Just got my 358 together and to the range.

Getting some great accuracy with initial test loads. Using RL-16.

However, looks like the Norma Oryx 250 grs are hard to get. I can easily get more 275 gr Woodleighs.

I'm getting 2,710 fps on the 275 grs and 2,820 fps on the 275 gr.

Ballistics wise, the 275 gr drops a tad bit more than the 250 gr (not much), but carries more energy down range at every distance due to a higher BC (.340 for the 250 gr vs .450 for the 275 gr).

I still need to test the 250 gr Partitions (they have a BC of .450 as well).

Question:
Any reason not to focus on the 275 gr?

Choices:
Stick with the 250 gr regardless
Go with the Woodleigh 275 gr and don't look back
Test the Partition 250 gr and if it offers a clear advantage to the 275 gr, go with it.

 

There was a famous Swedish or Norwegian hunter who killed everything from Tigers to Cape Buffalo with a 358 Norma.

What kind of rifle did you build?

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
There was a famous Swedish or Norwegian hunter who killed everything from Tigers to Cape Buffalo with a 358 Norma.

What kind of rifle did you build?

Rebarreled an old L61R with a Lilja Sako profile barrel, but in 26". Replicated the stock and scoped with a new Leupold gloss scope. Looks old school.

I hunt with the 250 Partition at 2600' out of my Whelen AI, and it is mighty deadly. The additional 100-200 fps out of a 358 Norma would only make it more so.

quote:

Originally posted by whelenite:
I hunt with the 250 Partition at 2600' out of my Whelen AI, and it is mighty deadly. The additional 100-200 fps out of a 358 Norma would only make it more so.

My daughter's Whelen shoots a 225 gr TSX at 2,625 fps. Was deadly in Namibia, even out to 330+ yards.

310gr Woodleigh (0.458 bc) loaded in my 350 Rem Mag (long action Rem 798 increased OAL 24" 1:12 barrel) at 2500 fps muzzle speed.

quote:

Originally posted by 4sixteen:
310gr Woodleigh (0.458 bc) loaded in my 350 Rem Mag (long action increased OAL 24" 1:12 barrel) at 2500 fps muzzle speed.

What OAL are you running? I have a 350 Rem Mag on a 600.Anything past 2.8" is tight.

Rifle Pics here

Rifle Pics

I am a firm believer in 275 grain bullets in the big cased 358s. For 90 percent of shooting, I do not think it makes a difference.

My 358 STA is being built around 275 Weldcore protected point.

310gr 350 Rem Mag OAL = 81mm / 3.19". About 2750 fps muzzle speed with 250gr SAF good results on big Bull Elk.

I have a 35 Whelen, 358 Norma & 358 STA.

My use for this caliber is Heavy bullets, so I shoot 250NP & 280SAF in my Whelen, and have taken Elk and Moose with those two bullet weights respectively.

I haven't hunted with my Norma or STA yet, but I will shoot only 280 gr. in the Norma, and probably the 280 & 310 gr. in the STA.

My wife has taken a couple of Elk with her 35 Whelen, using the 225 gr. TBBC bullet. She likes that round for the reduced recoil. For me, the Norma & STA's utility is for the heaviest 358 bullets. YMMV.

What are you planning on using this rifle for? I like heavy bullets also, are you building a Bear Buster?

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
What are you planning on using this rifle for? I like heavy bullets also, are you building a Bear Buster?

Bear/Moose/Elk/African game. Killed enough of those with my 375, 7 mm Mag, and 30 WBY.

I just run the 275s, other woolieighs are running too fast to handle close impact and others I tried did not hold accuracy at speeds that were down range improvment.

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
I just run the 275s, other woolieighs are running too fast to handle close impact and others I tried did not hold accuracy at speeds that were down range improvment.

And I'm having heck with the 250 gr Partitions - just out my thread on this: http://forums.accuratereloadin...2511043/m/2141068362

Have you tried the Swift A-Frame 280 grain? Good luck finding them right now! I decided to stick with the traditional 225 grain bullet in my 350 Rigby, it had a great reputation with them. I figured if I needed more bullet weight that I would just step up to my .375. Good Luck!

Austin,

Congrats on the new rifle. It certainly does look Old School. You must also be a tall guy as the stock seems to go on for ever.

As for bullets I think it's always fun to mess around with heavy and light bullets but there is no better bullet for rifles in the 338-358 class than the 250 NP. I have taken loads of game with it and never found it lacking on penetration of tissue destruction. If you hit a big animal in the lungs with that 250 NP at 2800 fps the chest cavity will be blood soup and you'll get an exit. The Nosler Partition is Old School like your rifle but as effective as it ever was and equal or better than any new bullet out there.

Mark

I didn't vote, it would make little difference which combo you used it produce the same results with that great caliber...

I would use the bullet that fit the animal I was hunting, Big Alaskan bears, Cape Buffalo, Hippo would be the 275 or 310s as mentioned..For elk and Moose the 250 Nosler..Deer would be a 225 or lighter bullet, and hope I had a gun that would shoot all loads to the same POI..Some will, most will not..

A one gun hunter I am not, I like to try them all and with all their loads, thats part of my DNA I suppose, IM a bullet digger..

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I didn't vote, it would make little difference which combo you used it produce the same results with that great caliber...

