358 Winchester

jethunter

jethunter

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Central AB
I have found a rifle chambered in 358 win. I had one years ago but didn't shoot it much and traded it for something shinier. Always regretted it.

My mind is 70% made up to get this one... tell me why i need a 358, what loads you use, or basically just convince me to do it, or not.
 
Get it. I had one Ruger 77 Fullstock. Used to be a 308, rebarrelled to 358 Winchester. Was shooting 250 grain bullets at 2350 fps. What's not to like?
 
Wife has been trying to wear out the Browning BLR rebarreled from .308 Win to .358 Win by Bill Leeper for about 30 years now. It's extremely accurate - but all the rifles Bill has rebarreled or built for me since his Guncraft days in Alberta are accurate.

Obviously a bit less thump than a 35 Whelen or my 35 Whelen, but all of the versatility of those cartridges available for reloading. She shoots gophers and range metal spinners with 158 grain swaged lead bullets and then there's all kinds of jacketed bullets from pistol bullets to the 180 and 225 grain hunting bullets for everything from antelope to moose.

You can have lots of inexpensive shooting enjoyment and not just hunting with the 358 Winchester.
 
I owned a couple of 358 BLRs over the years, I didn't reload at that time and factory ammo choices were quite limited. They spent too much time in my gun cabinet. I wouldn't mind trying again now that I reload. A former co-worker had one and it was all He ever used for Moose. Every so often I see a Ruger for sale and I am tempted.
 
Buy it and love it!

I learned to reload on the 358 Winchester in a BLR pistol grip, and put a custom KS Arms 358 barrel on a Tikka T3X with McMillan stock.

Sold the BLR and wont sell the Tikka. Killed wild boar, deer, black bear and moose with 200 grain Hornady SP and 200 grain Barnes TSX FB.

Hornady load is 52.0 grains of Win 748, Hornady brass and Fed 210 primer - same load for BLR and T3X.

Barnes load is 49.5 grains Ramshot TAC, Hornady brass and Fed 210 primer - T3X.
 
Is there a better cartridge for deer in timber?..

I bought a bunch of die sets at Wholesale Sports when they were closing, sold most, kept the 358win for future me to use when I finally find a rifle I want (or break down and get one built).
 
^ is this opinion based on how well the dies have performed hunting deer in "timber"?

I like to load my 8x57 with 200 grain bullets and pretend it's a 358 win. I've always wanted a 358 win BLR for those special timber deer I've heard so much about
 
When a person looks at drop charts it becomes clear a 358 is a bit more than just a close range number...makes a pretty capable all round rifle...not as flat shooting as some but not a 45-70 lol
 
I have a 358W built on a Yugo 98 action . I prefer 225 gr bullets in mine , they cover anything I hunt . I'm a big fan of short action cartridges , I had Blargons 338Fed that was built on a Rem 760 until I gave it to a good friend . Either cartridge will take any big game animal I hunt and do it in smaller , lighter and handier rifles with less recoil . I say this as someone who is in the process of putting a 338/06 together , but when hunting rifles are concerned , it's not about what I need , it's about what I want lol .
 
Got .358 Win BLR stainless laminate takedown 20" 1:12 twist load 225gr TSX @ 2375 fps mv, 250gr @ 2250 fps mv & 310gr Woodleigh @ 2000 fps mv (1:14 minimum twist required to stabilize) 310gr works pretty good on Moose.

For cheap plinking 158gr .38 cal pistol bullets or 180gr .38 Super CamPro plated work fine in my BLR. No regrets.

https://i.imgur.com/9YNRHmm.jpg
 
4fifty8 said:
Got .358 Win BLR stainless laminate takedown 20" 1:12 twist load 225gr TSX @ 2375 fps mv, 250gr @ 2250 fps mv & 310gr Woodleigh @ 2000 fps mv (1:14 minimum twist required to stabilize) 310gr works pretty good on Moose.

For cheap plinking 158gr .38 cal pistol bullets or 180gr .38 Super CamPro plated work fine in my BLR. No regrets.

https://i.imgur.com/9YNRHmm.jpg
Click to expand...

Ive got two BLR's, an new unfired pre 81 made in 1980, brass trigger 358, new in box and a mint 1978 358 blr that i shoot

Love them
 
I have three .358's... probably my favorite hunting cartridge... shot literal tons of game with them, two Ruger carbines and a Pre-81 BLR... the best load in them is a 200 grain SP with 50.0 grains of W748. I do have some hotter loads with 250 Partitions that I won't advertise here. IME, the .358 is very tolerant of a wide range of loads and it punches way beyond the paper numbers. Get the rifle... you won't regret it.
 

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Joel said:
Hoyt,

Is the top (laminate) rifle one you had built for you?

They're all really nice
Click to expand...

Nope... those are all factory rifles, the Laminate is a Ruger M77 Mark II Stainless Frontier Carbine 16.5" barrel with a factory "Big Boy" stock, the Walnut Blued is an M77 Mark II RLS Carbine 18.5" barrel... and then the Pre-81 BLR Hang-mag.
 
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hoytcanon said:
Nope... those are all factory rifles, the Laminate is a Ruger M77 Mark II Stainless Frontier Carbine 16.5" barrel, the Walnut Blues is an M77 Mark II RLS Carbine 18.5" barrel... and then the Pre-81 BLR Hang-mag.
Click to expand...

I see, thanks! I didn't know that was ever a factory option
 
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