Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Let's talk .358 Winchester

Aight fellas -

I'm sure some of you have seen the doscount prices of the SS Ruger Hawkeye's in .358 Winchester. I had to pick one up. This will be my first .358 and my first Ruger, ever.

Let's talk bullets, effective range, and powders.

This will be an elk rifle or when I feel like it, a deer rifle. I've got loads of TAC, whcih appears to be a great powder match for the .358.

I'm thinking of necked up .308 Lapua brass with an tapered expander.

Give me the goods on the .358 Winchester -

I neck up Laupa brass with a Redding die/tapered ball, Tac powder and 225 grain bullets, mostly SGK's. The cartridge is a dandy on elk. Have no issues shooting game out to 250 yards.

Yep, jam lots of TAC in a case with a 200gr TSX. I've also shot 225NP and 250gr Oryx aslong with 200gr Hornadt and 220gt Speer. I would like to try the 180gr TTSX also.

In the middle of the move and I don't know if I should scratch my watch or wind my ass.

When you get in the 2700 range with 200's, 2500 with 225's and 2400 with 250's you are about right with TAC.

250 Speer Hot Cores hammers elk, 225 SGKs hammers deer but, my preference is a 200-250 grain cast which hammers all.

How'd the 225 NPs do Scott? About as expected I assume...

I used to use the 225 Sierras over a max load of IMR 4320 in a Savage 99 and a BLR. Great load, accurate, and hammered deer.

49 grains Varget, 200 grain Hornady R/N. Right place at right time and Blamo....venison on the pole. 2300 fps.... a nice load that is plenty accurate and perfect for a MI whitetails.

The boy's and I just used my M70 358 Win with the 200 gr TTSX with Steelhead's suggested dose of TAC to whack 10 critters in Africa. Recovered one after passing the length of a warthog. Could be used in a Barnes catalog photo.

I have worked up a nice load for the 358 win. using the 225 A-frame and IMR 3031. It works good for me,,,, I think you will love that rifle/round. Congrats on joining the (rare) club.

I'd like to see some pics from that trip. I smoked a doe this year with my BLR and about 51 grns of TAC over the 200 Hornady SP and I'd not hesitate to use it on something bigger so I can imagine what that 200 TTSX does, I'd also like to try the 180.

300jimmy that's a nice looking 99 you have there.

Has anyone used the new Hornady 200 gr Flex Tip bullet from a .358W yet? It has a BC of .300 and might be of interest for deer at longer ranges.


Link to Hornady .358" Flex Tip

The .358 Win. has been my primary woods cartridge since 1966. I have a number of them including 99's, M70, MS.
Presently I am shooting the 180 Speer FN with a spitzer me-plat.

There are photos posted on the African forum.

At 220 yards today, with 49.0 grains of TAC, a 200 TTSX at 2.80", with fireforming loads from .308 Lapua brass, this happened.



It shot just as well with the 225 NP, a 3 shot group of 1.80"ish at 220 yards although not as good a the sub-0.9" group pictured. Both bullets were the same POI, which is huge.

Recoil is a bit stiffer than the .22-250 or the .243...grin...

It's just a bit more than a 6x45, but not much.....


The 200gr TSX are silly in mine.

With both bullets and TAC, the warmer the load got, the tighter the groups....

Getting more than 49.0 grains of TAC in that Lapua case is going to be difficult.

Have you run them across the screens?

Screw the screens in this AZ heat and bright sun -

I don't trust the chrono I have right now. I gots to get me a new one as it's had a few blow overs in this wind.

Here's the only recovered 200 gr TTSX (on 10 animals taken) from the 358 Win. It entered on a slightly quartering frontal and was removed in the back hip.

I'd say that's about picture perfect -

Ran them across screens this morning Scott -

This rifle is stupid -

50.0 grains TAC for both

200 TTSX - AVG. 2,640 - 1.5" group at 220 yards
225 NP - AVG. 2,523 - group in the .9's at 220 yards

Again, this rifle is stupid.