Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

USW.260

USW.260

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 13, 2010
370
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The World as we know it.
#1
Well at the gun shop today and on the shelf sits an Olympic Arms 243wssm .900od 20" heavy barrel AR. I got the rifle a case and 2 boxes of Winchester ammo for 600 bucks. I took it home cleaned/lubed her up and tomarrow will be range time.

Anyways, I know some people run these rifles, I think a local guy to me thats on here has one...don't know him personaly but maybe I can get in contact with him around Ft. Smith, Arkansas?

IF you have one tell me what you think ...good and bad.
 
#3
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

People hate on Olympic around here. I have a regular A2 16" AR from them that has shot accurately and reliably for 10 years and thousands of rounds. Got it cheap from a friend who needed some money. Swapped the trigger, put a YHM forend on it and it does very well. Ive actually had a couple guys with Gucci ARs get a little butt hurt when they shoot it and it keeps up with their 4x the price rifle on the square range. Its not a super secret squirrel SEAL operator sniper Gucci rifle, but it works just fine.

The 243wssm sounds interesting though, never fired one before. let us know how it does.
 
#4
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

Well thanks nly205. I will try to post a range report of it today but if the winchester ammo is crap then there will be no pics. I believe it will be Minute of Coyote and then some. I have read that the 20" barreled WssMs are a little picky and you should really run something 22"-24" but I think that is b/s. I'm super excited to start loading for it. Its has a 1x8" twist so I can run everything up too 105gr AMax which load in at 2.300"col "which is mag length friendly" and down to the 75gr vmax which is as light as I want to go.

Anyways I'm thinking a medium fast burning powder and lower charges to I get the powder burned in the barrel and not a lot of muzzle flash. Its not threaded for a brake or suppresor yet I will do that later. I know this isn't very intresting to many but I will post again later.
 
#5
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

Olympic deserves a lot more credit than they are given...especially in the HUNTING AR marketplace.

Nice snag, especially with the 8 twist. I have a 1:9 custom build from Accuracy Systems (with all Oly parts) and I'm shooting 105 Amax, 105 HPBT and 105 VLDs all between 3150-3200 with RL17 and a bit slower with Varget.
Mine's got a 24" pipe and a can but believe it or not, you should have no problem burning your powder up in a 20" barrel.

Stop on over to either the WSSMzone.com or OA2.net for some real experience from people that shoot them and shoot them often with great results.

2.300" might be hard with certain mags, but there are a few doing it. I modify my own PMAGs and shoot them out to roughly 2.37" or more specifically...1.85" to the ogive.
 
#6
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

I have an Olympic Ultra Match that is a lights our shooter. It has the best trigger I have ever felt on an AR from the factory. I say go with it and have fun because you got it at a great price. There is nothing wrong with Olympic Arms what so ever.
 
#7
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

Hey CBass16... Hoping you would post on here.

The Gun ran great today. Winchest Ballsilver tips 95grs out to 300 was not bad at all...after I learned to drive the rifle right. I shot 24 rounds of this nickel plated brass and everything fell into place. 2 milk jugs with water in them at 200 were toast with one shot, then all shot fell where I aimed no problems. The rifle had no hickups at all feeding and extraction was perfect from the 7 round mag. Anyways I am very happy....But reloading today was not fun with the nickle plated brass. No matter how far I turned the FLSizer in the brass wouldn't come to size and chamber. I will find out why. Anyways very happy!!
 
#8
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

I am afraid you are going to find the brass isnt the problem. Nor is the die. I am working with one now and have had the same issues in the past. I am no AR doctor but the last time I fooled with this upper I had the same issues. I am going to work with it some and see if I can make a match rifle out of it. I started asking questions and AGAIN I am no AR expert but I think my gun might be coming out of battery too fast and causing excess brass stretching issues. My gun shoots well also. OLY barrels are usually good. Two things I am going to look at are a adj gas block to take some gas from the system and that tubb insert for the bolt. Hedding to the reloading room now to size some brass to find out the same thing. Ill keep you posted. By the way someone will surely correct me but I believe that a OLY beat everyone but two teams at Mammoth. So they can shoot or at least some of them do anyway?
T
 
#9
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

I bought 1 box of factory Win 100 Soft Points when i first got the rifle. Didn't group worth a crap. Got 95gr Ballistic Silvertips and had the same results. Going 3250+ but nothing inside 2" at 100. I hunted with them for a season before I got into reloading, now I use them as fowlers after I scrub it down and save the brass. I haven't had any problem reloading my nickel brass at all and from what I can tell, it shoots the same. What kind of dies and press are you using? I can't imagine it would make a very big difference, but when I first started...I had a hell of a time getting it resized right. As soon as you find the sweet spot, it should be smooth sailing.
Over at the WSSMzone, someone said it's not a matter of turning down the die to FORCE it to resize, but finding the right sweet spot is the key.

Try turning the die down till it touches, go 1/8th turn and try to chamber. Continue turning it in 1/8th until you achieve success. This may work harden one brass, but you should still be able to fix the problem. Make sure you are caming over the press or you're not really doing any good.

Only thing different about mine is I've got a Tubb Spring and I ALWAYS shoot suppressed.
 
#11
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

Man thats great. I'm saving my time for some regular brass and a box of 95gr Nosler BTs. Hopefully next weekend I will have some range time with this load. I don't plan to run anything heavier that the 95s and lighter than 70. I can't wait to see how sizing the new brass goes. I hope its easier.
 
#13
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

A K16 was my first AR and it shoots great. I still have it to this day and its still holding strong. I bought my dad the same rifle and found a load it likes a well. There is nothing wrong with Olympic arms
 
#14
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

Yeah.. I was saving my money for something else but when I seen the price tag on this I had to take it and very glad I did. I had to clean the hell out of the barrel and get out alot of copper. The bolt carrier and all internals were dry as a bone. Hoppes Elite Mpro 7 took care of all that.
 
#15
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

True, you'd have a very hard time finding a used UPPER for that price without the case and ammo.

Did I read you right? You plan to re-size NEW brass? I'm not saying it's bad, but I've never had to, nor have I felt the need to.
All it's going to do is work harden some already thick, heavy duty brass.
 
#16
Re: Bought an Olympic Arms 243 wssm today...

Yeah...but Not to Resize but to straighten out the nexts. Winny brass always comes with dings in the neck, thats all I'm doing. And I didn't me resize New brass but new to me once fired "Brass" brass not the nickle stuff.
 
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