Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB's .338 Fed and .358 Win article in Handloader

Last night, I read JB's article on the .338 Fed and .358 Win in the new issue of Handloader, #254 August-September 2008. (The issue is now available for download if you subscribe to the online subscription option.) As usual, he does an excellent job of discussing the cartridges.

His loading data for the .358 Win really makes the ol' cartridge shine. With a Ruger M77 Hawkeye (22" barrel) his load data is getting 2400 fps with 250 gr bullets (Hornady RN and Nosler Partition) and 2550 fps with the Sierra 225 gr bullet. Heck, after reading the article now I want to buy a .358 Win even though I already own a .35 Whelen and a 9.3x62!

Cheers!
-Bob F.

IVE almost always gotten negative remarks from guys who, borrow our camps back-up rifle, as why the camp back up rifle is frequantly my 358 win BLR, and not something with "longer reach and more power" .....most newer guys are reluctant to use it when thier super blasters scope fogs or some other factor prevents its use.....funny how many now HAVE PURCHASED a 358 WIN BLR after killing ELK with that rifle, and its 250 speer over 45 grains of IMR4064....and how many guys in camp now use one as thier primairy ELK THUMPER,
personally I prefer it over my 300 mags, and the 340 wby I usually hunt ELK with gets swapped for it, occasionally when I want to hunt dark timber on steep slopes
the 358/BLR is a vastly under rated combo by those who have yet to use one and Id suspect a handy bolt action carbine or BLR in 338 FED would be almost identical...very effective

I'll have to stop procrastinating and subscribe again. I'm going to pick up my buddy today for a trip to AZ for prairie dogs and he is a subscriber, so I can snag his and read the article. I have a MRC 1999 stainless with a 21-inch barrel that I get those speeds with a 225 gr Partition. It was fine for bush veldt conditions last year for ND plains game.

The really important question is: When does that issue hit the local Borders, so I can read it for free whilst sipping one their lattes?

SOS

I'll stick with my 338-06 or 35 Whelen thank you...

My M70 358 can be loaded up pretty hot, and it'll throw 225's faster than you'd expect.

I'll be taking my 9.3x62 out pretty soon with (gulp) 286 grain bullets - no does the chrony need new batterys?

Spot

BobF,
My only disappointment (viewing the load data) is that both 338Federal and 358Win weren't run with 250gr and even 275gr projectiles to give a head to head comparison. We know they'll be close to equal or 'peas in a pod' but the 358Win has copped so much negative press from its inception that its worth pointing out that it's an either/or proposition when trying to select between cartidges. Only in factory loadings does the 338Federal have an advantage ... wouldn't a 180/200gr factory TSX loading be a welcome addition in the 358Win line!
Cheers...
Con

I signed up for the online versions and down loaded it immediately. What a great edition, 338 Federal-358 Winchester, 280 Rem and 45 Auto Rim. I am a fan of all of these calibers and have at least one rifle in each caliber. Just purchased a S&W Model 22 in 45 Auto Rim. It groups very well with everything. My 358 is a BLR, it shoots very well with IMR4320. I'm not suprized that these are both 200 +yd calibers. I am anxious to try TAC in both rifles. Now to find TAC within a 100 miles is going to be a problem.

My latest "must have" is a Stainless Ruger Hawkeye chambered for the .358. I don't need one, but I would really like to have one.

I ended up going the blue/wood route. All up with a Leupold 1.75-6x it weighs 7.5 pounds. I can see a SS 358 in my future.

Can't wait to read the article. I've been collecting data on loads for both calibers for about the past 10 years. I have 3 rifles that I load for, two 358's and one 338-08 (338 Fed)
They are both great calibers and fun to shoot.
358 MRC, 338-08 Model 88, 358 Savage 99.

Nice rifles.... I really want to know how much TAC I can stuff underneath Hornady 200 grain slugs in my .358...

I love that avatar, Steelhead! But then, I'm always up for giving Texas a hard time <g>.

2ndwind, I give a big plus one to that.

I can get 2650 fps with 200's from a 20" PacNor barrel using RL7. My load is a rather massive overload according to the books but shows NO pressure signs. I backed off a grain from the 2650 fps load and run 2625 fps or so. I was hoping JB would mess with RL7, but, I think he had such good luck with TAC that there was no reason!

The beauty of RL7 is you get the speed without getting into compressed loads, which have NOT worked out for me with the (2) .358's I've loaded for.

TAC ain't a problem either, concerning compression.

jbmi,
Drop me a PM with an email address ... I bet I can help you out with collected load data for the 358Win as I've been doing the same for quite awhile.

Having read JB's article a few times now ... one thing really irked me ... you can't claim the 358Win has a 3% theoretical advantage over the 338Federal, then show data with a 358Win 250gr at 2400fps, then claim the 338Federal is only good for 2200's with a 250gr. Kind of doesn't make any sense.
Cheers...
Con

That's good to know. What kind of speeds are you seeing with it?

I've been waiting to buy some until I closed the House Deal from Hell that I've been embroiled in... (and get paid, I mean). That should be happening on Monday. I'll buy some TAC. What's a good starting load with 200's? Anyone know a max load?

Funny thing about .358... not "ha ha" funny, but more like "OUCH!" funny... I tried all of the "normal" powders for it- 3031, 4895, aa-2250 (I think it is), and so on... powders that others report good velocity with, and I just never could even get anywhere near what other people would report for velocity.

So I'm always a bit skeptical when I hear of a powder doing magical things in .358... but I'll try TAC, it's worth $20 to mess around with if nothing else! :-)

RL7 has been the "magic powder" for me with .358. Accurate, fits in the case, I get 12-15 reloads minimum out of the brass, and 2650 fps from a 20" tube.

-jeff

I'm certain there is much that is 'magical' to you.

Compliments will get you nowhere, big guy!

So what kind of speeds are you seeing with TAC, Steelhead? It's on my list of things to try ASAP.

don,t worry about getting the last 100 fps( concentrate on accuracy, the load we use(its 250 speer over 45 grains of IMR4064 /215 fed primer) pushes the bullet to about 2280-2300fps in most BLRs but it hammers ELK with well placed shots, worry about hitting where you intend and getting the rifle sighted, in correctly, I use a 3.5" high at 100 yards thats abit high at 200 yards and about 10" low at 300 yards, place the horizontal cross hair on the back line at 350 yards, and your good to go

Kinda disappointed with TAC and Norma 201 being the only powders mentioned in the article. Ramshot powders are not widely distributed and neither is Norma. Can't find either one within 150 miles of me. No one carries either brand.

I email Ramshot and they gave me name of a place 1100 miles away.