300 Win Mag or 325 WSM

[Rule 303]

I didn't bother with the 325, just use the case to neck upto a proper calibre, 358. Now the 35 Sambar is a cartridge worth having.

 

[C.W. Richter]

In a smaller case a shorter fatter bullet means more powder capacity! Why the 338-06 and 35 Whelan workout so well!

 

[mooze]

Woodleigh makes a 250gr bullet in 8mm. I use in a 8x68s which is very similar in performance to the 325WSM. I like the 8x68s very much, but here in the states at least, it is a hand loaders proposition. The only factory ammo I know being offered in the U.S.A. is RWS from NECG.

8x68 will not die out like the 325 WSM

 

[PCC600]

Hello fellow Hunters,

This 7 year old thread / question is still valid now in my grumpy old man opinion.
I see no point for the .325 having been conceived.

But then, I see no reason for all the relatively recent and much dreaded .300 magnums of the world, having been conceived, because the .300 H&H has been around since the 1920’s.
And, it is still working extremely well (just ask the ghost of any critter that’s been shot with it lol).

Also, I’m +1 with BeeMaa on the .338 Winchester being a way better choice for Africa (Canada / Alaska as well) than any .30 caliber that the world has ever heard of and definitely light years ahead of anything the .325 could ever have hoped to have been.

Likewise, +1 again with BeeMaa, on the notion that if one can shoot a .338 well, why not just get a .375, you know you want one whoever you are out there hahahaha.....ha.

Beware of sales gimmicks,
Velo Dog.

I handload so love what the 300H&H can do with modern powders. Have never seen or heard of a 325 in OZ . 338 Win is great but I’d just use my 375H&H instead . All bases covered with the 2 Hollands .

 

[cperso]

I handload so love what the 300H&H can do with modern powders. Have never seen or heard of a 325 in OZ . 338 Win is great but I’d just use my 375H&H instead . All bases covered with the 2 Hollands .

You've never heard of a 325WSM in Australia? I've been using one and reloading for years.Very effective on big Sambar stags here in OZ.

 

[PCC600]

You've never heard of a 325WSM in Australia? I've been using one and reloading for years.Very effective on big Sambar stags here in OZ.

No totally new to me . On what I have heard on this forum I am sure they’d be great for Sambar . But I just use my 375 H&H for them .

 

[C.W. Richter]

I walked down to the range this morning to check my .325. Three bullets touching at 100. It is a very accurate cartridge.

Personally I think that the .325 is far more versatile than the .300. Mine has very little recoil, and is set up for long range (500+) shooting. It carries plenty of thump out there. Load it with 200 gr A-Frames and it is effective on big bears. I have shot the big guys with a .300 and concluded that it was a little on the light side.

That's really interesting. You can't avoid Physics! (300 WM is a larger case with a higher BC, higher SD ballistic.) It's the "far more versatile" comment that reminds me of why people voted for Biden.

 

[C.W. Richter]

That's really interesting. You can't avoid Physics! (300 WM is a larger case with a higher BC, higher SD ballistic.) It's the "far more versatile" comment that reminds me of why people voted for Biden. View attachment 601228

Owning (3) 300 WMs since age 16 and handloading/shooting/hunting with each extensively (and owning more practical WSMs featuring 6.5-30 cal bullets in that smaller case,) and knowing fully well the 300 WM was the 3,000 yd (target)/1,000 yd hunting champ for years (and then the 300 Wby edged it out!) IT is far more versatile. I'm just not selling anything but the Truth! The "less versatile" 300 WM can collect game to 1,000 yds and beyond if desired! Inside that range, at much more practical hunting ranges, it hits, penetrates and does more damage than the punier 325. I love .338s, but the 338 Win mag is a shorter case and its performance isn't really of Magnum performance (2,850 fps.) "Use Enough Gun." -RR The 325 will get the job done. Good luck with finding (factory) ammo. But, the 300 WM will do it even Better! It's one of those PERFECT designs with crap designed all around it just to sell widgets year in/out since its creation in 1963. It's totally ok and your right as an American to like whatever you like, but I know better...as a teen I accidentally bagged 2 deer w/ the .300 WM at 150 yds in a deep snow. I walked up, and there were 2 blood trails-1 uphill and the other downhill (then after walking an additional 60 yds, i found the 2 deer, dead. They were feeding alongside each other. The sierra bullet @ 3,250 fps was collected in the far hide of the 2nd deer shoulder.) I was astonished, then exhausted, as i had to drag both up a steep, long hill, one at a time. Countless deer-elk-moose-bear-PG have been bagged with it since it's introduction. I think Jack O'Conner had 300 Win Mag Envy! lol 325 may make sense in Europe where there are more 8mms, but even they have more powerful ones. Then there's the equally unavailable 8mm Rem Mag (416 Rem or FL 375 HH necked down to .323). Very nice performance but odd and components/ammo hard to score. Enjoy yours. The 325 is good to 500 as you say...(The 300 WM would cream it out beyond that due to V, BC and SD.) Its performance is like a 338 Win Mag using poor, lower BC/SD 180 gr bullets.
325 WSM
Expedition Big Game
AccuBond CT
200 Grains
BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT
0.477,
MUZZLE VELOCITY
2,950

DISTANCE	FLIGHT	DROP	WIND DRIFT	VELOCITY	ENERGY
0 yds	0.00 sec	-1.5 in	0 in	2,950 fps	3,861 ft-lbs
100 yds	0.11 sec	0.0 in	0 in	2,753 fps	3,363 ft-lbs
200 yds	0.22 sec	-3.1 in	0 in	2,565 fps	2,918 ft-lbs
300 yds	0.34 sec	-11.5 in	0 in	2,384 fps	2,521 ft-lbs
400 yds	0.47 sec	-26.0 in	0 in	2,210 fps	2,167 ft-lbs
500 yds	0.61 sec	-47.6 in	0 in	2,044 fps	1,854

 

[UpNorthMI]

I'm new to .300 Wm over the last 2 years, I come from 25+ years of .338 WM for hunting. I'm very impressed with the versatility of the .300 WM and can see a lot of use in the future, I'm taking a .300 WM to S. Africa in 2 weeks time for plains game use, both my son and I have 300 WM barrels for our Blaser R8, once we are done with a bit of Buffalo culling in .375 H&H, we will swop out to .300 WM. I have some Scottish red stag hunting in the fall that will be .300 WM and some large European boar hunting at the end of the year, the .300 WM will be tagging along.

I like that ammunition is very widely available around the world and the fact that .300 WM can easily digest and shoot well a wide range of bullet types and weights, so far I've kept most of my loading in the 150, 165 & 180gn. I'm sure I will venture in the 200 - 220 gn area eventually.

 

[C.W. Richter]

I highly recommend the 200ish gr bullets for African PG (We used 200 gr Nos PTs but some PHs swear by the 220 gr slugs.) My son and I used both our 300s to good effect on PG from pygmy antelope to eland, but he was invited back to cull ~30 Oryx for herd management and to provide food for the villagers-and he was furnished with 220 gr ammo-he was amazed by the performance (most shots were under 300 yds but some a tad longer.) It's hard to find factory ammo featuring the heavier bullets, but some are sold. I handloaded a bunch of 200 Nos Partitions. They even have 250 gr Barnes for the .30s now-those would perform excellently (even at distance, due to the high BC and corresponding SD) in Africa. The animals are so much more predator-orientated with respect to construction (heavy skin/muscle/bone) so something the size of a roe deer, fallow or stag is MUCH tougher to kill! You can make more powerful (faster) rounds than the recipe below, but not many will be as consistently accurate. Use the bigger slugs for Africa (200ish.) If monometal, 180ish is ok. I used to love the 190 gr .30s but no one sells 'em anymore.

200 Nosler

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IMR-4350​

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69.6​

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3,060​

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4,160​

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26.0​

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Edit​

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cwrichter​

 

[C.W. Richter]

I would love to hunt the Highlands oneday (and probably best do it sooner than later the way the world is headed!) My ancestors came over from the UK in 1630 and elders' hailed from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

 

[Rule 303]

This thread to me, is comparing apples and oranges. If you want to compare an 8mm to the 300WM then you should be comparing it to the 8X68. Why are people comparing a cartridge designed for short actions with one designed for a long action?????

