The Accurate Reloading Forums
350 Rem Mag 18" Barrel Ultimate NA Game Cartridge?
11 January 2004, 07:01
LDHunter350 Rem Mag 18" Barrel Ultimate NA Game Cartridge?
I used to own a Remington 660 chambered in the shoulder and ear punishing 350 Rem Mag. It was an abomination but it killed game like they were struck by a lightening bolt.
If there ever was a "Hammer of Thor" in a North American hunting cartridge I think the 350 Rem Mag is one of the candidates.
But... Alas.... Someone coveted that rifle and 10 more of my prized long guns and relieved me of them one day and forgot to even thank me....
Now.... 17 years later I still miss that rifle although I can't imagine why. It was the first rifle I ever owned that caused me to flinch although I am now fairly immune to recoil but still don't like it. Guess I'm numb?
I'm thinking of setting up my Encore as a folding stock ultra short carbine with an 18" stainless barrel chambered in 350 Rem Mag. I'm sure I'll need to wear ear muffs and my Past shoulder pad when I fire it but I just can't get the idea out of my head.
I keep looking longingly at the ballistics of the 350 Rem Mag which will churn up monsterous killing power out of a short barrel and I just know that I have to have one.
So.... My question is... Do you people think I'm crazy? I think this would be the ultimate packable mountain hunting rifle for elk and not bad at all for wild hogs and deer in the swamps in Florida.
It ain't purty (wish I could post a picture of an identical looking carbine I already have) but I bet I've finally come upon the combination that will neatly take any North American game yet will fit in my daypack or on my shoulder even in the thick brush.
$bob$
11 January 2004, 07:21
dan belisleI now use a Mauser 98 with a 20" thin taper barrel and a minimalist classic stock in 350, Tefloned metal, Beuhler safety, 1" Decelerator pad. I used to have a 600, but it went to Alaska (as did I, but the rifle stayed, sadly). With the 98 action, I can seat bullets out where they belong, which will give me 2650 fps with 250 gr Speers or Hornadies. And yes, that is faster then my 35 Whelen (same action, 24" barrel). It's not a long range rig (good out to about 250 yards though) but as mentioned, when you hit, what you hit goes down and stays there. It is a very good, under rated cartridge. FWIW - Dan
Could the 9.3x62 be classed in the same power bracket ??
11 January 2004, 12:13
LDHunterI guess so but the reason I want the 350 Rem Mag is because it fit's nicely between my 308 and 375H&H barrel and lends itself nicely to short barrels. It's also short and fat and therefore efficient in powder usage.
$bob$
11 January 2004, 16:35
Mike_DettorreWhy waste burning all that powder in an 18" bbl. Do a 358 Win a 20 or 21 inch bbl.
11 January 2004, 18:04
GatehouseAren't they making these again???
11 January 2004, 18:43
sharps54Not that my help is needed but the reason for a short barrel is handiness. I have a 8mm Mauser that has been cut down to the size of a M1 carbine, roughly 17" barrel and shortened stock and it is a pleasure to carry around. Until you handle a light short rifle in the woods you can't appreciate them. The great thing is that with military ammunition this carbine only looses 210 fps from the full size rifle (26"?), I haven't compared handloads between the two.
Jason
11 January 2004, 20:02
Mikey BI'd go with just a touch more barrel, say 20" like Dan B. posted for a little extra, but bottom line is big, heavy bullets moving along at good velocities, and that makes for an effective rifle/cartridge combo.
11 January 2004, 20:09
LDHunterThe reason for the 18" barrel rather than the 20" is the fact that it'll be carried in a shoulder holster with a folding buttstock like a pistol and the difference between 18" and 20" is huge in a shoulder holster.
Plus the 350 Rem Mag churns up plenty of power in an 18" barrel.
See the loading manuals.
Also the 358 is anemic when compared to the 350 Rem Mag which is neck and neck with a slight edge (especially in short barrels) when compared to the Whelen!!!
$bob$
12 January 2004, 02:39
Hot CoreHey LDHunter, That sounds like quite a rig. Just in case the years have lessened your perception of just how loud that 18" barrel will be, let me extend you an offer to shoot my 20" 350RemMag any time you are up near Louisville. We have a nice Range out near Fort Knox and I do have ammo that needs emptying.
