my FN Belg 98 stand. length action has been opened up to .532" and I am looking at possible options for rebarreling. I would like the round to have good selection of bullets/sect.den.---range of use out to 250 yds comfortably. Any good recommendations. I was figuring on the .375 Taylor but unsure of most everything else-or am I brain blocked ? Moose and Grizz are the mainstay.

Among the other great rounds are the .338 Win Mag and the .358 Norma Mag.

Both are enormously powerful and fully capable of the action you're describing.

I had a 375 Taylor before. PM me if you wish any additional details. Great round but I wouldnt redo it. Just to many factory chamberings to get another wildcat.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
Among the other great rounds are the .338 Win Mag and the .358 Norma Mag.

Both are enormously powerful and fully capable of the action you're describing.

Vapodog, that is a curious handle your mentions are now the most obvious-should of seen that. The .358 Norma Mag. seems a logical choice - but the cost of Norma brass-wheew! thanks.

quote:

but the cost of Norma brass-wheew! thanks

But 40-60 rounds will last a long time, I would be more concerned on the reloading die costs.

Have you considered a 30 mag? My favorite flavor is the 30-338 yes its a wildcat but it a very practicle wildcat. 338 brass once through the sizing die, no fireforming, brass and dies are reasonable, and serious business with a 200 Nosler.

Other mentionable wildcats:
375 Taylor
416 Taylor
404 BJ Express

Non Cat:
338 Win Mag
376 Steyr
on the small side a 7mm Rem Mag.

There in nothing wrong with the old 338

quote:

Originally posted by grizz007:
....Moose and Grizz are the mainstay.

Why not consider the .458 Win Mag?

quote:

Have you considered a 30 mag? My favorite flavor is the 30-338 yes its a wildcat but it a very practicle wildcat.

Present caliber is the .30-338, have 2 .338's in my home so that is out, a .30-06 and a .308 and a .30-30AI so that fills the 30 cal. niche but the Steyr and the .375 Taylor have my interest. 35 calibers have their followers but I do not know if I am one but the .375 has diverse bullet weight and interest as one firearm of mine is a .375RUM and bullets are handy. Mountain grizz are always a concern moose hunting so my options for this with the Steyr in regards to the bolt face is it acceptable-have no data it as well with the Taylor. My internet is pretty much my only direct access out in the "real" world. The differences of the two .375's, Scromf is what? bear with me on this anyone. No WyoJoe, the .458 is definately "overkill" on Moose but my .45-70 works just as well for both critters, if it was just that animal alone my .30-30AI will work just fine as it has even in its original state for many years. Their is no "perfect" rifle but who know this might be the one. .375 Taylor or Steyr

I don't have any data points on the 375 Taylor, but I would guess its a 375 H&H performance with higher pressure, I wouldn't expect more than 25-50 fps variance with equal loads. The 376 Steyr is going to be below that. Plus on the 376 is factory round and the Hornady brass is cheap. I asked some questions on the 376 a couple of days back but didn't get much feedback. I don't own one so you need to get somebobies elses feedback.

When I was asking I was considering a very similar scenario to yours, I decided that I am going to put a new bolt back in my action and build back down from a mag to a 9.3x62, I have some major juggling going on with actions to get this done.

Brass is very easy to form. Add 12 grains of Unique to a .338 win mag case, fill it full of cream of wheat, stuff tissue in the end to hold it into place, load it in the rifle and keep it pointed upwards. Pull the trigger and you have a case thats formed about 95% perfect. Trim and fireform and you are ready to go. I never once split a neck and I loaded this round for 20 years.

358 Norma magnum

Use cheap pistol bullets for plinking and 225 to 310 grain for hunting.

Cases can be formed from 300 win, 338 or 7mm rem brass, those are hard to find

Check internet auction sites for a used set of dies

Cheers
/JOHAN

I've had a couple 375 taylor's,great round.Run 338 win brass through 375 taylor die and load up.One of the most simple wildcats.Mine with 22" barrel would throw the 300gr nosler @ 2550-2600 with IMR4064,and the 270 hornady would do 2700 fps with 4064 as well.My favorite is stil the 416 taylor but the 375 is a great moose/bear round.
I'd go and make one if i were you,the 375 taylor on a stainless ruger would be a great all weather rig!

quote:

.My favorite is stil the 416 taylor

Tell me why the .416 Taylor is more sought after than the .375 and does that cal. with lighter bullets 300-350 shoot flat considering? I am amazed that most will inject the .416 Taylor into my thread or others of like questions and state this desire over the .375--my curiosity is awakened. Give me some stats one vs. the other if you do not mind.

The 416 Taylor will easily get 2500 fps with a 350 gr, and that in my book makes it an honest 250 yd gun when zeroed @ 200. I'd also contend that a 350 gr .416" pill is about as good as it gets for a bear round, yet doesn't have obnoxious levels of recoil.

quote:

The 416 Taylor will easily get 2500 fps with a 350 gr

very encouraging Paul, do you have the energies to go with this .350 @ 2500fps? As an Alaskan to an Alaskan I take this more to fact- I have found you're threads wherein you're a staunch defender of the round

I have used the 300gr x bullet out of the 416 taylor at 2700 and it worked well and turns the 416 into a 300yd rifle.That puts out around 4900lbs of energy.It would also do just over 2500 with the 350gr speer and 2375 with the 400gr hornady.
The 375 taylor is great as well,maybe better all around and can be made lighter,mine was 7.5lbs with scope

The 376 Steyr runs about 100 fps behind a modern loaded 375 H&H (ie about equal with the 375 H&H in the olden days, when it made its bones).
Very efficient, mild recoil.
It is basically a 9.3 x 64, slightly shortened and slightly blown out. It feeds better than my German Shorthair Pointer pup snagging Milk Duds out of mid air.
Since your bolt face is .532" and the Steyr base diameter is .495", it probably isn't a player for this project.

We didn't tell schromf much about this cartridge because he doesn't know the 376 Steyr club's secret handshake yet .

lawndart

Grizz,

I've never given much credence to energy levels, it is something that can be calculated, but I don't think it's always a useful number to gauge performance.

My preference is to look at the bullet first and foremost, specifically it's construction, and weight. Then I look at what velocities it will stick together at point blank ranges, and what velocities it will still consistantly open up and penetrate.

Based on that, and field reports, I'd expect a 325-370 gr expanding 416 bullet to hold together at upwards of 2700 from a bonded or mono-metal hollowpoint, and upwards of 2500 from a conventionally constructed cup/core bullet. On the lower end, I'd prefer a good 2000 fps, though figure down to 1800 fps it will reliably expand.

Given those parameters, the 416 Taylor can generate the velocities I'd be after with the bullets I'd want to use. The fact that it generates some 4000 or so fout pounds of energy at the muzzle is irrelevant to me.

quote:

My preference is to look at the bullet first and foremost, specifically it's construction, and weight. Then I look at what velocities it will stick together at point blank ranges, and what velocities it will still consistantly open up and penetratevelocities it will stick together at point blank ranges, and what velocities it will still consistantly open up and penetrate.

In a hurry to acquire all necessary info cause it seems I am on fire on this work I neglected what you stated as first and foremost of all expectations of any bullet IS absolute truth. I am a woods man by birth and I know all to well that a bullet must work effectively - just had a taste of humble pie. Paul thanks so much for class Taylor101 later

would the Adams&Bennet barrel F44 in the Midway book be the barrel replacement for this rifle of mine? FN Belgium 98 J.C Higgins rifle Model 50