270 WSM

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fighterpilot

Bearcat
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Mar 22, 2006
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Kenner, Louisiana USA
Does Ruger make a bolt action rifle in .270 wsm? I have one that I bought a few years ago in stainless with composite stock; however, when I went on Ruger's web site tonight, I could not find a bolt action rifle chambered for the .270 wsm. in their product line of models and by checking for that caliber. Anybody know for sure?
 

wwb

Hunter
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Nov 18, 2004
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wisconsin
The .270 WSM, like almost all of the other short mags, super-short mags, ultra mags, and short action ultra mags, is pretty much a dead caliber. If you check all the rifle manufacturers' websites, I'm pretty sure you'll find that nobody currently catalogs the short mag calibers, with the exception of the .300 WSM, which has a slim chance of surviving.

If you have one and want to keep it, get all the ammo you can find NOW. If you're a reloader, stock up on brass. Brass and ammo are going to get harder to find and far more expensive in the future.
 

fighterpilot

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 22, 2006
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8
Location
Kenner, Louisiana USA
Too bad, it's a great caliber; however, the new Hornady Superformance Ammunition brings the .270 win. performance right up there with the short magnum performance.
I guess I'll stock up on some ammo while the supplies last.

Is that going to make my rifle increase or decrease in value?
 

wwb

Hunter
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wisconsin
fighterpilot":1ucauv52 said:
......Is that going to make my rifle increase or decrease in value?

Hard to say for certain.... it's quite probable that the value will increase, since there are relatively few of them out there (they never did sell very well), but the number of potential buyers will be pretty small.
 

fighterpilot

Bearcat
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Mar 22, 2006
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8
Location
Kenner, Louisiana USA
Browning, Tikka, Howa, Winchester are all offering rifles chambered for the .270 wsm. I haven't checked any others, so I'm hoping they continue to produce the ammunition. I don't see it in Hornady; however, Winchester and Federal are still producing and selling .270 WSM ammunition.
I'll keep my eyes open and when it starts to seemingly get scarse, I'll buy a bunch more than I'll probably ever need and then reload for myself.
 

Silent Sam

Blackhawk
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Feb 26, 2006
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I don't think the 270 WSM is going anywhere. Hornady doesn't make WSM ammo because they are pushing RCMs but most major ammo manufacturers are producing it in numerous loadings. News of the WSM's death is highly exaggerated.:wink: I think even Remington is chambering rifles in 300 & 270 WSM. I wouldn't panic about brass. Ruger quit chambering the WSM cartridges due to having to pay royalties not because they didn't sell and the RCMs came out shortly after. So the RCM idea may have already been in the works at the time. I have a 270 WSM stainless/synthetic that I bought after they were discontinued thinking I'd keep it as a safe queen, which didn't work out btw. I have no idea how many were produced but I doubt they fall into the 'rare' category. Hard to find might be a better description. The stainless/synthetic version is the only configuration I have ever seen or heard of. They are certainly a lot more rare than any 270 Win. How ever many were made, there won't be anymore from Ruger.
While I like and use a lot of Hornady products I wouldn't put my eggs in the 'Super Performance' basket. I have chrono'd their light magnum loads and they never made claimed velocities in my rifles or even any appreciable gains. I have not tried any of the 'Super Performance stuff so I can't comment specifically on that but for a reloader it is a moot point. The fact remains that the 270 WSM has more case capacity than the 270 Win and is capable of making more velocity even with Ruger's 22" barrel which is unique for WSM rifles. Everyone else uses 23" or 24" barrels.
 

fighterpilot

Bearcat
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Mar 22, 2006
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Kenner, Louisiana USA
Very informative...Thanks Silent Sam. I love my Ruger .270 wsm both in the way it feels and handles. I'll be continueing to hunt with mine.
I've got it topped with a Bushnell 3200 Elite series scope making it a really nice combination for a hunting rifle.
 

wwb

Hunter
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Location
wisconsin
I'd bet that any currently offered rifles in the short mag, super short mag, etc. calibers are barrels that are a few years old, sitting in the manufacturers inventory, waiting for an order so they can be mated to an action and shipped.

Our gun club runs an annual "25 Gun Raffle" as a fund raiser - 1000 tickets sold at $25 each. The dealer we get the guns from has given us a real deal the last couple years on the short mags... the ones he's sold us were below his original cost (I'm sure he took a tax writeoff on them) - they were NIB and about 5 years old. He says his distributer can get him the short mag rifles cheaper today than the same model and caliber cost 3 years ago.... but rifles in the "old fashioned" conventional calibers are typically 15% to 20% more than 3 years ago.

