I think that we are all missing thee point of the WSM's here- the point was toDUPLICATE or exceed the factory ballistics in a SHORT ACTION RIFLE. The 7mm was indeed delayed as they changed the shoulder on the case to avoid issues with the .270WSM being fired by mistake. As far as performance, it matches/slightly exceeds the 7mm up to 160g bullets with LESS powder. I'm a big 7mm rem fan, but my SS A-bolt in 7mm WSM is quicly becoming my go to gun-its light, accurate and strong enough for anything from deerto elk. IMHO the 7mm WSM is a good round that will stick in the market for a while as people discover its merits,it may never outsell its brothers, but the 7mm Rem doesnt outsell the .270/.30-06/.308 either! Take a closer look and you might find it attractive too!