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

Brad - Tim and I have been sharing info on the 300RUM for awhile now. I also use the 200gr. NP's and have had great results on many bulls from close up to way out there........all DRT's.

3,189 fps with RL25, Fed. 215M's, Rem. brass out of a M700 LSS.

Without a doubt! There's nothing on the planet that's gonna shake of a 200 gr NP at those speeds.

Because of my hunt style I wouldn't want to pack the platform to handle that round, but I can certainly see where in some situations it'd be a heck of a choice.

.....which is exactly why I've recently gone to a T3 laminated 300WSM and I've had a T3 300WSM in synthetic stock for a few years, as my preferred elk set-ups. My very able son can carry the 1/2lb. heavier laminated version while I pack along the synthetic version. The Rem. LSS is one heavy laminated set-up, but given the cartridge and load....there's a good reason for the heavier package as well. However, for most of my elk hunting these days, I don't miss the extra 2 inches forward nor the heavier weight of the package. Recoil, never a consideration and not as much as people might believe in regards to this cartridge (Limbsaver's help a bunch as well). If one can't put up with that for one shot on an animal........me thinks he's in the wrong business.....grin.

My recent 2nd back surgery has made me reconfigure things a bit. I'm not down and out by a looooong ways, but there are issues that I need to address now whereas never before.

I've decided to reserve the 300RUM for those areas where I know I'm goin' long, cross canyon with my shots and will carry the 300WSM's (my son and I) at all other times. With the 300WSM's, I never feel undergunned nor that that longer shot isn't doable, but the lighter package doesn't become a real burden at about 9am.

Circumstances change and I've gotta go with it.....such is life. But again, the 300WSM has yet to let me down so I don't really feel that I've compromised so much. T3's are not for everybody, but for me and mine, so far so good. I must admit that the laminated offerings are a much more attractive package. I also purchased a new 270WSM laminated within the last couple of weeks. The word is that the laminated versions will not be offered this coming year (at $160ish more than the synthetics, they don't sell near as well.........to close to the new Sako A7 perhaps.....?).

My best to you and yours during these Holidays..............

Notropis, 64 grains of H4350, F215 primer, Winchester brass. It's a mild load, fairly mild, and shoots well in both .325's.

To put it in perspective, my 180 TSX load is 69 grains H4350 for about 3075 fps. That is not a mild load.

Point taken, though I didn't say "nobody", I said "most guys" or something similar.

Ironically, even as much as I love the beast, I can only think of two loads EVER that I've run through my .338! The now-defunct and much lamented 200 NBT, and the excellent 225 NAB. Along with a box of some factory [bleep] they threw in with the rifle.

I'm for thinking that's fairly typical in sporter weight magnums; most guys settle on a load or two and ride it. With my FIRST .325, I bought it when they first came out and there was literally NO loading data out there for them yet. My local gunshop (S-M) was very well stocked with bullets and the easy availability locally on the shelf, of various 8 mm bullets, combined with the fact that I flat needed to burn some powder in order to figure out this brand-new cartridge with no load data out yet, led me to try a bunch of stuff.

I don't think that's typical, but you are 100% correct that IF a guy really really wants to shoot all kinds of different stuff, he should skip the 325. On the other hand, I am correct in saying that there's everything a guy needs, to hunt anything you'd hunt with a .325 WSM.

Thanks for the info. I will have to load some to see how they do. I have been using a mild load of 58gr IMR 4320 behing 180 TSX to get about 2,750 out of an A-Bolt. Your 180 TSX load sounds a little stiffer.

STA gets 3100 fps with one of the RL's, RL15 I believe, and the 180 TSX. But his load didn't perk in my rifle, so I messed with H4350 instead and that's what I got...

Jeff it was RL19 I am not at home but thinken it was 72grs of it.....

Mgnumb, sorry to hear about the back surgery... you sound like you have the POV to deal with it well.

I've used the 300 WSM on and off for seven years now and like it a lot. It's a good compromise in a light rifle like the Tikka or Kimber and I don't find its recoil bothersome at all in the light Kimber. Given the right situation, I'd be fully confident on any elk out to 600 yards with my Kimber setup, and a 200 grain loading will only boost that confidence.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Brad

After losing months of sleep over worrying about calibers, bullet weights and powder charges, I'm just shooting .308 165 IB's and .338 225 IB's, and sleeping alot better these days...

Nothing I can't kill with these combo's, from coyotes to moose...

I haven't fired a .338 without earplugs, but I fired my .325 three times that way this fall and didn't notice it being particularly loud (within the context of firing a high-powered rifle w/o earplugs, of course!)...

Just a data point...

I have 2 buddies with .325 WSMs and I have shot them quite a bit as well as reload for them. I actually like the round quite a bit. The load that we use in their rifles is a 200 gr. Partition at just over 2900 fps. Shoots plenty flat, not too much recoil. Hits hard, short action for a lighter rifle. Nothing wrong with the .338 but I can't say its significantly better either.

