Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 358 Norma Mag - Info Wanted

Guys,

Tell me about your 358 Norma mag. What action is it built on ? Barrel length ? Twist ? Favorite Recipe ? I just put a hold deposit down on a CZ Custom rifle with 20" carbine tube. I don't know the twist rate or barrel make.

Ken

Good question cuz its also a chambering I'm considering since I have this useless 7mag sitting around. I like 35's but I dont know to much about the norma mag line.

i'd do 1:12" twist @ 22"-24" based soley on research for my .358 WSM. 20" wouldn't be a deal breaker if all else was good

Mine was an O3 Springfield custom everything, stock, barrel, bottom metal, trigger, D&T'd for scope and reciever sight. I used 250gr Hornady RN's and 4350 for big game and 148gr cast double ended wadcutters over 700X and a pinch of dacron filler for squirrels and rabbits. Shot it on small game and vermin all year it was a great gun. Someone offerred an outragous amount of money for it in 1980 and it went down the road. Replaced it with a Rem 721 in 35 Whelen (still have it) and never looked back. Load it it with the same bullets and it works just as well.

erich

I recently bought an old 700 ADL 7Mag in a nice Brown Precision stock. Currently it's being rebarreled by Bevan King in BC to 358NM. 24" stainless bbl will help recoil given the lightweight stock. Can shorten it up later if desired. His 35cal bbls are 1:14". Contour will closely match the original bbl. I have a good supply (600) of 250gr Speers here to start with. Dies are coming from Texas off e-bay.

.

Pre-64 270 rebarreled in 1979 with 24" hart 1 in 12"
I kept the original stock and shot 250gr horns,speers,and noslers for yrs guiding and hunting. I have loys of room to shoot here and while fireforming a pile of Norma from 338's I realized it shot about as flat as my 300. I was using sierra's for fireforming then switched to barnes for hunting and they shot great as well. Then I weighed it and found out it was 12lbs so I had it restocked with a MPI mannlicher. They barrel was cut to 20" and the lose in velocity was about 100fps but it ended up weighing about 8 1/2lbs which is lite for a powerhouse. Then a hunter sent me some 280 Swifts and I found out to all practical ranges they shot flat enough and usually penetrated comepletely on moose and bears even at longer ranges when that was necessary. Easy to load for with 4895 and brass a cinch to make.

I have one built on a MRC 1999 barrelled action, 1-12 twist. I have shot 3 different 225 grain bullets and one 250 grainer, and all have shot fine. I cant see myself shooting anything heavier than that. As far as powder, all I have run in mine is IMR 4350.

I had a 350 Ribgy magnum, nearly the same capacity as the 358 Norma. Mine had a 1-14" twist, and was very accurate with 225 and 250 gr jacketed bullets, and 280 gr cast. With a 1-14 you'll be fine with bullets up to 280 gr, you'll only need 1-12 if you're going to use the 310 gr woodleighs.

As far as powders, I got better accuracy with RL15 and Varget than I did with H-4350. The most accurate bullet I shot was the 250gr hornady rn @ 2700 fps. The only downside is it's a soft bullet, and the small doe I took was nearly dcappitated with a close range neck shot. Alot of 35 caliber component bullets are desired for the 35 whelen and even milder rounds, so be careful what bullet you choose.

For the Norma I'd just get some 225 gr barnes tsx, launch them ~2900 fps and have a suitable load for all NA game to ranges further than I'd likely use such a gun.

Mine is a push-feed Model 70 with a 24" Schilen barrel (1:12) and McMillan stock.

Using Norma cases or Necked up W-W .338s and Federal 215 primers.

Norma factory loads with 250 Woodleighs went 2702fps over the chronograph.

The outstanding powders with 225gn bullets were Reloader 15 and Varget. Also had some excellent groups and good velocities with IMR4350 and H4350. IMR4831 gave great accuracy but not enough could be stuffed in the case to reach top velocity. The best 225gn accuracy load was with Reloader 15 and TSX bullets at 2940fps. Nosler Partitions and Ballistic Tips were nearly as good.

H4350 was the star with heavier bullets, exceeding 2800fps with 250s and groups under an inch. It also pushed 280 Swifts to 2680 and 320 Woodleigh solids to 2490 without exceeding the factory load expansion ring measurements by more than .0005".

Have fun with your .358
Walt

Built mine on a classic stainless winchester 70, Shilen 1:14 barrel, in a HS stock. I am shooting 250Grain Barnes X's over IMR 4350. The only thing I am going to do different is change to 225 grain TSX when I am out of 250's (as long as they shoot well). Barrel length is 24", getting around 2700 FPS. Built this for an Alaska trip that I have been tryng to put together. I also have a 35 whelen in a custom 98. When you hit a critter with a 35 things stop moving QUICK.

