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Why so little mention of this fine cartridge and rifle?
What are your thoughts and opinions?


Its not always easy to do the right thing, But it is always the right thing to do.
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Love mine. It smack the heck out of deer. I have carried it for elk too in thick country. Unfortunately never had an opportunity with it.

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If I were back in Northern Maine hunting 400+ lb deer in thick, hilly woods and cedar swamps a model 94 in 356 Winchester would be the only gun I'd consider.

Some of those fat 400+ lb bears would notice a 220 grain speer at 2400 fps as well.

Buck stops 250 yds out at the end of a clear cut or field, the ole big bore could still lob a hearty hit, with a good blood trail that probably won't be needed.

The "feel" of a model 94 with some "above 30-30" power is one feisty step up, for those of us who grew up carrying a 30-30 since childhood.

I had to do a whole lotta custom stupidity to get that:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/13233780/3

Big bore 94 comes ready to go.

Last edited by mainer_in_ak; 03/14/21.
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Last December I ran into a Marlin 336 ER in 356 Win. Not quite the ballistics of the 358 WInchester due to thincker case, but still a fine 35 cal.
My father had one for several years that he used to hunt elk in the brush of Colorado.
I load mine with the Speer 180 JFP for PA whitetails. Unfortunately I neer had the chance to try it myself. Recoil is just getting to the point of being objectionable. But the gain over the 35 Remington that I also have is worth it.

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I got a Big Bore .356 for my wife as a upgrade from the Mod. 94 in .44 mag. she toted on our moose hunts and her berry picking trips. With a good bullet it should kill well at under 150 yards, which is about the average distance our shots are taken here in Alaska on moose. My problem is I have a new Mod. 71 in .348 Ackley Improved and a good Marlin 45-70 and a bunch of the bonded Kodiak bullet for all three calibers, so the .356 won't be my first choice.

A friend has used one for years on moose and our little island deer. I think he used the 250 grain Kodiak bullet and shots were close. I think the small case would be better served with a 200 to 220 grain bullet of good quality and I hear of folks flattening the nose on 225 grain Partitions. That would be great if they would become available again. I had a machinist make up a tool for me to put a hollow point in a 220 grain Speer flat nose bullet so it would expand better. The idea came from Campfires "Dinny".

A friends son killed a mid sized brown bear last fall at about 25 yards with his .358 Win. and a 200 grain Accubond bullet. He said the second shot he put into was more of a comfort to him as the bear was done in with the first shot. If one cares to look it up as I have, the case capacity for the .356 Win. is the same as for the .358 Win. The difference is the pressure their actions can safely handle. A Model 94 or 336 Marlin cannot handle as much pressure as a bolt action .358 Winchester. A .35 caliber bullet of good construction is a very useful bullet diameter in a lever gun for game larger then deer, which is why I went with a .348 Ackley Improved, I wanted near .35 Whelen muzzle velocity out of and old school lever gun.

It has been a long time since any one really improved on the design strength of and old school lever gun like Winchester and Marlin became famous for. Instead the direction has been to use pointy bullets and scopes on them to make them into 300 yard rifles. I like a peep sighted mid bore tossing 250 grain bullets at about 2,500 fps mv. Those brown bear or their tracks I see every moose hunt make me like a powerful .35 caliber load.


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Mine is set up with a square topped sourdough front sight and a xs peep.
Nice light packing rifle with a bit of thump.
Les


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You dont hear much about them because they are hard to find. The guys that have them like them I guess. I've been looking for years and still dont have one. I did find a 375 Winchester though. In my opinion the 444 beats them all though. I have two of them

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Mainer? What? I thought that takedown should never hear you say that. Poor little takedown 358 Winny is going to be sad. But I won't tell. Do you want to sell it and go to the 356? Let me know. I want dibs please. Be Well, RZ.


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I have a 348 Winchester in an original 71 that shoots under 2MOA with factory Hornady ammo. I also have both a BLR and a Savage 99F in 358 Winchester so I can't justify a 356 but the 356 would do just about as well in real world use with the great 220 Speer at 2300fps. Great rigs but none of these rifle-cartridge combos caught on.

Last edited by North61; 03/24/21.
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Originally Posted by tankerjockey
Why so little mention of this fine cartridge and rifle?
What are your thoughts and opinions?


Very few made, even less ammo. Great setup for most killin. 👍


Ping pong balls for the win.
Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable
I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.

