Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 325 WSM or 338 WM?

I am contemplating a medium Mt. rifle for Elk etc. and can't decide between these two. Action of choice would be a Win. 70, I have both a short and a standard length, both lefties.

Are either cartridges going to work out well for a medium weight rifle? What is the lightest I should go for practical purposes. No brakes please.

On either side of this choice I have an 8lb 300 WM and a 9.5 LB 375 H&H so it is a narrow to non existent gap. I might just take some weight off the 375 and call it good.

My Kimber Montana 325WSM spits out 200gr partitions @ 2900fps and the recoil, although fast, is not especially heavy.
The rifle, scoped,slinged(but without ammo.) weighs 6.75 lbs.
It is great for packing in the Idaho elk mountains.

Both will work just fine in a medium weight rifle. The 325WSM will be a little easyer to get light weight. If it was me I would go with a PAC-NOR #1 contour 3 groove 1:10 twist 23" long with a McMillan Edge stock, Talley L/W's mounts and VXIII 2.5-8x36.


My Kimber Montana 325WSM shooting 180gr TSX @ 3100fps is a killing machine..... :GRIN:

Unless you can find a good premium 220 grain bullet for the 325 the advantage goes to the 338.

Otherwise you just have another 300 shooting 200's.

A 220gr Swift A-Frame is a good premium bullet ...
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=125363

The 325WSM will never beat the 338Win in power or in bullet choice.. It (325WSM) will kill any elk that the 338Win will kill but in a lighter weight package with less recoil.....

Right on STA, I just became a fan of the 325 with that bullet.

I here good things (2800fps) about the 220gr A-Frame and IMR 4007 SSC powder in the 325WSM....

2800 out of a 220 in the 325?
I could like that.

I can't give advice on either, but I'll use a 325WSM on my next elk hunt, providing FN ships out the Extreme Weather M70 I ordered. I'll have to look into the 220gr A-Frame. ...Not to steal the thread, but has anyone tried it with Ramshot Hunter?

Boston--
I am in the same boat as you--a lefty who likes Model 70's.

My answer to your question is that the package is more important than the cartridge. There is no functional difference between the two cartridges. If you were RH, I would tell you to get a Kimber in .325. But that is not an option for a lefty, and there is not much difference between a short and long M70. And I like the stocks that I can get for a long M70 more than the ones I can get for the short. In addition, you can find .338 Win ammo more places than .325 WSM, should the need arise.

So I come out voting for the .338 Win. Of course you could take the short action and build a .338 WSM, which is what they should have done to begin with. Why? cuz you can

Exactly, plus you have a greater variety of bullets and load data available for the 338 Win Mag. I've used both, plus a 338WSM, and the advantage clearly goes to the Win Mag.

The 338WM will not make the elk any more dead.

Blasphemy!

I really love my 338 and would never tell anyone not to build one... Wonderful cartridge.

That said, my .325 WSM Montana has unseated it as my elk rifle. It's just such a great package- the rifle itself, chambered in such a potent yet shootable cartridge. Love it.

I killed a buck and two elk with my .325 this year. I totally screwed up on the buck, which was quartering sharply away from me, and shot it right through the hip joint. The bullet ended up under the buck's chin for 39" of penetration WITH heavy bone involvement. Pretty cool.

Then I killed a ginormous cow elk in Colorado at 275 yards. Due to the extreme up- angle, the bullet hit her elbow on the way through the top of her heart. It ended up under the hide in front of her off shoulder in the lower neck area. I didn't measure the inches of penetration after smashing that heavy elbow ( and a rib) but it PLENTY.

Then I killed a bull elk in Oregon. He was more or less broadside at 150 yards or so. The bullet exited and he piled up fast.

Each animal took only one shot. The bullet was the excellent 200- gn Accubond, at a MV of 2925 fps.

There's a few data points for you. Make of it what you will! :-)

Have fun and good luck with your project.

From my perspective, the 325WSM is the better choice for me . The reason, it can be had in a short action and more lightweight rifle with very little difference in performance. I know there's a difference, just not enough to matter to me . Of course, I would be better off owning both; but, the next on my list to buy is the 325WSM (as if anybody cares).

The more the merrier Dakotan! :-)

It's a neat round; you'll like it. Bullet selection isn't spectacular, but it is adequate for any task at hand... Which would be true even if there was only the Partition, I suppose <grin>...

I am mighty impressed with the 8mm Accubond and won't be switching. Fantastic bullet.

I shoot the 338 WM and love it and Ive got a buddy who shoots the 325 WSM which appears to be a common performer,the 338s have good bullet selection where the 8mm bullet selection is a bit on the short side,yet the 325 comes in a short action when the win mag cant,I dont shoot the 325 WSM but maybe that day will come but I am surley impressed with the 338 win mag..............

There's every bullet you NEED in an 8mm (.325), but there might not be every bullet you WANT.

If a guy is building on an M70 action it's pointless to get the Short Action version over the Long Action version... we're talking a couple ounces difference and an M70 isn't very light to begin with.

I'd do the 338 WM... it's got a bit more horsepower than the 325 WSM, holds three down easier than the SA M70 designed for the WSM, feeds better, and 338 WM ammo is available everywhere.

My M70 338 WM's all had 22" bbl's... I'd put one in a McMillan Hunter Edge stock, Talley Lightweight mounts, and a Leupold 6x36 LR on top... will come in around 7.75 lbs all up depending on the barrel contour.