.358 Winchester

[George B Pylant]

I have a custom 24" shilen barreled ruger m77 tang saftey shooting the same hole at 100 yards 200 grain hornady interlock 46.6 grains of IMR 4064 at around 2550-2600 fps deer and hogs drop in there tracks Bullet Drop at 200 yards in my rifle with this load is around 3"

 

[Mike Leonard]

Craig Boddington in his book Safari Rifles reported that Jay Mellon acquired a 358 Winchester in a model 99 Savage and thought it would be a nifty little rifle to pack around in the bush. Evidently it let him down and he gave up on it. I do not think the round let him down more likely the rear locking action of the 99.

I love Model 99's and in our family we have quite a number of them ranging from a lovely deluxe half octagon barreled 30-30 made around the start of the last century. With it's Marble tang sight it will still turn in good performance today and although too rare and pretty to bang around in the woods I have used it to collect a few mule deer. With 300's and 308" I have a super nice 99 in 284 Winchester and it shoots extremely well. With my handloads of Reloader 17 and 140 Gr. Accubond Bullet it is an excellent deer rifle and also collect a fine fat cow elk a few weeks ago with one shot.

Although not an experienced African hunter I do spend a good deal of time with friends who have made many hunts there and some of them are serious gun cranks as well. It seems like it is in our nature when using a round that might be potentially marginal in an area where we could encounter some very hardy animals to try to tweak the most out of a cartridge. Here is the fatal flaw of the 99. Pressure it up and turn that African sun on high and you can be left standing with a bolt over-ride that leaves your rifle inoperable. And that would be a shame especially if you have a very fine trophy hit or moving where you could get another shot.

I love lever guns and have a bunch of them and my custom Winchester Model 95 30-06 is one of my favorites but I would never consider taking it on safari.

A nice 358, 350 Remington Magnum, 35 Whelen or 358 Norma in a good strong bolt action rifle will all make a fine plains game rifle. Here you are getting into the holy grail of the mediums and time and memorial has proven the queen 375 in standard loading is enough but not too much but it has sent home more African trophies with less hardship than any other caliber. For the budget minded Ruger and even Mossberg put out a good solid dependable and affordable rifle in 375 Ruger.

If I were spending all the money to go abroad and do some shooting I would save the experimentation for back 40 and go with a tried and true product.

JMHO

 

[Kevin Davenport]

As of this date I have taken whitetail, elk, and moose with both my .300 savage and .358 winn in Savage 99s. I'm not to worried about temperature as the places that I hunt in my home state of Texas average 100° in the summer, the temperature in South Africa where I would hunt is comparable

 

[Rick Cox]

Some great information in theses answers! I had a .358 Win years ago in a model '88 Win. Shot a few black bear and a few moose with it. It always seemed to hammer the animals, and was the main reason I finally acquired a 35 Whelen that I used in Namibia last year to great effect hunting Plains Game. (See my avatar). Here is a shot of a nice moose taken with the .358 model 88 Win at about 100 yards. Hit in the neck, it dropped in its tracks.

 

[Cousin Bongo]

I've hunted with the .358 Winchester a fair amount (Alaska/lower 48, and RSA) and, with it, have taken game from impala and bushbuck to zebra in size from spitting distance (warthog) out to just over 300 yards (zebra). I started with the original 225 grain X-Bullet right at 2500 fps, but now use the 200 grain TTSX at about 100 fps more. The .358 Winchester is an excellent cartridge and is quite suitable for plains game. However, ammo can be an issue - especially overseas - and is usually not just on the shelf. (I handload.)

My .358 Winchester:

 

[Rick Cox]

I've hunted with the .358 Winchester a fair amount (Alaska/lower 48, and RSA) and, with it, have taken game from impala and bushbuck to zebra in size from spitting distance (warthog) out to just over 300 yards (zebra). I started with the original 225 grain X-Bullet right at 2500 fps, but now use the 200 grain TTSX at about 100 fps more. The .358 Winchester is an excellent cartridge and is quite suitable for plains game. However, ammo can be an issue - especially overseas - and is usually not just on the shelf. (I handload.)

My .358 Winchester:

interesting looking rifle. Mind if I ask what the make and model is?

 

[ZG47]

I've hunted with the .358 Winchester a fair amount (Alaska/lower 48, and RSA) and, with it, have taken game from impala and bushbuck to zebra in size from spitting distance (warthog) out to just over 300 yards (zebra). I started with the original 225 grain X-Bullet right at 2500 fps, but now use the 200 grain TTSX at about 100 fps more. The .358 Winchester is an excellent cartridge and is quite suitable for plains game. However, ammo can be an issue - especially overseas - and is usually not just on the shelf. (I handload.)

