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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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If someone gave me a 325 WSM I'd load it up and use it. I can't think of a single reason to choose it over a 300 WSM though. The actual difference in bullet diameter is .007". That may not be splitting hairs, but it is about the same difference as the thickness of 2 human hairs. According to www.nosler.com the best loads with both 325WSM and 300WSM and 200 gr Accubonds gives a 20 fps advantage to the 325. 2944 fps vs 2964 fps. That's about 50 ft lbs more energy at the muzzle. But when you look at BC's of .588 for the 300 vs only .450 for the 325, the 300WSM passes the 325WSM within the first 100 yards and is well ahead at 400 with 2" less bullet drop. Same bullet weights within 20 fps and powder charges within 1-2 grains is going to give darn near equal recoil. I've never loaded anything heavier than 180's in my 300 WSM, but recoil is quite mild. Just barely more than 30-06 loads with 180's. Both will kill deer or elk, the 325 just offers no advantages, and some disadvantages. But if someone gave me one, why not use it.
Most people don't really want the truth.
They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.
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Campfire Tracker
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.323 - .308 = .007 ?
Must be that new math...
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."
Henry Ford
If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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This is what Chuck Hawks had to say about the 325 wsm in an article he wrote.
"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. If someone gave me a 325 WSM I'd load it up and use it. I can't think of a single reason to choose it over a 300 WSM though. The actual difference in bullet diameter is .007". That may not be splitting hairs, but it is about the same difference as the thickness of 2 human hairs. I'll be one of the first to agree that the 325 offers nothing over the 300 WSM - I'd take a 300 over the 325 most any time, except the deal on the 325 was too good (I wanted the scope on it more than I wanted a 325). What I don't follow here is the .315 vs. .308 (.007 difference). I haven't slugged the bore on mine, but it most certainly shoots .323 diameter bullets which is right in the middle between .308 and .338. To be honest, I've been considering rebarreling this 325 to 6.5 SAUM but that's an entirely different topic  edit: I see taz4570 posted while I was typing and is thinking the same thing...
Last edited by JGray; 01/04/15.
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Campfire Ranger
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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... Winchester has dropped the 325 wsm and will only make seasonal runs on brass and ammo.
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego. Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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Joined: Jul 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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If someone gave me a 325 WSM I'd load it up and use it. I can't think of a single reason to choose it over a 300 WSM though. The actual difference in bullet diameter is .007". That may not be splitting hairs, but it is about the same difference as the thickness of 2 human hairs. According to www.nosler.com the best loads with both 325WSM and 300WSM and 200 gr Accubonds gives a 20 fps advantage to the 325. 2944 fps vs 2964 fps. That's about 50 ft lbs more energy at the muzzle. But when you look at BC's of .588 for the 300 vs only .450 for the 325, the 300WSM passes the 325WSM within the first 100 yards and is well ahead at 400 with 2" less bullet drop. Same bullet weights within 20 fps and powder charges within 1-2 grains is going to give darn near equal recoil. I've never loaded anything heavier than 180's in my 300 WSM, but recoil is quite mild. Just barely more than 30-06 loads with 180's. Both will kill deer or elk, the 325 just offers no advantages, and some disadvantages. But if someone gave me one, why not use it. You will be hard pressed to get 2900 anything out of the 300 wsm with a 200gr slug. Trust me I tried best I ever got was 2800.
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego. Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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J gray, I don't follow the ".315" idea either. Just posting what Chuck Hawks had to say about the 325 WSM. As you can see, that part of my post was in quotation marks. I'm thinking Mr. Hawks had a brain fart (as some of us do sometimes). I don't know why it wouldn't be the standard .323", as all other 8mm's are. With the exception of the really old mausers, which were .318". From what I know about the 8mm Mauser, they stopped using .318" bullets in 1905 and switched to the "JS" designation, which is .323". It is also unsafe to shoot a .323" bullet in a .318" bore rifle, so undoubtedly the 325 WSM has the .323" bore...Something Chuck Hawks either mistakenly said, or didn't know at the time of the publication..
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Campfire Tracker
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Yep - knew those were his words and he was in error, and you were just quoting him. Didn't think much of it when you posted it, but the subsequent post reiterating the .315 bore and .007 difference from the 300 WSM being equivalent to two hairs had me thinking I might be missing something (or losing my mind  ). It's all good...
