Well...
When I was trying to decide what to buy for hunting moose, I chose a caliber that seemed to promise that a well placed shot would take it down quickly. But one I could handle without my needing all kinds of recoil protective accessories.. (I hate muzzle brakes).
People seem to want to compare the 325 caliber with a lot of others; does it hit as heavy as a.......? is it as accurate as a........? This caliber is a great choice. No need for all the comparisons.. if you have already got a .338, youve got it covered for heavier game at longer ranges. If you don't, this caliber is definitely worth considering.
My take so far.. I've been loading for my 325 BLR since I got it in the spring. Testing with several diffferent bullets... (Nosler 200 Accubonds and 200 Partitions, Sierra 220 Boattails, and some Nosler 180 BTs.) several different powders... (4350, 4831, 7828) all at a variety of powder charges.
I'm left with some conclusions...
1. The recoil... is not bad at all. I've had a couple of days where I fired 3 x 24 shot bullet test groups, and I DO think around 60 in a day should be about max. (as well as 60 or 80 SKS shots in between while the 325's barrel cools
But it has never left me with a bruise like my brother's 45/70 has. And it does not seem to have the recoil of a .338. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say it DOES hit harder than a 30-06 but not a lot.
2. This gun (my BLR) is VERY sensitive to what it likes for bullets. It is very accurate with 220s in a wide range of powder charges, so far especially with 4831 and 7828. It has a narrower (but workable) range of powder charges it likes with 200s, but in that range it is also very accurate with some mixes. And.. so far.. it hates everything I do with 180s. All powders, all COLs, all powder charges.... it just sprays them all over. It also does not like factory loaded 180 Ballistic Silver tips.. not all of them even cut paper! But it is extremely accurate with the much cheaper 220 power points.
So... Yes.. the gun is accurate.. you just have to know what to feed it. And no, the 'kick' is not too bad at all. And yes.. I got this gun to hunt moose with, and no, I do not regret not buying a 338, 375, 416 or bigger.
P&D has plenty of 8mm bullets and every time I go in, they have lots of 325 brass. So far, not an issue, but I have accumulated a bunch now, and will buy more if the caliber seems to be faltering in popularity.
Just my take. But I won't be selling mine.
-Frank