truck driver
Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
- 7,364
- 973
I've only sold 4 rifles and gifted one and have regretted selling the 4 rifles. I might have to look for a bolt action in the 358 Win but then I'm afraid the Whelen might not like it. :roll: :lol:
BLR in .358 Win.
- Thread starter NYDAN
- Start date
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,502
- 6,506
Why not? I have Hawkeyes in both 358 and 35 Whelen. They manage to get along pretty well, and even tolerate the 350 Rem Mag that nestles alongside of them.
Gadzooks! All this .35 caliber love. :lol: I have a an early BLR, two tang safety Ruger M77s and a Savage 99, all in .358 Win. Kinda got wound up in the cartridge for a while. I did an elk hunt up on the Olympic Penninsula with some friends and at one time on the hunt was on a stand at the edge of a swamp. Nothing was moving, not even squirrels so starting contemplation what would be a potentially perfect rifle for where I'm hunting right now? I decided a nice fairly lightweight bolt action, 22" barrel, Weaver K3 scope with a post/crosshair reticle and chambered to the .358 Win. Back up iron sights would be nice but not necessary. Well it was tag soup for everybody in our group and when I got back to work I was on the swing shift (I rotated to a different shift every week. :| ) I was looking through the for sale section of our newspaper and spotted a Ruger M77 in .358 Win. for $250. Well it was about 9:30 at night so I cut the ad out and stuck it in my wallet and forgot about it. A couple of weeks later while checking out how little money was in the wallet :lol: I saw the ad, said, "What the hell." and gave them a call. Turned out it was a pawn shop and they still had it and it was NIB. I looked it over and the guy said he wanted to get rid of it, make an offer. I said $200 and he said to show him the money. I put an old 3X E Paso Weaver with post reticle on it and then tried to find some ammo. I called every gun shop in town and nobody had any. Finally found some at a gun show. Found a few more .358's which were the one's mention but haven't done much with then as I came into the .35 Whelen. Interesting thing is the two lever actions are much more accurate than the two Rugers. The Savage was MOA right off the bat and after I tinkered with the forearm pressure on the BLR accuracy improved to MOA or slightly less. The forearm does rattle a bit but it's a shooter now. I have an idea or two on fixing the rattle without losing the accuracy. Maybe I'll pull one out after the first of the year and play with it for a while.
Paul B.
Paul B.
Stillhunter
Beginner
- Dec 8, 2014
- 57
- 15
Good morning all. New guy here. I treated myself to a BLR 81 in .358 last year for my 50th birthday. I purchased it for Western Washington Roosevelt Elk in the thick wet coastal mountains. It was as new and had been a safe queen for many years, with a Leupold VX2 2x7 scope. Still stiff and with a terrible trigger. It is a mate to the BLR .308 my dad gave me as a graduation present many years ago. Also with a 2x7. The BLR carries well and comes to the shoulder very nicely for me.
I have only recently gathered the components to start reloading for it. Tac, 225 and 250 PTs along with some Sierra 225s. Partitions for Elk and Sierras for playing with, if they shoot. I have 100's of .308 cases to neck up. I will get to loading when I can make some time.
Happy to enjoy reading so much sensible, polite shooting info here.
Merry Christmas to you all.
I have only recently gathered the components to start reloading for it. Tac, 225 and 250 PTs along with some Sierra 225s. Partitions for Elk and Sierras for playing with, if they shoot. I have 100's of .308 cases to neck up. I will get to loading when I can make some time.
Happy to enjoy reading so much sensible, polite shooting info here.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,836
- 6,312
Welcome aboard Stillhunter.
I don't recall the name, but there is a gunsmith who is well known for doing a great job with BLR triggers. Someone here should know his name.
Regards, Guy
(Central Washington)
I don't recall the name, but there is a gunsmith who is well known for doing a great job with BLR triggers. Someone here should know his name.
Regards, Guy
(Central Washington)
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,502
- 6,506
A BLR in 358 would be ideal for the thick tangles of western Washington. I know it works quite well for game on the Lower Mainland of BC. :wink:
Stillhunter
Beginner
- Dec 8, 2014
- 57
- 15
Thanks. I know it is more than enough for the job. I have read about Neil Jones. He will likely be seeing to it. Funny thing. I have owned and shot my .308 for so long the trigger is great. I wouldn't have known what a good trigger was those years ago. Even now, it may not be great by most standards but my finger, at it have come to know each other well.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,502
- 6,506
Good point. I never reworked the trigger on any of the BLRs I owned, and they all managed to shoot very well and bring home game. The triggers weren't ideal; but they were adequate.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 6
Stillhunter, welcome to the Board, another Washingtonian here.
