Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General 358 Winchester options besides the BLR?

I've seen a few 88s in 358 and they are expensive. I doubt a 35 Rem could get close to the ballistics of a 358 in a 99. I'd imagine it'd be not too far different than a 356 Win...and I easily get 2400 fps in mine with 200's. I'd have to lean pretty hard on my 35 Rem and even then I don't know if I could get within 200 fps of that. I think the best I've done in my 336 is around 2150 with Leverevolution.

I have gotten 2190 with 200 grain Round nose interlocks using H 4895 and CCI 250. With a 336 carbine.
( older waffle top)
I haven't heated up loads for my 336 rifle with a chronograph yet.

Thanks for the report....gives me incentive to give it a go!

I will put my ER and 94 AE up to bat also!

"I think a 336 35 R.E.M. Could get you pretty close to model 99 ballistics chambered in the 358."


I guess if you consider 400 fps "close" your statement would be true! lol

I wouldn't need to drive a 35 Remington to 358 Win velocities. Put a cast WLN 200 gr bullet in that Marlin 336 and see if everything doesn't die when you shoot it in the right spot. Be Well, RZ.

260Remguy,

You are absolutely right, I stand corrected. I guess I was just wishing that there was another opportunity for a .358 Winchester. :-)

Winchester 100s were only cataloged in 243, 284, and 308. I owned a Win 100 that had been rebarelled in 358 Winchester, the guy I bought it from said a few were sold in 358 Win but never cataloged interesting
but no proof.

If You chronographed a savage model 99 358 with 200 grain bullet at 2590 fps.

I stand corrected!

But......

I am from Missouri.

I have reloaded the savage 99/1899 in 303,30/30,250/3000,300 sav, &.308.

I have never been able to get past mid book loads before the levers would stick and extractions became difficult.

Maybe the .358 is different because of the bigger bore.......so I may be wrong. But no one has shared actual chronograph data on the 99 358. So I am wondering......

I was in the same position as you last year when I was searching for a 358. I wasn’t sold on the BLR and all them gears and stuff they have in them. I saw a used one chambered in 308 (steel receiver) in a local gun shop and actually handled one and my opinion of the BLR changed. It seems very solid. Not long after I found one in 358 on an auction site and it was mine. I’ve loaded it to book maximums with no sticky extractions or anything. I’ve been completely satisfied. As soon as I find a Savage 99 I can get my hands on it’s going to go to JES for a rebore to 358.

Neil Jones a gunsmith in Pennsylvania has done a wonderful job on the BLRs I have sent him for trigger work.

Speaking of sticky extractions has anyone tried the load data for the 356 in the hodgdon web site?

It is way different than the 1998 Speer reloading book. I would be askeerd to try them loads.

This fall I chronoed some .356 factory loads that I bought over 30 years ago. Its velocity looked similar to what Hodgden is showing for the 200g and 250g loads. No sticky extraction

I recorded 2535 fps outta a 356 ER ( 200 grain FTX) one action took it. The other marlin opened up the Lever.

I was using 39.5 H4198. And a CCI 250.

Dropped it down to 36.7 but I just had a newly purchased ( used) 94 AE pop open.g

Hodgdon called 4 37 to 40.

Maybe it's the magnum primers?

The 220 data and 250 data is where the variance gets bigger IMO.

220 Speer

Speer book H 335 ........39 gr to 43

Hodgdon web.....H335. 43 gr to 46

My load is 42

Like they say, even with loading manuals start low and work up. Different rifles handle loads differently.

Isn’t the BLR a better platform than all the rest of them ?

Accuracy wise I believe it is.

I think the BLR is a strong action and accurate action IMO.

The only one I have worked up that got " sticky" was a takedown .308.

I have had three steel receivers .308,7.08, and a 270. These all took as much load as called for.

The two pistol grip solid alloy frames also took loads as well as my bolt action and model 88 in .308.

As a side note I just got back from shooting, took my chronograph, I brought three 356 s ( one ER, two AE)my 200 grain FTX loads clocked at 2350 to 2335 about 12 feet from muzzle. The 336 ER and 94 AE both popped their levers open, just like the other AE did yesterday. {36.7 H4198 cci 250 } gonna pull the bullets and start over.

The 284 model 88 did 2615 average with 150 grain Nosler s.

I had 56 grains H 4831 cci 250 partition seconds weighed to 1 grain deviation.
55.5 H 4831 nosler ballistic tip 150 cci 250. So I think my chronograph was working OK.

I had 250 grain Round nose Hornady. I settled on 40 grains H 335 cci 250......all three handeled it. 2060 average .

The sun went behind the canyon wall, so my chronograph went wompy.

It's nice to get the most out of a cartridge ......but pulling bullets blow.

The only thing I use a magnum primer in with a 358 bullet is 350 Remington Magnum and I'm not sure it is needed! Be Well, RZ.

The Speer book calls for it with ball powders?

I am beginning to believe the FTX bullet builds pressure some how? I dunno 🤷‍♀️. I am liking the 220 or 250 round nose in my 356 s.

I’ve read before that the FTX has a longer bearing surface than other 200 grain bullets and does create more pressure. I haven’t looked and compared myself personally.

Rock chucker...I just looked at my Hornady reloading book. The illustrations of their 200 grain bullets does show the FTX may be quite a bit more bearing surface.

Look at the 175 FTX. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022919956?pid=520778

With the .358 Win, one could push a 35 Rem bullet (FTX) beyond it's design velocity window. I don't need varmint type bullet performance on a WT.

2,600 fps is reportedly the high end of what the 200 gr. FTX is designed for. Not sure about the 175 gr. FTX. I see they're using the same B.C. number of .3 for both. Don't see how one number works for both, not sure they'd both have the same velocity performance, but they may.

The 175 FTX is one of the most accurate in my 12 twist .358 JES bored Pre-64 Fwt. I know I can push it faster than 2,600, just trying to keep it in the 2,500 range.

As posted on another site, I'm trying the 150 gr and 160 gr. CEB Raptors, and the Hammer 178 gr. and 203 gr., all high performance monos. Just too expensive. Hammer will send trial packs of 15 bullets. The 150 gr. Raptor can run nearly 3K fps out of the .358 Win. They've been very accurate in other rounds.

DF

Thanks dirt Farmer!

I pulled the FTX......put them in 35 Remington brass.

Gonna use the Sierra 200 grain Round nose in the 356 brass!

That way I will know gummy tips are 35 R.E.M.