Preatorian
Well-Known Member
Im going to purchase a new rifle this week in 25 WSSM but having a hard time finding a factory rifle under $1300, any suggestions?
25 WSSM Purchase Help
- Thread starter Preatorian
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Doublezranch
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Welcome to the forum. I'm a little confused. You said you are going to buy one this week. That statement makes me believe you have one picked out. Did a deal fall though? I will tell you that the 25 wssm is a very fun caliber to shoot. If you plan to reload, components can be difficult to find but there's options. I really like mine. Good luck in your journey. If I can help I certainly will.
Jayson
Jayson
Rifleman97
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What kind of range are you going to be shooting at? Weight range? I'm going to assume hunting with that cartridge but give us some more info.
therifleman556
Well-Known Member
I thought wssm rifles were dirt cheap because of the (near) nonexistent factory ammo & components...
The 25WSSM has virtually the same ballistics as a 25-06. The 25WSSM has almost no factory ammunition choices while the 25-06 has lots of ammunition choices. The 25WSSM is available in few rifles, while the 25-06 is available in many rifles. The ONLY advantage I see in the 25WSSM is that it fits in a short action. That, to me at least, isn't enough to make me give up my favorite cartridge. I strongly suggest you check out rifles in 25-06 instead.
Shaw Custom will build a rifle for about that. Lots of options for action and barrel finish, not so much for stocks.
I think their lead time is about 10 mos, though.
Don't know if you can get a barreled action; seems like I asked and they never responded.
I think their lead time is about 10 mos, though.
Don't know if you can get a barreled action; seems like I asked and they never responded.
sable tireur
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The primary factory rifles were from Winchester and Browning. There may be others...
My suggestion is, if you can't find what you want new, build it.
Yes, it will cost more than $1,300.00 but it will be exactly what you want and it will function the way you want. There are actually short action receivers made today which work with the shorter BR length cartridges.
If $1,300 is what is being charged for a new rifle in 25 WSSM, entertain the notion of buying a good condition used rifle.
Options are limited. I am shooting one right now which I built for the 131 grain BlackJack bullet.
Jerry M
Well-Known Member
Ammo and brass have been very rare in the past 5-6 years. I have been looking at .25WSSM uppers, but never purchased one because of this problem.
Good Luck
Jerry
Good Luck
Jerry
sable tireur
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Years ago, Olympic Arms released a new proprietary cartridge matched to uppers they manufactured named the .300 OSSM. This was made by necking up the 25 WSSM case to take .30 caliber bullets. Oly Arms also made loaded ammunition for this cartridge. They essentially cornered the market on most of the production of the 25 WSSM brass.
As the demand for any WSSM brass slowed, production runs became further apart until now, when we get a run every two years. Up until 3 months ago, Cabela's had a decent supply of 25 WSSM but it's all gone now.
You can always source out one of the cases and neck them up for the .25 cal. version.
As the demand for any WSSM brass slowed, production runs became further apart until now, when we get a run every two years. Up until 3 months ago, Cabela's had a decent supply of 25 WSSM but it's all gone now.
You can always source out one of the cases and neck them up for the .25 cal. version.
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MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Same here... Plus, I haven't seen a new one for sale in years. When the cartridge died, retailers were dumping those things for dirt cheap. I had a buddy that worked at the local outdoors store, and he bought a new Browning A-Bolt .25 WSSM about 8 years ago that they still had sitting on the shelf collecting dust. He only shot like 2 boxes of ammo through it, and then offered to sell it to me for $300 with all his 1x fired brass and what he had left of his factory ammo. He said ammo was impossible to find, so he didn't have any desire to own it anymore. I didn't have the spare cash at the time.
I need to call and see if he's still got it...
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calinb
Well-Known Member
I have a Winchester M70 and an Olympic AR-15 upper in 243 WSSM. Though brass availability from both Hornady and Winchester seems to have become quite good (last I looked about a year ago), I acquired a lifetime supply of brass year ago when I bought my first WSSM (the AR upper). I have plenty of both 243 and 223 (which necks up easily to 243 but results in a slightly short neck). I also picked up many boxes of 100 gr. and 95gr. Winchester factory ammo too, but my 87 gr. Berger loads beat them hands down for accuracy. It's my favorite antelope round.
