Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting .325 WSM. The good and bad??

I can get 2800 from those 180 TSX's in my custom 8x57 and about .75" 3 shot groups (Shilen barrel). 3100+ ought to flat slap anything on the continent.

You'd think!!

Still not having drunk the X-bullet cool aide, I'd probably run the 200 TSX if I was in "slap anything on the planet" mode, though <g>.

I've driven the 100 TSX from a .257 Roberts through 28" of deer. One 80% heavier ought to reach China. lol.

I really like the 8mm bore, even in "lowly" 8x57 it knocks big holes in things with little fuss. Easy on the shoulder, easy on meat, it flat works, a fast 8 is just even better.

Careful now. The very mention that a bigger gun can have it's benefits just precipitated 8 pages of [bleep] over on another thread <g>. Culminating in me being accused by the high and mighty Castandblast of ruining the entire campfire for even suggesting such a thing! The horror!

I've thought 8x57 is just flat-out COOL ever since I got my brain around what it does... that's a cool cartridge you got there!

Jeff,

I must not have had enough coffee this morning. My posted velocity should have come out as 3058, 5 shot ave. I believe 3072 was tops.

Ed, that's exactly in line with my rifle; makes perfect sense now.

I'd not have been so curious, except that I felt like I was twisting my .325's tail pretty hard, to get where I got!

I ended up running 200's (accubonds) instead. They worked GREAT. Great caliber.

Firehawk,
I am at the age (50) where I think that if you have an itch you should scratch it. I have had an itch for a 300 WSM since the first time I fired one. However, I am very strong in the 7 Wby camp. If I buy the 300 WSM, it will only be a want and not a need. And I suspect it will definitely be a Kimber unless I can find a good Rem 700 that sparks my fancy.

Your 7 RM is likely your go-to shooter. Just because you opt for a 325 does not mean you love the 7 less, right? I would never turn my back on my 7 Wby.

With the .325, you have the fun of getting that blank look from guys when they ask you what you are shooting, too! <grin>

Hey Dj, I have the same cal in the montana, now for your best group load in the tsx 200 gr what was the seating depth of your bullets and how much imr 4831 did you use,and what kind of primers and brass?. appreciate any help .

I know that this is dredging up a really old thread, but I came across it and thought I should fill you all in.

I saved my money and purchased a Remington 870 youth model in 20 gauge. Been a blast watching the boys take ducks with it. Then...last year I rebarreled my 7mm Rem Mag with a 26" Shillen barrel. Used it to take my first branch antlered bull at long range.

And, just last week, I picked up a Kimber 8400 Montana in 325 WSM. I have decided to sale a few things to make it possible, but I couldn't pass on the deal I found on the used rack at the gun shop.

Anyway, I thought I would dredge this thread up and give an update. Twins are now 13 almost 14. Son missed a good muley this year with my 7mm-08 Rem and he is getting ready for a cow elk hunt in the next few weeks. That kid can flat out shoot and he doesn't seem to be bothered by recoil at all. Shot the 7mm Rem Mag last weekend and didn't even react like it was any different than shooting the 7mm-08.

His little brother took his first animal this year as he downed a nice Pintail with a shot from the youth model 870. Absolutely blessed to have these kids tagging along with me.

Wife is even on board with my endeavors too. She has done two years of Couple's 3-D Archery league and we are about to enter our third winter of that league. Way too fun!

Fire Hawk

I didn't read the whole thread, but if you have 8 elk points and are hoping to draw a decent unit, you'll have about 10 more years to think about your purchase....

Great Wapiti!

This thread was started back in 2008. So now, I have 12 points. Still might be a few years, but getting pretty dang close. My buddy drew a "Premium" tag a couple years ago with only 9 points.

Lucky son of gun I know, but he put the hammer down on a great bull first morning.

FH

Just razz'n ya a bit. Dang LE elk hunts here should be lumped into the same category as Once-in-a-Lifetime hunts, because that's pretty much what they are.

My hunting pard has 19 elk points and can't draw (he's holding out for San Jaun).

Nothing against the .325WSM but like a lot of other cartridges it has just never excited me, either.

Short action = good if it delivers on the promise of lighter weight. (Otherwise what's the point?)
(Not so good IMHO if it means seating bullets below the case neck - a personal preference thing.)

Fat bullet = good

Ballistic Coefficients = good

Factory ammo costs = high (Like most factory ammo these days.)

