Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 325 WSM popularity

I was thumbing through my new Rifle magazine (Jan issue) tonight, and scanning Dave Scovills "What`s new for 2008" I see a piece on the popularity of the WSM`s. The 300 is of course the king as to sales with not the 270 or 7MM as 2nd, but the 325 WSM. Scovill states a informal survey has one manufacture claiming the 325 is selling right along with the 30-06!
Is the old `06 becoming that jaded? Is there something about the 325WSM I haven`t reconized yet?

Joe the 325 WSM has the same miserable selection of bullets that the 8MM Remington Mag has and everyone says that caliber is dead. Compared to the real 8MM Mag it's performance is dismal.

Actually that isn't really the case and is a deceptive statement.

It's correct in that the 8mm Magnum declined partially because of limited bullet selection in the US though it's excellent in Europe and elsewhere. But with the developement of the 325 WSM we now have some superb new bullets in 8mm that work extremely well in the 325 WSM including the 180gr TSX, 200gr TSX and 200gr Accubond. You can't apply the same lack of bullet selection woes that hurt the 8mm Magnum to the 325 since excellent new bullets are now available for the 325. Maybe the 8mm Magnum will show a slight upsurge in popularity because of the new bullets.

What the 325 has over the 8mm Magnum is that is isn't quite too much of a good thing like the 8mm Magnum was. The 8mm was a very potent round but required a long magnum action and recoil was a little more than a lot of people cared for. The 325 fits into a now extremely common Short Magnum action and is in a more comfortable range recoil wise.
My Kimber 8400 325 WSM will shoot either the 200gr TSX or 200gr Accubonds into 1/2 MOA at about 2950 fps. The rifle weighs in at about 7.5lbs with scope yet still is in a controllable recoil range according to the dozen or so people I've let shoot it. Most people are quite surprised at how well the Kimber handles the recoil. There isn't any big game animal in the America's that I wouldn't feel comfortable hunting with the 200gr TSX at that velocity, as well as any African Game short of dangerous ones.
It's a great round with a little more umph than a regular 300 mag and is gaining popularity with shooters that are smart enough to give it a chance...............................DJ

Seems everyone I've spoke with on the fire about them really like the 325.When a few educated lonnies tell me it's a good round I've got to believe them.

Myself I hope it becomes more common.

I like mine!
200gr at 2900fps is alright, I guess...

Hmmmm, Maybe I should take a 2nd look.....

My take is it doesn't shine at anything that another caliber won't do better. But then its your money. As for the bullets well they are now also available for the 8MM Mag as well.

I really like my 8MM Mag with 220 Gr Sierra Gamekings at 3008 fps and my 200 Noslers Partitions and Accu-bonds at 3120 fps chronographed out of my 24" bbl. But its a nitche gun.

It`s a nice "nitch"!

What is the nitche??? It seems to me anything that could be hunted with a 300 mag or a 338 mag could be hunted with the 8mm mag (or the 325 WSM) and that makes for one very large nitche.

8mmwapiti

Here's too niche guns, otherwise we wouldn't have any assortment of calibers today:

We'd have the .257 roberts (doing anything the .243s, 6mm wildcats and standard niche guns would do).

We'd have the 6.5x55 7x57 & .270 (doing anything the .280, 7-08, 25-06, .308 and various .264 niche guns do).

We'd have the .30-30, 30-06 and the .300 H&H (doing everything all the .30s and 8mm nich guns can do).

The .35 remington and.350 Rigby did all that the .338 and .358 shorties or mags do.

The .375 H&H would be there on the bigger end. A .222 and .220 swift on the small end. Who needs anything else?

I like my 8x57 better than the .308, my .260 and 6.5x55 better than the .270. I do have an 06, but like the .300 Win and 7RM just as well. I liked the .338x300 I carried in BC and the .335 OTTR I have in a pistol now. My.257 AI is awesome as is my .223 and .204s (plural). I can't wait to get a .243 heavy barrel for long range varmints and targets. Niches are why we have so many differnt calibers to choose from.

NICHE GUNS RULE!

