I have two Browning Blr's in .358 win. I only have one bolt gun a Rugar 77 in .243. I'm supposed to have it rebarreled Monday to .358 with a 22"bbl not sure I want to give up my .243 for a third .358 Only reason was to get a little more vel from the .358 But, I only use my .358 for bear over bait and it has never failed me (31 bears to date) some times I need to chamber another round quickly but seldom use.

So should I just keep what I have and forget the barrel job and just try to continue to develp some good faster loads for my little blr's

man... I am a huge 358 fan... do it, but get it 24"... you never look back
jeffe

Hi,
Do what you want, it will all work. I don't know why you are worried about the velocity of those Brownings when you have killed 31 bears with them. Maybe go with a .308 or .284 or something like that; will still kill every bear in the woods, yet allows you to do a little better longer range if you ever need to for deer hunting or something. Might as well do what is the most fun, 'cause most of this gun fiddling does not make a whole lot of sense!

If the .243 is even halfway accurate, I wouldn't bother. You already have a 358 that works like a charm.

Thanks for helping a new member. I believe your right. I will keep the .243 ,it literally drives naiils at 100 yds. I use 53/748/.250 speers out of my little browning for 2373fps(if my chrony isn't messed up) and I've never had to track one yet but I did have to shoot a second time in a hurry last year but it was a huge bear ! I'm just a died in the wool rifle nut and sometimes I get off on the deep end and need someone to pull me back to reality.

I don't have anything to add here except that I love to hear that there are folks out there who also love the .358 Winchester. 2373 with a speer 250 wow!

.358 Good decision. Next time you get a wild idea stick your fingers in an electrical outlet. Sometimes it will shock you back to reality....sometimes.. Tell us more about what bullets you have used on those Bear, and how they did. The 358,and medium bores in general, are some of the best hunting rounds available, but have been overlooked in the quest for high velocity.

.358, I once had a "limited-run" Ruger M77 RS in .358 W with a 19" bbl. I had a 2.5X Leupold on top... it was an absolute tack-driver.

Personally, I believe the 358 W is at its best in a carbine (like the 308 W). If I'm going to carry around a 22"(+) bbl., I'd sooner have a more powerful cartridge that can make more use of the extra bbl. length, in which case I'd always choose a 35 Whelen over its little brother. Or, a 22" bbl'd 338 WM (which is the "medium" I have and use).

If you like the 35's, why not branch-out and try something new? You have two BLR's... why not sell one, pick up a used M77 and have it rebarreled to a 35 Whelen (as one example)... then you won't be duplicating your efforts and will experience something "new."

Best Regards,

Brad

Brad's advice makes the most sense to me.

You guys give good advice. I think this summer heat has me crazy. I'm trapped in the house. I have shot 31 bears with the .358 and a couple of other cal. but the .358 seems to be the most effective. I shoot 53 grns of 748 and the .250 speer (right out of the Barnes manual and they are chronographed at 2373 not guessed. I use to shoot 44 grns of AA2015br and it is the best powder for the .358 but no longer available so I've been looking for a substitute. Every bear I have shot has gone down on the spot or only moved 15 to 35 yds. But the exit wounds are small leaving little blood trail but none is usually needed. I have only recovered one bullet but it was a very large bear and once I shot through a nice bear and killed another I didn't see ! However this Spring several hunters in camp borrowed my rifle to shoot bear and one had to track a bear nearly 100 yds which got me to doubting my combo. So, I was thinking of switch to the .220 speer bullet for better exit wounds or get a bigger gun. I've never shot a bear with the .220 speer so unless I get some imput on it's performance I will have to do some penentration tests. The Blr 81 is standard factory, equipted with a leaupold 2x7 and a heavy duplex. it could use more scope but this scopes fitds this rifle very well and doesn't impair it's handeling. Thanks for your help, Carl

It could not be more obvious to me than to use the Nosler Partition 225 grain.

At www.grafs.com they are $31.17 a box.

Good luck with those bears. It sounds like a lot of fun to me.

I really like the .358 Winchester. I have three of them with 22" bbls.

Here is data for you from Nosler #5 for the 225 Partition. Start at 45.5 gr of imr 4895= 2318 fps and max at 49.5 of imr 4895 at 2528 fps.

Use a drop tube with the .358 Win. It goes with the cartridge.

Is there anything a 243 will do for you that a 358 won't do as well or better? With 225 gr bullets @ 2500 fps, the 358 is a 250-300 yd round. I don't care how fast the 243 is loaded, it just doesn't have what I'd consider suitable power shots at longer ranges then the .358, and it certainly isn't a better choice for shots inside the range of a .358.

At the risk of offending .243 fans, all I see a .243 as good for is an action to be made into a .358.

