358Win & 250gr Partition

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We need a 35 RUM :mrgreen:

You might but I don't, I don't want to pull the trigger on something like that without a break and I don't really like breaks. You build one :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[PJGunner]

I appreciate seeing the comments about the recoil of the .358 Win. So many gun writers have stated that, "The .358 has stout recoil and is unpleasant to shoot." or some similar drivel.
Somehow, I ended up with 5 different rifles in .358 Win. :shock: and 3 in .35 Whelen. I'm thinking people might think I like .35 caliber rifles. :lol: They'd be right. :grin: Although I have concentrated on finding a load for the Whelen, I must say I've neglected the .358 for a while.
A friend has told me of a rancher about 75 miles from my front door who has a serious feral pig problem. He asked if I would like to join him in trying to eliminate a few. Do birds fly? Does an elephant carry his trunk? Naturally I said to count me in. Time to play with the .358.
My 99 Savage and BLR are sighted in with factory, but not the two Ruger M77s. I also have one built on a 98 Mauser but it doen't shoot worth spit. I'm seriously thinking it has a bad barrel. When I slugged the bore so I could determine what the sizing should be for a cast bullet load, the rifling looked very strange. Picture in your mind the lands and grooves in a normal barrel. This one also has shallower grooves in the tops of the lands. :shock: Methinks it will end up at my gunsmiths for a rebarrel job. Although I would rather keep it in .358, my gunsmith doesn't have the reamer and the only way he'll do the job is if I buy one. I don't think so. However, he's too darn good a gunsmith to tell go take a hike or something similar. He's built 3 rifles for me so far and all three are sub-MOA. The magazine is too short to make another Whelen and I'll probably go with a classic round like the 7x57. That's another cartirdge I like a lot.
My biggest gripe with the .358 is while Winchester specified a 1 in 12" twist, Ruger, at least in the earlier .358's went with a 1 in 16" twist. I understand they now use a 1 in 12" twist. My two M77s have that 1 in 16" twist. My early BLR and Savage 99 have the 1 in 12" twist and they'll outshoot the Rugers for accuracy.
I understand that TAC is the go to powder to make a .358 sing. I'll have to get some to try. I think H-335 might work well in the .358. I got some good results in my .35 Whelens with that powder although I've settled on RL-15 for that round.
I have never figured out why other than the .35 Rem., most other .35's just are not that popular?
Those of us who use them just know better.
Paul B.

 

[HeathSexton]

The 35 Rem is popular around here, you almost never see one for sale. I have a 1976 Marlin 336 35 Rem, I love it. 200gr CoreLokt RN over 40.5grs of, you'll never believe it, H4895.

A few Whelens float around, I wish I would have picked up a Hawkeye before Ruger was genius enough to discontinue them. 99 out of 100 people here don't even know what a .358 Winchester is, me and my gunsmith are the only 2 I know of in this area that own one.

The .356 Win is one that I really dig. Never seen one in person, I sure like looking at the pictures of them on here though. Again, how in the world is that not a popular round?

The PT's seem like great bullets for the .358 but I bet the 250gr Hornady RN is a real slammer also.

 

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It is a shame that Ruger stop chambering the 358Win, just a real dumb thing in my opinion. It is such an outstanding round indeed. It is beyond me why we Americans don't realize the the 35 cal is in my opinion the best all around for big game from deer to moose and big bears. I love the 358 Norma. The 358Win is the perfect rifle for 90% of hunters and conditions and game in America. 180gr to 300gr bullet and there is nothing the average hunter could not kill with this cartridge. Ruger is nuts, when you consider the dies and brass increase in sales over the last five years and they stop making them??????? :shock:

 

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Note, that the Browning BLR is not as strong and action as the Ruger Hawkeye so don't duplicate anyones load that was worked up in a Ruger if you are shooting a BLR. Just a warning. That is why I did not publish my load with TAC for the 250gr Partiion or the 225gr AccuBond.