There is "NO WAY" the 325WSM is out selling the 270WSM. I believe that Dave Scovill printed what he was told. The manufacturers quote was intended to sell un-sold rifles the distributors or dealers don't want because of a lack of shooter demand.

Dave Scovill with his industry involvement should know that a 8MM bore diameter is not going to out sell a 270 bore diameter...regardless what the case shape may be.

Doc

Well in our State Washington you know the only thing that takes a gun that large are LR Elk, bear and moose if you ever get lucky enough to get drawn. So it seldomly gets used and at times it goes along as a backup gun. That's why for me it's a nitche gun. I feel other types of hunting really don't require that much brute power. But on the other hand I don't believe in 22's for humane hunting of deer size game.

Really? And the factuual basis for your claim is ... what?

Emotion, personal preferences and wishful thinking don't count...

The statement the .325 is second most popular surprised me. Pretty much all other references I have read in the rags was that the .300 WSM is #1, with .270 a fair bit back at second, and the 7mm & 325 not taking off at all. Of course, Dave Scovill's article is most recent and maybe there was a rush on 325s in 07.

Lou

DJ,
Well said. I think it is a great round and is perfect in the Kimber Montana. For me it is the best of the 8's.
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Actually that isn't really the case and is a deceptive statement.

It's correct in that the 8mm Magnum declined partially because of limited bullet selection in the US though it's excellent in Europe and elsewhere. But with the developement of the 325 WSM we now have some superb new bullets in 8mm that work extremely well in the 325 WSM including the 180gr TSX, 200gr TSX and 200gr Accubond. You can't apply the same lack of bullet selection woes that hurt the 8mm Magnum to the 325 since excellent new bullets are now available for the 325. Maybe the 8mm Magnum will show a slight upsurge in popularity because of the new bullets.

What the 325 has over the 8mm Magnum is that is isn't quite too much of a good thing like the 8mm Magnum was. The 8mm was a very potent round but required a long magnum action and recoil was a little more than a lot of people cared for. The 325 fits into a now extremely common Short Magnum action and is in a more comfortable range recoil wise.
My Kimber 8400 325 WSM will shoot either the 200gr TSX or 200gr Accubonds into 1/2 MOA at about 2950 fps. The rifle weighs in at about 7.5lbs with scope yet still is in a controllable recoil range according to the dozen or so people I've let shoot it. Most people are quite surprised at how well the Kimber handles the recoil. There isn't any big game animal in the America's that I wouldn't feel comfortable hunting with the 200gr TSX at that velocity, as well as any African Game short of dangerous ones.
It's a great round with a little more umph than a regular 300 mag and is gaining popularity with shooters that are smart enough to give it a chance...............................DJ

I know this is a very old thread and my comment will be a necropost. But I love the 325 and often look to revive old threads. I agree with your comment. Also, if I were permitted I wouldn’t think twice about using a 325wsm on a Cape buffalo. A 220 grain Woodleigh or Swift Aframe would be quite effective on one(even other projectiles). Anyhow, I hope I don’t get too mocked by others for commenting on an old thread.lol

Personally I wish they got the 338wsm to perform the way they
wanted. I have a few 30-06 rifles and a 338wsm would have seemed a more practical and worthwhile jump. However, I ended up with two 325wsm rifles and love them. I can rationalize there is enough of a gain in performance (not much- lol) to have gotten the 325s. Besides, it’s always fun to have new rifles and the 325 motivated me to take up reloading.

Well I like the cartridge. Very versatile with handloading. Mild 150's through heavy 220's at good speeds!? Seems like a great hunting cartridge if you don't shoot past 500yd (which to me is unethical for unpracticed). There just needs to be more rifles or a new campaign to promote it... however the XPR and M70's are plenty fine. I complement mine with a 6.5 grendel for target / varmint / light game and a .22 for target / small / v. small game. In cases of overlap with the grendel I'll pick the 325 with proper load for added confidence ofc.

I would like to have one, don’t really need it.

I get that. If you have a 30-06 and 338 no need to buy one. Otherwise, 325 will cover 308 to 30-06 to 338 (*mostly). Means it's good by me.