Short Magnum Cartridges, Short Magnum Actions, The Browning and Winchester Legend Continues.  The below information is mainly from press releases and general information on Winchester and Brownings web-sites. This should help a lot of folks to better understand the significance of the new short magnums.  At the bottom of this page is a chart of factory cartridge loadings for these new short magnum cartridges that will clearly point out a historical first in rifle and cartridge design.  Winchester Centerfire Rifle Ammunition.  Winchester® Supreme® Centerfire Rifle Ammunition stands as the most technologically advanced line of centerfire rifle ammunition in history - a history 127 years in the making.  In 1873, less than a decade after the Civil War and when Westward expansion was in full gallop, Winchester introduced the first successful centerfire cartridge: the .44 WCF (.44-40).  Browning Rifle and Gun Design.  John Moses Browning (1855 – 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed myriad varieties of weapons, cartridges, and gun mechanics, many of which are still in use around the world.  He is arguably one of the most important figures in the development of modern automatic and semi-automatic firearms and is credited with 128 gun patents.  From 1883, Browning worked in partnership with the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, and designed a series of rifles and shotguns, most notably the Winchester Model 1887 and Model 1897 shotguns and the lever-action Model 1886, Model 1892, Model 1894 and Model 1895 rifles, most of which are still in production today in some form.  21st Century Rifle Ammunition and Gun Design.  For 2000, The introduction of the Winchester Short Magnum family of cartridges proved to the world that the word “Magnum” doesn't always mean bigger. It does, however, mean better, with more speed and hard-hitting downrange energy. When compared ballistically to their conventional, long action counterparts, the three WSM cartridges produce similar muzzle velocity, down range velocity, energy and trajectory.  With that, why choose a rifle chambered for the WSM cartridges when the ballistics of the conventional, long-action cartridges are so similar? The answers are revealed in the rifles that fire these powerhouse cartridges themselves — the WSM rifles are short-action configurations.  WSM calibers have effectively re-written the rules that govern what a hard-hitting, high velocity rifle can be. Rifles chambered in WSM calibers, unlike their long action counterparts, are lighter, faster handling and more accurate thanks to the shorter, stiffer action.  For 2001, Browning, in partnership with Winchester firearms and Winchester Ammunition is proud to announce two new WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) calibers to be added to its already popular 300 WSM A-Bolt line: the 270 WSM and 7mm WSM. This potent, high velocity, power-packing family promises to become more popular than the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. With incredible ballistics, these new magnums, designed for short action rifles, bring new meaning to the term "Mountain Rifle". But make no mistake, these high performing fat guys are the perfect medicine for a 300-yard shot on corn fed, hog whitetails. All models have 23" barrels, weigh approximately 6 lbs. 9 oz. and have a three round magazine capacity.  For 2003, Browning, in partnership with Winchester firearms and Winchester ammunition, proudly announces two totally new calibers to its diverse A-Bolt line of centerfire rifles. The short fat cartridge family just got bigger! The Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) in 223 and 243 caliber is about to add new dimension to the world of high-velocity, tack-driving systems. Not only are the calibers new, but the rifles themselves are of a totally new, shorter design — super short if you will.With a cartridge length of just 2.36", the new Super Short Magnum A-Bolt is 1/2" shorter than the current short action.  For 2004, we've kept our momentum with the new 25 WSSM. It utilizes the same diameter bullet (.257) and produces ballistics similar to the long action 25-06 Rem. and exceeds the performance of the whitetail hunters favorite, the 7mm-08 Rem. However, being chambered for the lightweight, fast-cycling A-Bolt super-short action, the 25 WSSM is significantly shorter than these popular cartridges, making the 25 WSSM possibly the ultimate cartridge for whitetail.  For 2005, Browning and Winchester® Ammunition have done it again with the introduction of the new 325 WSM caliber. With its short-action design and high-velocity, heavy hitting bullets, it just might be the ultimate North American big game hunting caliber. The 325 WSM bridges an important gap; featuring the high-speed and flat trajectory of the popular 300 WSM and the powerful knockdown punch of the long action 338 Win. Mag. — without the punishing recoil and additional rifle weight.  The above cartridges were designed for hunters, hunting the following game and non game animals (specifically).  Varmint / Predator - Fox, Chuck, Coyote, and Other Varmints.  North American Big Game - Antelope, Deer, Black Bear, Sheep, Moose, Elk, Caribou.  When you look at the above cartridges and their intended purpose nothing appears to earth shattering to make you really want to go buy a new rifle in one of these chamberings, I agree.  When you look at the rifle design, shorter, lighter, stronger and more accurate by design, maybe you want one, I agree.  There is one more common factor of the 7 newly designed cartridges.  Bullet trajectory, the worst thing in having several rifles for different hunting, is range estimation, trajectory of the bullet to your intended target.  1. Most North American big game hunters in the United States hunt; Black-tailed deer, Mule deer, or White-tailed deer as their primary big game animal.  2. .22 caliber centerfire rifles are legal for deer in a lot of states in the United States, with Texas hunters as the leaders in its use for deer.  3. 300 yards is a long shot for almost all hunters, most deer hunting hunters will shoot their deer on average at less than 100 yards which is the normal range.  4. The above 7 cartridges in what one would consider a decent factory ammunition deer loading, to the 300 yard mark with a 200 yard zero point, shoot almost identical bullet trajectories. Cartridge B.W. M.V. M.E. 100 yd. 200 yd. 300 yd. 400 yd. Energy 223 WSSM 64 GR. 3600 1841 +1 0 -5.7 -17.7 574 243 WSSM 95 GR. 3250 2258 +1.2 0 -5.7 -16.9 1140 25 WSSM 110 GR. 3100 2347 +1.4 0 -6.3 -18.5 1228 270 WSM 130 GR. 3275 3096 +1.1 0 -5.5 -16.1 1673 7mm WSM 140 GR. 3225 3233 +1.2 0 -5.6 -16.4 1812 300 WSM 150 GR. 3300 3628 +1.1 0 -5.4 -15.9 1941 325 WSM 180 GR. 3060 3743 +1.4 0 -6.4 -18.7 2009  5. When you match 7 different rifle caliber trajectories to within 1 inch of each other at an exact distance, with exactly the same zero reference, using only factory ammunition, using 2 different length actions, it is not an accident, it is legendary design genius.  The 223 WSSM excellent varmint cartridge.  The 25 WSSM excellent deer cartridge.  The 325 WSM excellent elk cartridge.  The 223 WSSM should wreck any coyotes day, the 25 WSSM should down those northwestern Pennsylvania white-tails and that 325 WSM looks great for a rocky mountain elk hunt in Colorado.  Those three cartridges, zeroed in at exactly 200 yards, at even the 400 yard mark are still within 1" of each others trajectory path, the only real big difference is the 325 WSM is still retaining over 1 ton (2009 FT.LBS.) of energy at that range and the 223 WSSM retains 574 FT.LBS. of energy.  6. The purpose of outdoor/gun writers is to inform the public of new and exciting things that are perhaps different or unique, so far the only thing I have seen in print is a whole lot of comparison of these new cartridges to previous cartridges.  Merit does not lie within that comparison, but perhaps their unique design for a new generation of smarter, better educated, future hunters and shooters who will soon realize the genius behind the design of 7 magnificent cartridges and 2 new shorter action rifle designs, these alone are the true facts. Copyright 2001 - 2010