Stillhunter
Beginner
- Dec 8, 2014
- 57
- 15
Thank you all for the warn welcome. I will post on my results on loading for the .358 when I get the time to focus on it.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,502
- 6,506
Great cartridge that will stand you in good stead.
Yes, as the good Dr. said above, I have two BLR's in 358 Win.
I got my first 358 over 10 years ago, and have taken several elk and moose over the years with it. It is also my saddle gun, back-up guide rifle and back-up rifle when bowhunting. It shoots just over MOA with the new Hornady factory load and with its favourite load of the Speer Hot-Cor 220 gr., and just under a 1 1/4" groups with the 225 gr Nosler Partition. I also used it when backing up Dr.Mike when he took his first grizzly bear, with his 356. I would not hesitate to use it on moose, elk or bison out to 250-300 yards. And I would not feel over gunned with it on deer or black bear hunts out to 300 yards. You will grow very fond of both the cartridge and the rifle in short order. (And as a lefty who harvested his first black bear and whitetail deer (doe and buck) with lever actions in 30-30 and 308 in Marlin, Winchester and BLR, will always have a soft spot lever action rifles).
Yes the trigger is not great, but with enough practice you will know exactly when that trigger is going to break. Off hand, I can hit fist sized rocks at 200-250 yards all day long. This rifle wears a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-4.5 power scope in QD Leupold bases, and has never seen the need to remove the scope to use the back up open sights yet. It was in really rough shape when I first acquired it, but a little sanding and light oil on the stock, and a Teflon job on the metal work, returned it to a good looking and functional bush rifle.
The second rifle, is the BLR that I got from Dr.Mike after he acquired his Ruger Hawkeye. It shoots the Barnes 200gr TSX into 1/3" groups at 100 yards. I could not bear to let that rifle go down the road to someone who may not appreciate either the rifle or the caliber. So it came home with me. It now wears a Leupold Vx-3 in 1.75-6,and although it has been on many hunts, has yet to take any game (back up rifle on successful bowhunts or as camp rifle in bear country and while helping others on their hunts).
Get the rifle and enjoy! And you will find it eminently more shooter friendly than the 450 Marlin. And if you do have to defend yourself against a cantankerous bear, you will not feel undergunned.
I got my first 358 over 10 years ago, and have taken several elk and moose over the years with it. It is also my saddle gun, back-up guide rifle and back-up rifle when bowhunting. It shoots just over MOA with the new Hornady factory load and with its favourite load of the Speer Hot-Cor 220 gr., and just under a 1 1/4" groups with the 225 gr Nosler Partition. I also used it when backing up Dr.Mike when he took his first grizzly bear, with his 356. I would not hesitate to use it on moose, elk or bison out to 250-300 yards. And I would not feel over gunned with it on deer or black bear hunts out to 300 yards. You will grow very fond of both the cartridge and the rifle in short order. (And as a lefty who harvested his first black bear and whitetail deer (doe and buck) with lever actions in 30-30 and 308 in Marlin, Winchester and BLR, will always have a soft spot lever action rifles).
Yes the trigger is not great, but with enough practice you will know exactly when that trigger is going to break. Off hand, I can hit fist sized rocks at 200-250 yards all day long. This rifle wears a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-4.5 power scope in QD Leupold bases, and has never seen the need to remove the scope to use the back up open sights yet. It was in really rough shape when I first acquired it, but a little sanding and light oil on the stock, and a Teflon job on the metal work, returned it to a good looking and functional bush rifle.
The second rifle, is the BLR that I got from Dr.Mike after he acquired his Ruger Hawkeye. It shoots the Barnes 200gr TSX into 1/3" groups at 100 yards. I could not bear to let that rifle go down the road to someone who may not appreciate either the rifle or the caliber. So it came home with me. It now wears a Leupold Vx-3 in 1.75-6,and although it has been on many hunts, has yet to take any game (back up rifle on successful bowhunts or as camp rifle in bear country and while helping others on their hunts).
Get the rifle and enjoy! And you will find it eminently more shooter friendly than the 450 Marlin. And if you do have to defend yourself against a cantankerous bear, you will not feel undergunned.
Stillhunter
Beginner
- Dec 8, 2014
- 57
- 15
Good to hear so much first hand knowledge of this rifle and caliber being use to good effect. Makes me more confident I can take mine to Alaska for a Moose float trip we are planning.
It might cause me some trouble with my better half though. I already told her I need a Sako 9.3x62 in order to survive constant bear attacks. :lol:
It might cause me some trouble with my better half though. I already told her I need a Sako 9.3x62 in order to survive constant bear attacks. :lol:
Thebear_78
Handloader
- Sep 30, 2004
- 3,099
- 876
The 225 Partition at 2400-2500fps would make a fantastic do all load for alaska. I need to get a scope mount for my rebored 358 savage 99E. I have a leupy 2.5 M8 waiting to take its place.
