Is 325wsm too much gun for Northern Whitetails & Black Bear

[zerosprk]

Based upon the way you wrote your initial post, it sounds like you haven't actually shot a .325 and might have some concerns about the recoil. If you are looking for a go anywhere/do anything, at least in North America, there are several cartridges that will check those two boxes. If your primary quarry are deer and black bears, I would say that list gets a bit longer. Regardless of what you are shooting, you still need to put the bullet in the right spot. After that, dead is dead and last I checked, there wasn't such a thing as too much dead.

If you think that a .325 is your jam, I say you do you!

 

[buzby]

I'm kind of surprised at how many "no such thing as too much gun" replies are posted.

I release that everyone on the internet has immaculate recoil control, and is impervious to developing a flinch. But from what I've seen in person at the typical public range, there's a **** ton of people over gunned. Give your average Joe a 325wsm in a light weight rifle, and a box of ammo, and he'll be flinching bigger than hell before that first box is empty.
We know that the rifle is moving under recoil before the bullet exits the barrel. More recoil = thrown shots, unless your form is perfect.
I'd wager most people would be more deadly with a lower recoiling round. And be able to put the bullet exactly where they intend to.

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

Suppose the same could be said about less meat loss if you shot the Barnes tsx, from the 25 caliber offering

Barnes or hammer is all I use in those or any gun intended for big game, California mandates it, before the mandates I favored the Nosler partition, I still found meat loss favored the 25's, however I was shooting a 250 GR slug in the 338 back then, at 2800 FPS compared to 3300 to 3400 FPS is not a fair comparison, I played with a 270 WSM for a few years, shooting a 110GR TTSX at nearly 3600 FPS that load made quite a mess of things

 

[toptom60]

I shoot a 325 for deer and actually killed a doe with it last year. I load up 160 grain barnes ttsx virtually no recoil and hits like lightning. I have played with 200 grainers in it but just for hunting the woods of pa figured the 160s isn't a handicap. Using my garmin the 160 grian barnes load is going 3300 fps.

 

[Taj]

Dead is Dead

Yeah, but you have to figure in the DOD factor. That is the "degree of deadness".

 

[sdakotaguy]

Yeah, but you have to figure in the DOD factor. That is the "degree of deadness".

Suppose that is a factor I never put much stock in. I think more along the lines of QKE.

My quick kill experience with calibers small & large is rated something on the order of how many seconds till last breath. With proper shot placement, seldom takes longer than 60 seconds after impact. 6mm has been plenty bore diameter for my midwest task. I have used more, nothing over 50 cal mind you, & simply have seen no advantage to going larger than 6mm dia. projectile for my use.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'm kind of surprised at how many "no such thing as too much gun" replies are posted.

I release that everyone on the internet has immaculate recoil control, and is impervious to developing a flinch. But from what I've seen in person at the typical public range, there's a **** ton of people over gunned. Give your average Joe a 325wsm in a light weight rifle, and a box of ammo, and he'll be flinching bigger than hell before that first box is empty.
We know that the rifle is moving under recoil before the bullet exits the barrel. More recoil = thrown shots, unless your form is perfect.
I'd wager most people would be more deadly with a lower recoiling round. And be able to put the bullet exactly where they intend to.

Not everyone has issues with recoil. My 15 year old kid is running moa with my 375. The only rifle I won't let him run right now is my lh m700 bdl in 300rum; that rifle made my brother tear up one day. My 21 year old shoots a 300win that's 2# heavier than the 375 and it's enough for him. I can take about any recoil left handed, but if I switch over to shooting right handed, a 7rem or 300win is PLENTY of recoil.

 

[sp6x6]

I have one I used lot of years muley hunting because it was 6# Browning ss A-bolt.Found my self packing it quite a bit because of that, and my son was sneaking off with my 340.Mine does hit a bit.But my boy took a elk at 500 + when he was 15-16,a did also 520.Shot 200AB's.Shot a bull threw blade and recovered bullet at hide, timber shot.Bears too.Its basically a 300 wsm, unless you get a heavier bullet and there hard to find

 

[Calvin45]

Then what would I do with my 284win?

Leave it at home and hunt with the 325wsm all the time?

for real; I don't want to fill a no-need void.

