Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 358 Winchester .... need info

I am strongly considering rebore on my Rem 760 carbine from 308 to 358. If for nothing more, it would be "neat." However, I have a projected assignment to Eielson AFB, near Fairbanks AK...so I think it just may work for moose and such. There sure is a wide amount of bullets available. I'll be tuned into this thread for any additional information.

Wow. I just used the link that Rockinbbar posted and I see I was wrong about the cost of 358 ammo. He shows some for $25 a box. Around here I see it on shelves for about $55 to $60.

So someone is doing the "rip-you-off shuffle" in our stores.

But even at $25 a box I would still recommend setting up to load you own. If you can make it yourself you can always still buy it if you like, and can afford it when you want to get some.

But if things get tight, you'll want to have the ability to make your own so it's still a good idea I think.

This is gonna sound painful but I have long been wanting to find an M7 and re-barrel it to 358. This round has interested me for a long time.

Not sure what the muzzle diameter is on a M7, but if sufficient you might consider a re-bore. My 358 started as a Rem 700 youth 243 with a 20" barrel. Had it re-bored. I stocked it with a Boyds laminate and topped it with a 4x scope. It's a great little rifle.

One of the most underrated cartridges of all time, when applied to actual hunting situations.

I assume you speak of a Marlin M7?

If so a re-barrel would likely be less expensive then a re-bore because the Marlin M7 is the same barrel system as the Savage 110. It's held in with a barrel nut, so a re-barrel job would be pretty easy to do. Even easier if the new barrel is made from stainless because there is no finish work other then the polish.

i have rifles in 35remington, 358 winchester, 350remington magnum, and 358norma magnum.
the 358 pretty much gets with the 350rem mag with less powder in a short action rifle.
Looking at the hornady reloading guide just a while ago, the 358 gets pretty close to the 35 whelen. The whelen is the one i do not have, and havent' seen in arizona.
I was sighting in the browning blr last week, somebody left one of those charcoal grill gas tanks at the place i was shooting. So i shot it curious to see what the 200grain hornady would do. It didn't just put a hole in it, it knocked out a big chunk.
I fired the 350rem mag the same day. Notable increase in recoil for the same bullet, and an extra couple hundred fps.
And 308 brass provides all you need for the 358, unlike the magnum where brass is like hens teeth.

For years I used rl15 in my 35 Whelen super accurate 3 shots under .75MOA at 100 yards and 2675 fps with 200 gr T-TSX.

My new super lightweight 358 can achieve 2720 with rl7 and the 200 T-TSX it is not as accurate but still does 3 shots into 4" at 300 yards. More than good enough for my short range shooting.

i had one and I shot 158g 357magnum bullets in it. they shoot really well in them.

what's interesting is you are in 300win mag territory with some loads. understandably the 300win mag can be loaded hotter, but the 358 is getting there if you don't need that extra 100 to 200fps.

Hodgdon US 869 .308" 3.340" 83.0 2,657 49,200 PSI 85.0 2,712 51,800 PSI
Hodgdon Retumbo .308" 3.340" 79.0 2,798 45,700 CUP 84.0C 2,962 52,300 CUP
IMR IMR 8133 .308" 3.340" 75.5 2,702 47,000 PSI 82.0C 2,965 59,500 PSI
Hodgdon H1000 .308" 3.340" 74.0 2,725 45,500 CUP 79.0C 2,883 52,800 CUP
IMR IMR 7977 .308" 3.340" 71.3 2,727 53,800 PSI 76.7C 2,910 62,500 PSI
IMR IMR 7828 .308" 3.340" 71.0 2,645 48,200 PSI 76.0C 2,851 58,400 PSI
IMR IMR 4955 .308" 3.340" 67.1 2,630 51,700 PSI 73.0C 2,850 63,500 PSI
Winchester Supreme 780 .308" 3.340" 69.1 2,702 53,300 PSI 73.5 2,870 62,700 PSI
Hodgdon H4831 .308" 3.340" 67.0 2,686 47,000 CUP 72.0C 2,825 53,100 CUP
Hodgdon Hybrid 100V .308" 3.340" 61.0 2,636 49,400 PSI 66.0 2,820 59,400 PSI
IMR IMR 4831 .308" 3.340" 69.0 2,694 51,900 PSI 72.5C 2,859 60,900 PSI
Hodgdon H4350 .308" 3.340" 63.0 2,646 47,800 CUP 66.0 2,753 51,700 CUP
IMR IMR 4451 .308" 3.340" 61.3 2,648 53,700 PSI 66.7 2,839 63,000 PSI
IMR IMR 4350 .308" 3.340" 65.0 2,700 53,900 PSI 69.5 2,860 62,600 PSI
BULLET WEIGHT
200 GR. NOS AB these are 300win mag
few years ago i had a son in law with a 300win mag. he held a perfect six inch group at 100yards. just didn't do the recoil. switched him to a lighter recoil rifle, and the problem went away. most of the area i have hunted in arizona you aren't making 400yard shots. four elk and a number of deer all well within 100yards.

It's an excellent big game caliber, about on par with the .35 Whelen.

What rifle have you been looking at Dr Death? I had a .358 in the BLR that was a sweetheart. I alos had a similar 338 Federal in a little Ruger 77, both are grand. neither rifle was bad on recoil. the only .358 I ever heard about that kicked bad was the Savage Mod 99.

You'll get a lot more thump but slightly less range. What's not to like? Recoil isn't much more than the .308 and the cartridge is accurate. I have four .358's, a Savage 99, Browning BLR and two Ruger M77s. A word of advice though, find out what twist rate rifling is in the barrel. Quite a few rifles have a 1 in 16" twist which is adequate but when Winchester brought the cartridge out they used a 1 in 12" twist. Why in hell Ruger used a 1 in 16" is beyond me. My two Ruger M77s are reasonably accurate but the BLR and Savage 99 with 1 in 12" twists outshoot the Rugers regarding accuracy. Rugers 1.25 to 1.50" Savage and BLR 1.0" to .80".
Paul B.

"the only .358 I ever heard about that kicked bad was the Savage Mod 99."

I did not find that to be the case with mine. Mine is the last version with that rather ugly beavertail forearm.
Paul B.

The_Real_Hawkeye,

Imo, more to the point the .358WCF is fully as powerful a caliber as the 9.3x57, which is much admired as a MOOSE-GETTER in Northern Europe, using the over 280 grain JSP.

yours, satx

Looking at a Ruger 77...

Put it in a boat paddle.

I just bought a 99 in 358. I’m collecting dies, bullets, brass, etc. I can’t wait to try it out. I’m gonna try the 200 grain Sierra round nose bullets first.

As someone already pointed out, recoil is subjective.
I find my .358’s recoil to be more of a heavy push, than the sharp - fast recoil of the .308.
06’ is just that much more violent.
The .358’s muzzle blast is a “boom” rather than an ear piercing crack.....

I run 225 Noslers and Sierra’s in it and have killed elk with both.
Longest shot was a big Roosevelt cow elk at 257 yards.

If you have an opportunity to buy that Ruger, do it!
They’re not going to get any cheaper and they’re a great hunting rifle.

It did pretty good in Texas earlier this month...



It was super windy while I was on the sticks and he was about to bolt, but as soon as I had a momentary break in the wind, the Timney equipped Ruger 358Win worked its magic again.This little rifle has never failed me.

Hope you find one Dr.D!