I'm not hand loading any of them. The comment came from a Hornady tech at the SHOT Show in Vegas. He said they (Hornady) weren't very popular with the hand loaders because they haven't released the powder to the loading market. He said that there was no way to achieve the velocities without the powder. I have no basis to argue with him over the statement. Another couple of new releases that profit from the powder is the 338 Federal and the 308 Marlin Express.
.358 Magnum Wildcat
- Thread starter Slooshark1
- Start date
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Speaking from actual, hands on experience, I can say that the Hornady tech was incorrect with regards to the 375 Ruger. This has also been what others have reported. I haven't used a RCM cartridge yet, so I can't comment on those. I only know of one 338 RCM rifle available in BC right now, actually.
What kind of velocities are you getting with handloads/factory ammo in those cartridges?
Speaking from actual, hands on experience, I can say that the Hornady tech was incorrect with regards to the 375 Ruger. This has also been what others have reported. I haven't used a RCM cartridge yet, so I can't comment on those. I only know of one 338 RCM rifle available in BC right now, actually.
What kind of velocities are you getting with handloads/factory ammo in those cartridges?
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Could be so, just like when the tech told me one thing and you say another i have no basis to comment.
All I've shot are Hornady factory loads in the NV desert. I'm not aware of anyone making dies for this cartridges just yet.
Seems to me that perhaps Omega may be confusing the little short action RCM cases (in 308 and 338 flavours that may benefit somewhat from Hornady's own "private stock" powders) with the cavernous 375 case which should perform excellently with "off the shelf" powders. I don't load for any of them myself. But my experience reloading suggests to me that no "special" miracle powders would be required to make top velocities and power from the 375 Ruger case.
Uh oh Paul, things worked out exactly like you said they would haha
Uber-expensive is right. What did you have your 375 Ruger listed for again Clark? Something like $3500?
I think by the time my rifle is all wrapped up and put together, it'll have cost me about $850-ish. And brass for reloading is even cheaper. I love wildcats.
Anywho back to the original topic: Go for a 375. You get major bragging rights at the firing line when you bring out one of those I hear.
Uber-expensive is right. What did you have your 375 Ruger listed for again Clark? Something like $3500?
I think by the time my rifle is all wrapped up and put together, it'll have cost me about $850-ish. And brass for reloading is even cheaper. I love wildcats.
Anywho back to the original topic: Go for a 375. You get major bragging rights at the firing line when you bring out one of those I hear.
But comment you did
There are a couple of guys on CGN that have been making 338 federal handloads for some time now. 308 Marlin dies are for sale.
i find the whole "proprietary powder" thing pretty interesting. We hear alot about it, but it seems that some of the factory ammo doesn't match listed velocities, or the handloaded version can get so close to the factory loads that the point is moot.
I've actually got copies of hand written load work ups by a Hornady ballistician and they were using powders that are readily available to handloaders. That is where I got the data for my first 260gr AB load. (They were using 83gr H4350 for the 270gr Hornady Spire Point and I used 84gr for the 260 AB)
Uh oh Paul, things worked out exactly like you said they would haha
Uber-expensive is right. What did you have your 375 Ruger listed for again Clark? Something like $3500?
.
thanks for reminding me to BTT!
Although with the rifles, ammo and brass so available these days, I'm beginning to wonder if it will ever sell!
OK thanks for clarifying. Seems tech was wrong as has been said.
Here's a handloader who bettered both Hornady's 270gr and 300gr factory 375Ruger loads with "off the shelf" powders
- w ww.gunblast.com/Ruger-Hawkeye375.htm
Any who - guess we're off topic too.
Here's a handloader who bettered both Hornady's 270gr and 300gr factory 375Ruger loads with "off the shelf" powders
- w ww.gunblast.com/Ruger-Hawkeye375.htm
Any who - guess we're off topic too.
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Go 358 Norma “Long Neck”!
Here's another option for you, and the way I went when I had a 358 Norma built about 5 years ago. I had the neck reamed out to a case length of 2.61". This was accomplished after standard chambering with the 358 Norma reamer, by then running in a 35 Whelen reamer with it's longer case neck, to the 2.61" chamber length. Why?? This lets me use untrimmed WW 300 Win brass. Just a pass through the FL sizer with well lubed case necks, and the brass is ready to go.
My motivation to do this was to use the 300 Win brass with the longer shoulder. A lot of people use the 338 Win brass, but we all know the shoulder is shorter on 338 Win brass. I didn't like the idea of fireforming brass by blowing the shoulder forward, hence weakening the brass. It made more sense to push a shoulder back, maintaining positive headspace while fireforming. So I thought, seriously, about using WW 300 Win brass, then trimming about 1/10" off the resized case, which made no sense. Then I hit upon having the neck extended so I wouldn't have to trim the hell out of the new brass.
