I only use my .243 on varmints with my model 70 heavy barrel, it doesquite well on long ranges and is accurate. Having never shot a 243 wssm i cant compare, but not many rounds will compare to the .243 for all around shooting.

I shot a Ruger m77 in 243up until last deer season. I have since passed it on to my little brother. It is great round to shoot! I beleive you are not gaining anything with the wssm. I was shooting 95 grain Winchester ballistic silvertips, which also comes in the wssm, your only getting about 100fps more than the reg. 243. There isalso more ammo choices for the regular 243.

Go with the 243.. Look at the 85 Grain BTHP from Federal.. Great cartridge for deer and varmits.. It matches anything the 243 WSSM can toss out..

Since I've never shot the WSSM, I can't give any advice on how it performs. Judging by the "paper" comparison, I totally agree with the others! At half the price for the same ballistics the .243 is the way to go! Plus the fact that finding the double priced ammo may be the biggest downfall! The .243 has been a top seller foralmost 50 years! Some of the newbies will be dead in less than ten years!

Id think this 243 wssm will be one of the new ones that absolutely aint gonna make it...theres nothing there..a short action replacing a short action with very little extra performance for twice the money...lol...screw that!

I think it's unanimous. The .243 WSSM appears to be the answer to a question that no one ever asked...

Except for AR shooters.

Thanks for the advice, guys. I guess I liked the looks of the wssm round, but as everone has said, that's about all that's different from the old standby. And also, it looks to me like given the lack of advantages of the wssm, they should be selling at bargain basement prices, which they aren't.

I handload so the ammo isn't a really big deal one way or the other, but again the cost of brass is higher so another strike against the WSSM. As everyone has said, it's a solution looking for a problem. Also can't see the point of the .223 WSSM. Um, why not just by a .22-250?

Grouse

DPMS makes a very nice AR chambered for .243 Win.... May be my next deer rifle.

I don't have a 243 Win anymore. But I've used it for years on deer with great success. And loaded with the 75 gr bullets it should be a great varmint round. I've also never shot a 243 WSSM but from what I've heard it is rough chambering a round from the magazine due to ist sharp shoulder. But again that is only what I've read and not from experience. In your case however, this wouldn't be a problem in a dog town.
IMO - I'd go with the old std 243.