The 358 Norma Magnum.

Why not?

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Got my first 358 Norma Magnum in 1966, an old Husqvarna Mauser 98. Bought it from Charlie Parkinson in London with a plain vanilla Weaver 4X, a box of factory ammo with more than half the rounds unfired, and a set of loading dies.

Perhaps a pound or so lighter than it should have been, it let you know every time you fired it that it was more than enough for anything you were going to hunt in Canada. However, not knowing any better at 23 years, I proceeded to fire the remainder of the ammo in a farmer’s back yard, determined to tame the beast, and did. 😊

Speer 250gr spitzers with Norma 204 powder and CIL 8 1/2 primers became the settled load that regularly put a magazine full, three rounds, into well inside two inches at 100 yards. Went hunting with it that Fall.

Since that time I have owned several more 358 Normas and introduced the cartridge to no small number of others, the most recent was past week. He is the grandson of a 40-year friend of mine. We spent four days on our silhouette range in -15 to -30C weather, field conditions you might say, with a custom 358 Norma Mag. Suffice it to say, he is impressed with 250 gr Interlocks at 2900 fps smacking metal at 385 meters consistently.

Here’s something you may find interesting.

https://safariclub.org/normas-358-mag-not-your-average-caliber/

More to come, I'm heading to bed.
Ted
 
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I have had a couple .358 Norma's over the years... I like .35 Cal cartridges and made it a point to try most of them. I also made a modern .358 Norma, by necking down .375 Ruger brass to .35 cal. It was a thumper that I enjoyed shooting, 225 Accubond's @ 3140 fps. Took a bear and moose with it and then moved it along for another goofy project... a .375 WSM, made on a long action Ruger Mark II. This one is going to Namibia in March.

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I have had a couple .358 Norma's over the years... I like .35 Cal cartridges and made it a point to try most of them. I also made a modern .358 Norma, by necking down .375 Ruger brass to .35 cal. It was a thumper that I enjoyed shooting, 225 Accubond's @ 3140 fps. Took a bear and moose with it and then moved it along for another goofy project... a .375 WSM, made on a long action Ruger Mark II. This one is going to Namibia in March.

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That case looks fantastic!!
 
By all means, if money is no concern then it is easy, but I am not one of those people.
You'd be buying a new rifle anyway. You're just in it for the extra cost of the barrel and the fitting. - dan
Rather than that, you can have it rebored and chambered for less that $500 and be on your way to the range.

Ted
 
Hoytcanon, That's some pretty fine shooting for a cartridge that can shove a feller around. I have a 35 newton built for a TC pro hunter and have been trying to decide on a bullet for it. The 225 accubond was one on the list. How did your bullets stand up on the moose and bear.
The others were Barnes ttsx 200gr. or just a plain old speer hotcor 250gr.
Why Not, what's your favorite bullet for the 358NM?
 
Why Not, what's your favorite bullet for the 358NM?
I have used plain vanilla Speer 250gr spitzers more than anything else in at least half a dozen 358 Norma rifles. They are accurate, dig deep, and expand reliably. Never had an issue on literally everything from gophers to grizzlies.

The rifle we were shooting last week was barreled up for me by Bevan King a few months before he passed away. It was the last 35 cal barrel, of many, that he made.

Ted
 
Now that is an idea I might be able to afford! Thanks for the suggestion.

I looked for a .358 Norma myself for awhile, but everyone seems to want quite a bit for them. Didn't find a lot for dies or brass right away either. Brass wouldn't have been too tough, but IIRC the dies were sold out. Ended up buying a 9.3x62 as I was able to readily find a reasonably priced rifle(s), brass and dies.

I'd still like a .358 NM, though. Seems the cheapest way would be to pick up a cheaper old rifle in need of a barrel and doing the rebore. Supposed to be very accurate also, as the boring corrects any deviation/warping of the barrel left over from the first time.
 
My TC barrel was a 30/06 that I had RKS rebore to 35 cal with a gain twist ending at 14 twist and chambered to 35 Newton.
Not sure how economical it was but I had a factory 35 newton round and no rifle to fire it. Now I can fire it.
 
Hoytcanon, That's some pretty fine shooting for a cartridge that can shove a feller around. I have a 35 newton built for a TC pro hunter and have been trying to decide on a bullet for it. The 225 accubond was one on the list. How did your bullets stand up on the moose and bear.
The others were Barnes ttsx 200gr. or just a plain old speer hotcor 250gr.
Why Not, what's your favorite bullet for the 358NM?
At over 3100 fps, you are going to want a stout bullet, however, my experience with the 225 Accubond at 3140 may be of little relevance to you as it was used at the two extremes, a bear at 20 yards and a moose at 500 yards. The bear had excessive damage on a broadside lung shot as you might expect... I did, before squeezing the trigger, but it was a part of the testing procedure... jelly ribs on both sides and into the rear of the shoulders... thatnis a lot of shock at that range and speed. The moose was hit twice as it was still standing after the first shot, at 500 yards one shot missed ribs and exited, leaving a twonie sized hole, the other hit ribs and was found under the offside hide in a classic mushroom shape. I suspect at 2900 fps it would be a terrific bullet from 100 - 400 yards.
 
We were loading the Hornady 250 gr Interlock because we had no Speer Hot Cores left. The rifle has an old Leupold 6X M8 and those 250s started at 2900 were constantly hammering the clangers all the way out to 420 yards.

Anyone used this bullet on big game?

Ted
 
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