Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 325 WSM as an ELK Load?????

2 weeks ago I took a young bull at 635 yds. with my model 70 325 WSM using 180 silvertips.

I'd rather shoot my 375 H&H from the bench than my Feather weight M70 325 with full house 220 loads. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Man where are these bullet proof elk located that can only be shot with a 338? You guys are picking nits IMO... There isn't a hill of beans diffrence between a 338 and a 325. Thats why I have a 338-06 instead. :P

This thread would not be complete without at least one person chiming in for the 35 Whelen. Here's a 200 grain TSX recovered from dry newspaper and chronographed at 2750 fps.

I thought the .325 was born dead on arrival - not that I thought it was a bad cartridge - because like all the WSMs, it does nothing that some other cartridge has not already been doing.
I believe I was quite wrong; apparently just their dimensions, ballistics notwithstanding, make them different enough that they are selling well.
I think it'd do well for elk or moose given the right bullet; I did/do object to the horse droppings marketing though that tried to show it as superior to the .338 Win mag.
In fact, I've been contemplating a NULA in .300 WSM.

Sure , the 325 will work , but what does it really offer that the 300 WSM shooting 180 s or 200 s doesn't ??

An extra 15 thousands in diameter is just not going to make much of a difference...........

I have to take some exception here. I apoligize as I am not addressing the 325wsm. I agree that the 325wsm may not be as good as a 338 win for elk, caribou,moose,bear. On the other hand I will disagree that the 8mm Remington Mag, isnt as good. We could discuss sectional density ya da ya da yada, all day long. Unless you began to go bigger than 250 grain bullets which is about the most for the 8mm Mag. I know know one loads a 250 grain bullet for it. I have some blue mountain 235 grainers, some hawk 250 grainers and you can get a couple other high end manufactures in 250 grainers. Push those out at 2800 feet a second and you beat the 338 and match the 340 Weatherby. You can drop down to 180 grain ballistic tips and really reach out. Granted ballistic tips not my favorite bullet but my sheep never new it. So I live in Alaska and carry an 8 mm Mag. I have owned a 338 Lapua and a 338 win mag. Both great cartridges. You place your shot right and they wont know the differance.

With the exception of bullet selection, I think the 325 WSM is a better all-around hunting rifle in the lower 48 than the 338 Win Mag.

OK start the flames but at least consider why I'm starting to think that. First of all I've allways been a 338 Win Mag fan I've had several and still have a couple including a pretty decent French Walnut Stocked Custom Rifle. I shot my first Elk with a 338 Win Mag.
I think either Caliber is more than adequate power wise for any game in the lower 48 States, but the 338 Win mag seems to be a little too much. I think that in a lot of deer hunting camps you show up with a 338 and they'll tease you about the cannon you are using (been there, done that). Show up with a 325 and to me it at least sounds more reasonable.
The 325 WSM is available in a lot handier rifle than you can find off the shelf in a 338. A Kimber Montana or even a A-Bolt is a lot more light and carriable than any 338 Win Mag I can think of. You can get a 325 in a heavier rifle but you can't get the 338 in a lighter one.
My biggest gripe with the 338 Win Mag is the poor consistancy you will find in factory brass. I have a Case Micrometer in 338 Win Mag and measuring a bunch of cases revealed some startling inconsistancies. Yes you can fire-form your 338 and be OK from there but why should you have to fireform brass in a factory Caliber? The only centerfire rifle caliber I've ever had misfires with is the 338 Win mag, and I've had it happen with 4 of them! I think the problems were probably all due to badly headspaced brass. The 325 WSM being new has fresh highly consistant brass for it. I also think the 325 WSM is going to prove to be a more accurate round than the 338 even with good brass in the 338. The WSM's are more efficient and efficiency is condusive to better accuracy.
The 325 is also better all around because of it's lighter recoil. Now in perspective I've only had one 325 and closer to double digits of 338 Win Mags but my Kimber Montana 325 is one of the lightest available, and almost all 338's are much heavier. My Montana is definately easier to shoot than any of my 338's.
Maybe in Africa on heavier game the 338 with 250gr bullets will pull away from the 325, but here in America my light, accurate and easy to shoot 325 is going hunting with me next time.......................DJ

I am really intrigued by the idea of a 325WSM in the Kimber Montana for elk. Most of the country where I hunt elk is pretty rough going and not very open. Lots of hiking and mostly close to medium range shots possible.

You're not saying that you'd rather hike through the rough going with a 10 1/2lb rifle instead of a 6 1/2lb rifle are you? I'm also thinking a lighter and shorter rifle is going to be better for quick close-in shots.............DJ

Exactly!!:)
My favorite elk gun is a 340wby accumark, I love the rifle, but it weighs close to 11 lbs all up. So yeah, 6 1/2 lbs looks pretty good sometimes.

Hello All,

The 338 or the 325? Niether one is magic. They are both more than capable of taking any north american game including elk.

Get the one YOU want and don't look back. If you buy the one somone else wants you may always wish you had the other and that is no fun. If you do not reload I would say the 325 may be a problem as the 8mm Rem mag is at this point in time for the nonreloader.

8mmwapiti

WH,

I have no first hand experience with Elk or Moose, but I can tell you that with 200 gr. factory Accubond loads it will put down a Kamchatka Brown Bear.

Mike

Mike, Would you mind giving the details please? I'd really like to hear about the brown bear and how the 200gr Accubond worked - it shoots well in my gun............DJ

DJ,

I think you'll find everything you want to know here. Kamchatka Bear Hunt

It shoots well out of my rifle too. In fact after toying around with many Barnes X loads I could not get them to shoot anywhere close to what the 200 gr. Accubonds would do. Other than the fact I made a couple of poor shots, when I took a rest and and nailed him in the boiler room he went 100 yards downhill and piled up. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

Mike

does it do anything a .338 Win does not or can't do? If not, why would you want one?

A Jeff Cooper might have said, it is an answer to an unasked question..

Here's what it does that a 338 Win Mag won't do:




It shoots like that with 4 different loads including a factory load in a 6 1/4lb factory off the shelf rifle ! Go try and find a 338 Win Mag that light and shoots that well off the shelf (the Kimber 8400 LA will weigh a bit more <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.)....................DJ

[quote]With the exception of bullet selection, I think the 325 WSM is a better all-around hunting rifle in the lower 48 than the 338 Win Mag.




100% Right.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I am not going to argue the merits of either caliber, but the Tikka T3 Lite is 6lbs 6 oz. in the 338. I say that is pretty lite.

I have only shot mine about 20 times (338) and I really like it.

Sactoller

Well I forgot that the Tikka was that light so maybe my point isn't valid as it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the Tikka shot as well as my Montana. I would still prefer the CRF Montana but the Tikka costs about 1/2 as much, so I'll have to come up with something else............... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />..............DJ

The Tikka does shoot well, out of the box. If I had my druthers, I like the feel of wood and the look of blue/wood...

I went with the SS but I really like the syn/blue Tikka, at least it has a little class! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Sactoller