My .358 Winchester:

@Cousin Bongo Nice looking rifle. Good practical choice for a hunting action.

 

[Cousin Bongo]

It's a custom rifle I built up many years ago with the foundation being a French MAS 36 action (customized), Douglas .358 barrel, and Bastogne Walnut stock. It's featured in the April 2016 issue of ManMagnum magazine (page 48).

CB

 

[Rule 303]

Cousin Bongo that is the best looking MAS 36 I have ever seen and in a damned good calibre too.

 

[George B Pylant]

Don't know for sure if what I was told by a old gunsmith is true or not but he told me that the 358 win and the 8.8x51 are the same cartridge and are interchangeable (I will say this again I don't know if it is true or not) but if it is true it might help a hunter find ammo in a place that the 358 win is not available

 

[7x57Joe]

I've had a bit of experience with the .358 since 1977 in Savage 99, BLR, and still have a M.70 rebarreled to that chambering. I've taken game from the size of coyotes to elk with 225 Sierra or 250 Speer bullets running them 2518 and 2353 fps respectively. Never had to take a shot beyond 225 yards but, would not hesitate at twice that distance.
The real fun with the .358 is with cast bullets!

 

[Mike Leonard]

7x57Joe,

How did the 225 Sierra do on elk? This is a beautiful bullet and should be one of the best if you have to stretch out a bit on a shot. I tried these in my 358 Norma on elk but I was running them out of it pretty fast and although it killed them quick it really tore up a lot along the way. My thinking at 358 Winchester velocities it should perform much better holding together.
After visiting about the cartridge again I went ahead and picked up a Ruger Hawkeye in the caliber. Although I generally reach for .375 for game over 500 pounds my wife thought she might like to put a little bigger hole in them than her .308 and this might be the answer.

She has done well with the 308 and killed some impressive trophies and she can really shoot and has a cool head. Last season she was guiding a group of sportsman and had to do some extensive tracking to come up with some of the animals that were hit around the fringe, and she said I sure wish they would have been using something bigger not so much that they kill all that much better with a proper shot but they do make for a better blood trail to follow in most cases. Following a winged elk that is only dripping tiny specks of blood from and entrance hole that tries to close off thru thick timber can be tough. A big exit hole can change this picture dramatically.
I smacked one big fellow with a 270 Gr. Hornady from my .375 and although he only went 15 yards. She looked at the blood trail and said I believe Ray Charles could have trailed that one up. LOL!

 

[7x57Joe]

Mike, I have only use the 250 Speer on elk but, it would not concern me to use the 225 Sierra. Speaking of blood trails, they are very brief 10 to 30 yards in my experience and resembles someone splashing blood from a bucket on both sides.
The 225 is spectacular on deer leaving a jet of blood at the point of impact. Again a very short trailing job.

 

[Mike Leonard]

7x57Joe,

Excellent information, thanks!
I have a friend who owns a bullet making business and he has done extensive testing with the 358, and it really talks with cast bullets. He also has used the Speer 220 Gr. on deer and elk with excellent results. Midway has some excellent pricing right now on this bullet, and the Speer 235 for .375

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

New article on ChuckHawks on the 358: http://www.chuckhawks.com/358_long_ranger.html

 

[Shootist43]

I have a Winchester Mod. 71 that was built in 1936. While not a Win 358 it is a Win 348 which according to Winchester is ballistically equal. What is not to like about a 220 Gr bullet at 2475 fps. I'd use it on PG in a heartbeat.

 

[bilmcc]

My BLR in 358 Win has become my primary black bear rifle. I am using 225gr Nosler Accubond and carrying 250gr Nosler Partitions. Loads by Hendershot. 225s are very accurate. NPs not quite as good. I have yet to blood it, but it is a very comfortable carry.

 

[curtism1234]

My BLR in 358 Win has become my primary black bear rifle. I am using 225gr Nosler Accubond and carrying 250gr Nosler Partitions. Loads by Hendershot. 225s are very accurate. NPs not quite as good. I have yet to blood it, but it is a very comfortable carry.

My 308 BLR has a 2.5-8x36 on it. I think the whole setup weighs just a smidge over 7 pounds. Which also happened to be the trigger weight

 

[7x57Joe]

In my post above, #31, I stated I had never had to take a shot beyond 225 yards. That was a typo error. Corrected it should read 125 yards instead of 225. Terrible sorry for not proof reading and arthritic fingers.

 

[ZG47]

In my post above, #31, I stated I had never had to take a shot beyond 225 yards. That was a typo error. Corrected it should read 125 yards instead of 225. Terrible sorry for not proof reading and arthritic fingers.

Or, like I am now, you are lying back on the couch with a glass of whiskey (usually whisky but tonight I am drinking Tullamore Dew) by your side, as you type?