Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 325 WSM Brown Bear medicine

Idmay375,

It's hard to find much advantage over the standard case chamberings. The 338 win mag is legendary and highly regarded. But a four or five down 338-06 carbine will be lighter, easier to carry, less recoil, and more efficient with a shorter barrel. I've chronographed factory loads in the 20 inch 338 win mag guide gun, the loads are within 70-80 fps of your hand loads.

Same with the 9.3x62 mauser. I had both the 375 ruger and a five-down cz 9.3x62 carbine. The 9.3 stayed, but the 375 ruger found a new home. 300 grain bullets at 2460 fps ain't no slouch.

In a way, the standard case medium bores are a serious contender against the magnums. Hand me a 9.3x62, 35 whelen or 338-06 on a running or wounded animal, I guarantee that I'll get more aimed shots out the barrel, over the magnums.

Even up to 41 caliber on the standard case (technically still a medium bore):

My 41 wildcat off the 9.3x62 case, it was a lighter, shorter gun that held 4 rounds down over my 416 ruger. The recovery from recoil was quicker as well.

When standard type B mauser rifles were exported to Africa in the early 1900's it was a sufficient dangerous game gun affordable to bush people. They were stamped 9.3x62 mauser or 10.75x68 mauser.

The magnum mausers went to custom gunmakers aimed at a wealthier crowd.

Our American 35 whelen, 333 OKH and 400 whelens were essentially the working man's versions that accomplished the same thing that the 10.75x68 and 9.3x62 did in Africa.

But what do I know, i poop in a hole and have no electricity or running water.

What rifle and bullet Where you using in particular on the two charging grizz you shot with the 30-06?

But you do have internet 👍

Heck yah! We got ah AT&T, 4g tower over on tower rd, about 15 miles from here. I get 2 bars on this here $50 a month phone. Good money spent.

I’d listen to Mainer. He figured it out a long time ago. The hard way. Real experience. Not off the internet. 😜

No doubt the standard / 30-06 size cartridges perform well.
The 338-06 is an exceptional performer, in my opinion. A great cartridge.

Off topic a bit but I have always been puzzled by the notion that the 338WM kicks "too hard". I have a WIN Classic stainless with the synthetic stock and I have shot 225 and 250 grain bullets out of it at the range. Bench shooting always kicks more than actual shooting from other positions but I never found it unbearable to the point that it affected my shot placement. A bit more sudden than the 375H&H but not unbearable as many others seem to think. I am 5'10 and 185 so I am no giant either. Does anyone agree with me? I am beginning to worry that there is something wrong with me because I do not have an issue with the 338.

I agree Mil. Here's a vid of me shooting my .340 Wby--225gr TTSX leaving the muzzle at 3,040 fps. It's just not much recoil to bother about.

https://i.imgur.com/xMUu4AG.mp4

Also agree.

My .338 is 8lbs all up shooting the 225TSX ay 2900 FPS.

Not objectionable at all.

Nothing brings out the long threads like a "bear load" topic or a "hand gun for bears" topic. I enjoy reading them and I have been hunting in Alaska for 55 years and knew several old time guides from the Slana and Nebesna Road area. Others not based out of their but met through the Perkins family were Duncan Gilcrest, Maynard "Perk" Perkins, Roy Biffel and I think a guy named Johnson. A colorful bunch for sure. Old Fred Bronochi used to have "happy hour" at his place on Nebesna down the road from the Heart D Ranch owned by guide Don Dehart. Bill Alice, Doc Taylor, DeHart, Bud Conkle and others my memory has lost, they used to stop in and swap stories. I may have butchered some names. They spoke often about old guide Harry Boyden who I regrettably never took the time to go meet, my loss Old Fred liked me and allowed me to sit in and listen if I was in the area. As a young lad I was in awe to say the least!

They spoke often of bears they and their clients took in the interior and their fall Peninsula brown bear hunts. Most of the interior grizzly were "incidental" to sheep, caribou and moose hunts, so what ever gun they had in their hands was their "bear gun". Most of the calibers I heard about were the .270 Win., the 30-06, the .300 H&H, .308 Norma mag. and the .375 on the Peninsula or for their Kotzebue Polar Bear hunts. Rifles favored were the old Mod. 70, converted Springfield 03A3's and a few Remington 721's. The bullets were mostly the old Rem. Core-Lokt and Nosler Partitions. Usually 180 grains in the .30 calibers and 270 grains in the .375.

One thing I remember well is, to the man they all expressed their desire to get the client close to any big bear for the first shot. They thought 40 yards was perfect and nothing over 200 yards ever at un wounded bears Their reasoning was good shot placement and impact velocity. From what I see and read on the internet times have changed. I have no desire to take long shots at bears.

Nothing to that hike broke my leg in lo tide area hiked on in to the cabin came out 3 days later, pins and a plate. Tibula and fibula spiral fracture, wife insisted just a bad sprain till she saw x rays, in fact she said I looked like a turtle on my back get up. Now I call hikes with her death marches!

Don’t over think it! If you shoot that rifle well and have a solid bonded/copper bullet over 200 grains that’s accurate, go hunt hard and have 100% confidence when you pull the trigger on your bear. Good luck!

Why would you want or need a solid copper bullet over 200 grains?

