"nobody ever says anything bad about them"? Actually, I've read several posts here and elsewhere about the 22-250 being a barrel burner. I"ll agree that the metals of yesteryear were not what they are today, but can speak from experience that even todays metals are not always up to the challenge when it comes to the heat of the 22-250. As for the wssm's, I don't have any personal experience with them, but have read several articles and posts of them being a barrel smoker too. I'm not trying to get your shorts in a wad, this is just my .02.