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Ha ha... Yeah, I saw that too. I probably should have made the clarification in my first post. Honestly though, I think if one already had the 325 WSM or someone gave them one I'd keep using it. I know 79s really likes his and for good reasons. I load for the 8mm mauser and have been around the 8mm since I was a little kid, so I guess I'm a little partial to it. For the longest time, my dad's only hunting rifle was a sporterized 8mm mauser and his military VZ24. I always used the 30-06, but there was no dramatic difference between the 2 in their on game performance. Much could probably be said about the 325 WSM...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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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... Winchester has dropped the 325 wsm and will only make seasonal runs on brass and ammo. This cartridge was DOA... 
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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I've been using a 300 WSM for close to 15 years now. I've taken a bunch of elk and who knows how many deer with it. I can honestly say that I have yet to shoot one that couldn't have been taken just as easy with a 30-06. I'm considering going back to the '06 this spring just to cut the weight. I'm getting too old to pack that heavy magnum around any more.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Campfire Member
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I have both the 300wsm and the 325wsm and they are both fine elk rifles. The last three elk (2 raghorns and 1 cow) all fell to one shot from the 325. Prior to that the previous 5 or 6 elk fell to the 300wsm, also all but 1 fell to one shot. The 300 is a Winchester and the 325 is a Browning A-bolt. Both are light weight and both have very manageable recoil. I will keep both rifles and use them both.
Bart
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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bart: We know it works.But I never thought it would be a commercial success.
First it's too much like the 300 (which you likely know).
Second,it's a medium bore,a very tough market niche for a cartridge to bust into. The world is full of useful mediums that have gone buns up.The average American has little use for one unless he grew up reading Elmer. The only one's with any sales legs have been the 375H&H, 338 Win Mag,340 Weatherby to a lesser extent,the 35 Whelan,and the 375 Ruger.
These do anything in the medium category and adequately fill the demand.
Last, it's an 8mm...which is sort of Europe's 30 caliber. But not here. I would not give any 8mm much chance for widespread popularity here.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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The only thing the .325 WSM has going for it is that it's different. And, as the 8mm Remington Mag has already demonstrated, it occupies a very narrow niche.
Last edited by mudhen; 01/05/15.
Ben
Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
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Campfire Tracker
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Because the 325 WSM is different is part of the reason I would want one again, I find most of the 300's boring. Must be a gun nut .........
Gerry.
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+1 on being different and gun nut
The original post asked how it would perform.
Last edited by bart71175; 01/05/15.
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I'm sure it will work great and it's performance would leave nothing to be desired
Gerry.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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I've been using a 300 WSM for close to 15 years now. I've taken a bunch of elk and who knows how many deer with it. I can honestly say that I have yet to shoot one that couldn't have been taken just as easy with a 30-06. I'm considering going back to the '06 this spring just to cut the weight. I'm getting too old to pack that heavy magnum around any more. That makes a lot of sense Rock Chuck.
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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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... Winchester has dropped the 325 wsm and will only make seasonal runs on brass and ammo. This cartridge was DOA... Bob, that kind of sucks too because the 325 has always intrigued me. I almost bought one because I had a slew of 30-06's and to be quite frank, I was bored with the ol 30 cal's. However, I think the 338 win kept me from taking the plunge....
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Campfire Regular
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I loved the 7-08 before it was popular and I feel the same about the 325 wsm. I really was more in love with the rifle, more than the cartridge. Because I already had 7mm Rem Mag, I didn't really want a 300 anything. They really were boring to me. I was leaning toward a 338 Win Mag but getting it in a light rifle for hiking the steep and nasty hills of the West, seemed quite difficult. Since then I have learned of more options, but I scored a deal on my 325 and couldn't be happier.
I have a small stock pile of brass and will keep watching for more. One can never have too much right? ;0)
FH
Last edited by Fire Hawk; 01/05/15.
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Campfire Regular
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Though, I have not shot anything with the 325WSM, I really like this cartridge. I have a couple of Kimber Montana rifles in it. I like the 200TSX loadings for it. If you are a Swift A-Frame fan, take look at Swift's new reloading book for the 200 and 220 grain. IF the velocities are actually close to what can be achieved in real life, they are impressive. I am not one to be on the new is always better, or the must have the latest offerings; but this is a very good 8mm cartridge. And probably, there is very little that can not be accomplished with an 8mm 200-220gr premium bullet at 2800-2900 fps. And yes, there are lots of cartridges that will do the same, And I am glad there are choices.
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