Winchester Model 70 in 325 wsm ???

[Flyboy73]

I am looking at a winchester model 70 , maybe in 325 wsm. I am looking for a cartridge that i can take deer in Michigan and maybe hunt deer and elk out west.

So would the 325 wsm be good or is there cartridge that be better?

I am looking at the Winchester super shadow blued that run about $554 in there catalog.

Does anybody have the this rifle and if so how do you like it?

Brion

 

[CB900F]

Flyboy;

There are many cartridges that fit your parameters. I've lived in Wyoming & Montana most of my life & done a fair amount of hunting in the northern rocky mountains over that time.

Unless there's some over-riding reason to stick with a short-action gun, I'd advise the .30-06 as being FULLY able to meet your stated needs. Besides, ammo is cheaper to buy and/or cheaper to make. Almost certainly easier to make also. But I don't reload for the .325WSM.

The shorter/lighter argument doesn't hold in my eyes. If you want shorter/lighter, just get an ought-6 with a 2" shorter barrel & go hunting with it. Most of the shorter/lighter nonsense comes from people who don't do the physical prep work necessary to hunt at 5280 and UP, when they live at 600. Much easier to spend time with the catalogues & write checks than spend serious time on the stair master.

900F

 

[dakotasin]

well, the cartridge thing is a monster can of worms, and i don't want to get too involved w/ it... however, i reccomend against the 325 wsm. because you are asking this question, i get the impression that you are relatively new to the sport... 8mm's are not little, light kicking cartridges... look very seriously at the 25-06 to handle your needs. the 30-06 will work of course, except its a 30-06. everybody has one - they're boring...

the gun... i have the gun you ask about chambered to a 300 wsm. hate the gun, like the cartridge. the gun is generally a nuisance and temperamental.

if you must have a winchester, look to the classics and featherweights. if you aren't partial to brand, have a peek at a remington 700 mountain rifle.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

I'm definitely not a rifle guy. So I won't try and pretend I know anything about .325 WSM, except that it sounds like a short magnum. I do know that for deer you can easily hunt with a .308. For elk you would probably be better off with a .30-06, since those have heavier loads available.

If you just want a spiffy rifle, go for the .325 WSM. But you would probably be just fine w/ a plain old .30-06 or .308. And you can find ammo much more easily and cheaply for those two than for .325 WSM. Just a thought.

 

[Bigfoot]

The 325 WSM ammo is only just now hitting the shelves so not many people can give you real world opinions on it yet. However the 325 WSM would be the most powerful commercially available cartridge that I could chamber another short action Savage barrel for so I've run the 325 WSM through my software. I decided the 8mm class needs a better bullet selection before I'd consider it. The calibers surrounding it, .308 and .338, have many more modern bullets with higher BCs. IMHO a magnums only advantage is at longer ranges, it looses that advantage if all you can shoot is old fashioned bullets that scrub off speed and energy quickly. And I'm not impressed with the new 8mm Accubond.

But remember all this is only based on vitual shooting so now that it has been released my simulations might be proved wrong. Hopefully so because the WSM case screams for a larger bullet than the 300.

 

[Flyboy73]

I do most of my hunting with either my Mossburg 500 or model 94 in .32 win spc, depending on which zone i hunt in MI.

I had thought about the 30-06 too, as i own a M1 and 2 03's.

Like i said i am looking for something i can hunt larger game.

Would like to find a good shooting bolt action, that will not break my bank( ok not break it much more then it allready is )

Brion

 

[dakotasin]

in that case, it is awfully tough to beat a good 338 win mag. great cartridge that is easy to shoot, especially given its size - more pleasant to shoot than either my 300 wsm or 300 win mag...

for inexpensive rifles chambered in the 338, you're kind of on a spot... i do find used rugers pretty regularly... a sako trg isn't bad, and is pretty inexpensive.

 

[CB900F]

Flyboy;

Like Dakotasin, I've also got a .338 Winchester magnum. Unlike him, I also shoot & deeply appreciate the .30-06.

If I were you, I'd try to shoot both the .338 & some of the .300 magnums as well as a modern bolt .30-06. Given that the ammo you use is representative of what's commonly used in the caliber, apples to apples & all that, it should give you a fair idea of what you may or may not be comfortable with.

Also keep in mind that the stock can contribute as much to felt recoil as any other factor. I'm in mind of a particular Remington 721 in .270 that was as uncomfortable a beast to shoot as anything I've ever run across.

Then there's the final factor: Shot placement trumps cartridge every time. In other words pick something that you're comfortable shooting & then practice, practice, practice.

900F

 

[redneck2]

Alternatives..

instead of getting a new gun in an odd caliber, I'd consider getting a good used gun in a normal caliber. I know something as mundane as a 30-06 isn't nearly as sexy as one of the new super-magnums, but they kick less, cost less, are probably easier to shoot

Rather than worry about brand, I'd go to a good local shop and get something used. Nobody I know that has a boomer shoots it enough to wear it out in 10 lifetimes. Ruger, Remington, Savage. You can get into all the arguements you want, but one will probably shoot as well as the other. I would agree with the above comment about stocks and perceived recoil. If you're gonna practice, I'd look at a Decelerator or Limbsaver pad. Makes a WORLD of difference in recoil.

Gun writers make their living convincing us that a .30 caliber bullet out of a super-magnum kills way better than a .30 caliber bullet out of a 30-06 or .308. Guys in europe have been killing 1200# moose for years with 6.5's.

Personally, I'd go with 30-06, .308, or .270. If you want a mag, I'd go 7mm or .300, simply because ammo is easier to find. YMMV

 

[db_tanker]

I would start at the quarter bores and work up to the 30's...and not go past.

unless you are dead set on an 8mm....which in my opinion is a wonderful caliber...go with a 308.

If you reload, DEFINATELY go with the 308. It can handle lighter bullets better than the mags or the '06. You get the right twist barrel and you can do darn near anything. I know mine will go 180's all day long...I have a 1-10 twist...and its a sweetheart.


125 gr. Nosler BT's are sudden death for any varmint out to 300 yards.

You can't find much better.

MTCW

Darrell

 

[Selfdfenz]

Not to steal the thread but when I was in Wally World last week I happened to notice their discount cabinet had 6 boxes of 22 Green Tag for 7.50 per box which seemed like a deal so I got it.

What was also roosting in there with the GT was about 15-20 assorted boxes of Winchester silver box rifle ammo, all of it in one or another WSM caliber.

It made me wonder if ther SMs and SSMs are going to find a permanent place in the sun or if they will dwindle away to obscurity in the next few years. I would be somewhat afraid to invest in a rifle I might have ammo issues with down the road.

S-