Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 325 WSM vs 338 Federal

What are your opinions on these 2 new calibres? Which one would be more effective on big game like grizzly or Alaska/Yukon moose?

Thanks,

personally wouldn't go chasing grizz with a .338fed. huge difference in those two chamberings.

So the 325 WSM is a more powerful cartridge?

Harv,
I view both cartridges as good choices for lightweight rifles for an old guy like me.....I would prefer the 325 especially if hunting large bears IF there were more factory loads available. I would have a 325WSM now if Federal had carried threw with their plans for ammo production....

I am going to get a 325 in the Kimber Montana-intended use: Elk at close range(heavy timber)
I would imagine that the 325 with a 200 grain TSX or partition would be dandy on a big bear as well.

Either one will work fine for any game in North America, within reasonable ranges. Either one can use bullets in excess of 200 grains at velocities of 2500 fps and above. At ranges of 300 yards and less, this sort of ballistic performance is quite adequate.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to shoot a bear, were I to want to shoot a bear, within 100-150 yards with a good bullet in either cartridge.

Do you reload? If not, well . . .

I am now all set up to reload...just have to learn how to properly.

Are there places that make ammunition for you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />?

The .325 WSM is quite a bit more rifle, although I agree with others that either one would serve for big game quite well, withing reasonable parameters. I think if the big bears are specifically on the menu, then I would lean towards the .325, but otherwise the .338 Fed has a better selection of factory ammo and a few more bullets for handloading at this point.

I'd hunt mountain grizzly or black bear anywhere with the 325 WSM, but I wouldn't be interested in so much as owning a rifle in 338 Federal.

And the truth is, I'd much rather stick with my old 338 Win. Mag. than hunt with either one of them............

AD

+1 Allen, not really sure what the 338 Federal is all about? It lacks everything the 338WM can do with the same bullets and more.

The 338 Federal will push 200 grain bullets to around 2600 fps. This would have been good medicine for anything in North America 60 years ago but the modern animals have evolved into a much more tenacious critter.
These two cartridges are variations on a similar theme. The 325 works in a short action a provides magnum performance. The 338 Fed. works in a short action and provides less power. This means the 338 Fed could be used in a lighter rifle and still be manageable. The 338 Federal could also hold 5 rounds in the magazine.
I think the entire family of cartridges based on the 308 case are very practical, usable, cartridges. The 338 Federal is no exception. Whether it will do well in the marketplace remains to be seen. GD

greydog +1

greydog,

Quit making sense! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> +2

MtnHtr

You know what's really evolved over the last sixty years?

Hunting costs and trophy fees!

Go price a quality spring mountain grizzly hunt in Alaska, the Yukon, or BC, and then ask yourself if, under all conditions and with that sort of investment on the line, if the 338 Federal really is the best you can do in terms of cartridge selection.

Everything's all relative when it gets down to making armchair recommendations, and at that point, there's no harm in theorizing over the sufficiency of sixty year-old ballistics. But once you write the check and the hunt becomes official, things take a lot more serious turn. They get even more serious if you have ever had to deal with a grizzly charge, as I have, and you have had to iron-out some big boar at spitting distance.

Then the conversation moves from cocktail-time cartridges to optimum cartridges. Back in my great-grandfather's era, some ranchers still killed grizzlies with 30-30s and even 44-40s. But that doesn't mean that sort of cartridge is what I want to be using today.............even if it was legal to do so.

AD

I hate both of these cartridges. I would have saved the cost of a Savage 111 bolt action rebarrel to .338-06, if they had come out a year sooner. Now all that I think about is a Sav 99, rebarreled from .308 to .338Fed for deer/hogs, and a new BLR in .325WSM for all western game. I like short action levers. For what it's worth, my .338-06 is a sweetheart and I'm glad to have it. Good luck.

George

I realize that both of the cartridges in question give the term "niche" a new meaning-but I am very interested in the 325WSM, not just because of the cartridge, but because I can get one in the Kimber Montana. Besides, it will go well with my 270WSM Montana. If I already had a 300WSM, I probably would not be that interested in the 325.

Dont hate em and as a matter of fact,I thought the 325WSM would fill a good niche for our part of the country in a lightweight configuration and I owned one and sold it cuz I dont reload, and your left with little options and its demise in the volume sales dept is imminent because of this. The 338 Fed seems like a gun for guys that want to shoot a bigger cal but cant handle the recoil of a 338 WM and therefore sacrifice any kind of awesome performance. Cuz I cant think of a case where I'd want a lighweight SA caliber that would not have good LR trajectory and umph and or requires anything over a 30cal. Seems to fill very few niches I see. And if I am hunting big bears the weight of the gun is the least of my concerns so the SA will shine none. Confidence and UUmph is far more important. Blacks, moose and griz can easily be killed with far less than a 338 anything, with good bullet selection. so it leaves the 338 Fed doing very little, very well. But if someone wants something the 338 Fed included thats enough reason to buy anything.

A 338 Federal can shoot a 180gr bullet at 2830fps and the 325WSM will shoot a 180gr bullet 3153fps! The 325WSM is a easy 300+ fps faster than the 338 Federal... RL
http://www.netrifle.com/shortmags/ref_data/Nosler_325WSM.htm
http://www.federalcartridge.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx