The Accurate Reloading Forums
Re: 358 Norma

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4911043/m/681100801

17 January 2004, 13:16
Jimmy Mac
Re: 358 Norma
How is the Woodleigh 250 factory bullet in the Norma loads ? I have heard conflicting reports.

Also, anyone have any data for the 200 Grain Hornady roundnose. I have boxes and boxes of them. Just got my 358.
15 January 2004, 19:47
PaulH
24" Barrel. Only load I use in this rifle. very accurate.





358 NM



Bullet Powder Prim Charge case OAL VEL

250SPR IMR4350 CCI250 77.5 Norma 3.34 2778
15 January 2004, 22:45
jpb
Nice to see you here too, PaulH

I'll have to try that load too.

With a 250gr bulelt, I use 78.0gr of Norma 204 (which is the same as Reloader-19 -- both made here in Sweden at the same factory on the same line at the same time).

Velocity of this load is 877 m/s (2877fps if I recall my conversion factor correctly). Work up to this load carefully -- this isn't a starting load! Kicks a bit too...

jpb
16 January 2004, 08:52
PaulH
Ill look at that load. My above load is not max and is loaded for accuracey. So there is some fiddle room there.

IMR4350 seems to be my best powder I swear. It almost never fails me. For almost all my favorite loads posted here on this forum, you will see it. It always seems to come through, where other powders I have used during load development fall on their face.
16 January 2004, 13:57
Gonzo FreakPower
Does RL-22 do well in this cartridge? I've had great succes with it in my 300WinMag. I'm a big fan of the RL stuff, easy metering and all.

Another question, how do you get your brass? New, 338WinMag necked up, other?
16 January 2004, 16:06
PaulH
Quote:

Does RL-22 do well in this cartridge? I've had great succes with it in my 300WinMag. I'm a big fan of the RL stuff, easy metering and all.

Another question, how do you get your brass? New, 338WinMag necked up, other?



RL22 I would be too slow burning for this cartridge. The slowest I tested was RL19, but abandoned it because it was compressing heavily. I found IMR4350, while it compress the powder a bit, was the best in terms of accuracy and velocity. I load to get a balance between the two, leaning towards accuracy.

J.R Sundra wrote a good article on the 358 Norma and recommended powders between ImR 4350 and IMR4895. He settled on IMR4895 with a 250gr bullet at 2820fps from a 22" barrel.

Powders Ive worked with in this caliber are;
IMR4320-irratic in accuracy
Varget-irratic velocity
RL15- low velocity, accuracy average
IMR4895- would be my second choice
WW760-low velocity and a dirty load
RL19- heavy compression and dirty load

For brass I use new Norma cases now. I bought 10 boxes of .358 Norma 250gr roundnose ammo for 26.95 each a few years back. I pull the bullet, pop the primer, and reload to the load in my first post. That is the only load I use in this rifle.

I have used 338, but there is a slight diff in the length from base to shoulder between the two calibers. 2.085 for the Norma and 2.04 for the.338 Win.

I did like 300 Win Mag brass. After running it through the Norma sizing it set the shoulder back just right. Then you just have to trimm it down.
16 January 2004, 16:30
PaulH
Here's a target of the above load and the Norma factory 250gr roundnose ammo. I can get that anytime as long as Im not acting stupid behind the rifle (which is not very often).


17 January 2004, 15:15
Dark Paladin
paul, how does that factory load do on moose? does the bullet hold up under impact?
17 January 2004, 16:02
PaulH
I havent used the Norma factory 250gr roundnose stuff, except at the range. Very accurate. The 250 gr speers have been good on elk so far.

In this cartridge I would suggest loading down the 200 grain Hornadys. I would guess anthing above 2800-2900 fps and the bullet will fail. Ive never loaded them, but would imagine you could get them close to 3200 fps or so.