The optimum load with the 225 gr Nosler produces 3188 FPE and a .243 can make 2100 FPE.

The ballistic coefficient for that .358 bullet is .430 and the Partition in .243 is only .384!

And when the bigger bullet gets there it's going to do more work no matter what and in fact delivers as much energy at 250 yards as any .243 can do at it's muzzle. Also a .358 bullet and a .243 bullet are not equal when they hit. The bigger bullet starts to work faster and wastes less energy expanding. Caliber counts.

[ 07-10-2002, 01:50: Message edited by: Don Martin29 ]

I get a "kick" out of some of these posts.
This man has 2-358's, and proably has only 2 hands. Now he's thinking about rebarreling a perfectly good 243 to make another 358. I think he should be looking for a doctor to transplant a third hand on him somewhere.

Well Pete when your shooting bears it seems that there is not much use for a .243 and he want's more power out of his .358.

So we answered the question.

IF I already had two .358 BLR's, I'd do something else with the .243..But, I'd get rid of the .243 barrel, because I don't like .243's much. I'd probably make it into a .338 Gibbs!! See, we're all nuts of one kind or another!

If this guy has killed 31 bears he is either baiting them or their treed by hounds. Either way the shots wouldn't be tough. Here in Idaho we can hunt them those ways, but I hunt them by calling them with a predator or glassing them up in the spring time. I've killed 2 blacks with a 6mm Rem and 1 with a 257Roberts they died just as quuickly as the ones I shot with my 270 and 7mag. Blacks don't go around in kevlar vest as some of you seem to think.
Shot em out of trees with bows to.

Well Pete the Atlantic has been crossed numerous times in 9 foot boats. We have not heard from those who tried to cross in 3 foot boats yet.

Besides we do this for fun. If it's fun for you then use what ever is legal and ethical. For me I would be happy with a .358 Win.

I don't agree with your point. You don't know what his shots are in the first place and if he hunts like I do he may take a difficult shot where a more powerful round would be more effective. Besides if dogs are used the more powerful round would mean more safety for the dogs.

There is no common sense in hunting bear with a weak cartridge.

It seems we have him headed in the right direction now. He will keep the 243 as is & as it should be if its the tack driver he says it is. I'm a fan of the 358 also and have two both pre 64 Mod 70 fwts. I like the 200gr Hornady and H4895 for Whitetails in the thick cedar swamps of MI's Upper Pennisula. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on Elk either.

Rich, I recently handled a Pre-64 M70 FWT in 358... NIB with hangtag's and everything... the price was $3,500! I believe that's a bit too steep. However, I'm envious... two pre-64's in 358... what a neat round in a great rifle!

Brad

Guys, I use the .243 as a coyote rifle or other varmits, even get a deer with it once in a while. As t o the bears, I've hunted them using every legal method. Used to hunt with dogs in Colo. but it is a young man's game. I like spot and stalk, but mostly I hunt over bait, so the shots are short. I shot one with a bow and a handgun(in Idaho), three with an o6 and two with a .308, the rest with the .358.(however I've seen them shot with just about everything) I have owned a Savage 99, win. 88 in .358 but they were sold as I needed money and now have the two blr's. They work fine with the .250 speer. I was just wondering if the .220 speer might give a better exit wound ? any loads or powder recommendations would be appreciated. I use to use AA2015br but they quit making it. I've been going to Sask or Mb. every year for the past 20 yrs and hunting over bait. I'm getting older and it's the best way for me to hunt considering my physical conditions. I've never got to hunt elk or stuff in the fall due to my job(except deer locallyand a couple of trips for antelope and mule deer) So Spring bear hunting is a big deal to me. Appreciate all your comments. Carl

.358,

In summary buy some 225 Nosler Partitions, imr 4895 and make a drop tube.

The reason for the partitions is that if the bullet hits a bone or must penetrate far because the game suddenly turned you will have a more flexible bullet that will also expand very well.

Imr 4895 produces the highest velocity in the Nosler handbook and is a very stable, consistant powder. Stay away from 2015. I got overloads with that powder.

A drop tube is a straight piece of tubing about a foot long. Hold one end of the tube in the case neck and put the powder funnel on the other end and dribble the powder in. This will get more powder into the case than any method that I know of.

Don't let anyone kid you. You already have an excellent load right now but the premium bullet will enhance that fantastic cartridge.

Also get a box of 220 Speers as you seem interested in them and you can practice with them in off season and use the same load as you use with the Partitions. It will only cost you 20 cents a shot more to sight in the Nolsers in season and then you will have the best combination.

You might even do a bullet test. I shoot into water filled 1/2 gallon paper cartons. It should take about 9 cartons to stop a Partition. You will find a nice looking expanded bullet in the last carton you look in.