Best hunting bullet for the 358Win
- Thread starter 338wm
- Start date
ILoveBigRacks
Regular
- Location
- Beaumont, AB
Lots of good premium bullets to choose from out there. I think I'd be tempted to first try the 225 gr. Barnes Triple Shok, I've heard lots of good things about these and am dying to try them out.
You can also go up to a 250 gr. Grand Slam or Partition.
You can also go up to a 250 gr. Grand Slam or Partition.
What kind of hunting ranges are you talking about?338wm said:
The wife hunts with a .358 BLR and doesn't have any problems with the Barnes 180 gr. X-bullet. Recoil is light - lighter than the same weight bullet in a 30/06 due to less powder being consumed, and velocity is right up there to make it a flat enough shooting to not have to worry about drop out past 300 yards. Lots of large game has been tipped over with 30/06's with 180 gr. bullets and nobody has said that combination is "inadequate" for bear and moose.
If you want more crush power in exchange for a giving up some of the flat trajectory, look at the Barnes 200 grain bullets. 200 gr. bullets will give you a little less than 3360 fp of energy at the muzzle, less than 4" above line of sight, and 4.5" low at 300 yards. Is that enough? If fp is your preferred measure, it will have a bit less power than the 7mm Rem Magnum at 300 meters with the 160 gr. Fail Safe, and if you like momentum, a bit more power than that same 7mm Remington Magnum. Nobody has ever suggested the 7mm Remington Magnum is inadequate...
We can hunt grizzly, moose, elk, goats, black bear, sheep, mulies and whitetails within half an hour of the house (as can everybody else in town). I have come to have complete faith in the Barnes-X design, and it knocks down whatever you point it at with very predictable results.
If you are shooting at closer ranges and want to go a bit different, a 250 grain cast bullet with a humongous flat meplat on it is an awesome stopper. It won't give the flat performance of the Barnes or similar bullets, but for in the bush shooting is hard to equal for performance.
I use a 225gr Sierra BT in my 358 Win BLR.
It has not failed me for a dozen or so Moose, several Deer and I have not shot at a Bear yet.
I like it's performance. It is accurate, has not failed to kill the animal I shot at and they are not real expensive.
Good Luck
John
It has not failed me for a dozen or so Moose, several Deer and I have not shot at a Bear yet.
I like it's performance. It is accurate, has not failed to kill the animal I shot at and they are not real expensive.
Good Luck
John
We have used the 250 Speer spitzer a lot up here. That is the only bullet my buddy, Bert, has used for the past 20 years and he has put several tons of moose in the freezer with that bullet and 45 gr of Ball C2.
Ted
Ted
338wm asked... How would the 225 Barnes and 250 Partitions do on deer though?
Launched from a 350 Rem Mag at about 2600 fps the 225 Nosler Partition will, at about 70 yds, pass right through a deer without expanding. Assuming you do not hit any sizeable bone - as was my experience. AP
Launched from a 350 Rem Mag at about 2600 fps the 225 Nosler Partition will, at about 70 yds, pass right through a deer without expanding. Assuming you do not hit any sizeable bone - as was my experience. AP
I recently purchased my second 358 Win and have loaded one of my favorite bullets in this caliber the 200gr Hornady Spitzer, this is a bullet I also use in my 350 RM and a very hot loaded 35 Rem bolt action. This bullet has never failed me for deer and I have never recovered any bullets. They have all been one shot kills. My partner uses the Sierra 225 and that has worked well for him.
bigbull
bigbull
Well then, look no further than a 250 grain cast bullet with a big flat cast meplate. Design your own bullet at http://www.mountainmolds.com/ - something like you see on that splash page, but in the appropriate weight and caliber. Or ask Dan to design one for you. Or me... or somebody who's done it a few times. Or, stick with an off the shelf design - about all you'll lose is that wadcutter meplat. The RCBS 35-250-FN is a pretty good bullet at a very good price, but the flatter the meplat, the more impressive the performance. Something like this:338wm said:
It's not difficult to get a 250 grain cast bullet shooting well out of a .358 Winchester at around 2500 fps. That will knock anything you run into at a 100 yards on its' ass in very short order with any kind of reasonable shot placement. We are a generation who for the most part hasn't seen just how incredibly effective well designed cast bullets are. They leave nothing to be desired when long range isn't the name of the game - and they cost as much as dropping by the local tire store to beg a bucket of used wheelweights.
I like the Barnes for anywhere, anytime shooting. But if I was given a .358 Browning BLR and a 250 grain bullet mould to do my hunting with for the rest of my life, I wouldn't have much to complain about.
Why not? said:
Higher velocities with cast bullets primarily depends on
- Good bullet to ball seat fit.
- Bullets hardened to match operating pressure of the load
Too hard of a bullet, the bullet won't fully obdurate and once again you'll get blow bye and leading; too soft and it won't hold up to the pressure, you'll get gas cutting and yet again leading.
The single best resource for anybody interested in bullet casting is membership in the Cast Bullet Association and subscribing to the email list.
