- Location
- British Canuckistan
I've seen a nice looking custom rifle made out of a BRUNO action in .358 Win...Wikipedia speaks positively of it, just wondering what others think of it. thanks! 
how good is the .358 Winchester?
- Thread starter Mr. Friendly
- Start date
I love mine, its in a BLR lever but the .358 is very under appreciated round. It does not have much recoil but drops game like they were hit with a ton of bricks with very little meat loss. Its also not a short range calibre like people think it is. I would have no problem taking game out to 250 yrds with mine.
Just got a nice used BLR 81.. 20 inch brl. .358 win. about a month ago..have put about 150 rounds through it doing load work up with various bullets from 95 grains up to 3000 fps to 250 grains at 2280 fps too and found some very good accuracy with each bullet tried during the work ups useing mostly Winchester once fired .243 ..fireformed to .358 and Win LRPrimers..
Have only shot targets with it so far..but am quite impressed with the rifle and cartridge. It appears to favour IMR 4198 from 95 gr. to 200 gr. and Imr 3031 in the heavier 250 gr Hornady weight category.
Have only shot targets with it so far..but am quite impressed with the rifle and cartridge. It appears to favour IMR 4198 from 95 gr. to 200 gr. and Imr 3031 in the heavier 250 gr Hornady weight category.
how good is it? not as good as a 338 Federal, that's for sure
Don't knock the 358 if you haven't tried it...
Many years ago when I had a lot less grey hair we built a 338 / 08 on if I recall a Rem Mod. 7 action and it was a fine little rifle.
I think that it would be very similar to the 338 Fed., but back then the bullet selection in 338 was nothing like it is today so you are probably correct.
For the type of hunting / shooting I was doing in those days I really couldn't see much difference between the two, however I'd still like to try a rifle in 338 Fed......that is if I could find a good deal on a new one..(hint hint )
I think that it would be very similar to the 338 Fed., but back then the bullet selection in 338 was nothing like it is today so you are probably correct.
For the type of hunting / shooting I was doing in those days I really couldn't see much difference between the two, however I'd still like to try a rifle in 338 Fed......that is if I could find a good deal on a new one..(hint hint )
- Location
- British Canuckistan
interesting. according to the Wiki article on the .338 Federal, it's rather similar to the .358 Winchester, tho it does have 130fps faster muzzle velocity w/the same bullet weight (180g) but the 30.06 still outdoes it. I'm guessing due to the larger bullet diameter tho, the .338 Fed and the .358 Win have much larger bullet weight options then the 30.06 & .308?
of course I acknowledge that Wiki is rarely always accurate. where can one do some reading on the .358 Win and .338 Fed?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.338_Federal
of course I acknowledge that Wiki is rarely always accurate. where can one do some reading on the .358 Win and .338 Fed?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.338_Federal
The lightest bullet tried in my 358 was a 200 gr Hornady but it really works well with a 225 Sierra.
The heaviest bullets I've tried so far are some very old, long discontinued 275 Hornadys and a hard-cast 300 gr gas check from Lyman mould 3589.
Without checking my chronograph records, I think the 300 gr cast bullet was either slightly under or just a wee bit over 2200 fps.
I think the only bullet used in my old 338/08 was the old style machine turned 210 Nosler Partition....still have a box of them and they shoot better in my 338/06 than the new ones.
The heaviest bullets I've tried so far are some very old, long discontinued 275 Hornadys and a hard-cast 300 gr gas check from Lyman mould 3589.
Without checking my chronograph records, I think the 300 gr cast bullet was either slightly under or just a wee bit over 2200 fps.
I think the only bullet used in my old 338/08 was the old style machine turned 210 Nosler Partition....still have a box of them and they shoot better in my 338/06 than the new ones.
- Location
- British Canuckistan
I'm just putting feelers out for what I would want as my first big game rifle. I know the 30.06 is the kill all multi-talented cartridge...but as I've read a few times in some publications (darn I wish I could remember the author currently) they say that while placement of the shot is what's critical, if the cartridge gives you the courage and assurance you need, use it. I don't want something too big to make me cocky and risk any shots, but I don't want anything that's too anemic to let me have the confidence for a difficult shot.
on the plus side, I have a friend who says he has a 30.06 he'd sell me for cheap now that he's upgraded his main rifle from it to something else (don't remember what tho...).
edit - a question about flat trajectories. I hear the .308 has a very flat trajectory. what about the .303 British, 30.06 and these .338 Federal and .358 Winchesters? how flat or curved are their trajectories?
on the plus side, I have a friend who says he has a 30.06 he'd sell me for cheap now that he's upgraded his main rifle from it to something else (don't remember what tho...).
edit - a question about flat trajectories. I hear the .308 has a very flat trajectory. what about the .303 British, 30.06 and these .338 Federal and .358 Winchesters? how flat or curved are their trajectories?
the 308, 30-06, 303, 338F, 358 all shoot pretty similar inside 250 yards (average hunting distance). Past that, the 358, 338F, & 303 start to fall off quicker than the 308 & especially the 30-06 due to their lower muzzle velocity.
Unless you handload I would stay away from the 358 Winchester. One factory load is made...but try finding some!
Unless you handload I would stay away from the 358 Winchester. One factory load is made...but try finding some!
For someone starting out, buying their first rifle and does not handload, the .358Win would not be the greatest choice.
If you were a handloader and already owned something like a .30-06 or .300 mag, then meh, it wouldn't be so bad.
Stick to simple stuff like .308, .30-06, .270Win, 7mmRM etc... Those cartridges are a dime-a-dozen, there are lots of excellent quality rifles to be had for cheap and you can buy the ammo anywhere.
If you were a handloader and already owned something like a .30-06 or .300 mag, then meh, it wouldn't be so bad.
Stick to simple stuff like .308, .30-06, .270Win, 7mmRM etc... Those cartridges are a dime-a-dozen, there are lots of excellent quality rifles to be had for cheap and you can buy the ammo anywhere.
Seems to me that there are a more than a few "barely used" 338Feds F/S.oh I know the 358 is a good little cartridge, it's just not as good as the 338F
Makes me wonder why, esp with all the nagging little wispers about them not shooting well.
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Seems to me that there are a more than a few "barely used" 338Feds F/S.
Makes me wonder why, esp with all the nagging little wispers about them not shooting well.
I'm not sure what you're talking about
are you saying the cartridge design, based on the 308 Winchester, is horribly unaccurate, while it's brothers on either side, the 308 Win (sniper cartridge) & 358 Win, are somehow more accurate, all things being equal? weird But I have only shot one 338F and my Sako will shoot half to 3/4 moa with just about any load I put in it. Me I believe accuracy is a rifle/shooter problem, not a cartridge problem
Thirded, I've owned a 358 and was/am quite impressed with it.
I can assure you that a 225gr TSX is capable of taking anything on this continent. Its ballistics make at a very reasonable hunting round out to at least 250yds.
- Location
- Vancouver Island BC
I'm not sure what you're talking about
Well,I have to agree about the fact of it being a rifle/shooter problem no matter how much it makes me want to stomp on my own toes for agreeing with TB..........
