Tell me about the .358 Win......
- Thread starter Wrong Way
- Start date
Nope! It actually shoots as flat a 308 Win out to three hundred yards. BTDT many times.
Actually saw Bert put a huge bull in the freezer at more than 400 yds with one shot a few years ago. Of course he only has one gun.
Ted
"Of course he only has one gun."
Poor soul, he's underpriviledged obviously. We should start a "send another gun to him" fund, lol. - dan
Poor soul, he's underpriviledged obviously. We should start a "send another gun to him" fund, lol. - dan
I am constantly amused/bemused/confused when people make "bush gun" statements like that. It makes me wonder if they have ever actually owned a .358, and if they have, if they bothered to look into what it was capable of.
The wife is using 180 grain Barnes bullets for the moment, but they are no longer in production. Suffice it to say that a 180 grain bullet exiting the bore at 2900 fps will shoot with a 30/06 using the same weight bullet to at least 300 yards, and nobody ever complained about "ranbow trajectories" in 30/06's using 180 grain bullets. Nor has the 180 grain, smaller diameter, .30 caliber bullet been criticized for not being heavy enough.
Hmmmm... odd how that works....
If she does use up these last four boxes of bullets in this lifetime, then we'll have to move on to the heavier 200 grain bullets, I suppose.
Will that make the .358 Win into a short range, sub 200 yard rifle? Not hardly. All rifles are individuals, of course, but loading data for 200 yard bullets in the .358 show it will shoot to point of aim at just under 300 yards without rising further above line of sight than +4". That is minute of deer, never mind minute of elk or moose, folks.
One reason the .358 Winchester never caught on was the unending proliferation of myths that claimed it was a nice little "bush gun" cartridge but unsuitable for anything over 200 yards.
The .358 Winchester is a fantastic little cartridge that packs a punch far beyond its' size, with remarkably little recoil (certainly less recoil than .30 caliber rifles firing identical bullet weights with approximately the same velocity). I am more of a .358 Norma guy myself, but the fact of the matter is the .358 Winchester is more than sufficient for 99% of the big game hunting in Canada. I would not feel handicapped if forced to use a .358 Winchester for the remainder of my days on this mortal coil.
And for the reloader, particularly the one also willing to cast bullets, it has unmatched versatility and ease of loading. Actually, if you're only going to stick with factory loads, then you have perhaps found the one weak spot of the .358 Winchester.
I have yet to meet a person who owned a .358 Winchester and didn't think they had a wonderful hunting rifle.
I'm a big fan of the 35's. The 358 win is a lot more cartridge than the 35 rem. Still not a 35 Whelen but a very potent cartridge for deer, moose, black bear, elk, and the like but I wouldn't push the range too far. I dropped (and I mean dropped) a moose at an honest 400 yards with a 35 Whelen a few years ago. I'd not want to be shooting more than 300 yards with a 358.
Nice bonus is you can make ammo with 308 brass. I have never had any real 358 brass for mine.
I don't recall loading any cast bullets in it, but have shot a few boxes of pistol bullets through it. Currently loading 200 grain FMJ pistol bullets for off hand practice purposes.
I don't recall loading any cast bullets in it, but have shot a few boxes of pistol bullets through it. Currently loading 200 grain FMJ pistol bullets for off hand practice purposes.
You can indeed. But given the ready availability of bulk .358 brass from Winchester, and it being pretty good brass, I've always favoured bying the brass in 200 case lots or so from the same lot.
It'll take you a while to wear them out...
For the reloader, the .358 Winchester offers almost unmatched versatility. You can buy bulk 158 gr. SWC swaged pistol bullets and load them to around a 1000 fps and basically have a big bore .22. Load 150 - 170 grain hunting pistol bullets to around 2000 fps and you have a 30/30. 180 grain bullets at 2900 fps gives you something between a 30/06 and 300 Win. Mag. And finally, you can load up 225 and 250 grain bullets to around 2450 fps or so if you think you really need some serious thump.
