Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 356 win improved

Have been contemplating converting mod 94 356 win to improved. Anyone know of it being done, how much of an increase in velocity could expect?

I couldn't imagine a more useless conversion, but you only need to make yourself happy

I didn't know the .356 could be improved upon. .358? I really don't believe there would be an advantage to it for the hassle involved, but if that is what you want go for it. I wonder if it wouldn't be like the 35 Whelen Improved. Not much increase in velocity.

Yep. For me, killing with a .35 cal isn't about velocity.

I think you would find next to no improvement in speed at equal pressures and the other advantage of improved cartridges, less case stretch would be hard to recognize in a win 94.

More than that it would be pretty darn expensive.

You would need custom dies and there going to be full customs for 356 improved.

The barrel will need to be set back for the re-chamber to be done properly and along with the cost normally associated with a bolt gun setback you have the indexing of the sights to worry about as well as remounting the mag tube.

If your looking for a bit more range see if realoding with the Hornady flex tips helps, they should provide a slight improvement in BC.

I'd wouldn't expect much increase in velocity, probably less than 100 fps.

It seems like you would need to spend a lot of money to get a minimal/negligible gain, but it comes down to being your rifle, your money, your choice.

I think the FTX bullet, and Lever lotion powder can get you there without improving the cylinder.

The setback wouldn't necessarily need to be done. As an example, the 30/30 AI isn't setback, just reamed out. Since they headspace on the rim.

I sure wouldn't want to try to resell a 356 Improved and get much from it. A 356 in itself would be bad enough but then to improve it would just make it worth less.

If it floats your boat, well then carry on. Ignorance is bliss so they say.

Well, thanks for the reply's I guess, some actually imparted some useful info.. I believe your right Steelhead, I did a 35-348 improved years ago and it was a simple re-chamber and headspace. I hunt rain forest for deer/moose where there are brown bears and ranges are rarely over 200yds, The 356win has served me well. Have 3 customized mod 94's and I have no intentions to sell any of them. If it was possible to gain 150 to 200FPS then it would have been worth the effort for me. I reload, best load so far has been the 250Kodiak at 2250FPS out of 20in barrel, accurate and kills very well. Have thought the FTX while works great on deer might not be right for the potential close range brown bear situation, a little soft. Have been in that situation twice with 358win and once with the 356win served me well. If memory serves me right the 30-30AI got a decent increase in velocity and was thinking with the 356 should gain the same. I like tinkering with my rifles and have kind of maxed out what I can do with these, for 3 rifles didn't find the cost of reamers to be prohibitive. Didn't know the 35whelan improved didn't gain much velocity, will have to check that out.

The 30/30 is a slopping/tapered SOB, the 356 is not. It's no different than doing a 308 WinchesterAI or a 358 Winchester AI, you ain't gonna get the gain out of, because there ain't much taper to begin with.

The gain I've seen from a 35 Whelen AI is akin the differences between like rifles in the same cartridge, which ain't much.

That doesn't seem like gunpowder.

Thanks Steelhead, that was helpful, answers my question!

I think you're on the right track not wanting to use that Hornady bullet on a grumpy brown bear 10 yards out....