Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Where to start? Deer loads for the 358 winchester

So with money left from another project I had enough for yet another rifle and I ordered a Ruger SS .358 winchester. My 300WSM with 180 Accubonds is accurate, deadly, but very loud in the woods, thus a need for another "less noisy" rifle surfaced! I saw Steelheads post regards his Ruger .358 rifle was 7.5pounds full up, and this tipped me over the edge, I had always thought rugers where much heavier!! Then the .358 must be less noisy than the 300WSM as it uses quite a bit less powder.

Where does one start with the .358Win in the Ruger for a deer bullet, I was initially thinking of 180 grain pistol bullets, but am now looking for recommendations for an all around bullet/powder combination, I have quite a few Federal LR match primers so I would be starting with those, but don't know best bullet, weight bullet, powder, or reasonable starting place with the gun! Deer are the small Southern Deer variety with 160-170 lbs being a big one where I hunt, ranges are under 150 yards or so, scope will probably start as an FXII 4X from Leupold. Sadly I opted for Rifle magazine instead of handloader this time so do not have access to JB's artical, it seems I should take both of them from now on!

My buddy and I have been shooting the 180 gr Speer into deer for a few decades now with superb results. The bullet penetrates well and really keeps them down. We used IMR 4198 for quite a while and now I use RL 10 in the 358 with both 180's and 200's.

Previous to that I used the 200 gr Silvertip over IMR 3031 and I had quite a supply of that bullet but I can't buy them these years as a component.

I have four 358's and three of them are active to some extent. In a newly acquired MS carbine in 358 I am loading the 180 Hornady Single Shot Pistol Bullet. I hope to put one in a coyote before the deer season and see how it works. Others say that bullet does well on deer.

To add that RL 10 is slightly faster than 3031 yet its smaller grained and more will pack into the case. Thus its optimum with the 180 gr bullet and excellent with 200's. I load 48.5 grs as max in a 99f. Work up to that.

Thank you, RL10 is a new one for me, I would prefer I think the 200's as a good start but I will also get some 180 Hornady pistol bullets, I know that the 250 is too much for the intended target. Anyone use RL15?

Try 200 grain Hornady Spires over IMR 4895 or IMR 4320.

Dale

Another vote for the 200g spire. Its like a premium bullet in 358 win. I use imr 4064 and Varget, but 358 is an easy cartridge to get to shoot well with many powders, 3031 and both 4895s often recieve honrable mention as well. I hear the next issue of handloader will have TAC data from MD which may give better velocities than was obtained in the past.

yes I sent handloader an email and asked them if I rejoined if they would send me the last magazine. I am taking rifle and hunter now, am a bit disapointed in hunter. I am ordering a box of the 200 grain Hornady's today! I am getting to where I like Hornady bullets, they don't cost as much as the accubonds or partitions at least IIRC in the 30 and 27 calibers, and they don't shoot too bad!

I recently started shooting a 358 win.I like the heavy 250s and at this time the only powder I ve bunrned thru mine is H-335 and it does a very respectable job.........

No doubt the 250 will shoot thru a WT deer. I am going to try the 200's first, the .357 pistol bullets is what intrigued me the most, I always did want to hunt deer with a pistol but could not get past the damn blast from a .357Mag or 44mag, so I will try before the end of this year the next best thing! Pistol bullets!! I am getting the Ruger but may upgrade in the future if Kimber ever releases the Montana in .358...

In the latest issue of Handloader JB does a good article comparing the 338 Federal and the 358 Winchester.

There is some great load information there.

A Ruger Hawkeye in the latter and a Tikka T3 Lite in the former are on my radar as eventual purchases.

EFWakeman, I had the same thought, the Ruger Hawkeye is my choice in .358, again if you are going to go bigger I think the .358 is a better choice than the 338, if you already own a big 30. I was just looking at the little frontier rifle in .358Win at 6.75 pounds/16 inch barrel. Too short for me but I wonder how much velocity you would lose from 22 inches to 16 inches in the .358? I may have the Hawkeye barrel I get reduced to 20 inches dependinng on the balance of the rifle.

