Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 325 wsm and elk... anybody??

Hopefully the Winchester brass is just a seasonal run issue. I see where Nosler is producing brass and it is available in places. I think the 325WSM is a great 8mm round.

I am not an elk hunter, and have not shot anything with mine. I have carried it a few times moose hunting, but the moose did not cooperate. Mine is a Kimber Montana.

I have a couple of buddies that have whacked moose or two with the factory 200 Accubond and they are sold on it. I prefer the 200TSX.


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Winchester's web site still lists it but that's not saying their site is current.
WINCHESTER CASES

I use the 200gr accubond and it has put down two elk no prob. Shots were at 160 and 320. It has also done a fine job on antelope and a few deer.

Very little recoil and easy to carry in the ported Kimber Montana. It is the largest caliber gun I'll ever need on this continent

beretz,

In Africa in 2007, one of my hunting partners brought a .325 and a bunch of the 220 Power Point factory loads. After a few days the PH told him to quit using it, and stick to the .375 H&H he brought for Cape buffalo instead, even on plains game. The 220 retained weight fine, but opened so widely it didn't penetrate very deeply on heavier animals like zebra.

Used to load 220 Swift A-Frames for a buddy in his .325. I think he killed two elk with that load, no complaints. Also killed about 10 antelope with his .325 because it shot so well.

200 gn accubond did the job for me on a big cow 365 yards

My Kimber shines with the 200 grain Accubond lit with RS Big Game and a WLRM primer. Only had the opportunity on one elk so far. 330 yards, single shot, two steps and falling over. Huge amounts of blood pooled up on the ground around her soaking through the quickly accumulating snow. First elk with my Montana, and hopefully many more to come.

Mine won't shoot 200 Accubonds at all. Handles the 200 TSX very well though.

RL17 works well but I switched to 4007 or H414 because I can actually buy these powders.

My Kimber doesn't shoot 200 Accubonds very well either, however every flat base bullet I've tried so far shoots great with H4350. A pard and his Dad shoot A-bolts and love the Accubond in their 325's...

Rifles are funny aren't they? Mine shoots those Accubonds so well. I have also seen good results with Partitions and recently with the 220 Sierra Game King. Have some H4350, but haven't opened it yet. Still have a few pounds of Big Game and have had good results with RL17 too. Tried imr4007 but saw pressure signs too early, although accuracy was good. Also used imr4350 with good results. Love the rifle and look forward to getting to know how it does even more.

The 300 WSM knocks the hell outa elk, I don't see why the 325 would be any different. When it first came out, they tried to say it was better than the 338 win mag. Same velocities as the 300 win mag with the same knockdown power as the 338 win mag. Major marketing bs hype, but it is what it is...Short fat and new (2005), make the best of it...


This is what Chuck Hawks had to say about the 325 wsm in an article he wrote.

Titled, "The short magnum cartridges":

"In the same class as the .300 short magnums is the .325 WSM. This cartridge came about as the result of a failed attempt to create a .338 WSM. The .325 WSM is intentionally misnamed to make it sound bigger than it is. It actually has a .315" bore diameter and should have been named the .315 WSM. It is an 8mm cartridge and its performance is nearly identical to that of the .300 WSM. The most important difference between this cartridge and the .300 WSM is the relative scarcity of 8mm bullets for reloading. Another drawback is its vicious recoil in the light Browning and Winchester rifles supplied in .325 WSM, recoil comparable to the .338 RCM and in excess of the .350 Rem. Mag.

The .338 RCM is offered factory loaded with 200 and 225 grain bullets, which is fine as far as it goes. It is an excellent elk cartridge. Unfortunately, the long 250 grain bullets that made the .338 Win. Magnum's reputation as a slayer of giant animals takes up too much powder space in the short RCM case to be practical. That leaves the .338 RCM a definite step ahead of the .325 WSM, but clearly infrerior to the .338 Win. Mag."

I like my 325 wsm far as recoil it's a pussy cat. My 338 wsm will push a 225gr to 2860 out a 22 1/2 in barrel.

I'm shooting the factory Winchester ammo in 200gr accubond. It groups an inch at 100 yds out of my Kimber 8400. Performance wise they have been great, and the gun is sighted 2" high at 100.

The only thing is the brake on the gun, it is sooo loud when I shoot it in the field. I am considering removal but don't want to fix something that isn't broken. Its just for my ears. The brake was originally for my dad when he shot it because he has spine/shoulder issues. I could really do without it, but will it change my zero?

Sounds like an elk stomper to me. Both the 325 and 338 wsm.. What kind of powder do you use to push them that fast? Are you using IMR 4007 in both cartridges? Are you seeing early signs of pressure like what has been mentioned in previous posts?

If you cut it off, how long will it be when done? You should still be good if you don't go too short. If you go too short, you'll end up with a lot of muzzle blast and almost defeat the purpose. A 22-23" WSM would probably be about perfect, all else considered. Have the barrel professionally crowned and you shouldn't lose any accuracy, however you will lose a little velocity. Depending on how short you go with it..

I use a book load of 4007 in the 325 wsm and rl 17 in the 338 wsm. I was getting pressure signs in the 338 wsm on the high end hard extraction etc.. Backed off and settled for what I got now.. I bet I could get the .338 200gr accubonds screaming out of it.

Well, elk season slipped by with not seeing one legal animal in Idaho to kill... no matter the caliber of rifle I carried. Thats the reality of elk hunting

When Winchester brought out the 'short fats', I wondered how they would catch on. Remington wasted no time with there "short fats" and they seem to fall to the way side first and fast.

This 325 wsm I like. Its just a little more than the 30 cal, but not quite a 338 my favored elk caliber. The rifle is light to carry, recoil very manageable and bullets that have good diameter and weight for any animal in the north American continent, but seems to be looked over. I wonder were it will be in cartridge sales in the next few years

boomwack, I think the wsm's will be around for a looooooong time. They are extremely accurate and efficient as long as you don't overload them with too heavy of a bullet. The 300 is king of the WSM's as far as popularity goes, but I don't see the 325 going anywhere too soon. You have seen what's happened to the good ol 8mm mauser and 8mm rem mag though. More of a European market and one the American public may overlook at times...

Thanks for the input. Ill think it over...losing what I already have going would stink, it is a very good setup. Maybe Ill carry earplugs instead

You might ask around at the gunsmiths. Someone might know of another someone wanting a brake and who is willing to do a barrel swap. The odds aren't good but you never know.