If you do not have Sonic Ear Valves, let me encourage you to get a pair. They even come with a nice case and chain that allows you to attach them to the Trigger Guard.
I spent a good bit of time in Coral Springs over the past 4 years. Are you anywhere close to there?
12 January 2004, 04:53
LDHunterHot Core,
Coral Springs is on the Atlantic Coast.... We're on the Gulf Coast almost straight across but are hoping to move back to Tallahassee in a few months.
Big woods and big bucks.... South Florida deer seem to have interbred with greyhounds.... <snicker>
Yes.... I remember how loud.... I use Ultimate 10's with earplugs at the range and Tac 7's in the woods. My hearing isn't so good after 30 years of shooting rifles and pistols.... <sigh>
$bob$
12 January 2004, 14:58
DESI'm a fan of the .350 also but went with a 20" barrel on a Rem Mdl 7. Does a number on these MO deer!
12 January 2004, 16:22
Major CaliberJust use a 35 Whelen instead, cheaper brass, and larger mag capacity.
12 January 2004, 20:22
LDHunterThe Whelen is an excellent cartridge but doesn't make as much velocity out of a short barrel and my Encore doesn't have a mag.
$bob$
13 January 2004, 13:17
Hot CoreQuote:
Coral Springs is on the Atlantic Coast...
Hey LD, Well, yes indeed it is! Must have had a "Senior Moment" on my part. Only 10-12 miles West of Ft.Lauderdale.
I'm not familiar with the "Tac 7's". Can you give me a general description of them?
14 January 2004, 03:04
Hot CoreThank you.
14 January 2004, 03:39
LDHunterHot Core,
They keep your ears warm when hunting.
They can BOOST your ability to hear to the point where your feet brushing against grass stems when you walk is deafening. Of course you can turn them down if you want.
They shut off quickly enough to protect your immensely valuable hearing when shots are fired.
And they look cool and all the other hunters wanna try them out....
$bob$
14 January 2004, 07:21
<9.3x62>Have you considered the 358 Win? Few more in the mag and probably even better adapted to shorter barrels. A touch less recoil so you could probably shave a few more ounces off. I've had a few made over the years, and found it to be capable of outstanding accuracy. Just a thought...
14 January 2004, 12:26
Hot CoreHey LD, Do you have any problems with them picking up "leaf movement" created by a slight breeze?
One of my long time hunting buddies got a set of the electronic amplifiers and they nearly drove him crazy twisting to see what was moving. He has always had a fidgety problem though. You can watch him from off aways and it seems like he is almost in some kind of continous movement anyhow. Needless to say his kills are rarely up close.
I don't remember the name of his, but he has found they also work great in the house when he gets up early and wants to listen to the news while his wife is still asleep.
I've had good luck with the old Sonic Ear Valves, but they do tend to make the inside of your ears sore after a couple of days.
14 January 2004, 12:37
LDHunterHot Core,
They pick up EVERYTHING but it's easy enough to turn them up and down since they have infinitely adjustable volume.
$bob$
14 January 2004, 14:44
SabotFor some real fun, chamber a 450 Marlin and seat spitzers out to 2.8 COL. When you don't really need the power, load it down to factory 45-70 performance. When you do, launch a 400 grainer out of there at 2200 fps. A 300 gr barnes X at 2400 fps is a flat enough shooter for anything else. This round is a lot more efficient in an 18 inch bbl than the 350.
15 January 2004, 02:53
Hot CoreHey LD, I've been thinking about it overnight and I believe the ones my buddy Don has are made by "Game Ear". As you mentioned, they do have a volume control too. Maybe he just needs to spend more time with his in the woods to get the proper adjustment.
I do agree with Sabot that the 450Mar would also be a nice woods cartridge as well as a good old 45-70. In addition to my 350RemMag, I swapped into a 444Mar last year and it has the 18" ported barrel.
The 444Mar uses a bit less powder and it isn't as loud as my 20" 350RemMag. I was wondering if I could hunt with the 444Mar without ear plugs, so I tried a shot inside the woods and was surprised that it wasn't too bad
for one shot.< !--color--> Another hunting buddy, John, was with me when I tried it and he mentioned it seemed about as loud as his 22" 30-06s.