Ain’t easy havin pals.
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Not sure why it ever came to be as the 358 Win had a longer history. Other than Winchester made it that way...
I owned a Savage 99 in 358 Win and currently have a Marlin 336ER in 356 Win. For the extra effort of finding brass for the 356 Win, I prefer it. Advantage of the 358 Win is that you can use 308 Win brass to form it but I am one to always prefer the original case as reforming stretches the necks a lot.

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I found one at an auction recently- NIB and its staying that way.


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I've put away a lotta moose meat with the 358 Win in savage 99 and BLR. The main advantage of the 356, is a simple, lightweight, exposed hammer platform for deer country. Here in Alaska and the Yukon, most of us hunters do just fine getting onto game with unloaded chambers. There is no need of the risk, traveling many miles with a hot chamber. There's always time to load one into the chamber when game is spotted. Simlle bolt actions work great, and are what I prefer to carry.

In thick, hilly deer woods where I grew up in Northern Maine, there is no way n hell you'd get on an elusive buck with an unloaded chamber. They are spooky, and way harder to hunt than moose n caribou. Hunting with a round chambered, is a necessity.

In that type of environment, the stalking can be brutal and the exposed hammer rifle is the safer platform for that style of hunting.

Id never hunt like that with a savage 99 with it's internal firing pin, nor would I use a finicky, complicated browning lever or model 88.

The big bore 94 in 356 with it's sleek receiver that allows unrivaled carrying comfort at the balance point and extended range over a typical 30-30, that would be my top choice for back home where both deer and black bear can commonly exceed 400 lbs.

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I've owned a couple of Marlins in 356 WIN and haven't had any trouble using 358 brass in it as long as I stuck to the shorter 356 COAL limits. I load the Speer 180 grain FP for deer and the 220 grain Speer FP for anything bigger/tougher. The one whitetail doe that I shot with the 356 while using the 220 grain Speer FP showed little expansion on its path through the deer, the holes in both sides oft he rib cage, in and out, looked to be about .40 caliber. OTOH, the 180 grain Speer FP seems to knock 'em off their feet.

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Got me greedy hoarding hands on about 240 Nosler Partition 225 grain .358 bullets. Campfires "Dinny" loaned me his Corbin cannelure tool for putting a crimping groove on the bullets after I flatten the noses on my Ken Onion Work Shop knife sharpener sanding belts. I am using a set of calipers and 220 grain Speer flat point as a control bullet. I should end up with about a 210-215 grain Partition. This will give the little .356 Win. case a leg up over many other bullets offered for the .356 case. At least in my mind and considering the size of Alaska's moose and bears.

Powder will be either WW 748 or Ramshot X-Terminator, depends on what the gun likes. I'm thinking 2,400 fps mv is doable, but can live with any thing over 2,300 fps mv. Can't think of any thing in Alaska that combo won't put down handily if I do my part.

During moose season the rifle will wear a Leupold 1.5-5x20 with the German #4 reticle in Talley QD rings, other then that the XS receiver sight will be used, but sorely tempted to put a fixed rear sight in the barrel dove tail. I just see better with a scope, especially in low light when moose are out and about.

The horrible side mounted receiver safety will be addressed. Got a brass saddle ring and will drill a hole in the stem on the left side and put the ring through it so the safety won't engage Cutting the head off of a .356 Win. case to plug the hole on the right side of the receiver and should add a touch of bling to an already good looking rifle..

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I have put a cannular on a bunch of 225 grain Partitions now with the Corbin tool. I ground the nose off of one the bullets and it weighs right at 218 grains. Hoping to have a load zeroed by late next week and really want to bust a critter with that bullet out of the .356 Winny.

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I find all of the comments interesting in that I thought I was shooting a very odd-ball cartridge. Maybe there is more love for the cartridge than I thought. In my case, the Marlin 336ER helps.

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Originally Posted by 1Akshooter
I have put a cannular on a bunch of 225 grain Partitions now with the Corbin tool. I ground the nose off of one the bullets and it weighs right at 218 grains. Hoping to have a load zeroed by late next week and really want to bust a critter with that bullet out of the .356 Winny.


I think this is an excellent idea. After using a few .358s and liking lever guns I became enamored with the idea of a .356 and planned to have JES convert a 336. Ultimately I decided to go with the .444 due to brass availability. I like the .444 alot, but the .356 is certainly a good cartridge for alot of hunting.

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As I mentioned, I have a nice 94 BB in 356 set up with peeps. I am considering low mounting a Leupold 3X scope to help compensate my old eyes. Starting to have trouble seeing that front sight. Just really hate the idea of scoping a 94.
Les


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You might like a mini red dot sight mounted on the rear sight dovetail. Less bulk and weight than a scope but still a good solution to fuzzy front sight disorder.

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