Range Report -- .358 Winchester rebore

mrchongo · Jun 10, 2014

Needed a lightweight rifle to roam ridges with in November. Got a good deal on a lightly used Thompson Center Venture in .243 a couple of months ago. It had already been serviced for both recalls. I sent it out to Jesse Ocumpaugh, and it came back as a .358 Winchester - barrel bobbed to 20" with a recessed crown and nice shiny 5-groove rifling. Mounted a Leupold 2-7x33 on some Talley Lightweights. It comes in right around 7 1/2 pounds.

Would have loved to have loaded some 225 gr Partions, but they are scarce as hen's teeth. Loaded some 200 gr Hornaday(#3510)SPT in W-W brass with CCI200 primers and two powders: IMR 4320 and IMR 3031. Took it to the range today. CHRONY'd at 2300 - 2350 with reasonable MV spreads.

Link to photos of 100yd groups with load data, CHRONY notes, rifle: http://1drv.ms/1kT4TpQ

DrMike · Jun 10, 2014

Can't see the groups (something wrong with One Drive at the moment), but I like the rifle. Good move to transform the 243 to a 358. I've used the 358 to tag some game. My "go to" load has been built around the 200 grain TSX, though I'm working with the 225 grain PT at the present.

SJB358 · Jun 11, 2014

Very nice! I am very happy with my JES rebore as well and what a way to make a thumper! Great idea and that looks to be a perfect rifle for thumping just about anything on any ridge!

Love the 358 Winchester. Very easy round to make accurate. My JES took a few rounds to smooth out, but man, once it came around, it has been nothing but awesome!