Thinking of getting one of these in .450 marlin. Anyone have any experiance with one of these? Any comments + or -? Posted this in the lever section but there doen't seem to be much traffic. Anyone have a better option for the money? This will be my first rifle over .30cal so my experience with big bores is very limited. Thanks for your help.

N'erflinch

I can arrange for you to shoot both the 450 marlin in the marlin and a blr in 358 (similar recoil.. not the same, but close enough) before you buy one.

If this is your first pass over .308, BELIEVE ME you'll want to try before you buy...

but, in 2 years, if the bigbore bug bites, you'll not be too impressed by the recoil levels, as the 45/70 and 450 marlin are truely entrylevel, but solidly IN, bigbores

jeffe

Hello, Jeffe,

re:358 BLR

I'm planning to acquire a rifle in 358 winchester for next years hunting season. I'm trying to decide whether to have a barrell made for an encore, build a bolt gun on a short action or buy a BLR in 358. However the Browning BLR in 358 is interests me. Whats your opinion of the BLR in 358.

Also, as an aside, I noticed that you hail from Porter, if you would admit to being in Pasadena, could I have run into you there one evening at Carter's Country, a couple of years ago?
kTrout

KT,
I'll admit to having been from deerpark (around the corner from Pasadena) and I certainly shoot at carters, and I tend to meet several folks. We probably have met there... or lake houston!!

I've got 3 358s... a heavy weight on a 1903a3, a superlight on a mexican mauser (camo stock) and a savage 99. My friend chadd has a blr in 358...

off them all, i like the mexican best!! the 358 used to be my favorite (semi?) commerical round.. todays that's the 376 steyr, just as an FYI.

the blr seemed to kick the most, and frankly, was not the most repeatable in accuracy... and the mags sometimes drop out... of all the 358s i've shot, it was the only 2" one... even my 99 is like 1.5"..

if you want a levergun, i would honestly suggest the 99, if you like them.

if you want to build one from the ground up, a neato one would be a ruger (formally in 243/708) or a winchester.. me, i might even start with a savage 10 series... a mexicanmauser or even a turk would be a cool way to start. Turn off the "flange" on the turk, and go with an ultralight contour...

a vz would also be a supercool way to start.. 100 bucks for the acion, 60 for a trigger and safety, and 80 for a synthetic stock.. 150 for a barrel, 100 for bluing.. call it 100 for bolt and bases...


jeffe

I HAVE had a BLR in .358 for seveal years now and it is a first production run with the exposed magazine.
My only complaint is it is a little heavier then it needs to be.
It has OUTSTANDING accuracy for a 2 piece stocked lever gun.

If you are looking at new purchase, then the newer lighter BLRs would be a great acquisition.
The cartridge is waaaayyyyy underrated. It will comfortabley take ANYTHING that may cross your path on the North American Continent and it is NOT limited to short range 100yd shooting.
I have been using the .358Win for well over 30 years for hunting and it simply performs and performs well.
To get the best out of it you will have to handload for it and if you review search on it you will find LOTS of folks endorse the 250gr Speer for it. between a frined and myself we have taken white tail, mule deer, elk and bear and NEVER recoved a bullet, they just seeem to go on penetrating forever, while the animals just fold up like cheap camp chairs.
Brass can EASILY be made up from .308 just by running it through the .358 sizing die if you wish, or simply get the new stuff from Winchester.

Lawcop..
yep, on "it AINT just a 100 yard gun"

if a 308 at 2600 with a .420 Bc bullet is a 800 yard gun, then WHY is a 358, at 2500 with a .411 BC NOT a "500" yard gun?

my heavy 358 is 5/8 moa... i've only shot it to 300 on paper, but, you know what, it's 5/8 moa out that far...

my mexican mauser is sub moa, but just barely... and stays there.. and, off hand/in a truck/4wheeler, it's just the handiest rifle i have.

jeffe

Just saw an '05 Browning catalog...they're comming out with a pistol grip BLR for this year (available in 450 Marlin). Don't know when it's supposed to be available. From the photo it looks like the stock has a little less drop in it.



I killed my first dear with a 45-70 and handloads. I sold my Marlin years ago and have missed having that rifle. I've been looking at the BLR's in 450 Marlin. The magazine is what interests me, should be able to load 300gr X spitzer bullets with no problems. At 2100fps and a 150 yard zero, should be be aprox. 2" high at 100, 5" low at 200. I was single feeding this load in my Marlin when I shot my first deer. I've never seen a deer go down like that since. I ended up selling the Marlin and going to a Browning single shot so I could load my spitzers even hotter (and easier). If was with that rifle that I realized I would never be satisfied untill I had an elephant gun to hunt dear with. Last year I used a 416 Taylor. Now I'm looking at going back to the lever gun for something light and handy...I still have the Taylor in case I need to go into the jess and sort out a white tail.

Recoil is not an issue for me. I have a .300RUM and am not bothered by it a bit. Don't think the recoil should be any worse than that. I have also, quite a few times, shot .378wby, 416rem..etc. So recoil is not an issue. I was just wondering if for an entry level big bore, if this is a good gun or not. Also if there is something out there that might satisfy my big bore "need" that is a better alternative for the money. I want something faily short and light that I can shoot fairly quick. This seems to be a quality gun, and if I was to move into any bolt of this caliber the cost would be considerably more. Thanks for the help./

I don't know if they still make em, but Rem used to make a 700 chambered in 416 Rem for about the same cost. The two the dept. has weigh 8 lbs even, don't know if that's light weight to you, but it's light for a big gun. They are blue steel rifle with a synthetic stock. 416 is a nice caliber and very useful when loaded with 300 and 350gr bullets. Heck, 400gr Hornady's kill dear just fine. Lots of fun to load for and to shoot.



As to short, quick handling and light weight...I haven't owned one, but a Ruger #1 in 45-70 should fit the bill. Hundreds of loads to play with on that rifle. With my Browning 78(?) I was getting 2400fps with a 300gr X, it did have a 28" tube if I remember right.