Been reading about this 325wsm round ,and wanted to see what this group had to say about it. What do you think

is it a bit to much for animals say like whitwtail size? How accurate is it? I know that depends a whole lot on

the shooter. Tell what you think.

I think it should be a great round and just fine for deer . My last deer rifle was a 300 winny with 200 TSX bullets at 2900 f.p.s. and our deer are smaller than Whitetails. I though it worked well. Opened up without wrecking hardly any meat.

I would probably go with a 180 tsx in the 325 and call it good for deer and anything else I hunt.

If Blaser would chamber an R93 barrel for the .325 WSM, I'd buy one. There are too few 8mm cartridges available, or some are a bit much for me. The 8x57S can't be used in France (military cartridge) and the 8x68S is just a tad much for this ole boy... So we are in need of a middle-of-the-road 8mm. The 8x64S would do fine, but is not commonly available. Perhaps the .325 WSM may step in to fill the gap??

I normally shoot a lot of .308 calibers. The .323 caliber offers advantages when you hunt animals like wild boar. The 9.3s are not as versatile, although they work great at shorter distances.

- mike

personally I believe it's a poor substitute for a .338 mag or the .338-06

I see it as something completely different than the 338 or 338-06.

The 338 only comes in 8+ pound rifles and the 338-06 is only in the wby ultralight.

I see it as another choice in the 300 wsm type rifles. But to each his own.

I think it's the only WSM worth having

i think if you get in the righrifle it would be a good round. I personaly would wait for the new .338 federal, but thats just me.
If your just using it for deer , I can't see it as an improvment over any good deer round, from .257 Roberts through the medium bore mags, all the same its probably just as good ! ...tj3006

Excluding Remington's 300 and 338 ultra mags, it's the only new wonder mag to fill a niche. The 22 cal mags don't do anything the 22-250 and Swift don't already do, the 270 wsm is even less flexible than Weatherby's 270, and I don't know what the 300 wsm does that hasn't already been done by two or three other big 30s.

I got a copy of the Hodgdon Annual Manual for 2006; and it has load data with pressures and velocities for both the 338-06 and the .325 WSM. Ballistically the 338-06 appears to be at least equal to the .325 WSM, if not slightly better, at similar pressures. However, the .325 WSM is supposedly one of the hot new cartridges, yet the 338-06 limps along and is popular only among a few wildcat cartridge fanciers.

the only way it makes sense is a smaller lighter rifle and if you stick it with a 338 bullet!!!

winchester is lying through their teeth about how they decided on the 325 . b.s!!!

buy the cheapest wsm and rebarrel for the 338 or for timber 375 or 416

but in the end the 338-06 will have the last laugh...we are not going to run out of 338 bullets or 30-06 brass

take the road less traveled only if it leads somewhere....not off a cliff

I like the 8s, all of them! The 8x57 w/ lighter bullets is an excellent deer cartridge, less recoil & blast than an '06. My wife uses it w/ 200 gr. bullets for elk. At ranges she is comfortable shooting 250-300 yds, it gives up little to the '06 in energy and makes a bigger whole.

The 8Win is likely to be more of good thing that we Americans generally mis because of our facination w/ the .30s. I would deem it to be one of serveral excellent elk/moose rifles. Less recoil & blast than a .338. Equal down range w/ 200 gr. class bullets. Bigger whole than the .30s.

No their not a .338 (and I have one of those) and if hunting nastys, I'd prefer a .338 w/ 250s (or better yet, .358 or .375). Yet, for things that don't bite back, It looks like an excellent heavy N. American game round, the equal of the .340 hawk except w/ factory guns, brass & dies.

A 325 WSM would be fine for whitetails. I shot one last fall and it made a small group at 100 yds.

A friend took that one to Africa and made a lucky shot at long range on some antelope. I think it's another good cartridge.

Not sure that I would want to shoot heavy bullets from the light Kimber Montana in 325 WSM however. In that rifle I would get a 300 WSM. The one I shot was a M70.

I'm considering buying a Kimber Montana chambered in 325 wsm to take as a backup rifle on a plains game hunt in Namibia. I bought a Kimber Montana 270 wsm last year for an aoudad hunt and really enjoy the rifle.

I think the .325 WSM is a fine round for any deer and elk even if I believe the .338 Win Mag is a better all around cartridge.

The 325 is fairly close to the .338, but with slightly less power in the heavier bullets, but has a similar trajectory. The 325 is actually the shortmag version of the .338. I saw the other day on the Outdoor Channel, a show that claims that a 200grain bullet in the 325 outperforms the .338. I would personally go with either.

The major advantage to the 325 is that it is a short action magnum which allows for a smaller rifle and makes for an excellent mountain rifle.

I plan on getting a 325WSM as soon as I can afford another rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by RMiller:
I think it should be a great round and just fine for deer . My last deer rifle was a 300 winny with 200 TSX bullets at 2900 f.p.s. and our deer are smaller than Whitetails. I though it worked well. Opened up without wrecking hardly any meat.

I would probably go with a 180 tsx in the 325 and call it good for deer and anything else I hunt.

I agree, It could be a good compromise cartridge when hunting smaller game in an area where larger dangerous game inhabit. But I would choose 200 grain bullets.

I think that it is the best WSM out there. It fills a void.

It will work great on deer although I don't think you need that much gun for Texas deer. I think it is better suited to bigger critters like elk and northern deer.

If I didn't have a 338-06 I would seriously consider buying one. I am getting an honest 2850 fps with Barnes 210gr TSX's and 2725 with 210 gr Nosler Par & 200gr Hornady SP's.

The performance on elk so far has been fantastic. It has worked great on SD deer, but it does put a big hole in them.

When I researched a cartridge for elk specifically. I looked very hard at the 8mm-06, 338-06 and 35 whelen. I wanted a standard action based on the 06 case and prefered not to go with a belted magnum (30's or 338's). I went with a 338-06 because of bullet selection and what I perceived to be slight advantage on paper.

Had I built any of them and put a bullet in the right place. I don't think you could tell the difference in the field.

These are all just opinions based on my research and field experience.

SDHunter
Are the velocities you posted from a 325 WSM or a 338/06

How many of you have actually shot a 325 WSM?

Why do you ask? I haven't shot one. All I know is by reading articles and the opinions of professionals. Yes, it is all hearsay. I have been to Scheels and Cabelas and looked at the Winchester 70 with the fluted barrel and the camouflage stock. It was a smaller framed rifle than the .338 it was next to and that was what interested me and the 325 can handle all of the game that the .338 will.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MThuntr:
Why do you ask?

I ask only because I had an "opinion" that I found to be wrong after I finally spent some time on the range with one.

I found that it is the best of the WSM's that I have played with. It does not kick as hard as I thought it would.

It is NOT a 338 Mag, and is more like a 300 Win Mag, with 180 gr TSX at 3000+ and 200 gr XLC at 2850+

My orginal opinion was that it would kick far to hard, and I already did not like it.

.013 diff between 338 and 325...rebarrel!

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
personally I believe it's a poor substitute for a .338 mag or the .338-06

I agree for me it does not do much that a whole lot of current chamberins do...................but each to there own and it probably might be a great round but it is just not for me, I like the .338 win mag in this category of chamberings.

For all round use it's pretty hard to beat;

22/250
.243
25/06
.270 win
7mm Rem Mag
30/06 & .308
.300 win mag, weatherby etc.
.338 win mag
.375 H&H
.416 etc.

these cartridges and a whole lot more already invented before the wsm's arrived do every thing, so it's re-inventing the wheel a bit but people have chocies and thats great.

Shot my first .325 WSM today. I had been shooting my .35 Whelen with 250 gr bullets. A guy let me shoot his new Browning A bolt stainless with synthetic stock. I shot a couple of factory 220's out of it. I did not think recoil was bad at all. I have heard that the 220's are quite a ways off of the factory published velocites so that may have something to do with it. It could have also seemed lighter because of the Whelen I had been shooting. Either way it put two shots completely within an inch at 100 yards. I may have toscratch that itch soon.

quote:

but in the end the 338-06 will have the last laugh...we are not going to run out of 338 bullets or 30-06 brass

Personally, I believe its ballistics are fine, but I have NO interest in WSM's.