My thoughts on the 284win 150gr@2800, was that, it so close to a 280 which I think most people trust their lives to even in big bear country.

Am I splitting hairs here?

I know a 180 or 200gr 8mm @2800 and a 150gr 7mm@2800 ain't comparable as far as hard hitting power goes......But for Northeast Hunting I think I'm covered

I think the 325 for me is a just "to get it" gun.
From a tools perspective, for a maybe someday go West Hunting where there's big bears......happening no time soon for me. I'm conservative. I don't want things I don't need. Would you walk into the backcountry out West with a 284win and feel undergunned? I doubt it, I see lots of people going with one, or 308win or 7mm-08 even.

I think its all interesting for sure.

Yes you're overthinking it.

Also that means you officially fit right in here

Need has nothing to do with it.

You certainly are not undergunned with your 284. You're not overgunned with a .325 wsm.

Honestly neither would be my first choice for an "out west" rifle as you describe, primarily because they're short actions with long case length relative to overall cartridge length. That might be splitting hairs but I'd be leaning a lot more towards the 06 length or magnum length action 7mm or 30 caliber magnums. I'm a 30 cal guy myself but can't deny the 7mms will do anything the 30s do. Neither are dangerous game rifles.

 

[98s1lightning]

I can't run a LA I'm only 5'6" with my boots on. LA is not ergonomic for me, and unwieldy.

 

[Calvin45]

I can't run a LA I'm only 5'6" with my boots on. LA is not ergonomic for me, and unwieldy.

Fair enough

Have you considered the relatively new 6.8 Western for a "western" Rifle as well? At first I was all grumpy about redundancy and no need for new things and so on but it's actually growing on me as a pretty practical option going forward. I don't think it's going to die off any time soon.

At the shop where I work there's a pretty neat little rifle, a browning compact with a 20 inch barrel and a brake on it. It's crazy lightweight and handy feeling.

 

[memtb]

I can't run a LA I'm only 5'6" with my boots on. LA is not ergonomic for me, and unwieldy.

Do you have proper stock fit? The difference in stroke length between a short action and a long action is pretty insignificant. IMO

My wife is a bit shorter than yourself…..she's been running long actions since 1974. I wish that I could run a bolt as fast as she does! memtb

 

[98s1lightning]

Naw I gotta pass on 6.8 western.

IIRC that cartridge has low case capacity compared to the 284win and the 7mm-08

When I read about it I discounted into the same category as something like a 30 Super carry cartridge which IIRC is smaller case capacity than a 9mm.....

I was never interested in anything smaller than a 284win for Big Game Season
(except for a 243 which would really be for coyote season but big enough to take a deer if seasons overlapped. Where a 243 and 223 are built on same physical size gun....ill take the 243 please!)

 

[fordy]

Gday
Ok time to derail sorry op but
The issue of overgun creating flinching is one that fascinates me

I do believe most is in ones heads as I just went through some possibilities ( rifle design aside ) & offered advice for a mates client that is going on a big bear hunt ( brown I believe but I am hopeless on the actual big bears )

He was shooting his 338rum well with 200 ish gr pills & the thought of going heavier ( guides recomdation ) concerned him & the thought of 250 gr plus pills got in his head & before 2 long the 200 ish gr pills were to much as flinch started

So back to basics ( & had a backup plan of a 150 ish pill in his 300 Norma ) & my mate got him on the bench & got rifle settled & all ready then got him to close eyes & squeeze off yep he squinted on the squeeze but the felt recoil was very good as "that didn't hurt" & over a series of shots he's shooting well with that 338 again & can shoot better with that due to the way it's set up than the 30 cal & to me that's going to tick more boxes regardless if it's for the big bears or a yote

The next stage is getting him to understand a 250ish plus pill is not needed for those big bears & that I'm out of my depth on totally get that as I've got no history with bears but I'm pushing hard for him to show us what can be achieved & I'll cover what I can from testing but still no idea on bears

I'm going off buff & more importantly asiatic as cape overall are soft just crankier & the big cats gives us a little insight into killing efficiency but if you don't have a balanced pill to do this we will need to stay with the bigger pills & bigger pills comes more recoil & then the mind games start or potentially start

So recoil if managed is not a issue as long as we do our homework


Just to give some food for thought & my 2 cents worth

Cheers