I don't have any real "insider information" from a manufacturer, but look around and draw your own conclusion. Nothing wrong with the short mags... they just never sold in the anticipated volume, and if they aren't selling, they will disappear.
 

hawk_driver

Single-Sixer
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Jan 21, 2006
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101
Location
Sierra Vista, AZ
The short mags are in deed dead, as far as Ruger goes. They most likely dropped them so they would not have to pay royality fees on the WSM's. The Rem short mags never took off and really didnt sell all that great.

As far as the WSM's being dead, that is far from reality. Almost every manufacturer includes them in their lineup. The 270/300 WSM are very popular rounds. I dont own any of them, but to say they are dead is not a very accurate statement.
 

Silent Sam

Blackhawk
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wwb- What rifle manufacturer(s), what caliber(s), and what "short mags" are you seeing discounted?
 

wwb

Hunter
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wisconsin
Silent Sam":2qiqfujx said:
wwb- What rifle manufacturer(s), what caliber(s), and what "short mags" are you seeing discounted?

It was a mix of Brownings and Winchesters (big deal.... same company)... however, I may have to re-think it. One was a .270 WSM... the rest were an assortment of WSSM (Super-Short Mag) calibers. Maybe the Short Mags will survive... but I'd still hedge my bets and stock up on ammo or brass. The dealer said the only WSM calibers he's ever sold were the .300 WSM, and nowhere near as many of them as the traditional .300 Win Mag..... and not as many of them as a .30-06.
 

falrifles

Bearcat
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Location
St Louis, Missouri
I bought a New Haven Mod 70 stainless ultimate shadow in 2005. Kept it new in the box with hang tags until recently. I just mounted a Nikon Monarch 2X-10X by 42mm scope on it and hope to get it to the range in short order. There is no shortage of .270 WSM ammo or brass.

My go to gun since 1998 has been a stainless classic M70 in 30.06. In addition, I have a New Haven stainless featherweight in .270 win. Both great guns and calibers.

I live in St Louis Mo. I am the last of many, many, people I know who got on the .270 WSM bandwagon. One of the first I saw was a stainless Browning Abolt purchased by a young man at my gun club after the round first came out years ago. Very accurate rifle. Very flat shooting. Several folks at the club bought .270 WSM rifles after seeing how well his shot.

I wanted one of the stainless Ruger 77s in .270 WSM but was dissapointed when they suddenly dropped it right after the court royalty settlement order with Rick Jamieson. Not too hard to figure out what happened there.

All you have to do is a search at Midway USA or any other big supplier to see there is no shortage of ammo or components for this round. Midway alone lists 9 pages of dies, brass, ammo etc. for this round. I believe that coments about this round being dead are simply hot air and so much speculation. The Remington short mags may be a thing of the recent past but not the WSMs. In fact, I believe the .270 WSM may be the most popular followed by the 300 WSM. I doubt that the 7mm WSM has much of a chance, but thats the way it goes.
 

Silent Sam

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 26, 2006
Messages
728
Mine is on the short list for an upcoming elk hunt this fall. If it ends up not being my primary it will probably get taken as the group back up rifle.
 

mohavesam

Hawkeye
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Jan 4, 2004
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5,847
Location
Rugerville, AZ
I have a couple WSM guns, real M70's in 300WSM and 270WSM. I believe the 270WSM is my all-time favorite North American cartridge!

The 300 WSM took a moose last year at a slightly better clip than the 300 WinMag. I don't shoot long-range (over 200 yards) at anything other than the once-every-few-years pronghorn. The 300WSM recoil, like the 300 Winchester Magnum, just batters me too hard to practive very much.

NOt so the 270WSM. The 270WSM does it all. Dead? Are the Weatherby cartridges dead?

Yeah, just like the 41magnum, 44 SPecial, 348Win and 357Maximum. Dead. Yeah right. Only to folks who don't own one.

BTW, I va e had a couple WSSM guns and also recommend the 243 WSSM for someone who is searching for the elusive "one gun" hunting battery!

:roll:
.
 

mattsbox99

Hunter
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Montana 'Merica
wwb":esjcv6pp said:
Silent Sam":esjcv6pp said:
wwb- What rifle manufacturer(s), what caliber(s), and what "short mags" are you seeing discounted?

It was a mix of Brownings and Winchesters (big deal.... same company)... however, I may have to re-think it. One was a .270 WSM... the rest were an assortment of WSSM (Super-Short Mag) calibers. Maybe the Short Mags will survive... but I'd still hedge my bets and stock up on ammo or brass. The dealer said the only WSM calibers he's ever sold were the .300 WSM, and nowhere near as many of them as the traditional .300 Win Mag..... and not as many of them as a .30-06.


Probably because you live in Wisconsin where nobody shoots long distances.

The WSMs are the only survivors and that is because they have the Winchester name on them. In field performance is identical to the full size cartridges, the only difference is on paper, but I won't try to say that you shouldn't buy one, I own lots of oddball calibers and multiples of many of them.
 
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