I have two. One is a rechambered 35 Whelan Ruger with a 22" barrel and magna-porting. It shoots 225 and 250 grain bullets well with H4895. RL 15 is a close second choice. Took two moose last year. Pretty good rifle, though it copper fouls badly and must be kept clean to shoot well.

The other is on a Sako action with a 25" heavy Douglas Barrel. A dream to shoot but not to carry. It goes .5 to .75 MOA with H4895 and 250's or 225's. Have done no further load work on this one because I haven't had to.

I have been a big fan of he .358 Norma Mag for many decades now. My first handling of one was a friend who weighed in at 130 pounds soaking wet. He purchased this rifle from a pawn shop a couple years prior. It was he only rifle he had at the time and he did not know really much about guns of any sort.

I was made on a 98 Mauser action, very nice walnut stock it had a medium weight barrel and was 24 inches long. He shot 250 grain bullets from this rifle. I always thought of getting one but back then there were not many bullets to choose off the shelf. It did kick some from the bench, I too only weighed in at 155 pounds. I remember shooting it and almost clover leafing my shots at 75 yards with the iron sights on the rifle.

14 twist is plenty for any bullets short of the 300 grainers. My Norma is a 12 twist and it will stack the 225TSXs well under an inch but so will a 14. No reason really not to go 12 unless you want to shoot cast bullets; rumour has it the slower twist may be more accurate with the pistol bullets.

Mine is a 22 1/2" PacNor on a M70 classic stainless magnum length action, it started life as a 300Wby.

Great cartridge. Mine likes 74 grains of IMR4350 for 2800 fps with a 250 grainer, or 73 grains of Big Game for around 2900 fps with the 225.

With that 20" tube you're going to split some ears and experience muzzle jump like you're probably not used to.

The 358 Norma is a longer range hammer, and IMO not a good choice for a short barreled gun.

If you're hunting close and tight, a 35 Whelen would give you all the horses you need.

That custom CZ .358 Norma Mag wouldn't happen to be in the vault at KTP (Maine) would it??? ;))

I just recently acquired a .358 Norma Mag with a 26 inch barrel, built on a BRNO VZ 24 action.

It came with 4 boxes of original, factory, 250 gr Woodleigh ammo.

I'm not sure of the barrel manufacturer or twist rate and have not yet shot the rifle, but it is gorgeous.

donsm70

My 358 Norma is built on a left hand Sako Magnum action w/ a 23" Douglas barrel. I shoot 225 Nosler Partitions and Accubonds and 250 Partitions. For some reason the gun does not shoot the Barnes TSX as well. I get sub moa w/225 Partitions at 2950fps using 69 gr. This IS A MAXIMUM load in my rifle. With 75 gr.H4350 & 250 Partitions, I get 2820 and MOa accuracy. Barrel has a 12 twist. It's been my go to rifle in Alaska for 25 years. Not only does it shoot well, it handles and balances better than any other rifle I have except maybe my LH 375 Ruger SS w/20" barrel.
If you have a custom 358 NM, see if your barrel has been throated. The early Schultz & Larsen and Husqvarna Crown Grade guns were freebored from the factory.
Good luck and enjoy your Norma. It's a great cartridge. Shoots flat and hits hard. What's not to like?
One more thing, if you handload try using 338 Winchester brass and fireform. I think you'll find it is harder and tougher than the Norma brass.

Here's my 2nd Norma I had built last year.
Win model 70 action, 23" douglas 1-12 twist #3 contour, McMillan Supergrade stock, Douglas 1 piece bottom metal and extractor. Replaced the scope in the pic with a Leupold 2.5-8 matte finish and am having Eddie Fosnaugh cerakote it soon.

I've found it shoots 250Gr Noslers, Barnes and Hornady's quite well with max charges of IMR4350. I reform 300 Win brass and then fireform with 200gr. hornady's.

As said before, accurate, hard hitting, and can shoot bullets from lightweight pistol bullets to 300Gr plus. what's not to like?

Mine is 20" because I hate it when they hang up in tight cover... Mine should get to look at Kodiak bears some and I never want a barrel over 20" for that again. Even my 375AI is at 20".

I do have a reamer if anyone is looking...
art

If you are going to go to all of the trouble to have one built, you might as well have it built in .358 STA. I think thats the 8MM Rem Case necked up to 35 Caliber.

But why not just go with a .375 Ruger?