Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .358 Norma Magnum

Hello everyone, I have yet another rifle question lol. I have had a springfield 1903 now for a couple years and have since wanted to convert it to the round above. I understand that there were time frames in the guns manufacture that left some soft and brittle, but I have had checked to assure this not the case with mine. What I ask is, can this safely be done? It would not wear a scope, but it would still have the lyman peep and front post. If you can help in this quest, please speak up.

Josh

Yup,it can and has been done.

Have one - works just fine!

PennDog

Much more insane has been done on the '03 than the 358 Norma.

Would be a great round for most any/all NA game.

What's wrong with the Whelen? A MUCH simpler conversion.

Actually, I have been throwing an idea around in my head for a while, and that is to simply get the 06' barrel re-bored to .35 caliber and do the whelen first. And if I like the round enough, then it may just stay a whelen. But I figure I could go around the custom barrel right now for the norma, while still messing with something new. I do have one hang up, at least to me. When I acquired the rifle it had an 18" 30-06 barrel, and still wears that same length. Would the whelen still perform well out of that length barrel?

Its a handload only idea but the .35 Brown Whelen is a fairly easy wildcat to load & will get you to within 90% of the Norma with less powder. Or even do one of the Z-Hat .35's.

I can imagine a much better rifle for a 358 Norma for myself. YMMV. I'd like to own a Norma as well.

Fireball2, You like the idea of converting the 1903 to the norma mag? I have looked and scrounged and yes asked and will ask a million questions, so hopefully you all do not mind, in trying to figure out just what .35 caliber I want to do in this rifle. And every time I keep coming back to the same one. I guess it is the looks of alot of the old custom rifles I seen built in this caliber. The whelen or any of its "off spring" have been thought about, and still considered. But mostly for the fact of a .35 to try til I am able to do the norma mag in it,

Have to be in full agreement about the .35 Brown-Whelan.Have had three of them and they come within a few percent of the .338 Win. or I would imagine the .358 Norma.Swift does make a 280 gr. A Frame .358 that would get the attention of just about anything,I would imagine somebody makes solids, also.
Case forming the B-W is not bad as there is .35 Whelan brass readily available.The ones I worked with preferred any 4350 powder and good 250 gr. bullets hard to beat.

If someone has it available, I would love to see if they could mail a dummy round or 2 of some of these .35 caliber rounds. I would love a little write up by each individual as to pros/cons for each one. Sorry for asking so much, but I get as much enthusiasm reading and learning about it all as I do messing with it. If it is where you can, and you don't mind, shoot me a pm. You guys have kind of peeked my interests

And I want to take the time to thank every member here on the campfire for all the knowledge and helpful words. One of the absolute best sites I know of.

josh

I have a Norma on a Rem 700 and a 98 Mauser. While the lock time is a little slow on the Springfield, I don't think it will effect hunting accuracy. My 700 shoots 250gr Spire pts into .7" with 4350 or 4230. I have yet to fire the Mauser. I built that one before I sold my reamer - just in case I needed 2 .
I think 18" would be too short for the Norma or Whelen. If your hunting black bear or moose in dense cover, it might just be the ticket. Elk at 400 yds, I would say put a new/longer barrel on it.
I have some out of production Barnes original bullets in 280gr and 300. I also have an adequate supply of Norma 300gr RN bullets. I haven't shot any of the 300gr bullets yet and don't know if they will stabilize in a 16" twist. The 700 has a 16" twist the Mauser a 14" twist.

IMHO the 35 whelen would be a good conversion. If you want to go nutz with a 35 caliber then maybe look at the 35STA.

I think for the time being, I will go with the whelen, or possibly the improved version. I would love to do the sta, but I do not want to begin to try to get a round that large to feed from the 1903 chamber