Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.223 WSSM
Winchester's super-short .22 magnum — a fat, stubby case driving .22 bullets to .22-250 velocities in a short-action platform.
- Caliber
- 0.2245″ · 5.702 mm
- Introduced
- 2003
- Case
- Rebated
- Parent
- .300 WSM
- Primary use
- Varmint, Target
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 2003
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Winchester
- Manufacturer
- Winchester
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Collector
- Case capacity
- 53 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rebated
- Max pressure
- 65,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 500 yd
- Max range
- 600 yd
- Recoil
- 8–12 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Winchester Power Point SP 55 gr, 3,850 fps, BC 0.255 G1 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 3849 | 1809 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 3625 | 1604 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 3407 | 1417 | -1.2″ | -0.6 |
| 300 yd | 3196 | 1247 | -5.3″ | -1.7 |
| 400 yd | 2990 | 1092 | -12.9″ | -3.1 |
| 500 yd | 2791 | 951 | -24.3″ | -4.6 |
| 600 yd | 2597 | 823 | -40.2″ | -6.4 |
| 700 yd | 2408 | 708 | -61.3″ | -8.4 |
| 800 yd | 2226 | 605 | -88.5″ | -10.6 |
| 900 yd | 2050 | 513 | -122.6″ | -13.0 |
| 1000 yd | 1879 | 431 | -165.0″ | -15.8 |
Point-mass G7/G1 drag model, standard atmosphere — within ~2% of reference solvers to 1000 yd; real barrels and conditions vary. Open in Ballistic Compare →
Performance
Buy links open .223 WSSM ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.70 | 0.224 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.91 | 0.272 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 13.83 | 0.544 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 28° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 14.10 | 0.555 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 13.59 | 0.535 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.37 | 0.054 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 6.73 | 0.265 | ≈ |
| Case length | 42.42 | 1.670 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 59.94 | 2.360 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .223 WSSM is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 21 active loads across 13 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 22 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | Power Point SP | 55 | Power Point SP | 3,850 | 1,810 | 0.255 G1 |
| Hornady | Varmint | 53 | V-Max | 3,900 | 1,790 | — |
| Remington | AccuTip | 55 | AccuTip BT | 3,900 | 1,857 | — |
| Winchester | Ballistic Silvertip | 55 | Ballistic Silvertip | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Armscor | Standard | 55 | Hollow Point Boat Tail | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Nosler | Trophy Grade Ballistic Tip | 55 | Ballistic Tip Varmint | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Federal | Nosler Tip | 55 | Nosler Ballistic Tip | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Remington | Core-Lokt Ultra | 55 | Core-Lokt Ultra | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Custom | 55 | Hollow Point Boat Tail | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Wolf | FMJ | 55 | Hollow Point Boat Tail | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Nosler | Trophy Grade | 55 | AccuBond | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Norma | Classic | 55 | Hollow Point Boat Tail | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| RWS | Classic | 55 | Hollow Point Boat Tail | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Kynoch | Classic | 55 | Hollow Point Boat Tail | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
| Hornady | Superformance | 55 | SST | 3,850 | 1,810 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .223 WSSM
1 model in the database chamber .223 WSSM. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Introduced in 2003 as part of Winchester's WSSM family for the Browning A-Bolt Short Action. The concept — maximum case capacity in minimum length — produced extremely high velocities but also extreme barrel erosion. Winchester discontinued factory WSSM ammunition around 2018–2019. Remaining rifles and ammunition are collector items.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .223 WSSM use?
- .223 WSSM typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .223 WSSM?
- .223 WSSM uses a 0.2245″ (5.702 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .223 WSSM still in production?
- .223 WSSM is discontinued; typical availability is collector.
- What is .223 WSSM used for?
- .223 WSSM is primarily used for varmint, target.
- What is .223 WSSM based on?
- .223 WSSM is derived from the .300 WSM case.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 21 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →