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I am considering picking up a 325 WSM as my newest Big Game rifle. I now have 8 bonus points for Limited Entry Elk in Utah and was thinking that I would purchase the rifle when I draw for certain, but possibly this year even if I don't draw.

So....I wonder how the accuracy has been with the 325s you all have experience with? Admittedly, I am an accuracy "snob" if you will and expect 1" or under 5 shot groups from the bench at 100 yards. My 7mm Rem Mag and 7mm-08 have both done terrific at delivering the needed accuracy with the proper handloads.

I am attracted to the Browning A bolts and also the Winchester Model 70s (both my 7 mag and 08 are model 70s), but the Kimber also looks really nice, but maybe a little too pricey.

So, how do they shoot? What do you wish they did differently? Pros and cons? I am ready to hear your responses and experiences.

Thanks!
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FH, I have two of 'em, in the form of a Browning BLR and a Kimber Montana. The BLR is a consistant 1.25 moa rifle, and the Kimber shoots into the .7's with several different loads. I think the caliber itself is plenty accurate; your worry is more the luck of the draw as far the individual rifle YOU get.

I killed a buck and two elk with my Kimber this year. It killed the elk VERY decisivly with 200-gn Accubonds. I screwed up and shot the deer right through the hip joint ball at 40 yards and the bullet ended up under the bucks chin.

8mm bullet selection is adequate but not great.

Recoil is between my '06 and my .338, as you'd expect.

I think it's a wonderful caliber. Go for it!!


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Jeff, I have been thinking about getting a 325 WSM.
How much FPS do you lose with the shorter barrel BLR ?


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My Montana 325wsm shoots under moa with 180gr TSX and 200gr TSX. With 200gr Accubonds its shoots over a inch..... frown
180gr TSX @ 3100fps with RL19
200gr TSX @ 2950fps with H4350

The bad part of the 325wsm is that the 8mm bullet ballistic coefficient are not that great....

Would be a hell of a good lightweight elk gun 500yds and in....


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The 325 needs a good 215/220 grain to put me in it's camp.

I load the 300 WSM/180's at 3,000 and 200's at 2,980. Higher BC bullets if that matters.

So what does a 325 offer over the 300 WSM?

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I see Browning offers a takedown BLR in Stainless Steel in the 325WSM.
The 325 offers bullet diameter over the 300. Plus it gets a 200 grain bullet to nearly 3000 fps.

What does the 300 offer, besides infinite bullet selection?


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I'm always amazed at how less bullet diameter gain in other places is a good thing yet means nothing for 8mm bullets over smaller diameters. I'm amazed that with Barnes TSX, Nosler partition, ballisitc tips and Accubonds, GS customs, Hornady interlocks, and other's available the 8mm is claimed to have "no bullet selection".

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I have a Winchester Featherweight in 325 WSM that shoots 200 grain Nosler Partitions into 0.5 inch consistently with several different powders. It has harvested moose and elk so far with the 200 grain Partition and done so with authority. It shoots 220 grain Sierra BT into sub-MOA groups, as it does with 220 grain Swift AF, 200 grain TSX and 200 grain XLC. I have not worked up a load with the 180 grain TSX as my 300 WSM shoots a 180 grain quite well.

I think the calibre is a winner. Is it better than a 300 WSM? Probably not, but it is another calibre with which to play. It does offer more frontal section on big game, but that is probably not significant. It does not necessarily offer more velocity than you will obtain with similar weight bullets in .308, neither is the SD or BC sufficient to merit jettisoning the 300 for the 325. Ultimately, it is simply a new calibre with which to harvest game.


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Fire Hawk- while I've never worked with a 325 WSM I have done a fair bit of work with a 338 WSM. Good rounds and totally capable of whatever you need done out to fairly long range (IE 500-600).

I'd have one in the stable in a heart beat if it turned my crank and if I had the need/want.

As for what it'll do that the 300 short will do and or vice versa. Well, I see it as I could micro manange points in favor of either one. But at the end of the day I want a rifle to be set to at least 500 yds and for me to do that I need a scope with either turrets and or my favorite dotz.

IME dotz and or turrets take out the this one is better than that one and either one is a darn fine round.

I see a 180 out of a 300 pushed to 2950 as a wonderful load as well I see a 200 out of a 325 pushed to 2900 as a wonderful load. Either one is incredibly capable if we are.

Bottom line, good luck in drawing that darn tag as that's a lot more important than any of this ballistic gack... grin

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Dober,

Agreed on drawing the tag. I think what got me thinking about it a little sooner is that I saw a "used" Abolt Stainless with composite stock lying in the gun store the other day for $495. I almost pulled the "trigger" on purchasing it, but decided I would really want to find out how they are performing first.

