Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .358 Win project question

One more which I just finished mounting into a McMillan Mountain Rifle stock with standard barrel channel purchased from Rick.



6 pounds 15 ounces as pictured. 20" barrel.

Ken

Nope, 2 more inches wouldn't give anyone A LOT....regardless of cartridge, just saying IMHO....for MY use, I would get what I could from the round SINCE using it for longer shots were indicated. If one runs even 100fps faster comparisons it shows little increase....same goes for BC of the bullet and FOR MY USE, I don't give a rat's patoot about BC, not unless I had some kind of need to shoot over 500 yards....which I wont.
Bullet placement and bullet performance (hense the speed notification on impact above earlier) are my ONLY concerns. Trajectory to normal ranges isn't a big deal.

I'm old enough to recall highly published hunting authors saying it flat out that shots over 300 yards were "not smart" (to put it nicely. They said it a bit more cruelly.) Few can read the wind and distance well enough to HABITUALLY take shots on big game.

I don't tell anyone what distance they should take shots..also regardless of cartridge and could go on for paragraphs about few being able to take such shots unless they have practiced such in variable situations (lighting, wind speed/direction etc etc) using hunting type rest styles. All I can offer is "I wouldn't" There are more consistent shooters out there but I'm no slouch.

Not my place. Shoot or not....hunter's choice just like what round they use.

I wouldn't PERSONALLY take super long shots (for me) with a 358 but then again I wouldn't with a 6br either.....not for deer or bigger. IMHO the 6br being compared to a 338-06 was my chuckle of the day. Not even in the same stratosphere as far as game taking ability.

I don't particularly care for long shots on big game, LONG being over 300 yards and flat wouldn't over 400.

Just old fashioned and 100 yards is a whale of a lot more fun, 200 is "normal" and a little effort to GET shots in these ranges isn't a big deal. Part of why it's called "hunting" and not just "shooting"..again, ONLY IMHO.<-----

I also like bigger bores than most and will take it over high speed lazer trajectory dink bullets anytime. Others feel differently and that is their right and their option. I don't argue the point.

If one caliber and one velocity range met everyone's requirements we'd all be shooting the same round. Wouldn't THAT be boring. :-)

Simply was offering my opinion in regards to the question asked going by MY preferences as food for thought.

No desire to create a hub-bub so wont reply again. Had my opinion and offered it. The original poster decides and I offered my opinion on the barrel length in said round.

God Bless and good shooting
Steve

BTW, IMPRESSED with your battery of bolt guns firearms44!
That restocked 600 fiddle backed Rem bout made my heart stop!

SWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!

Since we're doing pics now ......

I like pictures. I sure as hell wouldn't be taking 600 yard shots with a 358 Win.

At one time I considered buying a Remington Model 798 in 308 when they were being liquidated a couple of years ago and having it rebarreled to 358 but never got around to doing so.

Mine, on a pre-64 M70, goes 21".

I have a .358 win BLR Lightening, it has a 20" barrel, I am not sure of the twist. It is very fickle with what loads and projectiles it likes.

The 225 gr game king is best in my rifle followed by 225 partition, but the 225 AB groups like shot gun scatter.

I am confident taking shots on large deer out to 250 with this rifle but even at that range your shooting a rainbow, if you truly want to shoot at the ranges you say I would not be using the .358 win.

I've never gotten the 'rainbow' remarks about the .358, or putting longer than 22" tubes on one. It's no more a rainbow than any 308, 30-06, 338 federal, or 35 Whelen, with same weight bullets. ...but I'd agree that it's not really built for working past 300...but neither are many 'flatter' shooting cartridges that go under 1200ftlbs.

Steve ( and those that actually answered my question on barrel length) I thank you for your information and your comments regarding the original question.
For those that misunderstood my comments, I believe I stated that the intent was NOT to take 600 yard shots "The primary goal of this rifle is a solid 300 yd (or better with practice) rifle that will hold it's umph out to those ranges. " but rather to stick to 300 yards and less.

The purpose of the 358 is to fill a niche in my arsenal that already contains center-fire calibers from .17 up to 300 Win Mag. It is also to give me a bit more thump one only one end of the rifle. An extra 200 fps won't make the difference and why get a caliber that everyone else thinks is the cat's meow?
The 358 is a good cartridge within the parameters I've laid out. My question, as Steve692 stated, had only to do with barrel length, not what the barrel was drilled for.

I again would like to thank those that took the time to answer my original question. My action is off getting a 22" barrel screwed on.

Steve692, I don't know what part of the hoosier state you're from, but I do miss my time up there!

Load the Barnes 200 gr TTSX and the rainbow goes away some and 250 is easy. We killed a couple of truckloads of critters in Africa with said bullet. My warthog was dropped at just shy of 250 holding right on his back line.

What powder....

I've got a Ruger 358 LNIB tang safety 358 and it gets 2750fps w/53.3 of Norma 201. I would not hesitate to shoot a deer at 300 yards w/my set up. 22inch barrel and Zeiss 1.8-5.5x38 about as perfect a package as I can imagine in 358. powdr

I will stick with the load that I developed for the rifle I tried most .35 cal bullets ( not the Barnes though ) and the Game Kings stand out of bunch

The load I have is 50.5 gr of ADI 2208 compressed with a 225 game king loaded out to maximum mag length, gives 2550 fps and the best groups in my rifle

""I again would like to thank those that took the time to answer my original question. My action is off getting a 22" barrel screwed on.""
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I think your going to really like your choice.
My Sako .358 has a 20" and it's just a bit muzzle light, which makes it fast to handle - but it doesn't hang as well as I like.

I'd be way more concerned with how my rifle balanced, than if I can squeeze a few more FPS out of it.....

300 yards is easily doable. My last elk with the Sako was a Roosevelts cow at 257 yards. A single Sierra thru the lungs and thats all she wrote.



That dark "bump" below my gloves is the spent bullet, just under the hide.

Interesting rifle .... Any more pics or info?

Paul

My Browning BLR runs a 225 PT at 2450 with W748. Pretty good load and I have no issues banging steel at 300 yards with a 200 yard zero on the rifle. It is a handy rifle..

Good luck with your build. The 358 Win is a great cartridge.

Bbear - sure you will be happy. 35 is a potent caliber.

Re: 338-06 vs 6BR - on deer both are deadly.

As to my suggestion to use a smaller bore - to 300 yds they are very lethal and if a longer shot presents and you don't want to pass it up, a smaller faster round is easier to place your shot.

Balance is important. 20" may be too muzzle light if one uses a standard sporter contour. I would personally use a #3 Bartlein contour. In 35 it will be lighter than say a 7mm.

Enjoy your 35. I really liked my 350 n 158 pistol bullets for plinking n were fun to 250 yds. Dropped like bricks past that. Vaporizes milk jugs at 200yd.

270-08 is how I'd roll............

Early 60's issue. Originally in .243 win, I had it rebored to the .358.


Another view. It's got a few elk to it's credit.