358 Winchester

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Cousin Bongo
Nice looking bang stick mate, love the timber.
To me the 35caliber is the ducks guts. Used my Whelan in Namibia just a bit more of a good thing.

 

[7x57Joe]

Cousin Bongo, That is undoubtedly the finest looking MAS 36 I have ever seen! I have seen it somewhere before but I don't remember where. What is the barrel length and how much does it weigh? Thanks and do you know if your article can be found on the net? Many thanks

 

[Cousin Bongo]

Cousin Bongo, That is undoubtedly the finest looking MAS 36 I have ever seen! I have seen it somewhere before but I don't remember where. What is the barrel length and how much does it weigh? Thanks and do you know if your article can be found on the net? Many thanks

Barrel length is 20" and it weighs right at 8 lbs. - a bit heavy but it balances nicely.

I don't know if the article can be found on the net.

CB

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Preface: I'm assuming you're talking 358 Winchester and not 358 Norma Magnum.

Yes, I have experience with the 358 Winchester in Africa on game. I've taken a dozen or so "plains game" with it ranging from bushbuck at about 10 yards to zebra right at 300 - most all were one shot DRT except a warthog at about 30 yards who refused to believe it (required a second, but unnecessary, shot). I used 225 Barnes X at 2405 fps across the chronograph the first hunt, but switched to 200 grain TTSX for all-around use now. Have not had any i@ssue with the Barnes X 200 and 225 grain .358" bullets not expanding even at 300 yards. I wrote an article about a MAS 36 I converted into a 358 Winchester sporting rifle that appeared in the April 2016 issue of ManMAGNUM magazine. The 358 Winchester is an excellent cartridge for African "plains game" out to 400 yards or so (don't believe the garbage about it being a "medium range" cartridge), but ammo re-supply is nonexistent in most all countries in Africa.

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@Cousin Bongo.
Man that is one beautiful MAS the baby Whelen (358) is on little cartridge that punches well above it's weight.i think it's the best mod of the 308 case ever. A real hunters rifle.
Bob

 

[RayAtkinson]

In the LImpopo you might run into a mad Lion, Hippo, buffalo or elephant thats on the prod while hunting PG, might be better off with at least a 338 or 375..as for PG the 358 would sure work..

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@tarbe That in my head conversation will always go on before a safari, I just don't have a 358 WIN to enter the conversation. The current one is 9.3x74 Double or bolt in 9.3x62, 375 H&H, 416 rigby?????? But life is good when we have those tough questions to ask ourselves

@AZDAVE
The beauty of not having a big choice nowdays is great.
Open the safe, grab the Whelen and go hunt. Simples. No headaches plus more relaxed.
K.I.S.S
BOB

 

[WAB]

@AZDAVE
The beauty of not having a big choice nowdays is great.
Open the safe, grab the Whelen and go hunt. Simples. No headaches plus more relaxed.
K.I.S.S
BOB

You’re nothing if not predictable Bob!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

You’re nothing if not predictable Bob!

@WAB
If'n I can't kill what I want with my choice of rifles it can live. Put a 225grain woodleigh hydrostatic stabilized projectile in the Woodleigh and it will even take Edging a pinch.
Bob

 

[AZDAVE]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen The 35 whelen is a great round, I had a 35 Whelen AI for a while but it never grew on me. I gave it to a nephew and it is his do all gun in Alaska. For me the planning process and what rifle to bring is always the fun part, as I take several to the range many times and just have fun. I am currently building a 400 whelen to add to my what to take.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen The 35 whelen is a great round, I had a 35 Whelen AI for a while but it never grew on me. I gave it to a nephew and it is his do all gun in Alaska. For me the planning process and what rifle to bring is always the fun part, as I take several to the range many times and just have fun. I am currently building a 400 whelen to add to my what to take.

@AZDAVE
Yes it is fun taking a few rifles to the range and having fun, I still do that but have 3 main hunting rifles and usually take two bush because of old mate Murphy's law.
All the best on the 400 it was one I had in mind but didn't need that much oomph. There are a lot of great reads on this forum about the 400 Whelen. I think @CoElkHunter may have one but I could be wrong.
Bob

 

[Forrest Halley]

@Cousin Bongo that is the most beautiful rebirth of an ugly rifle I have ever seen. It's like you took the most aesthetically displeasing part and buffed it into a jewel. I am impressed. Tell us more about this rifle please.

 

[Cousin Bongo]

@Cousin Bongo that is the most beautiful rebirth of an ugly rifle I have ever seen. It's like you took the most aesthetically displeasing part and buffed it into a jewel. I am impressed. Tell us more about this rifle please.

Sure. I've attached a .pdf complete with a few pictures that tells the story (condensed version) for those interested.

CB

 

[7x57Joe]

Really enjoyed the write up, Thanks!
A friend was telling me a week ago how he liked to shoot his still in full military dress but, the Rangemaster always made fun of it because it was so ugly. I told him I had seen pictures of one that looked rather fantastic.

 

[RayAtkinson]

It should be a decent 300 yard rifle withthe right bullets..Hold top of back at 300 and you should make a good shoulder shot...Not my choice but its your hunt and your paying the bills so do it.

 

[MS 9x56]

Steyr made Mannlicher -Schönauers and Steyr-Mannlichers in .358 Winchester ....but always a few only, I think.

My very personal .358 Winchester has a something different history.

It was born as a .308 Winchester, 300m match rifle, Stey called it the "Jagd Match".

I used it for target shooting for years and several thousand rounds.

Sometime, the barrel was worn out, or I thought it was, and I decided to make something else from it.

I went to Ferlach/Austria, and they shortend the 26" barrel to 20", they cut a .358 Winchester chamber and it got a new .358 rifling.

Little adjustments in the magazine, and iron sights mounted and my .358 Winchester hunting rifle was born.

225 Sierra Game King and 250 gr Speer Spitzer were my loads for hunting roe, deer and pigs in northern bavarian forests....

Not it is "retired", because i got new hunting grounds in the mountains....

Sometimes I think, it would not be bad in Africa either... but there are other toys


HWL

I thought that looked like a target rifle stock. I bet it shoots nice groups. I Have a BLR take down in 358 that when I bought it had a 9 lb trigger pull. Even with that it shot 1.5 to 2 inch groups at 100 yards. I took it to Neil Jones who worked the trigger down to 3lbs. I can now get .75 to 1.25" groups with hand loads. What kind of groups do you get with the Steyr?

 

[HWL]

I thought that looked like a target rifle stock. I bet it shoots nice groups. I Have a BLR take down in 358 that when I bought it had a 9 lb trigger pull. Even with that it shot 1.5 to 2 inch groups at 100 yards. I took it to Neil Jones who worked the trigger down to 3lbs. I can now get .75 to 1.25" groups with hand loads. What kind of groups do you get with the Steyr?

2 ", five shot, 100 m, sometimes a bit better, depending on bullet used..... and me.

225 gr Sierra works great,... but it also eats Hornadys, Speers, Noslers and so on.

HWL

 

[MS 9x56]

One of the best attribute of the 358 caliber is it does not seem fussy as to bullets or powders. That is not to infer they don't have their favorites just that they will shoot most acceptably well for on game accuracy. I have had no game lost from wounded animals getting away, with calibers including 35 Remington, 358 Winchester, 9x56 MS, and 35 Whelen. But I would not presume to offer an opinion on African game as I have no experience there. Good hunting.