As I was sitting in my deer stand my mind began to wonder(nothing new there). I was using my Pre 64 M70 FWT in 358 Win and got to thinking what would you get if the 300 WSM was opened up to 358? Is this possible and if so would there be much gained in the process?

Rich,
This would get you 200-300 fps, and totaly ruini the value of your gun... tell ya what, I'll open a springfield in 358 to 358wsm, and trade you even for your 358 featherweight?

deal?
jeffe

I agree with jeffe--

All you would do is destroy an very nice gun for nothing.

That *should be* a crime, but we'll let you slide if you promise to repent and quit that thinking thing. It's obviously dangerous to good guns.

Good grief. Send me an email and I will buy it from you. With the money you can order a 300 WSM and have a .358 barrel put on by Belk! Now what could be better than that?

Hold on a minuete there boys. I would in NO WAY IN HELL alter my M70. I have all the FWT except a 264 Win Mag. The 358 is one of my favorite rifles. With the inept people we have at airports and other travel venues I wouldn't even take it on a trip if I wasn't driving. My thought line was having a rifle built in 358 Win or the 358WSM if there was enough of a gain in performance to justify the expense. The other thought was a 300 Rem Ultra Mag opened up to 358. Would this be a 358 Ultra Mag?

I have been thinking of starting a topic on the .358 WSM but have been just too damn lazy. I am a .358 nut....but the only .358 caliber rifle I own is a semi-custom .35 Whelen on a new pre64 M70. I thought about getting one of the new Featherweight M70's in a WSM and having it rebarreled. Just out of curiosity....what do think the velocity of a 225 and 250 gr bullet would be in a 20-22" barreled .358 WSM?

I would say a 358 WSm would be a 35 Whelen plus 200 fps that means 2800 or so for a 225 and 2700 or so for 250.

Needless to say....it would be a real 'Thumper' in a Featherweight!!!

Anyone wanna put their money were their fingers are? I am thinking, at most, you'll get less than 358 norma, and jsut barely more than 35whelan and/or 350 rem mag..

I've got a 20" 358 win, that I would convert to 358 WSM, for the princely sum of oh, 120 bucks, for the reamer and a neck bushing for 300 wsm dies.. but, of course, it would be based off the 7 wsm, so I'll need the go gage for that, rather than the 300 wsm that I already have.

So, we can gather up 10 bucks each, and I'll do the mods and tell you.

It's curernt load, in 358, is 225gr sierra at 2505 or so. I would be FLOORED if it hit 2700, and NOT loaded to 65,000

jeffe

Jeff, I agree that it would do less then the 358 norma. Or better stated, 358 norma book loads tend to be anemic, so it should be close to the book loads.

I think you're pretty much spot on for a 20" tube, 225 @ 2700-2750 would be my guess.

I'd also advice against a 358 ultramag, IMHO the increase in velocity will be slight compared to the 358 norma, but increase in recoil will be severe. I've seen just that in my 350 rigby when working up loads, 66 gr Varget pushes a 250 gr 2700 fps, and it's pleasant to shoot. I can also get 2700 using 72 gr H 4350, but recoil is noticeable increased and unpleasant.

I have no desire to own a medium bore that burns 80 gr or more of powder, unless it is a 40 caliber, then it is worth it.

I ran those numbers through the Powley Calculator, and it says 47,109 cup for a 225 bullet at 2700 fps.

I expect to have a barrel made this summer. Hopefully before elk season. I already laid in a supply of the 200 gr. HV's for it..... FWIW, Dutch.

[ 12-05-2002, 19:17: Message edited by: Dutch ]

FYI, outdoor writer Bryce Towsley has already done a .358 RUM, but it is officially called a .358 Ultra Mag Towsley. It's supposed to be one 'ell of a shooter. It'll shoot 100 fps faster than a .358 Shooting Times Alaskan and has more energy than a .375 H&H, with about the same recoil.

I forgot to add, yes, I agree the .358 WSM would be awesome---I love my .35 Whelen!

I love my .35 Whelen also....but a lightweight, short action carbine in .358 WSM just sounds too good.....I'll add it to my long list of projects.

save the headaches and build a 350 mag.......................
it will do anything a 35 wsm will do and it would be a cheap project...... i wouldn't sell mine for anything..............
imho
woofer

Hello,

A guy over here in Australia, has necked up a 300WSM and called it the 35. Sambar,
250gn Grand slam @ 2780 fps Max load
225 gn Nosler @ 2800fps
200gn Hornady @ 2900fps
Hope this helps.

Jim Busha of Heavy Express built two lines of cartridges on the .348 Winchester case (converted to rimless configuration). Winchester did the same thing to get the .300 WSM.

Jim's .350 HE Magnum in a M70 action with 24" barrel did the following:

250 grain Hornady Spire Point/68 grains VVN 150/2,860 fps MV. (this is a max load).

He is out of business now, which goes to show that you can't compete with Big Red (or Big Green either).

He told me he only sold 3 rifles in 2002, so he pulled the plug. Now everybody is asking for future Winchester versions of the cartridges he was selling.

jim dodd

Would it feed out of a .270 WSM without modifying anything? I think and extra barrel for my Featherweight might be in order someday.

Mike

David Stendall of Kopje Guns in N.S.W Australia has done this on a pre 64 action with quater rib and all the bells and whistles such as Pete Grisel bottom metal etc. He has called it the ".35 Sambar" and thinks it will be an ideal rifle for Sambar Deer, the biggest game animal in the state of Victoria.