It just makes more sense. With the longer neck, more of that long bullet is held under tension, just improving on the original design. It lets me use the inexpensive, great quality WW 300 Win brass, instead of buying the much more expensive, and historically soft Norma brass.
This was my only complaint with the original 358 Norma case design, in a magnum action with room to spare, why saddle it with that short neck? The new case can be described as a 358 Norma case with a 35 Whelen neck, really the best of both worlds. If you do have this done, all it takes is running a 35 Whelen chamber reamer into your 358 Norma chamber. This extends the throat as well which allows you to seat the bullets out a bit further if you wish. The shoulder/case aren't affected, just the neck is lengthened. Just be sure the neck dimensions of the reamers are similar, Norma neck dimensions are notorious for being on the "large" side. My chamber has a 2.6" "trim-to" length, with a max length of 2.61". This lets me trim the newly sized-up cases just enough to square the case mouths, instead of spending hours trimming.
I use standard FL 358 Norma dies, in my case Redding, which work fine. The sizer die works exactly the same way, although I had the expander ball tapered more gently to make it easier to neck up the 300 Win cases to 358 caliber. To set the die I simply kept screwing the die into the press bit by bit, until the 300 cases had the shoulder pushed back far enough to fit the chamber. This works fine for resizing the fired cases as well, of course.
The seater die has to be backed off a bit, and the bullet seating stem screwed in farther to compensate. Otherwise it would crimp the case neck......a lot.
This also lets you use 358 Norma factory rounds, it's essentially a freebore with those. It's such an obvious improvement to the standard 358 Norma case I can't understand why everybody doesn't do it!
I have picked up a bit of case capacity. With 250 grainers I get 2800, but my standard load is the 225 TSX at 2950 fps. I can get a bit more but why bother? Let’s just say it “impresses” game, and shoots really flat as well.
Here's another option for you, and the way I went when I had a 358 Norma built about 5 years ago. I had the neck reamed out to a case length of 2.61". This was accomplished after standard chambering with the 358 Norma reamer, by then running in a 35 Whelen reamer with it's longer case neck, to the 2.61" chamber length. Why?? This lets me use untrimmed WW 300 Win brass. Just a pass through the FL sizer with well lubed case necks, and the brass is ready to go.
My motivation to do this was to use the 300 Win brass with the longer shoulder. A lot of people use the 338 Win brass, but we all know the shoulder is shorter on 338 Win brass. I didn't like the idea of fireforming brass by blowing the shoulder forward, hence weakening the brass. It made more sense to push a shoulder back, maintaining positive headspace while fireforming. So I thought, seriously, about using WW 300 Win brass, then trimming about 1/10" off the resized case, which made no sense. Then I hit upon having the neck extended so I wouldn't have to trim the hell out of the new brass.
It just makes more sense. With the longer neck, more of that long bullet is held under tension, just improving on the original design. It lets me use the inexpensive, great quality WW 300 Win brass, instead of buying the much more expensive, and historically soft Norma brass.
This was my only complaint with the original 358 Norma case design, in a magnum action with room to spare, why saddle it with that short neck? The new case can be described as a 358 Norma case with a 35 Whelen neck, really the best of both worlds. If you do have this done, all it takes is running a 35 Whelen chamber reamer into your 358 Norma chamber. This extends the throat as well which allows you to seat the bullets out a bit further if you wish. The shoulder/case aren't affected, just the neck is lengthened. Just be sure the neck dimensions of the reamers are similar, Norma neck dimensions are notorious for being on the "large" side. My chamber has a 2.6" "trim-to" length, with a max length of 2.61". This lets me trim the newly sized-up cases just enough to square the case mouths, instead of spending hours trimming.
I use standard FL 358 Norma dies, in my case Redding, which work fine. The sizer die works exactly the same way, although I had the expander ball tapered more gently to make it easier to neck up the 300 Win cases to 358 caliber. To set the die I simply kept screwing the die into the press bit by bit, until the 300 cases had the shoulder pushed back far enough to fit the chamber. This works fine for resizing the fired cases as well, of course.
The seater die has to be backed off a bit, and the bullet seating stem screwed in farther to compensate. Otherwise it would crimp the case neck......a lot.
This also lets you use 358 Norma factory rounds, it's essentially a freebore with those. It's such an obvious improvement to the standard 358 Norma case I can't understand why everybody doesn't do it!
I have picked up a bit of case capacity. With 250 grainers I get 2800, but my standard load is the 225 TSX at 2950 fps. I can get a bit more but why bother? Let’s just say it “impresses” game, and shoots really flat as well.
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Slooshark1
CGN frequent flyer
Thank you very much for your response, gentlemen. I've just purchased a set of .358 Norma Mag dies from another CGNer. I will give you feedback as the project unfolds. I spoke with Steve Holborn and he said that he would not be able to even look at the rifle for 2 or 3 months. I guess these things take time.