The other thing with the WSM's is to get their full potential you still need a long action so you can get the bullet, especially the heavier ones out of the powder space so you can use more powder.

 

[C.W. Richter]

The 300 WSM is nearly apples to the longer action 300 WM. The advantage being it's a smaller package (shorter action/bbl). I have one that weighs <7 lbs fully set up (and has virtually no recoil w/ a shorty brake). The larger, lower BC/SD .323 slug just takes it back a step in that short case. On the other hand, the WSM case works magic with .257-6.5-7 (and even .30) bullets of moderate heft! 3,300-3,400 fps with hot handloads-they are Performers at long range on typical PG and smaller! The WSM case capacity is the same as the .257 Wby (better than an '06) so it's nothing to dismiss. For larger diam./heavier bullets, you should have add'l. case capacity if you want to see the real benefits of such. All that said, I like the 868 better (in .323!) These are truly the winners in that caliber!

 

[Rule 303]

True, I should have mentioned the larger diameter calibres and heavier bullets.

My 35 Sambar is not to far behind the 358Norma Mag with light bullets but the gap widens a fair bit with the heavier bullets would not be so much if the 35Sambar was in a long action.

 

[C.W. Richter]

I really liked the 358 Norma (didn't care for the excessive pressure/recoil 350 Rem)...it was the go-to lion/leopard round once upon a time!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I handload so love what the 300H&H can do with modern powders. Have never seen or heard of a 325 in OZ . 338 Win is great but I’d just use my 375H&H instead . All bases covered with the 2 Hollands .

@PCC600
I have a mate in WA that uses a browning BLR in 325wsm in camel and loves it
Bob

 

[mauser98]

The 300 win mag is a great cartridge but lets not get carried away in claiming that it will out shoot some of the others by a large margin. Were talking about a few inches at best with typical hunting bullets/typical hunting rifles/ at sane range's. Unless your 300 win is throated right and has the right barrel twist for very sleek heavy for cal vld/target type bullets.

300 Win w/220gr ELD-x with B.C. of .654 at 2850 fps w/200 yard zero

500 Yards -38.8" Drop 700 yards -100" drop

325 WSM w/220gr Serria GMK with B.C. of .521 at 2850 fps with 200 yard zero

500 Yards -41.7" drop 700 yards -110" drop


At 500 yards were only talking about 2.9" difference and at 700 yards 10". With the right optical setup that's hardly noticeable when your turning dials.

At the end of the day, yes the 300 win is flatter shooting but lets not exaggerate the difference.

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[CBH Australia]

I handload so love what the 300H&H can do with modern powders. Have never seen or heard of a 325 in OZ . 338 Win is great but I’d just use my 375H&H instead . All bases covered with the 2 Hollands .

Interesting, the .325wsm has been around for years.
I used to read the gun magazines regularly and seemed to hear what the new latest and greatest was.
I have a mate who has one, in fact he owned 2 at one point and I think his son owns one.

For the hunting and shooting I’ve done with him I haven’t seen him use it but he keeps it for his Sambar hunting.

I have a ,300wm and a .375H&H and I don’t think I would consider a .325wsm as I tend to stay with more common stuff myself.

 

[ldmay375]

I was an 8mm appreciator without an 8mm; until the 325 came out. Unfortunately, Winchester closed its doors shortly after the 325's introduction. I had no real like nor dislike for the WSMs. But, the 7 and 8mm versions pushed my button.

It still seems to me the 8mm Winchester would be near ideal for North American elk sized and under critters. I really enjoy shooting the Kimber Montana with the 200 grain Barnes TSX. Only paper-kills, but plenty accurate for my shooting distances with satisfactory trajectory. Easy on the shoulder, though as a lightweight it does have a bit of muzzle jump. I have carried it around a few miles, definitely easy carrying.

It seems the 8mm's as a whole are not today's mainstream picks.

 

[WAB]

Personally I really like the 8mm. Although I have and like a .325, if I were starting from scratch I would likely build an 8x68.