358 win!

Billy Buck · #1 08-15-2001, 12:18 AM

about 15 years ago i had a ruger 77 in .358 win. like a fool i sold it. now i have gotten lucky and have another one. a ruger 77 old style. this is one fine firearm and cal. i load 200gr. hornady sp, at around 2500fps. have taken a few deer and hogs with it, none took more than a few steps. never could understand why this cal. wasn't more popular. a better deer cal would be hard to fine, IMHO. just wanted to know your thoughts on this fine cal.

#2 08-15-2001, 10:21 AM

Horrible rifle. Dreadful caliber. I think you should sell that thing right away, and cheap. TO ME!

Sunrise · #3 08-15-2001, 12:27 PM

I have never owned a fatboy but realy like the balistics in that short action cartridge. I always wanted a Savage 99 but no one will sell them. I am realy sorry that Savage stopped making them. Going to the 06 case for the .358 you get into the premium bullets to get satisfactory performance/expansion. It truely is a best deer cartridge that anyone could shoot comfortably and get the job done.IMHO

Good hunting.

#4 08-15-2001, 04:17 PM

Billy Buck. Seems like when the .358 Win. came out, the big name "egg-spurts" like the late jack O'Connor said it was "only a brush cartridge" and "it kicked like hell." Jack's words. Turned out, he NEVER fired one. Apparently his approval or disapproval of a round could give it life, or a kiss of death.
I have one of those Rugers in .358, and I love it. It had a piece of wood so darn nice, that I took it off the gun and put the rifle into a McMillan synthetic stock. This rifle will put five Hornady 200 gr. RN's into a nickel at 100 yards. I haven't gotten around to trying the 200 gr. spitzer yet, but I'm hoping that will make a good load as well.
If you get a chance, give a .35 Whelen a try. Definitely one of my all time favorites. It's a shame Remington dropped the 250 gr. bullets for that one. Winchester did the same with the 250's for the .358.
There's one good thing about those two rounds. You can always make brass for the .358 from .308s and .35 Whelens from 30-06.
Now my question is this. If these rounds are so good, and I think, hell I know they are, why hasn't the shooting public accepted them? It's beyond me.
Paul B.

#5 08-15-2001, 04:40 PM

They don't sell precisely because they're 35's. For some odd reason, the American shooter will NOT shoot a rifle in either 6.5mm or 35-caliber. The modest success so far for the 260 Remington has only occurred because Big Green had the sense not to call it a 6.5-08.

But there's a long, long list of cartridges in both 6.5mm and in .35 that were essentially stillborn just becasue of the bore diameter. Beats me why.

By the way, load a few 158 JHP pistol bullets over 21.0 of 4198 in that 358. What a punkin-buster! Or for varmints/practice try the same 158-grain JHP over 10.0 of Unique or 13.0 of Red Dot. The RedDot load is a bit warmer/faster but neither exceeds 2000 fps.

ShawnT · #6 08-15-2001, 08:00 PM

I like Jacks Reply. Dreadful Cartridge? Yes, on Black Bear!
I hit an old Dry Sow with a 225 grain Nosler partition out of my Ruger 77. Saw all 4 feet go airborn from 50 yards. She did manage to get up but fell over dead where she stood.
I don't recall the exact weight, but I had the case full of IMR 4320 with that Nosler Partition.

Very Cool Caliber,

ShawnT

Sunrise · #7 08-15-2001, 11:56 PM

I may end up with one of those one day afterall. Still like the ballistics. Great unsung cartridge.

JJ · #8 08-16-2001, 06:03 AM

I would love to see Marlin chamber one of their lever action models including the guide gun for the .358 Win. This would make a great little rifle and fill a large gap between say, a 45-70 and 35 Rem. But Rocky is right...I doubt there is a company that would dare invest in this or many other .35 caliber round. I want a 336 in .35 Rem just so I have one once they Marlin decides to drop it. I hope that never happens though!

#9 08-16-2001, 11:19 AM

Someday I'm going to get a Remington 760 in .308 and rebarrel it to the .358. (I don't think Remington ever offered the .358 in this rifle did they?) Just because I want one. I'd use it on deer in northern Minnesota and I think it would be a perfect rifle to hunt moose on a canoe hunt I've got planned in Ontario.

Even during this craze of new magnum cartridges I can't figure out why there hasn't been a popular .35 magnum either. I've hear the .358 Norma is really a bone crusher.

I think a lot of the popularity is hurt by the lack of a choice in factory ammunition. There aren't many for any of the .35's.

hoss101 · #10 08-16-2001, 05:03 PM

Just found a good condition (pre-64) Winchester model 88 in .358. If anyone is interested, give me an e-mail at hoss101@gci.net and I'll give you more information.

Rob

JJ · #11 08-16-2001, 06:07 PM

Livereater, There is a 760 in my area for sale that has been rebarrled to 358 win. Nice looking rifle priced around $300. I would have bought it but I know nothing about who did the work etc. It was originaly a .35 rem.

#12 08-16-2001, 06:19 PM

JJ. That .358 mod. 760 was probably just rechambered. If memory serves, there were a few of these floating around Northern California back when I hunted that area. (1950-1968 thereabouts.)
Well, when it comes to the .358 and .35 Whelen's, I got mine.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone used the Hornady 200 gr. bullet, either round nose or spitzer on elk? I have a cow tag, and I was giving it some thought. I will take the Whelen along though.
Paul B.

Billy Buck · #13 08-16-2001, 11:49 PM

thanks to all for your replys.
Liverater,, i had a 760 carbine in .308 that i had rechambered to .358. can't tell you why, cause i don't no,,just didn't like it, traded it to a friend in PA. he loves it.
Paul B. i have a 35 whelen in a rem. classic i bought in 1988. the dealer had 2 and i picked the one with the nicest wood, should have bought both but didn't.
have another odd-ball that i shoot a lot, had a rem 700bdl in 350 mag, that i had rechamered and barreled to 458x2 american love it have taken a number of deer and 2 bear with it. i could be wrong but to me this seems like the Marlin 450 or a copy, what do you think?

JJ · #14 08-17-2001, 09:26 AM

Paul B, you are correct, thats what I meant to say, sorry. The .35 Rem marking was poorly scratched off and the .358 win was stamped crooked across the barrel. I thought to my self that if the rest of the work done to this rifle is this sloppy I'd better stay away from this one. But I want one.

ONEBADAPPLE · #15 08-18-2001, 01:05 AM

BillyBuck My thought's on this caliber 358win I really like mine and after hearing others results even more.Mine is a winchester 88 and it groups great @100yard's only had it a couple year's and put a leupold varixIII 1.5-5 on it so far after one deer season no kills but it sure is fun too shoot.yep it kick's LOL...