358 win related (one of the more effective cartridge choices in my experience)

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
two of the most effective cartridge choices I've used and two of the favorite cartridges,
used by several of the guys I've hunted with for decades use
are the browning BLR in 358 win, and the 35 whelan , cartridge chambered in the Remington 7600 slide action and the Remington and Ruger bolt actions






I've watched dozens of these videos, and the one factor that seems to be universally ignored is that the projectile design,
you select and use, matters and the projectile does all the work.
(you can't realistically or logically say rifles of caliber XYZ ,

do this or that without stating the projectile used,
and the range it was used at,
and the game it was used on.)
the 358 win is one of the most efficient and more physically and cost effective cartridges available
you calculate impact energy with the following math formula
projectile weight x velocity x velocity divided by 450240- ft lbs of energy
my preferred load has for decades been the 250 grain Speer bullet over 44 grains of IMR 4064, with a 215 fed primer as it provided 2350 fps in my BLR carbine ( the BLR is shorter, lighter ,and offers a faster second shot than most bolt action 270 wins)
(VERIFIED ON MY CHRONOGRAPH WITH MY BLR) and most times I get 1"-1.2" 3 shot, 100 yard bench rest groups
250 x 235 x 2350 /450240 = 3066 ft lbs that's certainly favorably compared to a 270 win, throwing a 150 grain bullet at 2900 fps
that 270 win has 2801 ft lb's (especially if you compare its use on elk at under 250 yards)

remember bullets that are used in any particular bore size may be used in several vastly different cartridges at vastly different velocities, and each bullet is designed to work best in a limited impact velocity range,
bullets impacting too fast bullets over expand or shred on impact, impacting too slow and expansions vastly reduced or non-existent.

throw a medium quality variable scope on it and matched rings and you have a good carbine for hunting timber draws and aspen slopes where most elk hang out
there's one posted video here, where a guy says the NOSLER 225 grain bullet , used in his 358 win,
tends to expand too slowly after about 200 yards ,so he states, his 308 win provides much better kills out past 200 yards,
well that might be 100% true, comparing the 358 nosler bullet and what ever he used in the 308, win,
but it ignores the fact the nosler 225 grain bullet is designed to be used in the 35 whelan or other rifles at higher velocity than the 358 provides at 200 plus yards, or at ranges over 200 yards,its neither the bullet or the rifles fault he picked the wrong projectile for that applications conditions.
if the guy insists on using a 358 on deer/caribou out past 200 yards he needs to swap to a bullet design that is expected to expand at the velocity hes likely to see.
nosler partition bullets ARE DESIGNED WITH VERY STRONG JACKETS TO RETAIN MAX WEIGHT AFTER IMPACT,
thus insuring deep penetration with the faster 35 whelan cartridge
they are well known as bullets designed to maximize penetration, not for rapid expansion.

the BLR in caliber 358 win loaded with the correct handloads,
has become a well liked staple among many of the guys I've hunted with for decades,
most guys prefer the speer 250 grain bullet for elk or the 200 grain hornady for mule deer



358 Winchester Load Data
SEE PHOTO GALLERY

Cartridge: 358 Winchester
Load Type: Rifle
Starting Loads

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Maximum Loads

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Bullet Weight (Gr.) Manufacturer Powder Bullet Diam. C.O.L. Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure

