325 WSM loads

[Greg Nolan]

I just got back from the range and finally got a load for the 180gr. ballistic tip that works in my Savage 116fss. 69gr. of IMR4350. I have never seen a rifle so specifically critical. Same for the 150gr. Sierra pro hunter. 65gr. of Varget for about 3200fps. the groups went from 3 in. to 2.5 in to .5 inches by 1 grain changes in charge. They went up in charge the same way. I used WLR primers and 2.85 OAL in both cases. My chronograph failed so I don't have velocity for the 180gr. but it should be in the 3100fps range. I'll be back at the range this week with results. The 200gr A/B is shooting at 2900fps. with 61 gr. of IMR 4064 with about 1" groups. I need to spend some range time to get better results. Has anybody else worked up good loads for this caliber and or rifle??
Thanks for your help!
Good Hunting
ELKHUNT :grin:

 

[JD338]

Greg,

No experience with the 325 WSM.
Try here:
http://www.nosler.com/index.php?p=15&b=8mm&s=60

http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/ ... w=1#UNREAD

http://www.imrpowder.com/data/rifle/325wsm.php

Hope this helps.

JD338

 

[mckie]

Greg, I'm hoping that someone with more experience than I have with the .325 will chime in, but meanwhile - I found that 70 grains of IMR 4831 and WLRM primers behind the 195 grain Hornady bullets give me 2943 fps and shoot into about 0.7". In my rifle, a Kimber 8400, 2.89" OAL gave the best accuracy.

For an elk load though, the 220 grain Sierra Game Kings look good. I'm getting groups that I can cover with a nickel (that's all I have left after buying all these damn bullets). Wlrm primers and 66.0 grains of IMR 4831, 2709 fps, 2.87" OAL.

I've tried Partitions, Accubonds and Woodleighs in 200 grain, and all of them give good enough hunting accuracy with certain loads, but so far I haven't been able to put velocity and accuracy together with any of them.

 

[DrMike]

Greg,

I have several loads that work quite well for me in the .325 WSM. I shoot a Winchester featherweight in this caliber. Among the loads that have worked well for me are: 64.5 g. H4350 pushing a 200 g. NOS PT at 2750 fps. Ignition is with WLRM primers. This gives me sub-MOA accuracy in my rifle (0.5 to 0.67 in.). I have similar success with TSX and RL19.

Another fine load consists of 200 g. NOS AB loaded with 59 g. of Big Game, over WLRM primers. Velocity is 2650 fps. This is quite a mild load, and though I get about 120 fps higher velocity with 63 g. of powder, accuracy is degraded somewhat.

64 g. of RL19 pushes a 220 SIE SK at 2575 fps and gives me 0.40 inch groups. Again, I use WLRM primers. This dropped a fine young bull moose this past fall.

I have also worked up a load with 220 g. SWF AF that gives me MOA accuracy. The round consists of 70 g. of MagPro, ignited by WLRM.

I believe this is an excellent caliber that deserves more respect than it has received so far. I recently took it with me to harvest a bison, but wound up using another caliber simply because that particular rifle had not been blooded.

Trust you are enjoying the round.

 

[RemmyTim]

I had a 325WSM in a Browning A-Bolt for awhile and came up with some good loads.

#1- 200gr Barnes TSX, 70gr of IMR 4831 shooting 2950fps

#2- 200gr Nosler Partition, 68 or 69gr of IMR 4831, shooting 2875fps

#3- 185gr Remington Core-Lokts,64gr of IMR4831,never chronoed them

I tried messing around with some other loads but these wre the 2 that I liked the best.

I recently sold the rifle.I did not like the choice of 8mm bullets that are available,just not enough good 220 grainers.I had ordered some 220gr Swift A-Frames and waited about 6 months for them only to find out that they werent going to made again until this fall.The 200gr Sierra's were not good shooters and I dont think they would have held up to the velocities the 325 can put out.

Hope this helps-Tim

But out of all the WSM's I think the 325 showed the best promise.

 

[DrMike]

Thought I would post a brief update on loads for the .325 WSM. I shot my rifle yesterday and obtained 0.31" groups using Fed 215 primers and 64 grains of Big Game powder. Ballistic data was very good across the range of charges used and groups were consistent. The particular load listed is a maximum, yielding good velocity and tight groups. I believe that I have found my elk load for this Fall.

I also had success with a load using one of the other guy's bullets. That particular load used WLRM primers, N560 powder and 200 grain TSX to yield groups ranging from 1.03" to 0.42". Again, ballistic data was excellent and groups were tight across the spectrum of loads.

 

[JD338]

Thought I would post a brief update on loads for the .325 WSM. I shot my rifle yesterday and obtained 0.31" groups using Fed 215 primers and 64 grains of Big Game powder. Ballistic data was very good across the range of charges used and groups were consistent. The particular load listed is a maximum, yielding good velocity and tight groups. I believe that I have found my elk load for this Fall.

Awesome!
I do believe you are there. :grin:
What bullet are you using?

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Please forgive my oversight. The first load mentioned uses Nosler 200 grain Partitions. The second load used Barnes Triple Shock bullets. Previous loads using 200 grain Swift A-frames provided groups of 0.57" @ 2848 fps. An earlier load using Nosler 200 grain Partitions yielded 0.68" groups at 2692 fps. This is one of my current hunting loads with which I harvested a fine moose at the end of the season this past Fall. I have also loaded for hunting a load depending upon 220 grain Swfit A-frames launched at 2490 fps with groups of 0.95". All in all, this is a fine cartridge. There is little doubt that it will make an excellent elk/moose/grizzly rifle for years to come.

Consequently, my 7 mm WSM uses Nosler 160 grain Accubonds travelling 2895 fps to yield 0.28" groups, and 160 grain Partitions launched at 2925 fps with groups of 0.31". This is in addition to the 300 WSM which is consistently sub-MOA with a variety of loads. I do enjoy these cartridges.

 

[340boy]

My loads (so far) for a Kimber Montana 325WSM:

200gr Speer/65.0gr H4350/Fed215M primer 2860fps

200gr Nosler Partition/66.0gr H4350/Fed215M primer 2900fps

OAL for both loads:2.87"

Both loads were around 1.1-1.2 inches at 100yds(3shot group)