Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting 358 cast bullet loads

Does anybody have some starting loads for 250 grain 358 cast bullets for 358 Win. And 35 Whelen using SR4759 powder ?

Have a Lyman reloading manual?

Out of curiosity I consulted my Lyman cast bullet manual and they only go up to 200-odd grain bullets. 4759 charges run from 17.5 to 24 grains. Hodgdon's reload data center only lists jacketed loads for 250 grain bullets, with a maximum 4759 charge weight of 26 grains -with no "starting" loads shown at all. That 26 grains of 4759 + 250 jacketed load shows a whopping 51,000 psi too, something I wouldn't personally go anywhere near, even with my lawyer pulling the trigger on the gun. Were it me in this situation I would try 16-17 grains 4759 in the .358 with 250 cast, and sloooowly work up and stop wherever accuracy was best. I'll bet that spot would be found down around 17-19 grains anyway based on my lifetime of experience with 4759 in cast loads. 4759 accuracy falls apart when pressures start to climb, and they'll climb quickly once you venture very far past starting loads.

Thanks I just bought a Lyman manual. I should have started with that and not bothered the “Fire” . Thanks again.

First hand knowledge is best. Even the best secretaries have been known to make mistakes. I wouldn't necessarily trust someone else to enter correct data here without referencing the source

In my experience another useful data set is starting loads for the 250gr copper jacketed counter parts in say a Hornady manual. Substitute in a nicely lubed gas-checked cast lead bullet and let them fly. I tend to run my cast rifle bullets a little faster than starting loads, but as always this is the place to start. I'm partial to the Saeco #352 in .359" diameter myself. Great accuracy at 2480 fps.

I love the Lyman Manuals. Which one did you purchase?

I loaded SR4759 in my .35 Whelen for years, when it was discontinued I switched to Unique. With cast bullets weighting from 200-225gr. I used 15gr. of Unique which gave great accuracy. With a .358 you might want to cut that load down a bit.

I still gnash my teeth over the demise of 4759. Probably a Democrat-like bean counter at Hodgdon who said "there's only a few guys who use the stuff anymore, let's concentrate more on powder for the masses." Economic sense, I suppose, but still. I still use a fair bit of it, and will until the end because I sacrificed a lot of personal treasure to acquire every granule of it I could find when they yanked it.

In my evaluations I found a slightly slower burning powder suited my needs for a wider range of cartridges. I started with SR-4759, but the lights didn't come on until I tried IMR-4198, and voila, I have my cast bullet powder. That and Blue Dot. If loading something for the kids then 1400 to 1500 fps punches the fun ticket all day long and Blue Dot does it. IMR-4198 is magic dust in a 35 Remington, and 45-70 Gov't.

A properly alloyed cast lead bullet followed up with a gas check will do anything commercially available from the big manufacturers wearing a copper jacket over sane velocities. The fastest load I've carried in the field is the 250gr 35 cal Saeco loaded in a 35 Whelen at 2480fps powered by 53.0grs IMR-4320. Lesser charges weren't as accurate.

In the 35 Remington IMR-4198 was best in accuracy with the 204gr Lyman (358315), capped with a gas check, going 2150fps. It duplicates the Remington Core-lokt load.

In the 45-70 Gov't my favorite load is 39.0grs of IMR-4198 pushing the Lyman 457193 405gr plain base bullet just over 1700 fps. It's powerful and fun. On the bench they beat me up pretty good and I went home with a tenderized shoulder, but ecstatic with the accuracy and performance.