243 wssm
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steve garrett
Well-known member
Umm dude mike is your huckleberry. Don't even think about going anywhere else. On edit get a reb brass catcher while you r at it
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Originally Posted By: dtechI don’t think you will find any WSSM barrels on the shelf, other than perhaps Olympic Arms. We make them all the time, but build them to order.
Mike, have you had any feedback on barrel life for this caliber? They claim a 55 grain round at over 4000 FPS. That has to have some effect.
Mike, have you had any feedback on barrel life for this caliber? They claim a 55 grain round at over 4000 FPS. That has to have some effect.
steve garrett
Well-known member
Barrel life should be like a 243 Winchester in a bolt gun. Unless you rapid fire it. I would love to shoot one and see how the recoil is. I would like to see the wssm really take off in the ar platform, I also wonder if the parts for them could be changed slightly ie the bolt face and used to make various rounds that support the br size cases
Breatheandsqueeze
New member
Brownie,
I have one that Mike built for me several years ago..It is a really fun rifle to shoot and is easy to load for. I pushed mine to 4008 fps using a 55 grain Nosler but the accuracy was not as good as a 60 grain flat base Berger at 3900. If you are truly interested in one send me a PM and we can chat.
The brass is now being produced again and is available.
I have one that Mike built for me several years ago..It is a really fun rifle to shoot and is easy to load for. I pushed mine to 4008 fps using a 55 grain Nosler but the accuracy was not as good as a 60 grain flat base Berger at 3900. If you are truly interested in one send me a PM and we can chat.
The brass is now being produced again and is available.
steve garrett
Well-known member
the last time I was in my local sportsman's wharehouse they had 243 wssm brass on the shelf and in stock it looks like 6.8 spc brass costs me about 35 cents a pop, and wssm is about 70 cents a pop. still not a trivial amount but in the grand scheme of things 82 bucks for 250 pieces of 6.8 or 175 for 250 cases of wssm. for an extra 100 bucks your crankin em.
plus mike tells me you can use your own parts in particular the handguard you choose. They still choose the upper receiver. I am really interested to see how my brass loss is doing in the field hunting and shooting. before when I was shooting a 223 I probably only recovered about half my cases. this year I am using a reb brass catcher and am really interested to see how many cases I keep from losing. losing cases is the biggest thing that would keep me from considering the WSSM's. I am also very interested to see if I see a big difference in killing power with the 6dti. if I don't maybe the WSSM ups the anty, 55's at 4k I know puts coyotes down.
plus mike tells me you can use your own parts in particular the handguard you choose. They still choose the upper receiver. I am really interested to see how my brass loss is doing in the field hunting and shooting. before when I was shooting a 223 I probably only recovered about half my cases. this year I am using a reb brass catcher and am really interested to see how many cases I keep from losing. losing cases is the biggest thing that would keep me from considering the WSSM's. I am also very interested to see if I see a big difference in killing power with the 6dti. if I don't maybe the WSSM ups the anty, 55's at 4k I know puts coyotes down.
204 AR
Well-known member
Now that brass is available, from Hornady and Winchester most of the time, I can see it making a come back.
I have one, an older Dtech that I traded for a year and a half ago. I didn't do much load work, just looked at old threads on here and went with tried and true Varget under an 87 gr vmax loaded to max magazine length. At 41 gr, which seems warm, everything came together. I've gotten 500 yd groups when practicing off sticks from a sitting position well under moa, closer to 1/2 moa. It's a laser for sure. That load clocks between 32 and 33 hundred, can't remember the exact number off the top of my head.
Barrel life, from what I'm told this barrel had 300 rounds when I got it, now maybe 400 or a hair less if that was right. There is some erosion in the throat, sort of a circular ring that actually looks more like a reamer chip but I don't know for sure. The lands look fine still. I don't expect it to last like a 243 lbc, and I don't shoot it everyday or at pdogs. It's for when I expect longer range shots when calling or higher winds, and for deer/antelope.
Shot one antelope last year with an 80 gr TTSX over 40 gr Varget. A fairly mild load, but I only had a couple dozen bullets, and the first 3 went into a clover leaf at 200 yds. Loaded 3 more and had 2 touching the first 3 and the third maybe an inch away. I called it good enough and smoked an antelope at 268 yds iirc.
Mine is a light profile, fluted barrel btw threaded 5/8 for the suppressor. It would be one of the last I would sell. Use a brass catcher, buy a couple hundred pc's of brass and have at it.
I have one, an older Dtech that I traded for a year and a half ago. I didn't do much load work, just looked at old threads on here and went with tried and true Varget under an 87 gr vmax loaded to max magazine length. At 41 gr, which seems warm, everything came together. I've gotten 500 yd groups when practicing off sticks from a sitting position well under moa, closer to 1/2 moa. It's a laser for sure. That load clocks between 32 and 33 hundred, can't remember the exact number off the top of my head.
Barrel life, from what I'm told this barrel had 300 rounds when I got it, now maybe 400 or a hair less if that was right. There is some erosion in the throat, sort of a circular ring that actually looks more like a reamer chip but I don't know for sure. The lands look fine still. I don't expect it to last like a 243 lbc, and I don't shoot it everyday or at pdogs. It's for when I expect longer range shots when calling or higher winds, and for deer/antelope.
Shot one antelope last year with an 80 gr TTSX over 40 gr Varget. A fairly mild load, but I only had a couple dozen bullets, and the first 3 went into a clover leaf at 200 yds. Loaded 3 more and had 2 touching the first 3 and the third maybe an inch away. I called it good enough and smoked an antelope at 268 yds iirc.