I would use the bullet that fit the animal I was hunting, Big Alaskan bears, Cape Buffalo, Hippo would be the 275 or 310s as mentioned..For elk and Moose the 250 Nosler..Deer would be a 225 or lighter bullet, and hope I had a gun that would shoot all loads to the same POI..Some will, most will not..

A one gun hunter I am not, I like to try them all and with all their loads, thats part of my DNA I suppose, IM a bullet digger..

My daughter's 35 Whelen has about the same POI for the 225 gr, 250 gr, and 275 gr loads I developed.

I shoot the .358 Norma and have used the 225-grain Barnes-X with good results on Caribou and the 250-grain Nosler partition for elk. See what shoots best in your rifle and go with that. For anything less than moose, I doubt that there is enough terminal difference to tell the 250-grain and 275-grain bullet apart.

quote:

Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:
I shoot the .358 Norma and have used the 225-grain Barnes-X with good results on Caribou and the 250-grain Nosler partition for elk. See what shoots best in your rifle and go with that. For anything less than moose, I doubt that there is enough terminal difference to tell the 250-grain and 275-grain bullet apart.

I tried the 225 gr TSX they were pretty good - same FPS/POI was the 250 gr Oryx with 2 grs less powder (long bullet!!!). They are excellent in my 35 Whelen. I wish Barnes made a TSX in 250 gr .358

Barnes use to offer 250gr X it was the bullet of choice in my 35 Whelen.

I don’t think you will find anything this side of the pond that the 225tsx won’t smack down. The old 225X was an unbelievable hammer in the Whelen. My old non standard chamber drove them at 2821 FPS. The Norma version might be able to get more out of a 250tsx if we had one.
I get the heavy bullet siren call though. I shot 275 and 300’s in my 338 wm though cup and core or solids.

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
What are you planning on using this rifle for? I like heavy bullets also, are you building a Bear Buster?

Thank you! I've been wondering how anyone could answer the OP's question without this.

And what range the OP considers to be "maximum" for whatever game he's planning on hunting.

quote:

OP:
Bear/Moose/Elk/African game. Killed enough of those with my 375, 7 mm Mag, and 30 WBY.

I don't know what "African game" that might be, but my totally uninformed opinion (I've never hunted African game) I'd pick whatever was most accurate . . . though when hunting very large animals one enjoys a large "margin of error."

quote:

I would use the bullet that fit the animal I was hunting, Big Alaskan bears, Cape Buffalo, Hippo would be the 275 or 310s as mentioned..For elk and Moose the 250 Nosler..Deer would be a 225 or lighter bullet, and hope I had a gun that would shoot all loads to the same POI..Some will, most will not..

Words of wisdom.

Answering a few questions above:

1) Yes, the TSX is a hammer in my daughter's Whelen. I actually ran a little longer throat than spec so I could seat at 3.320 with a crimp into the pressure grove and 0.030 off the lands. Makes a single, quarter sized ragged hole. She had fantastic performance in Namibia on Springbuck up to Kudu/Gemsbok; up to 330 yards. All clean one shot kills except for a second shot on a springbok at 330 yards (the bullets zipped thru it). I think the 35 Whelen is the best unsung BIG game cartridge for NA and African PG. I've ran 308 Win, 300 RUM, 8x57, 375 H&H, and 404J in Africa over the years. And the Whelen is on a 1917, 6 rounds down.

2) I intend to keep the .358 Norma to 500 yards or less, preferably 400 yards or less. My goal is basically the same utility as the 35W with more range.

This is really helpful to me as I have an FN Mauser 358 Norma Mag headed my way. For North America, 225/250gr options should cover almost all hunts with authority. 275/286gr options might have an edge with Elk and big bears though that is unlikely for me.

Here's another vote for the 225 grain bullets. I use nosler partition and accubonds in my 358 Norma. I never could get decent accuracy with the 250 grain bullets, but the 225's stabilized great. Just a little flatter and faster, with no noticeable loss of power. Has worked great for elk, moose, deer and bear.

The best bullet for my .358 STA's is the 270 grain Northfork. I see no reason it wouldn't be for the Norma. Most important is to shoot them all and choose what is most accurate in your rifle. Most rifles if shot enough will tell you what it likes. Good Shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by phurley5:
The best bullet for my .358 STA's is the 270 grain Northfork. I see no reason it wouldn't be for the Norma. Most important is to shoot them all and choose what is most accurate in your rifle. Most rifles if shot enough will tell you what it likes. Good Shooting.

The key is getting those NF bullets!!! I use them in my 404J and 458 WM; and load in my buddies 270 WIN, but I'm down to my last bullets They 250 grs shot great in my daughter's 35W

I have a box of Swift .358 Cal. 280 gr bullets (50) that I could sell if you are interested.

if your rifle likes 250 grain nosler partitions I would just shoot those! There's nothing in North American and the non-dangerous game of Africa that if you shoot with it won't go down as if struck by the hammer of Thor!

quote:

Originally posted by 460 wby shooter:
if your rifle likes 250 grain nosler partitions I would just shoot those! There's nothing in North American and the non-dangerous game of Africa that if you shoot with it won't go down as if struck by the hammer of Thor!

Going this weekend to test!