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180 GR. BAR X Hodgdon Varget .358" 2.700" 47.0 2442 42,500 CUP 51.0C 2594 48,200 CUP
180 GR. BAR X Hodgdon BL-C(2) .358" 2.700" 49.0 2450 42,600 CUP 52.0 2555 46,500 CUP
180 GR. BAR X Hodgdon H335 .358" 2.700" 44.0 2338 42,700 CUP 47.5 2504 48,900 CUP
180 GR. BAR X Hodgdon H4895 .358" 2.700" 44.0 2408 41,500 CUP 48.0C 2603 49,900 CUP
180 GR. BAR X Hodgdon Benchmark .358" 2.700" 43.0 2419 44,900 CUP 47.0 2574 50,300 CUP
180 GR. BAR X Hodgdon H322 .358" 2.700" 40.0 2380 46,900 CUP 44.0 2522 49,700 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP Hodgdon Varget .358" 2.650" 47.0 2376 41,100 CUP 51.0C 2527 47,900 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP IMR IMR 4320 .358" 2.650" 51.0C 2545 51,700 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP IMR IMR 4064 .358" 2.650" 49.0C 2525 46,200 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP Winchester 748 .358" 2.650" 50.6 2500 50,000 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP Hodgdon BL-C(2) .358" 2.650" 49.0 2329 31,500 CUP 52.0 2464 41,800 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP IMR IMR 4895 .358" 2.650" 49.0C 2565 50,800 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP Hodgdon H335 .358" 2.650" 44.0 2300 40,000 CUP 48.5 2484 48,400 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP Hodgdon H4895 .358" 2.650" 44.0 2316 40,200 CUP 48.0C 2519 49,800 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP IMR IMR 3031 .358" 2.650" 49.0C 2630 51,800 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP Hodgdon Benchmark .358" 2.650" 42.0 2319 42,700 CUP 46.2 2494 50,000 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP Hodgdon H322 .358" 2.650" 40.0 2306 45,400 CUP 44.8 2491 49,400 CUP
200 GR. HDY SP IMR SR 4759 .358" 2.650" 29.5 2170 52,000 CUP
220 GR. SPR FN SP Hodgdon Varget .358" 2.560" 46.0 2226 42,800 CUP 50.0C 2445 50,300 CUP
220 GR. SPR FN SP Hodgdon BL-C(2) .358" 2.560" 48.0 2238 37,600 CUP 51.0 2355 43,900 CUP
220 GR. SPR FN SP Hodgdon H335 .358" 2.560" 42.0 2181 42,200 CUP 46.0 2352 49,400 CUP
220 GR. SPR FN SP Hodgdon H4895 .358" 2.560" 43.0 2227 41,500 CUP 47.5C 2421 50,200 CUP
220 GR. SPR FN SP Hodgdon Benchmark .358" 2.560" 41.0 2184 39,400 CUP 45.0 2361 49,500 CUP
220 GR. SPR FN SP Hodgdon H322 .358" 2.560" 40.0 2243 45,700 CUP 44.0 2371 49,300 CUP
225 GR. SIE BTSP Hodgdon Varget .358" 2.770" 45.0 2254 40,700 CUP 49.0 2451 50,600 CUP
225 GR. SIE BTSP Hodgdon BL-C(2) .358" 2.770" 48.0 2324 39,900 CUP 51.0 2431 45,400 CUP
225 GR. SIE BTSP Hodgdon H335 .358" 2.770" 42.0 2231 43,500 CUP 46.0 2390 48,500 CUP
225 GR. SIE BTSP Hodgdon H4895 .358" 2.770" 42.0 2223 41,700 CUP 46.5 2422 50,300 CUP
225 GR. SIE BTSP Hodgdon Benchmark .358" 2.770" 40.0 2211 44,200 CUP 44.0 2354 50,600 CUP
225 GR. SIE BTSP Hodgdon H322 .358" 2.770" 41.0 2275 46,000 CUP 43.0 2372 50,300 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART Hodgdon Varget .358" 2.760" 43.0 2119 39,500 CUP 47.0C 2278 48,600 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART IMR IMR 4320 .358" 2.760" 44.5 2210 51,400 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART IMR IMR 4064 .358" 2.760" 44.0C 2270 52,000 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART Winchester 748 .358" 2.760" 46.2 2250 50,500 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART Hodgdon BL-C(2) .358" 2.760" 44.0 2121 39,900 CUP 47.0 2240 47,200 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART IMR IMR 4895 .358" 2.760" 43.0 2235 51,200 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART Hodgdon H335 .358" 2.760" 39.0 1987 39,200 CUP 43.0 2184 50,500 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART Hodgdon H4895 .358" 2.760" 40.0 2057 40,400 CUP 44.5C 2257 50,500 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART IMR IMR 3031 .358" 2.760" 42.0 2260 50,800 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART Hodgdon Benchmark .358" 2.760" 38.0 2030 39,800 CUP 42.0 2176 49,400 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART Hodgdon H322 .358" 2.760" 38.0 2095 43,500 CUP 42.5 2260 49,900 CUP
250 GR. NOS PART IMR SR 4759 .358" 2.760" 26.0 1845 51,400 CUP

-Tutt

swapping to a heavy bullet with a thinner jacket , or a lighter bullet you push faster like,
a speer 250 grain or a barnes 180 grain triple shock, or a hornady 200 grain, bullet designed for the 35 remington
would have changed the results seen dramatically
lighter bullets can be pushed faster, thinner jacket designs like the Speer work better at longer range impact,
sticking with the much thicker jacketed Nosler partition , a 358 Winchester loaded with a thick jacketed Nosler,
designed for deep penetration, while loaded at the lower velocity, is not going to expand, rapidly,
its use is just DUMB blaming the cartridge in this case,
if you consistently want good, long range expansion.





I loaded speer 250 grain bullets for most of the guys in our hunting club and while most deer or elk were killed at under 250 yards,
there was never a single complaint related to expansion or lack there of!



we sight in a browning BLR chambered in 358 win,
at 3.5" high at 100 yards that puts the bullet impact at near dead on at 200 yards and about 10.5" low at 300 yards
loaded over 44 grains of IMR 4064 and a 215 fed primer, seated to max length the magazine will except, you have the option of going with a 180-200 grain bullet for a flatter trajectory and more rapid expansion, but you loose some penetration, thus lung/heart shots are preferred over shoulder hits with the faster bullets.
personally I've always preferred the 250 Speer bullet on everything with the 358 win/BLR ,
but as stated previously I can't remember having the option of taking a shot over 225-250 yards in decades,
most deer and elk I've seen or had a shot at were shot at well under 150 yards
 
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