I am sorely tempted just to pick up a .338 Winchester Mag and be done with it, but I love the idea of a shorter more compact rifle for toting in the steep and nasty.

SU35 asked what advantage the 325 has over the 300 WSM. My response to that is that the 300 WSM is not a huge difference better than my 7mag. The 325 seems like a likely step up in performance and still get a lighter and more compact rifle. I recognize that "light" sometimes comes with its own problems. Recoil in particular as well as the tendancy of lighter barrels to be a little less accurate (so they say, no experience personally with that, so maybe I am a bit unfair).

Anyway, I have been intrigued by the 325 WSM for quite some time and would seem to offer an improved advantage over the 7mm Mag I currently use. That said, I KNOW where that bullet is going from my 7mm so that is why I ask about the accuracy of the WSM. If I could get the groups Dr. Mike refers to, I would be a very happy camper.

Anyway, the biggest issue is drawing that dogon LE Bull Elk tag. But I wouldn't want to have a brand new rifle on a dream elk hunt. So I better get it soon enough to practice a little maybe even on a cow elk or two ;>)

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Originally Posted by AMRA
Jeff, I have been thinking about getting a 325 WSM.
How much FPS do you lose with the shorter barrel BLR ?


Uh... I should know that, but I kind of stopped setting my chrony up because it was messing with my head! grin I don't remember ever shooting the two rifles over it at the same time, which would be the real test because reported velocities do seem to vary a little from setup to setup, with my chrony.

ANYWAY, that said, it's certainly not more than 50 fps difference, if that.

-jeff


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Good discussion....

I believe the 300 WSM to be the practical choice.

The .325 is a little more powerful than the .300 WSM, and has a little more bullet. The SD and BC of the .30's is generally superior, though I have found the 200-gn Partition and especially Accubond to fly PLENTY flat.

There's no wrong choice; the 300 WSM is more practical while the .325 WSM is more... I dunno... fun?


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Both WSM's kill the same Jeff just wish the 325 offered a premium 220 and 240 or 250 bullet.

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So....should I just not worry about it and go after my elk with the 7mm Rem Mag and save the money to buy a youth shotgun for my almost 10 year old twin boy and girl?

I honestly have a hard time telling much difference between what a 7mm bullet will do versus a 30 cal. If you can't tell much difference between a 325 and 300 maybe I should not even worry about it and leave well enough alone. I have killed two cow elk and one spike bull with my 7mm and 160 Accubonds. Just thought I might like a little larger frontal diameter to create more initial shock and "knockdown" if there is such a thing.

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Stick with your 'proven' 7mm...maybe play with 175 partitions for fun or even experiment with the 168 Berger VLD.

Or buy a 338 Ruger Compact Magnum and try to keep it from going extinct before it proves itself....

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That little Ruger Compact Magnum has me intrigued as well. I read an article in one of the rifle magazines that suggested the accuracy was not what I would want. Seems that they were getting 100 yard groups in the neighborhood of 1 3/4" and larger. But....then again, I hadn't developed a load and floated the barrel and possibly even adjusted the trigger pull on that rifle either.

Anyway, does anyone have any experience with the 338 RCM?

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Originally Posted by SU35
Both WSM's kill the same Jeff just wish the 325 offered a premium 220 and 240 or 250 bullet.


I hear ya, though 240's would knock the SNOT out of me with my Kimber <g>.

However... I'm pretty certain there's a 220-gn Aframe. That's gonna leave a mark. And for that matter one has to think that the 200-gn TSX is going to penetrate, if nothing else <g>.

To the original poster: I wish I could say I've killed 25 elk with a 7mm and 25 with a .325, and give you a meaningful idea of whether it does or doesn't possess more "oomph" than your big 7. All I can say is that my .325 was very decisive on two good-sized elk this year; a huge cow and a raghorn bull.

Blabbing on a bit... to ME, the whole reason to own, say, a .325 WSM is for the nifty rifles available. My Kimber is a whole other animal than ANY 7mm mag. I'm kind of a rifle kook and perhaps get hung up too much on things like light weight, balance, etc but for the length and weight and "sprite", there is nothing (in my experience) that touches a .325 WSM Montana for killing power/ease of use ratio! Except perhaps a 300 WSM Montana <g>. Likewise, my .325 BLR is a pretty unique package. So that's about the only semi-rational reason to go with a WSM in my opinion- the rifles.



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I agree, Jeff; the Kimber Montana and the 325WSM make a great team!


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We gotta keep Fire Hawk on the hook here; he's nibbling but seems to be drifting away from the Mighty .325! <g>


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Let's hope he gets a 325-add to the little fan club we have for that caliber here at the fire...


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