Favorite Powder for .358 Win
- Thread starter grry10
- Start date
rjm158
Handloader
- Oct 15, 2009
- 708
- 641
I have a Browning BLR 358 using the same bullets. I use that fabled pixie dust called Varget and have gotten groups in the .6's at 100 yds.
Ron
Ron
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,402
- 6,213
TAC was a performer for me, but an even better performer was IMR3031. I have had good to excellent results with A2495, A2015, RL15 and W748. All gave me loads that had good velocities and accuracy that was consistently sub-MOA. My experience led me to believe that the cartridge worked very well with faster burning powders. I loaded for three separate BLRs and a Ruger. The .358 Win is a great cartridge.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,344
- 3,185
Ramshot X-terminator gives good FPS in my 356 Win with great accuracy.
178 Hammer 2550 FPS 1" at 100 yds. Not bad for a win 94. Might want to experiment. Easy to find also
178 Hammer 2550 FPS 1" at 100 yds. Not bad for a win 94. Might want to experiment. Easy to find also
I played with W748 and 200 gr. Hornady RN and SP bullets in four rifle chambered to the .358 Win.
Rifles were two Ruger M77s, one in a McMillan stock, a Browning BLR and a Savage 99. The 99 was factory and not a rebore.
The two Rugers never shot worth a damn. Four inches or larger was the norm. Tried a few 250 gr. bullets (Hornady) and groups were even larger.
I had to do a little tinkering with the forearm on the BLR but got it shooting one inch with some groups slightly less. The forearm has a slight rattle but the gun shoots quite well.
The Savage was a surprise shooting sub-MOA with almost every load tried. Trigger was rather stiff but otherwise no complaints.
The Rugers have a 1 in 16" twist barrel and the BLR and Savage are 1 in 12". Kind of strange because my .35 Whelens have 1 in 16" twists on the factory rifles and my custom Mauser a 1 in 14" inch twist. All three Whelens shoot one inch or less and mostly less. I never have figured out why the Rugers shoot so poorly. The rifles are the tang safety version FWIW.
Paul B.
Rifles were two Ruger M77s, one in a McMillan stock, a Browning BLR and a Savage 99. The 99 was factory and not a rebore.
The two Rugers never shot worth a damn. Four inches or larger was the norm. Tried a few 250 gr. bullets (Hornady) and groups were even larger.
I had to do a little tinkering with the forearm on the BLR but got it shooting one inch with some groups slightly less. The forearm has a slight rattle but the gun shoots quite well.
The Savage was a surprise shooting sub-MOA with almost every load tried. Trigger was rather stiff but otherwise no complaints.
The Rugers have a 1 in 16" twist barrel and the BLR and Savage are 1 in 12". Kind of strange because my .35 Whelens have 1 in 16" twists on the factory rifles and my custom Mauser a 1 in 14" inch twist. All three Whelens shoot one inch or less and mostly less. I never have figured out why the Rugers shoot so poorly. The rifles are the tang safety version FWIW.
Paul B.
I started my 358 Winchester journey with a Ruger 77R. One of the older ones with a 22" barrel. Maybe even a pre-warning, but it's long ago been traded or sold. It was followed by at least 2 or 3 more of the same until I had a M70 rebarreled. Like Dr Mike, I would say that just about anything between the 4198s on the quick side & RL15 on the slow side have proven at least adequate in this cartridge.
W748 was all I used with 200s & 250s (there were no 225s) happily & successfully for quite a few years until curiosity & an Oehler 35 expanded my horizons. AA2015BR*** & IMR 3031 have proven to give top speeds with at least 1", but often smaller groups, @ 100 yd. This with 200 & 225gr bullets respectively. Recently RL10x & N133 have both shown promise with initial 225 loads, but ran out of projectikes. N130 is also in the queue with 200s. TAC did well with 250s, but just didn't quite get it with 200s & there are no Sierra 225s to be found. Maybe next year?
***My lot of AA2015BR is the old Chinese made stuff (a '92 lot #) that I hear is significantly different than the newer stuff without the BR suffix. Just cracked open the 2nd 4# jug last year. Will be getting a # of the newer to test & compare if it's ever in stock when making a larger powder order someday.
My current short-throated rifle wont have anything to do with Accubonds. Way back, I tried Horny's 200 RN & the Speer FN 220s. They shot minute of deer but not much better. Pointed bullets... Horny 200 Sp.Pt, Sierra 225 Spitzer, & Speer's 250 Spitzer have always seemed to shot best for me. There was a box or 3 of Ballistic Tips that passed thru the rifles over the years, but they're long OOP. Never had to mess with seating depth to get a good load. Kept it at around 2.800" or a little under. Lucky? Maybe.
Edit: Being a fresh rebore, maybe shoot & clean thoroughly a few times for break-in?
W748 was all I used with 200s & 250s (there were no 225s) happily & successfully for quite a few years until curiosity & an Oehler 35 expanded my horizons. AA2015BR*** & IMR 3031 have proven to give top speeds with at least 1", but often smaller groups, @ 100 yd. This with 200 & 225gr bullets respectively. Recently RL10x & N133 have both shown promise with initial 225 loads, but ran out of projectikes. N130 is also in the queue with 200s. TAC did well with 250s, but just didn't quite get it with 200s & there are no Sierra 225s to be found. Maybe next year?
***My lot of AA2015BR is the old Chinese made stuff (a '92 lot #) that I hear is significantly different than the newer stuff without the BR suffix. Just cracked open the 2nd 4# jug last year. Will be getting a # of the newer to test & compare if it's ever in stock when making a larger powder order someday.
My current short-throated rifle wont have anything to do with Accubonds. Way back, I tried Horny's 200 RN & the Speer FN 220s. They shot minute of deer but not much better. Pointed bullets... Horny 200 Sp.Pt, Sierra 225 Spitzer, & Speer's 250 Spitzer have always seemed to shot best for me. There was a box or 3 of Ballistic Tips that passed thru the rifles over the years, but they're long OOP. Never had to mess with seating depth to get a good load. Kept it at around 2.800" or a little under. Lucky? Maybe.
Edit: Being a fresh rebore, maybe shoot & clean thoroughly a few times for break-in?
Last edited:
I have used Win 748, Re-7, IMR 4895, 3031 and 4320 with 220-225 gr bullets (Speer, Nosler, Barnes and Sierra) in my BLR over the years, with the preferred load in my rifle being 50.0 gr of 748 in WW cases, WLR primers and 220 gr FP Hot Cor's, producing 1" groups.
Will be interesting to see what my new LH Remington 700 likes.
Will be interesting to see what my new LH Remington 700 likes.
- Thread starter
- #8
| |
Same here, in my Winchester M88 358 I use:
200 gr, Nosler AB, 47 gr. of 3031, Fed 210 primer, WW brass which delivers 2568 fps in my rifle.
HeathSexton
Handloader
- May 12, 2006
- 1,207
- 35
H4895
3031
200gr bullets at 2550fps
220 Speer and 225 AccuBond at 2450fps with both powders and groups around 1”.
3031
200gr bullets at 2550fps
220 Speer and 225 AccuBond at 2450fps with both powders and groups around 1”.
