I wanted to try a long throated 350 Rem. Just to see what it would do with the bullets seated out where they wouldn't rob valuable powder space. I was very interested in working with the 225 gr Nosler BT as well as various 250 gr bullets. Yes I would give up a little "handiness" of the short action rifles the 350 is normally chambered in such as the Rem 700 or the Ruger 77.I like a good mauser 98 so I used an early WWII 98 with german proof marks. I installed a 24 inch McGowen barrel with the throat long enough to chamber the 225 Nosler with the bullet seated even with the base of the neck. A little work on the feed rails to get it feeding proper .I've just started shooting some test loads with 4320, RL15,W748 and even 4350 with the 250 gr bullets. The test loads I've shot so far have just been to determine where max loads are for each powder and bullet combination. The 4320 loads with the 225 gr bullet have been producing some promising groups.RL 15 is also good with the 225gr. IMR 4350 is working good with the 250 gr Speer. I've worked up to 64 grs of 4350 with no signs of excessive pressure. Hopefully the next trip to the range will include shooting 3 shot groups of various loads to determine best groups and to chronogragh those loads. This is going to be a good summer.

I remember seeing a test published over here on a Rem700 Classic (long action) which outpaced the Whelen by about 100fps. The long magazine should enable you to use the Woodleigh 310gr a bit easier too.
Cheers...
Con

I am thinking of building a 350 rem on a montana 1999 short action. Magazine length is 3.125" and I'm hoping that will make some difference.

If you could post your velocities and col's that would be a great help!

Jeff Cooper had a scout rifle prototype chambered in what he took to calling the .360 Remington: it was a Sako IIRC, and John Gannaway built him some loads with 250 gr Swift A-Frames seated as you describe.

I don't have any numbers but Jeff used it on his lion.

Recently John Barsness and Sisk built a couple of 9.3 Barsness-Sisk rifles using the .350 Rem cartridge case as the base. They wanted to duplicate 9.3X62 ballistics in a shorter case.

jim

Snowman is up to 64 grains, thats 376Styer teritory?
A GScustomHV220gn would do that long throated 350 justice.You would have a versatile thumper for a variety of ranges and game with just one bullet.

I don't know about current production .350's but the M700 Classic I had and the M600 I have will both chamber the 225 grain Nosler Petition bullets seated seated so that the end of the bullet shank where it tapers into the boat-tail is at the bottom of the neck of the case....I just can't get a round so loaded into the case.

There was an article in HANDLOADER Magazine about 10 yeras ago about seating bullets in the .350 this exact same way. It proved to be the the most accurate way of seating a bullet. Since then I have adopted that way of seating bullets whenever possible and have gotten excellent results in .308 and .223.

As I recall reading many years ago, Remington cut the chambers of the .350 with a lot of freebore like Weatherby does with their chambers because the bullet is seated so deeply in the case it reduced initial pressure. Rather than running right into the rifling upon firing the bullet base gets up into the neck of the case before the bullet hits the rifling.

I have been getting very good velocity and accuracy using WW748 and Winchester LRP. My standard load is 60 grains with the 225 Nosler bullet seated to 2.790". Velocity from the 22" Classic barrel was 2660 and groups ran .75 MOA. I went up to 61 or 62 grains with no pressure signs and a velocity in the mid 2700s but recoil was less than pleasant so the load was standardized at 60 grains and great accuracy. Have not had the chance to chrono the load from the M600 yet.

Bob

If you're going to go with a std length magnum action, why not just go with a 358 Norma?

I've tried to make std capacity cartridges into magnums, ie 35 whelen ackley, and they only way you do that is running high pressures. Long loading a 350 rem mag will at most get you 50 fps, a 358 Norma will get you 200 fps.

The 350 rem mag is a great round in a short action, but doesn't make much sense on a full length action.

Paul I tried to explain "why" in my initial post. I wanted to see what I could get out of the 350 case with the bullets seated out. The other reason I didn't go to a 358 Norma is because I already have one. Perhaps we should have asked winchester why didn't they make their WSM cases 2.5 inches long because their rifles were not a true "short action" as was the Rem Saum. Unfortunantly we had 7 straight days of rain that made it impossible to get to the range. Hopefully I'll get back there tonight.

Yeah, I've often thought in a 3.1" action (Ruger, Winchester, hell even a Yugo) a long 350 would be all the whelen is plus. Actually more interested in the 6.5mm version, but same idea.

Slowhand COL of the 225 gr Ballistic Tip is 3 7/32 " or 3.218". I'm up to 62 grs of W748 with the 225 and haven't reached max. Monitoring case head expansion and watching for pressure signs on the primers. The COL of the 250 gr Speers is just a little shorter. IMR 4320 and RL 15 and 748 all have groups around 2 1/2 inches @ 200 yds with the 225 BT. I haven't done any chronographing yet.

Thanks for the info!

I'm starting to see the light now. A montana action and the 350 rem would be a perfect match.

While it may not be able to milk all the power possible out of the 350 case, it would make a noticable difference.

Made it back to the range again with some more test loads.Rem cases CCI 250 primers Nosler 225 gr BT, W748 powder. Max in this rifle is about 64 grs. 748 is providing the best groups with near max loads. RL 15 is also good using WLR primers. 61 grs is about max with the 225 BT. IMR 4320 groups are not as tight as the 748 or the RL15 so I will stop testing with this bullet. Best groups at this time with the BT are around 2 inches @ 200 yds. I would like better. May try the TSX bullet next. Rain chased me home from the range so I never finished all the 225 groups or any of the 250 gr loads I had.

Finally made it back to the range. Somewhat disappointed with the groups the 225 gr Nosler BT bullets are producing. W748 produces the most consistant groups. 3 shot groups @ 200 yds consistantly in the 2 1/2 incg range with a few groups right around 2 inches. RL 15 groups were a little larger and in the 3 in range. 4320 opened the groups up a little more than RL15. This bullet just doesn't seem to like my barrel.The 250 gr Speer spitzer was a pleasant surprize. Max loads of 66 grs of IMR 4350 were as good as any of the better nosler loads and 64 grs of 4350 will produce consistant 1 1/2 inch groups @ 200yds.I have some 225 gr Barnes TSX's ordered and hope to try them in the next week or so. In the meantime I will drag out the chronograph and get some velocities on the 250 gr loads with 4350.

snowman, dont forget to try IMR 4895. I file the noses off 250 grn speers to seat them out a bit in my 700 classic. 2610 fps average with them that way, with the long throat of the remington. cases last and last. The rifle never shot better the 1-1/4 to 1 1/2" anyway, the nose fileing didnt change it at all.

The 225 Barnes TSX bullets arrived. I loaded up some test loads with W760, 4320 and W748 powders. The first four shots (one each of 63 thru 66 grs) all went into 2 inchs. The 4320 and 748 loads were even better.Looks like I just found the bullet I will be using.