I'm thinking a 250gr Norma Oryx should be soft enough to get it done, but can't say for certain YET.

The tightest three shot group I ever fired from a rifle was with the Sierra 225 gr boattail and IMR 4895. This was in a 35 Whelen,
but it just might work in the short case! I would be curious about Varget as well, if I had time to play around with it.
whelennut

In my tang safety 358win I use the 225GK, It is stupid accurate and makes nice mushrooms in my bullet tester. That said the 200gr Hordady is probably the hard to beat choice as it is a pretty good value and is a grea bullet.

I gotta agree with Miket_81, That Sierra 225 GK punches clover leafs out of my Sako carbine. I find it soft for general elk hunting purposes but it should be outstanding at rolling deer or pigs.

That said, I think the 200 gr Hornaday is the best deer bullet out there for the .358. Cheap, readily available and like all Hornaday bullets, deadly...JMO though...

For shooting under 150 yards the 200 grain Round nosed corelokt is perfect. My load was 47.0 grains of 3031 and this bullet held together, expanded perfectly and penetrated thru three deer no problem. This bullet has the old style jacket and is very reliable. I expect I was getting 2500 fps from my BLR and accuracy was right at MOA.

Another vote for the Hornady 200 Spire Point. I've seen a 225 Sierra not expand from a .358 at close quarters.

interesting Ramshot lists loads for the .338 Federal but not the .358 win, I hope I can find some that approach these pressures and performances!
338 fed
Barrel: 24", Twist 1-10" Primer: FED 215
X-Terminator 185 BAR TSX 43.0 2,520 47.8 2,757 60,000 2.783
X-Terminator 200 HDY SP INTK 42.4 2,476 47.1 2,656 59,250 2.814
X-Terminator 215 SIE SBT 39.9 2,349 44.3 2,532 59,875 2.800
X-Terminator 225 NOS A-BOND 38.8 2,197 43.1 2,436 57,500 2.814
TAC 185 BAR TSX 43.4 2,485 48.3 2,708 57,000 2.783
TAC 200 HDY SP INTK 43.8 2,467 48.7 2,664 60,000 2.814
TAC 215 SIE SBT 42.0 2,371 46.7 2,564 59,500 2.800
TAC 225 NOS A-BOND 39.7 2,135 44.1 2,384 59,750 2.814

50grs of TAC is given me a hair over 2525 with 200gr TSX's, I'll keep bumping that one up.

47.5grs of TAC is 2400 with a 225gr Sierra.

All from a factory Ruger 77 in 358 Win.

Steelhead, what primers are you using with TAC?

This is what I got from Ramshot via email: For the 358 Winchester we suggest the following:

Caliber: .358 Winchester.

Barrel length: 24�

Powder: Ramshot � TAC.

Bullet weight: 180 grains.

Start load: 48.0grains (2300 � 2400 Ft/p/sec)

Maximum load: 53.0grains (2400 � 2500 Ft/p/sec). Full case/Compressed.

Bullet weight: 200 grains.

Start load: 43.0grains (2300 � 2400 Ft/p/sec)

Maximum load: 48.0grains (2500 � 2600 Ft/p/sec). Full case/Compressed.

Bullet weight: 225 grains.

Start load: 41.0grains (2200 � 2300 Ft/p/sec)

Maximum load: 46.0grains (2400 � 2500 Ft/p/sec). Full case/Compressed.

NOTES:
It� important to note that SAFETY is our prime concern therefore we strongly recommend.

1. TO ALWAYS BEGIN LOADING AT THE RECOMMENDED MINIMUM �START� LOAD.

2. If at all possible, measure the velocity and correlate with our data.



Regards

Johan Loubser

Ballistician

Ramshot/Accurate Powders

Tel: (406) 234 04 22 email: johanramshot.com

Western Powders Inc -- Miles City � Montana.

Hi and thank you both, I am headed over to pick up a pound of TAC to try right now!