Until someone has actually used a 350RemMag on Game, it is difficult for them to believe what a great cartridge design it is. I grew up with four Elders that had 2-M600s and 2-M660s. All of them said, "Huh?", a good bit due to damaged hearing. But I believe their hearing was gone prior to 1965 when the 350RemMag came out.
What Bullet(s) are you wanting to use in the 350RemMag? And what scope are you thinking about?
15 January 2004, 17:45
RJMLD..go for it. I have both a 600 and a 700 Classic....wouldn't want to be without either of them. Also last year picked up at TC Encore in .308 and bought a folding stock for it. Two weeks ago shot a 1.95" group prone from a Harris bipod...at 300 yards. So now I am thinking about either a 18 or 20" barrel in .350....and I live two miles from the TC Plant.
You won't regret it....Bob
16 January 2004, 00:15
LDHunterHot Core,
"What Bullet(s) are you wanting to use in the 350RemMag? And what scope are you thinking about?"
I'm a Nosler Partition fan. The 225 and the 250 will be my choices and they make a 225 Ballistic Tip that wouldn't be too bad for varmints, small deer and such.
http://www.nosler.com/charthunt.html $bob$
16 January 2004, 00:20
LDHunterRJM,
Great minds run along the same paths eh?
I now have my Uncle Mike's shoulder holster. It's number 13 and it fits my 14"-16" barrels just fine with the folding stock if I use the pistol forend and a small profile scope.
Now if I could just find a good quality compact scope in something like 2-7 or 3-9... <sigh>
$bob$
16 January 2004, 01:36
Hot CoreHey LD, That 225gr Partition is indeed quite a bullet. I've never recovered one. I've not tried any 250gr bullets at all in mine, so I can't "experience speak" about them. With the typical freebore I had in the Contender barrels, if T/C carries it over to the Encore barrels, you will have PLENTY of room to seat those 250gr-ers on out there.
I've also shot a few boxes of the 225gr Sierras into Whitetails and they performed as perfectly as could be expected. Their profile resembles an ICBM.
Probably shot more of the 200gr Hornady SPs & RNs than anything else on Deer. My experience with them dates back to the early 1970s when I hunted with a bunch of locals and Sandcrabs at Cherry Point, NC. They were used to using the RNs in 358Win M99s and I picked up a box of the SPs. Thought they were going to string me up when they first saw them. We loaded them in reformed pulled-down 7.62 NATOs that Uncle Sam was kind enough to donate. With the 200gr Hornady SPs, the club made a string of 66-one shot kills on Bears, Deer and Hogs before I left. Not sure what the count had been on the RNs cause they had never given it much thought until I bought the "wrong" bullets.
Also used a good many 180gr FP Hot-Cor Speers and maybe a box or two of the 220gr FP Hot-Cor Speers on Deer too. Once again, they worked perfectly. Slide one into a shoulder and it is time for the Drag Stick.
And still have a few of the original old Fred Barnes 200gr Bullets on the shelf. Absolutely an excellent bullet that is no longer made.
Don't remember ever having a bad 35cal bullet.
Best of luck to you on the project.
16 January 2004, 10:42
LDHunterHot Core,
Email me at
mr_appraiser@hotmail.com $bob$
16 January 2004, 14:03
CarsonI have a candidate for short cased ultimate NA game cartridge, the .376 Steyr, OAL is nominal 3.110" min. with 250 grain bullet, verses 2.800" min. for the .350 Rem Mag. Not quite the .308 Win OAL of 2.600" but close. A .375 H&H cousin in a 20" barreled pistol sounds exciting, but I'd not care to try it!
16 January 2004, 15:27
phurleyMy ideal NA game rifle is not an 18 inch barrel anything, particularly if I want to reach beyond 200 yards. I like one of my 26 inch barreled .358 STA's with a 225 grain North Fork at 3200 fps or a 270 grain North Fork at 2950 fps. It shoots very flat and talk about "Hammer of Thor", with that toughness North Fork is famous for, WOW what a stopper. AS my father used to say, it "knocks their dick string loose". I do agree on the .358 caliber.
Good shooting.