Factory ammo variety = low
(midwayusa.com count: 7mmRM = 69, .300WM = 89, .325WSM = 10, .338WM = 35)

Brass availability = low
(midwayusa.com vendor count: 7mmRM = 6, .300WM = 6, .325WSM = 2, .338WM = 6)

Bullet selection = low but adequate
(Midwayusa.com bullet selection: 7mm = 110, .308" = 265, 8mm = 32, .338" = 79)

Again, I'm not knocking the .325WSM, just doubt that with I'll ever own one. On the other hand, if I find a nice one at a screamer price, all bets are off.


YMMV

I thought you were Wapiti. San Juan would be a true OIL tag that is for sure. Then there are those dang lucky guys that draw Cache with 5-6 points and shoot a 400+" bull like happened this year. Lucky sons of guns that is for sure.

Me...I want a mature 6 point bull. I really don't care much about score, but that will change the longer I wait. I am more looking for the "experience".

My buddy drew the Pahvant with 9 points the lucky sucker. Anyway, I will just keep applying and see what happens.

As far as the 325 WSM goes, I have both a 7mm Rem Mag and a 7mm-08. I wanted something different. I handload and don't remember the last time I bought a box of factory ammo. I have played the "get lots of different bullets on my bench" game, and I am now starting to "simplify" my life. I have a few bullets for the 7mm RM and a few other bullets for the 7mm-08. I am selling off a whole bunch of other 7mm bullets so that I don't have all the distractions on my bench. I will try a few different bullets til I find "the load" and then I will stock up on those components as I am able to.

I have picked up one 50 count bag of Winchester brass and will pick up a few more as I go along over the next year or so. Eventually, I will have a bunch and most will be brand new.

Frankly, I like that I don't know a single person that shoots a 325 wsm. Like Jeff above, I love that they give you that look like "What are you shooting"? I used to get that here with my 7mm-08, but now I know three other people personally that are shooting 708s and loving them. Just like me and my boy.

FH

Yes.

I am curious what you all are doing with your 325wsm rifles these days ? I still have two of them and like to spark some conversation even though the cartridge has fallen by the wayside. To some this may be moot considering this thread was done years ago but I figure what the heck. I’d wager some guys still use and love them. No doubt there are some that will remind us of all the negatives or what cartridge is better.
Hopefully they won't comment. Maybe you 325wsm owners wouldn't mind posting your accurate loads and anything else that is interesting.

I have a Kimber Classic 325 - initial load work told me it didn't like boat tails, but I did shoot these groups back to back with 3 different flat base bullets and H4350.



My frustration now is I can't get it to group anywhere close to this now and I haven't changed a thing other than try different scopes that are proven on other rifles. I'm debating whether to turn it into a 6.5 PRC or sell it and be done.

I still have my Kimber Montana in 325. I have not shot it in quite sometime. I have only killed paper with it. From what I recall, it grouped the factory loaded DoubleTap 200 grain TSX's pretty well. I have swapped the 1.5-6x42 scope for a 1.7-10x42 scope, but have not sighted it in. I need to work up a hand-load for the 200 TSX.
I think it is a fine cartridge. And a reasonably lightweight combination in the Kimber Montana.

Mine has established a telepathic symbiosis with me. Almost every other day it tells me "we need to go hunt something!". Unfortunately I live in a fairly urban area and I'm at that stage in life of several young kids to take care of... so I gotta sit around and wait to get drawn with my dad if I want a valid reason to be away for several days. I love my 325- it's probably one of the most flexible cartridges ever devised, even more flexible than the '06 in my opinion.
My Load info / experience worth noting:
Winchester XPR - 24"
Firelapped break in with Tubb FF (to reduce copper fouling; not sure if it helped but figured why not)
Double Tap 160 Barnes TTSX: 3250 fps. This is my preferred general purpose hunting load.
Hodgdon 4895 (60 gr) - Speer HC 150 gr @ 3150 fps (website min load) - very mild kick, "Chock!" short impulse
Win760 (70 gr) - Speer HC 150 g @ 3200 fps (website min load) - also very mild kick, similar impulse

In the future I intend to down-load the 4895's as a cheap, effective mule deer / general load (as a backup to if I don't have or cannot get more Double Taps). I expect it to perform similar or better to federal blue box, 150gr HC 300wsm. For heavier game I have Accubonds, Gamekings, and Lapua Naturalis to develop if I have to but the DT's should cover big game handily out to 500 yards.