Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles A .358 Win load for your Ruger Hawkeye

Thought I'd share an accurate .358 Win load that I have worked up for my new Ruger Hawkeye:

CCI Benchrest Primers
Win. Brass
Speer 220 Grain FP
IMR 3031, 44.5 grains
COL: 2.670" (.020" off lands)
Velocity: 2400 fps (Beta Master Chrony at 15')
Groups 5 shots in just under 1" at 100 yards

I went all the way up to 47.0 grains and 2550 fps but the best accuracy was at 44.5 grains. Should be plenty for black bear at under 100 yards.

Anybody care to share an accurate load with 200 and 250 grain bullets for the Ruger Hawkeye??? Thanks in advance.

And as always, work up loads carefully from a minimum charge. Your rifle will be different than mine. I refered to Speers #13 manual.

Barnes 200gr TSX and 51 grs of TAC for 2650fps

Cheers!
-Bob F.

47 grains of IMR4320 and a 225 Sierra Gameking gives 2450 in mine.

so far, my Hawkeye in 358,, loaded with the 225gr GameKings, IMR 3031, win brass, win primers,,, gave me a 1 inch group, 3 shots, 100 yards...powder charge was 42.0 gr...I don't have a Crony,,,but when I tried 43.5 and 44.5... the groups got a lot bigger.

There was a typo in that article, the 200gr Hornady was a spire point and not a round nose, just thought i'd mention it....

I traded for a Ruger Hawkeye in .358 early this year. I have worked up two loads that are exceptional. 1) Sierra 225 SBT with 43.0 gr's Of IMR 3031, Win brass and a Rem 9 1/2 to spark things off. I clocked these at 2375 and get .750 to 1.0" with this load. I am not sure this will expand a great deal on small deer. So I worked up a load

2)Hornady 200 spire point (#3510) and 50.0 gr of IMR 4320 and a Rem 9 1/2 primer. BINGO !! .500 to .750 groups at 100 yards all day long.I have a Burris 3 X 9 X 40 scope on mine with the little mill dots on the bottom vertical cross hair. Dead on at 100, one dot down at 250 and two dots down at 300 yrds. Surprisingly at 200 yards holding dead on it is only about an 1 1/2 low. Clocked these at 2437 to the number almost every shot. Extreme spread is less than 7 fps. Very consistant. Also, these two loads have the exact same point of impact at 100 yards. No scope adjustment required. I have also tried 200 sierra round nose (feed problems) 220 speer FN, Ok but can't seem to get the velosity I am looking for. Also Hornady 200's are in 100 packs and reasonably priced.

I use 50-52 gr of W-748, Fed GM Mag primer, under a 225 gr Partition for approx 2550 FPS. This is a max load, and pretty compressed. Work up to it!!! My rifle is a MRC 1999 with a 21-inch barrel. I have some TAC on order to try after reading JB's article.

I shoot 45.0 Gr of 3031 under the 200 Horn SP. Very accurate out of my old BLR. Dunno velocity, but it knocks deer down DRT. I like TAC, but never got around to trying it.

An update on the Hornady loads:

Went to the range this morning, I had my usual loads of 200gr. Hornady spire points #3510's. Same load I have been useing with 50.0 grs. of IMR 4320 and a Rem 9 1/2 primer. The only differance was that I started crimping them with a Lee factory crimp die. My vel. increased from 2437 to 2489fps on average. No signs of preasure. Still just as accurate. About .750 at 100 yrds. Shot 10 rounds inside of a one inch circle.

Has enyone else ever experanced this before? A vel. increase from crimping?

Never tried crimping so I dont know. Thank for sharing your loads and experience. Much appreciated.

An answer on the crimping:

I asked One on the tech's at Sierra Bullets about the velocity increase. They said that it is pretty common due to the extra neck tension allows for a little more preasure build up, thus increasing velocity.

Pic shows my Savage 16 w/Pac Nor 358 Win bbl on it....21" x .80 @ muzzle...main load is..
44/H4895
250 gr Hornady
2315 fps...yes I Lee factory crimp my loads....
glass is 1-6 4200
I need an elk tag.........

Nice looking rig ! What twist rate? 1 in 12?

yept.......forgot to mention that...12 twist/5 groove
handles 158 JHPs right up to 250 gr Hornady's just fine...
turned out a tad heavier than I wanted.....its just over 9#...empty

Hmmm.... Have not tried 158's, Whats a good load to plink with?

tikkanut, Is that a short or standard action? Weight?

Standard Savage 16 Short action w/Accue trigger
weighs just @ nine pounds
Barrel is rather beefy being .80" @ the muzzle & 21" long
but remember its a purty big hole in the end of the pipe....
38-40 grs of H4895 using a 158 JHP is around 2100 fps
'Thumper' is her name........

I started with the 200 gr Silvertip ahead of 46 grs of 3031.

Later the 180 Speer over 4198.

Tickkanut, That rifle would be heavy for me even on my best days. You must be a powerful guy. Utah no less! Don't they have hills there?

Yea....we got a few hills around.......some had some August snow on them too...

Even when I was able to run for distance I found a rifle that heavy difficult on the hills near Stratton Mtn. VT where my camp is. Of course I have heavier rifles for varmints and target.

My first .358W. was a 99F and that was always good. The elevation does not have to be all that high to be a difficult go. Its how steep the grade is at least to me.

I had a Remington PSS in 308 with a Mike Rock 5-R barrel. It was a 5 grove with a 120 degree radis. Very accurate. Your barrel and crown looks very much alike. If you don't mind me asking, what did a barrel like that set you back?

I have a stainless MRC 1999 with their lapped barrel at 21 inches long. The muzzle is .650" in diameter and with an Edge stock it goes at 7 pound with scope, sling, etc.

I also have a Serengeti stock bedded for that action that brings the weight up to almost 8 pounds.