barrel life and maintain MOA accuracy to 1500 rounds by chrome lining the barrel. Most of the early reports of these cartridges complain of poor accuracy. In the June 2005 issue of Shooting Times, Dick Metcalf had this to say concerning accuracy in his definitive study: Super Short Magnums -- The Rest of the Story "There is, however, one very important thing that all WSSM shooters must beware of if they expect to maintain maximum accuracy from the rifles. Super Short Magnum bores must be kept clean. The smaller the caliber and the faster the bullet, the more sensitive any cartridge is to bore fouling." He also attributes this to the source of early poor accuracy reports.

The WSSM family of cartridges may not be Ballistic Wonder Dogs, but they do fill a market niche. For instance, with a very short bolt throw follow up shots are that much quicker. This is also beneficial to the smaller shooters who have a difficult time manhandling a longer action. God knows I sure did when I was younger. Plus, a lighter rifle is always a welcome companion on long day's hunt. Additionally, for the shooter who may happen to be disabled, like myself, finds the minimal recoil a pleasant plus.

To find out more detailed information for each individual WSSM offering from both Winchester and Browning, please select one of the cartridges from the navigation bar to the left.

I have also elected to not include ammunition description and reviews for each of these cartridges in their descriptions since I will be giving the reader a detailed review and/or report of each factory load offering, as well as, handloaded data. To view this information, select Ammunition from the navigation bar to the top of the page. On the secondary navigation bar, to the left, select the desired cartridge. You can also view reloading data for a selected cartridge by selecting Reloading from the navigation bar, and selecting the desired cartridge from the secondary navigation bar to the left.

This section of the web site will compare and contrast factory loaded ammunition for the WSSM family of cartridges, as well as, there comparable competition as follows.

Of the three WSSM cartridges no other manufacturer loads ammunition for this family of cartridges except for Winchester. Therefore, unless you handload you will have to settle for Winchester Supreme or Super X ammunition for all WSSM cartridges. Please, do not think of this as a horribly bad thing. Winchester does make some good ammunition. Plus, what a better way to justify the start of a new hobby in reloading. Really, reloading is not as difficult and daunting as one may think. Visit the Reloading link at the top navigation bar for more information on this topic.

In the table below, you will find the different bullets, weight, name, ballistic coefficient (BC), sectional density (SD), and the rated CXP class for each of Winchester's factory offerings.

To navigate to more detailed descriptions of the above cartridges select the WSSM cartridge that you would like to research from the secondary navigation bar to the left of the page.

WSSM Cartridges
Overview 223 WSSM 243 WSSM 25 WSSM

What is reloading, and how does it pertain to the WSSM family of cartridges? This is one of the main questions that I hope to answer for not only the beginning hand loader, but I also hope that some of the information I can pass along will help the experienced as well.

Quite simply, reloading is just that, reloading a spent cartridge so that it can be used again in the proper firearm. Some ask, "Is all of the work and time really worth the payoffs?" Reloading, or hand loading as it is often called, in the beginning, is often undertaken to merely make shooting more economical; something that it definitely does do. However, as you died deeper into your rifles ballistics you begin to wonder if you can make your groups smaller, and often times the answer is an astounding yes. Below, is a table that will help display what kind of economical savings one can expect from reloading ammunition. The following table illustrates the economical savings one can come to expect with reloading. Of course, your mileage will very depending upon the brand of components you use.

	Overview
	223 WSSM
	243 WSSM
	25 WSSM

Load Data
223 WSSM 243 WSSM 25 WSSM