Don't believe the silly notion that chrome lined barrels aren't accurate; my M70 has a factory chrome lined barrel and it's as accurate as the best of any of my stainless and chrome moly barrels. Actually I only have one other centerfire rifle that's as accurate.
I bought a Krieger 1:8 twist barrelfor my Oly upper and a 243 WSSM reamer, but haven't found the time to chamber it yet. The WSSM is still the most capable long range SAAMI cartridge that fits in a standard AR platform (well almost--the upper is reamed-out and the barrel extension is oversize).
I spent many hours trying to get my M70 to feed well by tweaking feed lips and such, but finally gave up and just bought a brand new mag well and spring/follower assembly for my M70 and now it feeds perfectly. The geometry must be just right and fortunately the new factory parts turned out to be right on the money. (I'd bought the rifle off a Gunbroker pawn shop and, while I was happy with the deal, I also found a surprise case neck stuck in the chamber, which I had to extract.)
Personally, I like shooting oddball cartridges. It keeps me from wasting my money by buying factory ammo and motivates me to "roll my own"! In the oddball camp (uber-expensive factory ammo), I have:
243 WSSM
7mm-300 RCM (wildcat)
300 RCM
338 RCM
358 Norma Magnum
480 Ruger
and even my 44 Spl is sort of an oddball these days.
I have a lifetime supply of brass for all of the above. I would pick up a 223 or 25 WSSM in an instant (the 300 OSSM is too "overbore" for the fat and squat case and limited COAL to be versatile enough for me), if the right deal came along. I already have the (neckable) brass for them.
Don't believe the silly notion that chrome lined barrels aren't accurate; my M70 has a factory chrome lined barrel and it's as accurate as the best of any of my stainless and chrome moly barrels. Actually I only have one other centerfire rifle that's as accurate.
I bought a Krieger 1:8 twist barrelfor my Oly upper and a 243 WSSM reamer, but haven't found the time to chamber it yet. The WSSM is still the most capable long range SAAMI cartridge that fits in a standard AR platform (well almost--the upper is reamed-out and the barrel extension is oversize).
I spent many hours trying to get my M70 to feed well by tweaking feed lips and such, but finally gave up and just bought a brand new mag well and spring/follower assembly for my M70 and now it feeds perfectly. The geometry must be just right and fortunately the new factory parts turned out to be right on the money. (I'd bought the rifle off a Gunbroker pawn shop and, while I was happy with the deal, I also found a surprise case neck stuck in the chamber, which I had to extract.)
Personally, I like shooting oddball cartridges. It keeps me from wasting my money by buying factory ammo and motivates me to "roll my own"! In the oddball camp (uber-expensive factory ammo), I have:
243 WSSM
7mm-300 RCM (wildcat)
300 RCM
338 RCM
358 Norma Magnum
480 Ruger
and even my 44 Spl is sort of an oddball these days.
I have a lifetime supply of brass for all of the above. I would pick up a 223 or 25 WSSM in an instant (the 300 OSSM is too "overbore" for the fat and squat case and limited COAL to be versatile enough for me), if the right deal came along. I already have the (neckable) brass for them.
therifleman556
Well-Known Member
Same here... Plus, I haven't seen a new one for sale in years.
There's guy not far from me selling a super shadow on AL who's asking $700! Don't get me wrong, I don't shoot enough for brass availability to scare me off but dang; I'll wait for one of the $399 GunBroker specials before I dump that kind of coin.
IndianaMatt
Well-Known Member
25 SST Sherman would fit the bill
calinb
Well-Known Member
I bought my 338 Win Mag Super Shadow and my used M70 243 WSSM off Gun Broker about six years ago. Both were $500 and I got them the same year. I've added upgraded stocks (McMillan and Hogue, respectively, because I sling-up tight, which doesn't work well with flexi-flier plastic stocks). Each rifle cost me $500, which might seem like a lot for the orphaned WSSM cartridge, but good WSSMs can be hard to find (and my WSSM required my smithing it some and the new mag well parts before it was usable). Oh yeah, I added PTG bottom metal too (two screw hinged floor plate) , which is sometimes hard to find for WSSMs. Good luck. I hope you find a nice one!
