Browning BLR 358 Win

[Rem Jim]

Bought another toy today a Browning BLR Straight grip in 358 WIN - I want it for my Camp-Quad gun ! :grin: Anyone else got one on here - also looking for some proven handloads for the cartridge with 200-225 gr bullets ! Thks Guys :grin:

Cheers RJ

 

[gerry]

Bought another toy today a Browning BLR Straight grip in 358 WIN - I want it for my Camp-Quad gun ! :grin: Anyone else got one on here - also looking for some proven handloads for the cartridge with 200-225 gr bullets ! Thks Guys :grin:

Cheers RJ

What, I thought you were a 338 Federal kinda guy :mrgreen:

Sounds like a nice gun if you need some bullets I might be able to send you some. Lots of guys with 358's here you should get a bunch of good data soon.

 

[DrMike]

I've had two, and each was a shooter. I was shooting 200 grain TSX with good effect.

 

[Rem Jim]

Bought another toy today a Browning BLR Straight grip in 358 WIN - I want it for my Camp-Quad gun ! :grin: Anyone else got one on here - also looking for some proven handloads for the cartridge with 200-225 gr bullets ! Thks Guys :grin:

Cheers RJ

What, I thought you were a 338 Federal kinda guy :mrgreen:

Sounds like a nice gun if you need some bullets I might be able to send you some. Lots of guys with 358's here you should get a bunch of good data soon.

Yup 338 Fed is superior but i kinda thinkin this will be a nice little play piece ! HMM - didn't i send you a box of Horn 225 gr 35 cal bullets ! LOL
I think i will get some Accubonds for it and try them out ! :grin: I need a set of 358 WIN dies - any one got a extra set for sale ?

Cheers RJ

 

[gerry]

Yes you sent me some 200 gr Hornady's the 200 gr AccuBond would be great in the 358 Win, not sure if you have the magazine space for it though, Scotty and a couple of others have BLR's in 358 they will be able to give you the goods on them.

 

[Rem Jim]

I've had two, and each was a shooter. I was shooting 200 grain TSX with good effect.

What kind of loads - powder - primer - behind those 200 gr TSX ers ? Mike - Have you a extra set of dies :?: Any 358 Win brass :?: only need 40 max ! Thks :grin:

Cheers :grin: RJ

 

[DrMike]

200 g. TSX, 47 g. IMR3031, WLR primer

200 g. Speer RN, 53 g. TAC, CCI250 primer

225 g. Sierra SBT, 45 g. Varget, WLR primer

225 g. AB, 47 g. Varger, WLR primer

225 g. TSX, 43 g. A2015, WLR primer

250 g. Hornady SP, 44 g. RL15, WLR primer

All the above gave me sub MOA groups with good velocities.

 

[Rem Jim]

Yes you sent me some 200 gr Hornady's the 200 gr AccuBond would be great in the 358 Win, not sure if you have the magazine space for it though, Scotty and a couple of others have BLR's in 358 they will be able to give you the goods on them.

Seems from what i can find out the 200 Gr AccuBond will fit fine in BLR mag and action ! :grin:

Cheers RJ

 

[Rem Jim]

Thks DR Mike - i need some dies and brass and i will be at the range ! :grin:

Cheers RJ

 

[DrMike]

The down side of the .358 Win is that Winchester produces brass once every three years or so. Hornady is now marketing .358 Win brass. I believe Wholesale Sports has Hornady brass. And if you think .358 brass is hard to find, try finding .338 Federal brass. It is easy to form either .358 Win or .338 Federal brass from .308 Win brass, however. A good tapered expander ball on your sizing die, a supply of Imperial Sizing Wax, and you are set.

 

[FOTIS]

Moved here from wanted

 

[PJGunner]

I have an early Browning BLR, the one that has the magazine hanging down. Unfortunately, once I got my .35 Whelen the .358's got badly neglected. Something I really should correct.
I don't even remember what powder I used to load for the round but think it was either W748 or H335 and various 200 gr. bullets. I do remember that the Savage 99 and BLR outshot the two Ruger M77s by a noticable margin. I attributed it to the 1 in 12" twist of the leverguns vs the 1 in 16" twist of the Rugers. I think you'll like that BLR. Read Paco Kelly's article on the BLR. Some interesting stuff in it.
Paul B.

 

[Guy Miner]

We've had a .308 BLR (the old Belgian model with the hang-down magazine) kicking around the family for 30 years or so. Dad bought it for hog hunting in northern California and it served well. My oldest son uses it from time to time now, and I've shot it a bit over the years as well. Good rifles, I hope the new ones have a better trigger pull than our family BLR, it's a little mushy. Otherwise a fine rifle.

A buddy has one in .358 Win. It's been a long time since I've hunted with him. He's taken at least a dozen elk, a couple of black bears and a few deer with his, all in Wyoming as I recall. I truly don't remember his load, but believe it was the 225's. Congrats on the new rifle!

Guy

 

[DrMike]

The new triggers are no better than the old triggers, Guy. Still, the BLR is a fine rifle to tote in the field.

 

[FOTIS]

Just checked my load for my Blr of yesteryear.

52.5/W748 with 200 Hornady at 2625 fps.

49/748 with 225 Sierras 2450 fps

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I have one for two years now. I feel it is a fine carry/woods gun. Quick to the shoulder and short and light. I have yet to find a suitable load for 200gr bullets for it after 7 or 8 load work-ups using Varget, IMR-3031, and IMR-4064. I have had better success with 225gr bullets. With the 225gr SGK and 46.0gr of IMR-3031 I get 2460fps and groups which are .8 - 1.2". The trigger makes consistent grouping difficult but this load served me well last year. I also found 52.0gr of W-748 worked well(Thanks Scotty!) with the SGK's but no better than the IMR-3031 load. This year I played with the 225gr Partition and just found that the same charge of W-748 shoots good while 51.0 shot great. I like the extra velocity so I'm going to try and to make the 52.0gr load a bit better with an OAL change this Thursday. I have shot 3 load work-ups with 250gr Hot-Cors and found two accurate loads but they didn't have the velocity I'm looking for with this weight bullet.

Here's the latest results that I wil try to repeat and tweak with an OAL change:

 

[FOTIS]

Man that 51 grain load is sweet!

 

[DrMike]

Quite a handsome rifle, CC. I do like the looks of the pistol grip stocks, though I've only owned straight grip stocks.

 

[CatskillCrawler]

Man that 51 grain load is sweet!

Hopefully I can get it to repeat. /crossing fingers

Quite a handsome rifle, CC. I do like the looks of the pistol grip stocks, though I've only owned straight grip stocks.

Thanks. I felt it was softer on the shoulder than the straight stock versions when I was shooting a PG 325WSM BLR vs a straight 30-06 BLR. At first I was unsure of the looks of the PG stock but it has grown on me considerably.

 

[DrMike]

They are supposedly a weaker design; I like them nevertheless. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them. Candidly, I've not seen one break, and I've handled and worked up loads for a number chambered in 300WSM and 325WSM.