I am loading for a .358 Winchester. I like the idea of using 225 grain bullets in this caliber. Which bullet would be best for deer (heavy deer; this is Maine), the Sierra Game King or the Nosler Ballistic Tip?

Also, the Nosler Ballistic Tips are labeled 35 Whelen. Is there any reason they can't be used in a .358??

I understand that the Ballistic Tip is so long that when it's seated to the max length in the .358 Win it is pushed back into the case too far to grip the bullet. Now I have not tried them because of what I read. If some maganzine box and throat is long then of course it would fit.

My favorite deer bullet in the .358 Win is the 180 gr Speer Flat Pt. I have shot bucks in Maine and they go right down when that bullet hits them. I shot a buck in Vt last fall with that load and it took only one shot. That buck dressed at 190 lbs.

If you must play with 225 gr bullets buy both the Sierra 225 and the Nosler 225 Partitions. Practice with the Sierras and hunt with the Partitions.

I have three .358 Win rifles and have shot game with them since 1966.

Pat, I'd also go with the shorter of those two. They both have to be seated quite deep to get enough neck tension.

As an aside, why 225 gr? The 200 gr. Hornady would be just the ticket, IMO. I use it at 2500 fps from my Whelen, and performance is flawless. FWIW, Dutch.

Pat,
Try the 220 gr Speer flat point. A beefier 180gr FP, cheap too.

The 225 Nosler Partition sure puts Deer on the ground in a hurry.

another vote for the 225 partition. if you just want to shoot for fun then i vote for the 200 horny sp's. accurate and cheap. will kill a deer or such as good as a partition but that's why they make trucks in all colors. to each his own. i like the partitions.
shot my buck this year at 125 yards with one. 350 mag and 225's. end to end[facing away]. looked like a phone pole went through him. he was very dead.
woofer

Thnaks all for info. so far. The rifle is an old Rem 760 Carbine that was originally a .35 Rem. It has since been rechambered and had the bolt face opened up (I think) to accept .358 win.. I have been using a Ruger #1 in .375HH. No complaints; I love the gun and caliber (no such thing as over-kill), but it is VERY heavy after a full day in the swamp. Also, it is so pretty, I hate to use it in the rain and snow.
So I picked up this 760 for not much $$. Short barreled, peep sights, light, junky stock; perfect.
Thinking about the twist; since it was originally intended for .35 Rem, the twist rate may be a bit slow for the heavier bullet (225). I will try some and see. Factory winchester ammo (200 gr) shot very well, but is VERY expensive.

try a box of hornady sp's in 200. you will be very pleased...........
woofer

Pat McD,
There isn't a deer in the world that a 180 grain bullet from a properly loaded 358 Winchester won't drop in it's tracks with proper placement. That being said, I like the Nosler bullets for hunting large or dangerous game. They have never failed on large or tough game animals but Sierra makes a fine hunting bullet that is every bit as accurate as the Nosler. I have doubts as to the ability of one over the other when hunting deer. Find out which one shoots best in your weapon and use it.

PaulS

I've tried 4 different bullets in my 358 and finally settled on the Hornady 200gr. SP Interlock.
I've tried Sierra 225gr. Spitzer, and Speer 220gr and 180gr. Flat Nose.
To me the 200 gr. bullet is about perfect in that caliber, good range, lots of umph. when it hits.

I have used them a lot and last summer tried every possible load and bullet I could come up with. For deer use the .200 hornady anything bigger use the .250 speer. I shot a lot of .220,s and 180's and .225 last summer and while accuracy was good and vel decent 2450 The sierra is a little tough for deer but kills the heck out of everything else. Look in the 5th edition of the speer reloading manual under .358 win and there is a picture of me with a nice bear. The picture doesn't do justice to the bear, it was platnum blond 500 lbs and made the record book. But I shoot most with the .250 speer only recovered one bullet ! You do not need a premium bullet for the vel. you get from a .358 As too the 200 hornady I've shot several truck loads of deer with it out to 300 yds it always works. I don't know what kind of rifle you are using but I shoot a BLR81 a Win 88 and a Ruger 77 with 22" shieln bbl.

I use the Nosler Ballistic tip in my 358 Winchester with great results. It shoots MOA if I do my part and has a velocity of 2400 fps (chronographed). I've killed two deer with it. Then again, I've only shot at two deer with it. I have a lot of other deer rifles. The bullet is deep in the case but isn't a problem. I've also used the 225 Sierra's.

Bob257