Mine is a light profile, fluted barrel btw threaded 5/8 for the suppressor. It would be one of the last I would sell. Use a brass catcher, buy a couple hundred pc's of brass and have at it.
204 AR
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: steve garrettthe last time I was in my local sportsman's wharehouse they had 243 wssm brass on the shelf and in stock it looks like 6.8 spc brass costs me about 35 cents a pop, and wssm is about 70 cents a pop. still not a trivial amount but in the grand scheme of things 82 bucks for 250 pieces of 6.8 or 175 for 250 cases of wssm. for an extra 100 bucks your crankin em.
plus mike tells me you can use your own parts in particular the handguard you choose. They still choose the upper receiver. I am really interested to see how my brass loss is doing in the field hunting and shooting. before when I was shooting a 223 I probably only recovered about half my cases. this year I am using a reb brass catcher and am really interested to see how many cases I keep from losing. losing cases is the biggest thing that would keep me from considering the WSSM's. I am also very interested to see if I see a big difference in killing power with the 6dti. if I don't maybe the WSSM ups the anty, 55's at 4k I know puts coyotes down.
I can tell you the hurt it puts on coyotes is a noticeable step up from the 243 lbc, both with 87 gr vmax. There's about 350 fps difference, and you can tell with the sound of the hit. This is a sample of two this spring on stand, I took it in March when I figured the hides wouldn't be good. To my surprise it didn't tear them up at all, one at 100 yds give or take, the other at 250 iirc. The whop from the suppressed hits was impressive for sure and quite a bit louder than the smaller cartridge. Turns out the fur on those 2 was still good and I got decent money for them.
plus mike tells me you can use your own parts in particular the handguard you choose. They still choose the upper receiver. I am really interested to see how my brass loss is doing in the field hunting and shooting. before when I was shooting a 223 I probably only recovered about half my cases. this year I am using a reb brass catcher and am really interested to see how many cases I keep from losing. losing cases is the biggest thing that would keep me from considering the WSSM's. I am also very interested to see if I see a big difference in killing power with the 6dti. if I don't maybe the WSSM ups the anty, 55's at 4k I know puts coyotes down.
I can tell you the hurt it puts on coyotes is a noticeable step up from the 243 lbc, both with 87 gr vmax. There's about 350 fps difference, and you can tell with the sound of the hit. This is a sample of two this spring on stand, I took it in March when I figured the hides wouldn't be good. To my surprise it didn't tear them up at all, one at 100 yds give or take, the other at 250 iirc. The whop from the suppressed hits was impressive for sure and quite a bit louder than the smaller cartridge. Turns out the fur on those 2 was still good and I got decent money for them.
Originally Posted By: springerBefore you buy the barrel, set yourself up with enough brass to shoot it out. Once you have attempted to do that, decide if you still want it.
I've always been intrigued by the round, but the brass is one of the hardest to find.
Hornady and Winchester 243 wssm brass is readily available right now. I bought a couple of hundred pieces of Hornady brass before I even ordered my upper. ETA, Thursday!
I've always been intrigued by the round, but the brass is one of the hardest to find.
Hornady and Winchester 243 wssm brass is readily available right now. I bought a couple of hundred pieces of Hornady brass before I even ordered my upper. ETA, Thursday!
varminter .223
Well-known member
I can see the wssm as a great daytime laser but for night hunting where shots are generally at dead on hold distance I question if the added limited mag space, expense and reduced barrel life is worth the performance advantage.
I will know more about 12 twist 6dti 55 and 58 h322 speeds and accuracy in a week or so when master blasters upper out of the classifieds makes it. Due to a busy schedule dozerxj is gonna let me do some testing for him.
I will know more about 12 twist 6dti 55 and 58 h322 speeds and accuracy in a week or so when master blasters upper out of the classifieds makes it. Due to a busy schedule dozerxj is gonna let me do some testing for him.
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yotehunter243
New member
I sold my 243wssm like an idiot. I shot 87VLD and 68gr berger bullets out of it. Boy was it a hammer. I keep debating on another since brass is back. Think my mags were 11 rounds which is plenty. Although I have seen some of Varminters mag dump videos
The stainless mags will fit rounds loaded to just under 2.30" which allows you to load 95gr sierra HPBT to mag length. Loaded to 3000+ fps, this load is supersonic past 1000 yds. It's probably the heaviest, high BC bullet that will work with the mag length constraints. The 105gr Berger hybrids are definitely too long...
Originally Posted By: mensajdOriginally Posted By: springerBefore you buy the barrel, set yourself up with enough brass to shoot it out. Once you have attempted to do that, decide if you still want it.
I've always been intrigued by the round, but the brass is one of the hardest to find.
Hornady and Winchester 243 wssm brass is readily available right now. I bought a couple of hundred pieces of Hornady brass before I even ordered my upper. ETA, Thursday!
I am glad to hear the situation has changed since I last seriously considered one.
I've always been intrigued by the round, but the brass is one of the hardest to find.
Hornady and Winchester 243 wssm brass is readily available right now. I bought a couple of hundred pieces of Hornady brass before I even ordered my upper. ETA, Thursday!
I am glad to hear the situation has changed since I last seriously considered one.
azhuntnut1
New member
I have owned a Dtech for about 10 years and mostly run the 87vmax at 3450fps. I have kills coyotes out to 550 and it hammers them every time.