If I want a magnum, I will get a 338Win Mag as ammo and guns are very available.

If I want less than MAG kick/blast, etc, I will choose a 338 Federal or 358 for all game under 300, if I plan to continue handloading and want/need more range and to shoot bullets over the 210/225 that are best in the above short action rounds, I will build another 338/06 and shoot up to 250's if desired but 225's should do all I need any 338 to do-in the Nosler partition.

Nothing against the 325 ballistics, but to keep things simple-KISS, I would rather the above. Same principle for 35 whelen, nothing against it-but I would rather a 338 bore. I shoot pistol bullets in my Marlin 357, and it zings them out there with far less powder than a whelen and will do up through deer to 150 yds anything I want.

I agree with Thomas Jones and will wait for the 338 Federal.

308 and 30-06 brass everywhere so for handloaders, 338 and 35 bores in the above brass is TOO simple vs other cartridges in my mind.

I do like 260 and 7mm-08 but am leaning towards using more medium bores in the future for better blood trails and DRT kills for hunting in brush country (the south) where I hate having to LOOK for anything that leaves from where you hit it.

quote:

is it a bit to much for animals say like whitwtail size?

Since any cartridge with more juice than a 300 Savage is more than a fella needs for deer of course the 8mm WSM is a "bit too much" for whitetails...but who cares as long as the owner can shoot it effectively?

I'd buy a 325 WSM long before I'd buy a 338-06 because A. I *can* find over-the-counter ammunition for a new rifle as opposed to building what is pretty much a handloading only proposition and B. I just flat out don't like the 338-06. If I wanted a 338 anything, the minimun in my mind is the 338 Win Mag.

It could be a great all-around rifle for African Plainsgame.

Rifle Shooter magazine had an article about the .325WSM a few issues back. I have a 300WSM and so didn't read the article, but it's there for those who want to read more.

quote:

Originally posted by 7 MAG:
Been reading about this 325wsm round ,and wanted to see what this group had to say about it. What do you think

is it a bit to much for animals say like whitwtail size? How accurate is it? I know that depends a whole lot on

the shooter. Tell what you think.

In Diameter 323 the 8x68S rules. No belt and more Magazincapacity than the 325 WSM.

I take the oposite view and see no need or use for the 325 Win Short Mag. With the same bullet weights the 300 Win Mag, 300 Win Short Mag or the 300 H&H will get the same velocites with bullets of much better SDs. For the 325 to be competitive it needs a 250 gr bullet and there isn't one.

465H&H

Awesome cartridge, vastly under-rated, hope it becomes much more popular! Its introduction has hatched some great new projectiles from numerous manufacturers and 8mm barrels are a bit more common too. All this suits my 8mmRemMag to a tee!
Cheers...
Con

what can this round do that the 8mm cannot?

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
For the 325 to be competitive it needs a 250 gr bullet and there isn't one.

Woodleigh.

two canoes,
Which 8mm? I personally would not have a bar of a 325WSM as my 8mmRemMag does all I want. But the spin-offs from its introdution have been positive for all 8mm lovers from mild to magnum. And that's a good thing.
Cheers...
Con

I think it is will be a good cartridge but why get one when you will be litmiting yourself?

Why limit your ability to easily shoot heavier bullets like 220-250 gr with limited powder capacity. I won't compare it to other similar .338 or .300 cartridges but when looking at it in comparason to the 8x68S it pales! The 8x68 (and 8mmRM) can be built on normal actions like the K98 (ie one from charles Daly) and its derivatives, M70 etc etc. Trylum, what benefit do you get from a short action vs. a STD length??????
The ability to launch heavier bullets without case volume issues negates the .325 in my mind.

