.300 WSM Barrel Contour

[Shankedit]

I had a similar 300WSM setup built for my wife and ended up going with a Proof carbon barrel and throated for 190LRX. I was on the fence too between carbon and steel but ended up going with the carbon because by the time I would've fluted and cerakoted it, it was marginally cheaper than the carbon and I also wanted to try a carbon wrapped barrel because we didn't have one. She also didn't care much for how the flutes looked, so that factored into it as well. If I remember right, without the sling and Harris bipod, the total weight was around 8.5 pounds. But, it was a standard Tikka action without the lightening cuts and a McMillan fiberglass stock instead of a carbon fiber stock.

 

[Rifleman97]

What do you not like about a carbon wrapped barrel?

I was thinking 8.5 or 9

If you build it off of a long action instead of medium/short action, you should get an 8 twist and try out the 212 LRX with a COAL of roughly 3.463

8 twist shouldn't negatively affect your ability to shoot other 180-220 grain bullets at the velocities the wsm is capable of. I don't have much experience with ultra light bullets 150 and below) in fast twist so can't speak to that aspect however.

Recently watched a video from the vortex podcast I'll link here about that bullet that intrigued me. I don't know if it's all real or kool aid but you have a perfect opportunity to test it out for yourself.

 

[Shankedit]

If you build it off of a long action instead of medium/short action, you should get an 8 twist and try out the 212 LRX with a COAL of roughly 3.463

8 twist shouldn't negatively affect your ability to shoot other 180-220 grain bullets at the velocities the wsm is capable of. I don't have much experience with ultra light bullets 150 and below) in fast twist so can't speak to that aspect however.

Recently watched a video from the vortex podcast I'll link here about that bullet that intrigued me. I don't know if it's all real or kool aid but you have a perfect opportunity to test it out for yourself.

I'm a Barnes fan and I watched that the other day and thought it was pretty interesting. I guess it would be helpful if you wanted to shoot the heavy bullet but also have the shorter throat to shoot the lighter bullets and/or lead core bullets. But then what if Barnes discontinues that bore-rider line? Then you're back to having a SAAMI throated barrel and relegated to either shooting lighter bullets or seating the heavy bullets way far down into the case.
But hey...if they discontinue it, just another excuse to get a new barrel!

 

[HandgunHTR]

What do you not like about a carbon wrapped barrel?

They are not worth the price, in my opinion.
Also, the only "premium" barrels that I have had "walk" due to heat were both carbon-wrapped.

 

[Rifleman97]

I'm a Barnes fan and I watched that the other day and thought it was pretty interesting. I guess it would be helpful if you wanted to shoot the heavy bullet but also have the shorter throat to shoot the lighter bullets and/or lead core bullets. But then what if Barnes discontinues that bore-rider line? Then you're back to having a SAAMI throated barrel and relegated to either shooting lighter bullets or seating the heavy bullets way far down into the case.
But hey...if they discontinue it, just another excuse to get a new barrel!

If they discontinue it you can always take your barrel to your smith and have them elongate the throat and you'll basically have a brand new +p wsm barrel

 

[Rick Richard]

Have you been behind a pure precision stock before? Grip csn be rather wide. A #4 at 22" will have plenty of meat for a 5/8x24

Exactly what he said. Or go Proof.

 

[SloughCreek]

If they discontinue it you can always take your barrel to your smith and have them elongate the throat and you'll basically have a brand new +p wsm barrel

Many of those short action magnums could benefit from being built on a longer action to accommodate longer, heavy for caliber bullets without changing the chambering / pushing the throat out at all. In this case if the Barnes 212 lrx goes away you're still free to load a ton of different bullets out longer and with more powder than most short action magazines will accommodate. You certainly could push the throat out further to accommodate something like a 215 Berger.

That said, lengthening freebore with a throating reamer and the +p rifling treatment are two entirely different processes. Lengthening freebore removes all of the rifling and repositions the leade farther forward allowing bullets to be seated at a longer C.O.A.L. outside the case before the bullet touches the rifling. Take any chamber and measure the cartridge base to ogive, before and after the +p treatment and you might find a difference of .001" in that measurement. +p cuts the rifling after the leade and does not allow you to seat bullets out further.

 

[MT-JONAS]

The whole idea of +p in rifles is new to me. I've known about it for years in handguns.
Can someone explain to a simple hillbilly what it is in rifles and how it is attained?

 

[FEENIX]

The whole idea of +p in rifles is new to me. I've known about it for years in handguns.
Can someone explain to a simple hillbilly what it is in rifles and how it is attained?

Shawn Carlock pioneered the +P...

 

[Rifleman97]

That said, lengthening freebore with a throating reamer and the +p rifling treatment are two entirely different processes. Lengthening freebore removes all of the rifling and repositions the leade farther forward allowing bullets to be seated at a longer C.O.A.L. outside the case before the bullet touches the rifling. Take any chamber and measure the cartridge base to ogive, before and after the +p treatment and you might find a difference of .001" in that measurement. +p cuts the rifling after the leade and does not allow you to seat bullets out further.

Yeah my mistake on the specifics of long throat vs +p. Thanks for the correction and explanation.

But the status is still the same for OP, you can alter the throat of the rifle from stock if they ever discontinue those bullets as they were made for a wsm with saami chambering even with a very long COAL on the wsm.

 

[FEENIX]

@MT-JONAS, this is why I never asked what rifle to build or buy. LL!

 

[06 SB]

I am building a similar rifle but in 338Fed. I decided on a 22" Pacnor #4 fluted. It still has enough meat for threading and light enough (3 pounds) to hit my target weight.