cybersniper

Hello, I'm restoring my dad's old .358 Winchester. Does anyone have experience with this round. Loads? Ballistics?etc.. I'm going to purchase either LEE or RCBS full length dies. All of my current dies are LEE.

Thanks

Cybersniper

HighDesertWolf

the 358 is just a rimless version of the 356 right? you should beable to find some data to start with at www.hodgdonpowders.com but if you want better data i recommend lymans loading manual

eldeguello

I once had a Browning BLR in that caliber. I used the Speer 250-grain spitzer bullet in it with WW cases and 51.5 grains of WW 748 ball powder and Federal 210 primers. My rifle, with a 20" barrel, produced 2420 FPS MV with this load, and it shot into about 1" at 100 yards pretty consistently....

The .358 is a great cartridge. Think of it this way: The great, hugh old .375 H&H Magnum gives 2500 FPS with a 300 grain bullet. The little ol' .358 Win. gives 2400 with a 250-grain bullet-from a 20" barrel! With the right bullet construction, (now that Nosler is making Partition bullets in .358" size),this little cartridge will easily kill any game you want to take, anywhere in the world......

Good luck. I'm betting you will like the .358 Win.

TUK101

I dont ever remember hearing of a .358, is that a rifle or a pistol cartridge?

eldeguello

The .358 WINCHESTER?? It is a RIFLEcartridge. It is the .308 Winchester case, necked up to shoot .35-caliber bullets. It is almost as powerful as the .35 Whelen, but not quite..... But it works in short actions........

cybersniper

Thanks, I was able to find a few boxes of brass, I just need to come up with the right bullet. It seems like most bullets made for this caliber are in the 200-250 grain range. I did see one bullet in 180. I wonder if it just shoots more accurate with the heavier bullets.

HighDesertWolf

its because the cartridge was designed to be used with heavier bullets. if they wanted to just use 180 grain bullets they would have just kept it a 308 and never would have bothered necking up to 358 from 308. honestly go with a 200 to 225 grain pill and dont look back.

eldeguello

I have used those 180-grain bullets. They are all right, and OK for small deer and varmints. But in a .35 caliber, you must use the heavier bullets to get a sectional density that will provide adequate pentration on the heavier game for which the bigger bores are more suited. Even a 200-grain bullet is on the light side. Today, if I were loading for the .358 again, I would use a good 225-grain bullet at a minimum, anda 250 for elk, moose, and grizzly/brown bear.

cybersniper

Thanks for the advice. I'm planning to use this rifle for Wisconsin whitetail. Right now I use a 30-06 with 165grn sierra game kings. It works great, I just wanted to use the ol .358.

For Whitetail would you guys suggest the 200 over the 250? I hunt in realitively thick cover with no shots over 150 yards.

Thanks

NoKnees

I have shot whitetail with Hornady 200SP Speer 220's Speer 250s and an elk with Hornady 250RN. all seemed to work pretty well. My impression in an older steel reciever BLR is that the 250's kick a bit more than the 200s. If I was going to pick a bullet for whitetail Id choose the 200 hornady SP for a cup and core design.

I have am77 away getting rebarrelled to 358 and I have a box of 200g TSXs waiting for its return. If money was no object Id start with either 200 or 225 TSXs ( 225s if there is bigger stuff than whitetail) or the 225 NP.

The bullet I wish existed is a 200g accubond, interbond or sirroco. but I am still waiting.