Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The 300 Wby Mag for elk- is there anything better?

What is wrong with the 325WSM? With 200g AB it is pretty much the ballistic twin of a .30-06 shooting 180g AB if both are launched at the same MV with 6" MPBR zeros. At 2800fps:

.30-06/180g AB = 240 yd zero, 282yd MPBR; 500yds = -38.8", 1999fps, 1596fpe
.325WSM/200g AB = 328 yd zero, 279 yd MPBR; 500yds = -40.5", 1907fps, 1614fpe

A lot of same-same there

Just for fun I calculated the numbers for my less-than-max 22", 2742fps .338WM 225g AB load:

.338WM/225g AB = 237 yd zero, 279 yd MPBR; 500yds = -39.6", 2007fps, 21012fps

And I ran a .30-06 with a 165g AB at 2900fps, too:
.30-06/165g AB = 247 yd zero, 290yd MPBR; 500yds = -35.7", 2031fps, 1511fpe

And finally, a .30-06 with a 150g AB at 3000fps:
.30-06/150g AB = 252yd zero, 197yd MPBR; 500yds = -33.7", 2039fps, 1385fpe

I didn't include 10mph drift figures but there isn't much different there, either. At 500 yards:
.338WM/225g AB = 16.3"
.30-06/180g AB = 17.5"
.30-06/165g AB = 17.9"
.30-06/150g AB = 18.9"
.325WSM/200g AB = 19.9"

I would happily use any of those loads at 500 yards (and do use the .338WM/225g and .30-06 with 150g and 165g loads).