 

[SJB358]

Mike, I am just asking, and not questioning, but isn't the lockup on a BLR just as strong as most bolt guns, being they are also chambered in other WSM cartridges that can handle 65K PSI? Just wondering, not that I would want to push mine super hard, but the lock up seems to be very strong with multiple locking lugs and such? Scotty

 

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Mike, I am just asking, and not questioning, but isn't the lockup on a BLR just as strong as most bolt guns, being they are also chambered in other WSM cartridges that can handle 65K PSI? Just wondering, not that I would want to push mine super hard, but the lock up seems to be very strong with multiple locking lugs and such? Scotty

Yes, the lock up is cool I am just not a fan of the none steal receiver that the bolt is housed in. I might have concerns that are not warranted and if someone could ease my mind concerning this I would appreciate it.

 

[Silent Sam]

Not warranted. The BLR bolt locks into the barrel. The receiver is a case for the mechanism and doesn't see any pressure greater than recoil. BLRs are chambered in several high pressure cartridges and are plenty strong. Having said that I would much prefer working up a load like that in a Ruger bolt rifle.

I'd be far more interested in pushing the 225gr faster than maxing out the 250gr. I don't think the slightly higher BC makes up for the 25gr extra weight out at 300yds. And that is about the max range for me to hold on hair. That would be 50yds more of useable range than what I have now. Significant on an elk hunt. I push 225gr Partitions at 2450fps out of my BLR with an unpublished load of N133. I would expect noticeably more recoil w/ the 250s also.

Does Tac need a magnum primer? Or do you need that primer to make those velocities? Or both?

 

[PJGunner]

"Does Tac need a magnum primer? Or do you need that primer to make those velocities? Or both?"

I dunno. Never used the stuff. I have been thinking about picking up a can and giving it a try. Gun Writer John Barsness got some interesting results using TAC in a .358.
I've gotten so involved with the .35 Whelen lately that I've ignored the .358. My bad.
Paul B.

 

[bullet]

"Does Tac need a magnum primer? Or do you need that primer to make those velocities? Or both?"

I dunno. Never used the stuff. I have been thinking about picking up a can and giving it a try. Gun Writer John Barsness got some interesting results using TAC in a .358.
I've gotten so involved with the .35 Whelen lately that I've ignored the .358. My bad.
Paul B.

You can use a a large rifle primer but for TAC to perform as it should you need to us a 215 Fed or CCI 250 magnum primer. Even TAC will recommend with compressed charges using TAC to us a magnum primer in some cartridges. Double Tap in their commercial loads for the 358Win when using TAC will also use the magnum primer. I have found that the magnum primer gave me more velocity and accuracy than did the standard large rifle primers.

 

[358 Winchester]

I bought some 250gr Partitions for my 358Win and did a quick load using Tac powder, CCI250gr Primers, Win brass, OAL 2.839", so I could hunt the last day of the rifle season tomorrow with the 250gr load. I am going to work with after hunting season, H4895, IMR4895 and AA2495BR. I did not know what to expect, but I knew that my Ruger Hawkeye has shot everything I have put through it pretty well. This load gave me a group of .7545" at a velocity average of 2403fps. Surprisingly it did not recoil bad and man does that round hit like a hammer and give me so much while having a very manageable recoil. I am sighted 2.8" high at 100yds giving me a zero of 200yds with a point blank of 255yds and the highest point above line of sight is 2.8" from 97yds to 129yds. At 260yds I will lay the cross hair on the top of shoulder and good to 325yds. Might not see anything tomorrow, but I will be ready to put a big hole through a deer or hog for sure if they show up.

That's some impressive speed with those big slugs, I get 2500 fps shooting the Barnes 225 X bullet, so that velocity is definitely doable in the 358 Winchester.

 

[bullet]

Yes, it is trucking for a 250gr Partition out of a 358Win and accurate also.