I have a new like for the 375 H&H. I've not killed a head of NA game with it but took it to Africa where it was pure pleasure for me and pure poison on seven antelope all of which dropped where they were hit. But it's not just that; it's the balance of power and velocity with a very reasonable trajectory with the right bullet and not too much recoil. I shot a lot befoe I went and it's just a very pleasurable "big" round to shoot. I've also shot a .340 Wby for years and the H&H and it weigh the same (8.5 lbs.) but the latter is easier on me than the Bee which I also like.

I would have no difficulty omitting all I have above .30 cal except the H&H.

For my own "time management" reasons - I didn't read more than a page of this diatribe.

If I owned a .300 maggie and a good .375, I'd probably go for a Kimber 84 (or like) in .338Fed or the newer .338RCM....

Either will do 99%+ of what needs to be done on any elk hunt. IMHO

That advise is free and worth every penny of it

Goodnews/Expat: Lots of people have more experience with the 338-375's than me personally,but I've been around the big 338/340's loaded and shot them,and seen friends use them.Saw them in actionin the days when I was doing a LOT of elk hunting(for an Easterner ) I also built a wildcat 35 on a blown out H&H case before the 358 STA became a popular wildcat.On those hunts I mostly killed elk with my 300's,but did carry a couple 338's;just never got to use them myself.

Bill Steigers turned me on to the 250 gr 375 and as I worked up loads with 235's and 250's and saw results on game,I noticed the following:

First, I could pretty easily load the 250 to app 2900 fps.

Second,trajectory was easily as flat to 400 yards or so,as anything I could load in a 338 WM,or 340 Weatherby,meaning 210's to 250's;I know this cause my buddy has a 340,and I've had several 338's,and we shot them a lot.I know this is not supposed to be the case, but it was.Things may change today(slightly) with the newer lighter plastic tip bullets,but we used Noslers and Sierra's at the time.The 375 with 235-250's behaved like a great,big 270 Winchester with 150 gr bullets,and shot as flat.

Third,my general impressions were that 375's,at least with Bitterroots(SWift Aframes?)seemed to make bigger holes in animals than 338's,which to me behaved like 300magnums with good bullets.I could never really see much difference between big 30's and 338's although I know it should be there.

Fourth, my rifle, a pre 64 M70 with a 24" Kreiger, Brown Precision stock,and 4X Leup aboard,weighed about 8.5 lbs, was very shootable and beat me up less than a 340, or the blown out 35.

Last,the 375 could be used in Africa if ,as,and when the time came.I don't need a lot of riflesabove 30 caliber, and all the 338's were sold off.I have not had one since the late 80's.Not saying they are not good, just that I have no need for one,not while I have a light 375.

I'm just not into filling every single nitch in the caliber lineup.

Might add that the big 35 was wonderful ballistically,moving a 250 at over 3000,and showed only 9" of drop at 400 yards;but took over 90 gr of RL19 to get there and kicked like a mule. Ditto a 375 AI.The 375 took only 77-78 grains of powder.So, as a combination, the 375H&H-250 won by default on a number of fronts.

This is anectdotal but my buddy from Long Island was in SA in November,and shot a big eland with his left-hand M70 375H&H;load was 235 gr TSX at over 2900,and distance was a lazed 326 yards, he relates.The eland was floored DRT,and the pro's were impressed.Another good bullet for a grand cartridge.

I would expect a 375 Ruger to easily do the same things,maybe a skosh more JMHO :)Sorry to hijack;wanted to explain.

Bob, News,
Many thanks for the responses. I think the .375 Ruger in the African Hawkeye rifle is an opportunity to have a powerful cartridge in a portable package that more of us in the US should take advantage of. I think most of pass it up because we perceive we don't need a .375 in North America. However, at 8.5 pounds scoped shooting a 235-250 grain bullet, it is not an unreasonably powerful rifle when we have a .338 or .340 in the safe. The .33 is usually a pound or 2 heavier too.

Expat

Expat, I'm with Bob in that I am a big fan of the 375's. I happen to run a 375 Wby on an old M70 and it's just a plain kick to shoot and hunt with.

It'll really pound hell on lopes with the 270 Power Point (man I wish I could find another 1K of those to run thru). As well with the 300 Sierra it makes for one heck of a long range chuck rifle.

Bottom line, if I had to begin all over and wanted one gun bigger than my .270 I'd build a 8 lb all up 375 Rugger and rock on.

I have a 3-10 Leo with M1 turrets on my present 375 Wby and it's hella fun to take to long range!

Dober

You .375 guys have done invaded our 8mm/.388 thread... Bastiges... <grin>

Jeff O,
You don't have yourself a .375 of some persuasion??

It's a plot...grin

Why don't you nut up and build a 375 WSM...grin

Dober