As a piggy back on the 338F vs 325 WSM thread, what do you guys think if you are going for a mid bore mag in a SA rifle?
Is the 325 much better than the ole 350 RM?
+1
The .325 fills a non-existant niche IMO, although to true rifle loonies that won't matter much.
I'd take a .300 Win Mag over the .325 any day with the .338 Win Mag being a better all around mid-bore.
Anyone else tired of reading that the 325 duplicates the .338 Win by the so-called "experts"?
Not in my eyes. Of course I'm a bit of a 35 caliber sleeze.
Both are as good as the guy behind the trigger.
Extra half inch of action length and the 358 Norma please. For deer and sheep rifles, short action may be great. But for an elk and bear rifle, I don't sweat the 3 oz.
Its the 325 for me but I have an 8mm fetish anyway.
I think, owning a couple .325's, that they are best thought of as a short-action 300 Win Mag. They really do match 300 WM ballistics, which it seems the 300 WSM does not...
Obviously (I hope) this is splitting hairs pretty fine but then this is a "gack" thread to begin with, right?
I think the .350 RM is a different category of caliber to be honest. It's a hard-hitting thumper. It's also going to recoil harder I would guess, with the 225 to 250-gn bullets that are best suited to it.
The .325 is better thought of as a flat-shooting smallish midbore, shooting 180 to 200-gn bullets in the 2940 to 3100 fps range.
Or something like that. :-)
-jeff
Jeff, I doubt the 325 will push a 180 grain bullet at 3100fps, which any .300 Win Mag will do easily.
nyrifleman,
STA (on this thread) gets 3100 fps with 180 TSX's... I got to 3075 easily with the 180 TSX and called it good, but I have no doubt I could have gotten "there" had I wanted to.
It surprised me too, to be honest!
However the SD of the .30 will of course be better than the .32.
Gack gack gack! :-)
-jeff
... and if we are lucky, Randy (STA) will post us a picture of what those 180's do to caribou! :-)
-jeff
Jeff, I doubt the 325 will push a 180 grain bullet at 3100fps, which any .300 Win Mag will do easily.
nyrifleman yes a 300win can push a 180gr 3100+fps! So can the 325WSM... PM sent with the load...
Jeff, STA, I'm surprised the WSM gets there.
As a side bonus, you get nice flat primers! None of that silly "rounded" primer bidness.
:-)
-jeff
I should add, in seriousness, that the TSX's I've shot through my .325's, both the 200 and the 180, both clocked faster than "regular" bullets. I don't think I could drive a 180-gn BT to 3100 fps for instance.
Anyway, all I was trying to address in my first post was just that the .325 and .350 are really pretty different calibers... a guy really needs BOTH to be able to sleep at night <g>!
-jeff
.350...
You have to look at history..the only caliber less liked than .35 is...8mm...
Bob
.350...
You have to look at history..the only caliber less liked than .35 is...8mm...
Bob
I can say that I've seen some elk that truly hate my 8mm.
8mmwapiti
My 325 thinks its niche in the grand scheme of things is launching 200 grain bullets with speed and accuracy. Its real good with the whole range of 8mm bullets, but give it any reputable 200 grainer and it really shows off.
+1, lodgepole. Mine shoots the 175 Sierra really well, but, for game it's pretty much 200's all the way.
200's at 2900 fps match up with the Boone and Crocket reticle really well too... so it doesn't even really matter if the 180 shoots a little flatter.
Shot any 220's with your .325? That'll get your attention.
-jeff
I was basically given a box of old 220-gn Corelokts by my gunshop buddies... loaded them up and found out that yes, there IS a limit with the recoil I'm willing to comfortably tolerate with my Montana and yes, 220's loaded hot are pushing that limit!
Those 175's loaded to about 30-06 power levels sure are fun to shoot... cheap too.
-jeff
I have three .350 Rem. mags. Based on the comparative ballistics with reasonably heavy for caliber bullets, I'd take the .350 for anything up to 200 yds. and the 325 for anything over. the .325 might not exactly equal the .338, but the difference is small enough that the animal won't be able to tell the difference.
+1
My thinking exactly.
The .325 is a sweet round and so is the .350, but their uses are different.
_
I think a better/more stimulating comparison would be .325 WSM vs. 300 Win Mag... now THAT would stir the pot some!
-jeff
350Rem. Mag. gets my vote.
The original short Mag. The 350RM
.350 RM but either will do the job.