325 WSM info, data, thoughts?

[Vance in AK]

I know it sounds like a joke but "A guy walks in a gun store...". Yup the guy was me
Never had any interest in the short mags but there was this lonely and abused looking A-bolt 2... stainless but still some rust freckeling. Action was loose in what looks like a bell & Carlson stock. 1" leupold bases and rings. Bore was dirty. And yet at $375 for some inexplicable reason I took it home.
Short version is it cleaned up nice and the bore is bright. Scope, base, and rings are ordered. Have a box of nosler factory ammo with 200gr accubonds to see how it shoots.
Looking for starting places in load development and your thoughts and experiences regarding this cartridge.
Primary use in my part of alaska will be moose and bear but anything from sheep to caribou may be on the menue.

 

[EastMT]

Midrange with w760 with 200gr partitions is my favorite load out of 2 325’s.


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

 

[.270]

I tried 200 barnes tsx with h4831sc, h4350 and rl17 with my model 70 ew, nothing worked. 200 accubond wasn't available when I was doing load development so I settled on 200 partitions. My rifle like rl17 better then h4350 with the partitions. I use 64.5 gr of RL17, .02 off the lands for best accuracy.

 

[Hairhunter]

Midrange with w760 with 200gr partitions is my favorite load out of 2 325’s.


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

I tried 200 barnes tsx with h4831sc, h4350 and rl17 with my model 70 ew, nothing worked. 200 accubond wasn't available when I was doing load development so I settled on 200 partitions. My rifle like rl17 better then h4350 with the partitions. I use 64.5 gr of RL17, .02 off the lands for best accuracy.

I have a Kimber Montana that I could not get to shoot.Tried every thing,bedded action,bedded barrel channel,re crowned barrel.Just about to get rid of it,but I love the rifle if it would shoot. Finally got Barnes tsx 200 grainers and Reloader 17 to shoot about 1 inch at 100.Going to blood it this fall!

 

[howl]

Have long been interested in one. I like the idea of 1.5mm separation of calibers to avoid overlap. I like .257/.264 for most things. 325 is the next step up. (For normal, reasonable people this means .270 and .338. Those people are boring.)

I don't really need anything that big anymore though. So, I'd really only use it to load down to duplicate 8x57 for deer. Which is why it'd take a deal like you found for me to buy one.

 

[Bsnyder]

Still looking for one, that’s one I feel like I just have to have.

 

[EastMT]

I’ve had the 325 in 2 rifles, the Browning TI at 5.25lbs, Kimber Montana. I tend to only use partitions but I had some accubonds and they shot just as well out of both.

I wanted to try 4350 but couldn’t locate any at the time and W760 seems to always be in stock so I rolled with it.

The 325 with 200gr is very impressive on bears and caribou. I didn’t get the chance to try it on moose but a bear looking down from a cliff, shot in the brisket went through the brisket, through the vitals, severed the entire spine, no bullet was recovered. I love that caliber!

 

[swampthing]

I really like the caliber. I bought my 8 short for a grizz draw I got. Killed my grizz just fine! I picked the browning blr for my rifle and handloaded 200 accubonds pushed by re19. I have taken a lot of game with this rifle and made several 400 yard kills with it. Its versatile, fairly flat shooting and just a plain cool cartridge. Enjoy yours!

 

[Teaman1]

I’ve had the 325 in 2 rifles, the Browning TI at 5.25lbs, Kimber Montana. I tend to only use partitions but I had some accubonds and they shot just as well out of both.

I wanted to try 4350 but couldn’t locate any at the time and W760 seems to always be in stock so I rolled with it.

The 325 with 200gr is very impressive on bears and caribou. I didn’t get the chance to try it on moose but a bear looking down from a cliff, shot in the brisket went through the brisket, through the vitals, severed the entire spine, no bullet was recovered. I love that caliber!

I love the 325 in the browning TI, haven’t got an elk in the crosshairs yet, but the 200 grain accubond really isn’t nice to antelope or a big bodied whitetail
I’m lucky to have two gun shops in the area that have Nosler loaded ammo in stock so No loading info

 

[Vance in AK]

Thanks for all the input guys. Sounds like this may have been a great choice in rifles.
I really appreciate all the info & input. I hate reinventing the wheel!

 

[Vance in AK]

Just a quick update. It got up to -0- today so I took the browning out for a quick test drive. I put a vortex hs 2.5-10 x 44 on it. At 100yds shot just a couple rounds to get used to it then a 3 shot group. Group went .36". Adjusted the scope 2 clicks right and shot one round that was exactly 1/2" off center of the 3 shot group. By then I was cold enough to quit.
I may never be able to duplicate but I'll keep it. Think I just found my all around alaska gun.
As a side not I bought a new ruger american in go wild predator in 300 mag. Vortex hs lr 3-22x50. Took a minute and shot it too. 3 shot group went .7". I like these sub $400 rifles.

 

[swampthing]

Just a quick update. It got up to -0- today so I took the browning out for a quick test drive. I put a vortex hs 2.5-10 x 44 on it. At 100yds shot just a couple rounds to get used to it then a 3 shot group. Group went .36". Adjusted the scope 2 clicks right and shot one round that was exactly 1/2" off center of the 3 shot group. By then I was cold enough to quit.
I may never be able to duplicate but I'll keep it. Think I just found my all around alaska gun.
As a side not I bought a new ruger american in go wild predator in 300 mag. Vortex hs lr 3-22x50. Took a minute and shot it too. 3 shot group went .7". I like these sub $400 rifles.

Good stuff!

 

[Calicoastie]

I know it's s but if an older thread. But any updated info? Got a 325 wsm last spring, and going to play with some accubonds I found on the shelf last week or two.

 

[crowlja]

Been a while since I've found bullets for the 8mm but I also just found a couple of boxes of 200gr accubonds so I'm going to start testing them...
I'm shooting a Browning X-Bolt.

Had decent luck with Barns TSX bullets and H4350 in the past.

Let me know if you find a load with the Accubonds.

 

[onlybrowning]

Been a while since I've found bullets for the 8mm but I also just found a couple of boxes of 200gr accubonds so I'm going to start testing them...
I'm shooting a Browning X-Bolt.

Had decent luck with Barns TSX bullets and H4350 in the past.

Let me know if you find a load with the Accubonds.

My last .325WSM liked a close to max charge of H4350 with the 200gr Accubond and 215m primers.

Nosler used to make an 8mm Ballistic Tip if I remember correctly.


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[Butcher8]

great thread, all i have been searching for.

 

[crowlja]

My last .325WSM liked a close to max charge of H4350 with the 200gr Accubond and 215m primers.

Nosler used to make an 8mm Ballistic Tip if I remember correctly.


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They did have a ballistic tip in 180gr, still have a few loaded up. But switched to the barns TSX as they were more readily available. 66grs of H4350 was my load for that one. Don't recall my velocity with this load, but I believe was pushing close to 3000fps.