I think the original poster said he had a 325 WSM and I believe the 200 is the lightest bullet for that caliber. However for bear I wouldn’t be opposed to shooting a bullet below 200 grains as long as it’s constructed well and placed in the correct spot. Doesn’t necessarily need to be monolithic copper, the Barnes tsx is a popular one up here for penetration. If it were me I’d prefer a Nosler Accubond or Partition.

Both Nosler and Barnes make a 180 grain.

Gotcha, then if the 325WSM shot 180’s well I’d stuff some in the mag and go bear hunting. I have a 300 WSM and would feel totally comfortable taking a good broadside shot at a bear with either the Barnes or Accubond. Biggest thing is waiting for a good first shot and making it count. Once you got a good round in him keep racking and cracking till the gun’s empty.

I've been somewhere about your size for a good part of my adult years, but today (just turned 85 today) I'm a bit lighter and shorter. In my sixties my favorite long-range rifle was a .340 Weatherby that I shot a bull moose with in the far north of our province (Ontario, Canada). I put over a thousand rounds from that rifle (a rechambered .338 Win Mag) with a 26" barrel. My load for moose was a 250gr Nos. Partition at 3000 fps. No trauma or felt pain, EVER! Recoil is mostly a matter of the psyche! Today, my favorite rifle is a Ruger #1 Tropical in .458 Win Mag. On my shelf I have 27 different weights and styles of .458" bullets. Since I'm no longer hunting in the "Far North" of our province, but closer to home in Central Ontario, my favorite big game rifles are the .458 Win and 9.3 x 62 Mauser. My .458 load currently for black bear is a 405gr at 2083 fps avg - the same as from a former 1895 Marlin. That's my load for next spring's bear hunt. The rifle with scope and 5 cartridges on the stock in a holder is 10.75 lbs. Recoil from that load is a mere 30 ft-lbs. In the Marlin it was 42 ft-lbs. 2 extra pounds weight in a rifle that';s well balanced (and shorter at 40") is FAR better than 25 lbs overweight! I regularly work out to keep in shape!

I've owned and handloaded most common cartridges from the .22 Hornet to the "mighty" .458 Winchester Magnum (I've owned 10 .45-70s and 3 .458 WMs). I've never lost or had to hunt for an animal hit by a .458" projectile.

Added for clarification: The above is not mere boasting... it's historical facts. The motive is to point out that any fit hunter/sportsman can "handle" the recoil of a .338 Win Mag without pain or discomfort. All that has to do with, firstly: the mind, secondly physical fitness, thirdly technique, fourthly the rifle's weight and profile, lastly the load and practice, practice, practice...

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

With the right bullet in the right place the .325 WSM has to work. I have never been a long range shooter at our wonderful big game animals and never had a need to be, so I have pretty much stuck with the 30-06 and .338 Winny and both calibers with my loads are capable of 500 yard hits at the range. My 30-06 is a pre-64 Featherweight and my .338 is a customized Mod. 70 "Classic Stainless" that shoots 250 or 225 grain Barnes X bullets into little groups. It weighs about 8.25 lbs. with 4 down and a Bansners Stock and a Nightforce SHV 3-9x42. I have never lost an animal in 55 years up here and have never had to shoot one twice, other then a couple of head shots as they lay on the ground bleeding out.

I have owned four .375's and never hunted them. A Sako Carbine, couple of pre-64's and a "Classic Stainless" I fixed up and gifted to my son-in-law. At the range I fired 270 grain Barnes X bullets out of them and they all recoiled more then my .338. I personally believe felt recoil is a personal thing and if some thing is repeated enough it often becomes truth.

On paper the .325 WSM has all the "right stuff". But, history has not been kind to 8mm any thing in North America, If I hunted Africa I would look for a old "Classic Stainless" action and make up a .375 H&H unless some crafty gun smith could figure out a way to make me up a 5 down Ruger .375. I know I wouldn't have time for 5 shots, but to me the magazine is a great place to store extra ammo and I can run a bolt faster then I can reload a bolt action magazine rifle. My Professional would save me any way, right?

A Swift 200 or 220 grain A-Frame, a Nosler 200 grain Accubond or Partition or a 200 grain Barnes X would be my choices with the Barnes X my first choice. My personal experience for the last 50 years is pretty much with Barnes X and Partitions, which always work.

.32 magnum IMO would work fine. Most bullet makers top out at 200 gr, several 180 and 190 gr to choose from. Barnes made a 220 gr back in the day. 200 gr seems appropriate for big bears at moderate ranges from a .32 magnum.

Re: 338 Win Mag. The 338 Win Mag is not terribly difficult to shoot in my opinion. I have used it on a few elk and whitetails. Bought it 35 years ago. Shot it a lot back then, but always loaded heavies such as 250 gr Partitions, 250 gr Hawk and 250 gr Sierras at 2,625 fps - 2,650 fps for elk. At those speeds and hunting in winter clothing wear, I honestly never noticed it being rough on the shoulder. Sure bench shooting gets exhausting 15-20 rounds in, but so does a .30 magnum. With the understanding that big browns and even inland grizz are shot well within 200 yards and most within 125 yards, I would see no need to juice a 338 Win Mag any faster to obtain more recoil for that situation. The 338 Win Mag with 250 gr loads has a lot of spank at 200 yards.

I shot a grizz in BC in1978 with Katchika range outfitters with a stock Rem 30/06 180 grain Core Loct...First shot through both shoulders knocked him downand another insurance..Also got a 60" moose same trip..I have a.300. Mag Win for a littl more range but took a lot of game with 30/06..