I have seen an ad for a used Model 70 in .325 wsm and was wondering what it is all about. Does not seem like a hugely popular choice to have a gun chambered in. Is ammo readily available or is this caliber heading for the big target in the sky. Is it worth checking out or should I look at something a little more common.
.325 wsm??
- Thread starter darrin
- Start date
It has actually become very popular. A friend mine shoots it in a Nosler Rifle and a Kimber and loves it. A friend at WSS in Calgary said they sold quite a few and the ammo sells well. I think it is a great cartridge.
I haven't shot one yet, but 3 friends/acqaintences own one. They are always raving about the guns, and I have seen one moose downed by one (@275 yards) that was devastating. I believe they are pretty flat shooting, and hard hitting. My only concern is that factory ammo could be a little slim pickings as I usually dont see too much selection when out browsing. But, if you are a handloader, I thing that point is totally moot. If I didn't have an unexplained bias against short magnums, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Actually, this caliber is probably the ONLY short mag I would ever cross the fence to buy. I guess I keep waiting for the fad honeymoon to end for the short magnums, and the rest of us to get in line to say "I told you so". But for a hard hitting caliber, I can't honestly say I can find anything wrong with this particular animal. Just more of a traditionalist when It comes to new things. Thats why my friends constantly roll their eyes when they see me coming, they usually hear me singing "Hammer time" at a Blink 182 concert!!!!!
It's an 8mm short mag, good choice for NA big game hunters really. - dan
- Location
- marmora ontario
Why not the 8mm-06? Its the poor man's magnum and really easy to convert a 98 into a fine rifle. Availability of 06 brass and 8mm bullets readily available JITC
That's a very good question, and the only answer I can think of is that with the lone exception of the 7mm's, North American (read American) shooters tend to sneer at anything with an "mm" in it's name, preferring all sorts of wildcats and offshoots. Europeans on the other hand embraced the 6.5.X55, 7X57, 8Xwhatever, 9.3Xall sorts and have pretty well shown that they can be just as effective as anything dreamed up on this side of the big pond. Witness the reviling of the 8mm Rem Mag, the limited success of the 6mm, the shunning of the 6.5Rem Mag, all terrific calibers. The 8mm-06 is as fascinating to me as the .338-06, great potential , and I'd have either long before I'd choose a .325WSM.
I have one in a Browning A-Bolt and love it! Ammo is a little scarce but I'm finding there to be more of a selection of factory ammo every couple years that go bye. Saying that if you have a well established sporting good shop like wss or the Powder Keg finding ammo is not a problem. I hand load for mine and find that it likes to eat 180gr and 190gr tsx. I've never had any of the game (Deer, Moose, and Bear) move more then a couple of steps after I've hit them with the 325 and in my eye's it's a great round!
I have a m70 in 325WSM. It is a very accurate rifle, shooting sub-moa consistantly out to 500yards with 220gr Sierra handloads. Just last week I had it on the range and managed a 0.39" group at 220 yards. The other group was 1.3". I find recoil is easily managable and not an issue for me at all. The load does surprisingly little damage to deer and worked very nicely on the elk I shot with it last season. It's what i'll be packing in a couple of weeks for moose.
I also own a 325 in m-70 boubht it when they first came out,before win. shut down in u.s.a..totally love the gun and the caliber.its light,fast,hits hard and kills clean.and with moderate recoil it's a winner in my book.very affordable to handload for also.happy hunting.