I know there are a lot of WSM fans but if I was going to go that route, I would opt for the 300WSM. To my way of thinking, anything between a 30-06 and a 338 WM are just toys to play with. If the 30-06 can't get it done the next logical step is the 338 WM. Just my two cents anyway.

I got a Kimber Classic 8400 in 325 WSM, and I have to say I love that rig!

Shooting 200 gr. AccuBonds, (advertised 2950 fps, I got 2860-2875 fps), It honestly shoots 1", 3 shot groups (benched/supported). And it has less felt recoil than my .338 Win mag., and much less that my 300 Win mag. I also do like the short action of it, just makes the gun feel stiffer. But best of all, it shoots a relatively heavy bullet fast and flat, and absolutely puts it on game when their hit with it!
285 yds. on a slightly quartering cow elk. The bullet hit and broke the last two ribs on the near side, went completely through chest blowing out both lungs, and even though the bullet didn't hit the heart, it still kind of liquified it from blowing up all the vessels and veins I guess, and then the bullet blew through the right side shoulder blade. (Without much loss due to blood shot)

She staggered 2 steps to the side after being hit, and fell down dead. The only thing that moved on her after she dropped were her hooves twitched a couple of times.

Seems to me that not only is this going to be a greatdeer sized animal and up type of catridge, but I think it should make a fine choice for Sheep or Mtn. Goat getter, with it's flat trjectory but it should dump them on the spot. No worring about a "death dive" off a cliff.

I'll be rollin my own for it here pretty soon, but like others have mentionrd, factory loads are very limited right now. Hopefuly at the SHOT Show, some other ammo makers will get some other offerings out ther for this great little critter gitter. Yep, I love mine.

Tex21,

If you shot the rifle I had in 338-06, .5 MOA and under ALL day with ALL bullets, PLUS I hear the OVER sized case diameter of the WSM makes it harder to 'resize brass', a 338-06 is So easy on the amount of force-VERY LITTLE to size cases.....PLUS if you seen how fast it put deer down with a 200 Ballistic tip at over 2900 MV,
PLUS if you like 5 in a mag vs 3, just because.

Anyway, I loved my 338-06, it was Deadly accurate, Deadly in killing power, wide diversity of good bc/sd bullets to load and can be built in a rifle of portable weight with tolerable recoil.

The only downside of the 338-06 which in my mind is holding it back....lack of more rifles and ammo, but if you build a gun to fit YOU and reload your own, as someone above said, no shortage of -06 brass and 338 bullets.

Mine was sold for lack of hunting elk, but I am in the market for a good 338 Federal for the bulk of the hunting I do now.

325 WSM is great on performance, rifle and ammo availability, but if you like what a 325 does, there is nothing NOT to like about a 338-06.

I would bet in 5 years or less there will be no factory rifles for the 325 wsm.The 325 wsm without winchester is not going to survive.They missed the boat not bringing out the 338 wsm .But the 338 wsm was 100 fps slower than the tried and true 338 win mag.I think once the dust settles and people see that what their wsm rifles really do instead of listening to magazines and ammo and gun makers they will see that all the wsms are not as fast as they thought.The 8mm bore has never done anything in the United states along with the 6.5mm and thye .358 bore.The 325 wsm was probally the last in the line of the wsms before Winchester closed down.The 325 wsm is a big under lap of the 338 win mag.I had both a 300 win mag and 338 win mags.There is a big difference between these two.The 8mm Rem mag failed terribly and so will the 325 wsm.There are alot more bullets,loads and guns in the 338 win mag than the 325 wsm.The wsm cartridges were made in order to get shooters to buy a new gun that they really didnt need.The 338 win mag will do anything the 325 wsm will do and more.It will be around as long as there is hunting lang after the 325 wsm is gone.Winchester bet all their cards on the wsms and lost.They had almost stopped chambering normal cartridges for their rifles for the wsm.You see where that got them.Remington is dumping their short mag rifles and chambering wsms but how long that will last we will see.The 338 win mag is alot better choice for all around rifle for North America than the 325 wsm.