I confess, i am a speed freak!

[Jevyod]

I think I need counseling!!! I started reloading about 2 years ago, and casting about a yr ago. I am still pretty young (29) but I find myself looking for speed when I reload. I know it is stupid, most deer I shoot are within 50 yards, with several going 75. But I like speed!!! I know with cast, speed is not as important. But goodsteel is building me a 358 Winchester, and I would LOVE to get that thing shooting 200 grain cast at 2400++. I have read articles about guys using Ramshot Xtreme, and getting 2500fps with a 225 Nosler Accubond. Man that sounds like a 300 yard elk smasher!! So is there any help for me?!!! Or maybe some of you guys are also speed addicts! One of the first "highs" I had was getting a 300 WSM shooting 3010fps with a 180 grain nosler partition. And that load grouped at just under an inch at 100 yards. Man what a feeling!!!!!

[docone31]

Paper patch. You will get your speed and accuracy.

[Harter66]

Well Goodsteel did a 7x6.8 Rem that I have paper patched and pushed a 135 gr 27-130 FP to 2300 fps with accuracy. Which doesn't sound like much but that's all it gets with a jacked 120 gr Sierra sp so I like it.

[runfiverun]

RL-19 [start at 48.0grs]
I won't be held responsible for the loss of meat.

[Moonie]

I used to be the same way in my 20's, I've matured and become wiser. Now I shoot heavier boolits slower. Not much on 4 feet will slow down a 235+ boolit 30 to 8mm in size going around 1,950fps to prevent lethality.

[Bjornb]

I'm old AND a speed freak. Goodsteel is just about finished with my first rifle in 35 XCB (he's building one for hunting and one for the bench), and then it's off to the races. R5R mentioned RL19, I have also had very good results with both 3031 and Varget shooting the NOE version of the RCBS 200 FN. Watch out for the new NOE 35 XCB bullet, a larger version of Goodsteel/Larry Gibson's excellent 30 XCB bullet. It's in the pipeline.

[Big Boomer]

Most of us old-timers have been there and done that. You will get over it. A round moving along at average fps satisfies me now. However, in my salad days, I wanted them flat out screaming with recoil sufficient to put a mule on his rear. My moniker isn't Big Boomer for nothing, and one I did not choose. It was given to me by others who heard my .45 5-shooter going off pushing a 340 gr. LBT WLN at 1,400 fps. Big Boomer

[waksupi]

You will find that launching at too high of velocity will blow the hell out of a deer at usual ranges. I load my .358 Win's with either 265, or 290 gr. boolits at about 2170 fps. Kills deer, elk, bear, bison, and any thing else I want to point it at. Study some ballistics tables. That extra speed doesn't do anything useful.

[dragon813gt]

No point in pushing velocity up w/ cast bullets. I know guys are pushing the limits higher every day. But if I want velocity I will just shoot jacketed. And in general I don't push them fast anyway. I want minimal meat loss and a heavy slow, relative, moving bullets accomplish this. Don't let me deter you. But my shoulder likes as little recoil as possible.

[MBTcustom]

Read the link in my signature line, and feast your eyes on what soft alloy at moderately high velocities will do.

That said, I very respectfully disagree with Waksupi concerning his statement that speed serves no purpose.
Speed is the only way to carry energy to targets a long ways off with a bullet of diminutive mass. The smaller your bullets get, the more you depend on speed to carry the effective ft/lbs of bullet energy to the target at 300+ yards.
Cast bullet hunting has always been done at close range, and I am a big proponent of it. However, there are special situations when I man who has done his homework, put in the range time, and employed the science of HV shooting with cast, will find himself at an advantage for a long range shot.

Now, it's very true that a normal cast bullet shot at 2700FPS at a deer that is a mere 30 yards away will splatter said prey like a hitting a meatloaf with a baseball bat. However, there are some very simple things you can do to tame down that damage:
Use a harder bullet
Use a bullet with a pointier nose.
Use a different load for close range hunting, and save the warp speed stuff for the long toss.
Practical, dependable, and proven HV with cast is still in its infancy, and I am busily doing everything I can to encourage people to explore the possibilities. I do not recomend it for hunting yet, but that is surely the end goal and I make no bones about it. For the moment, Its a fascinating pursuit that I am not nearly done exploring.

To the OP: the rifle I am building for you will indeed be "all that and a bag of chips" and if you are interested in shooting cast at high velocity, you came to the right place.
However, 358 Winchester may not be the best cartridge for doing that. I hit a wall with the 358 that I could not get past, due simply to powder selection vs. case capacity. If you intend to optimize your rifle for shooting fast cast, I would suggest going to a larger case capacity such as the 35XCB or 358X60. These cartridges carry enough powder capacity to carry you to the 2700fps potential of your 14 twist barrel, using medium-slow burn powders to get you there.

[waksupi]

Tim, I guess I wasn't considering the impact velocity, considering the hefty projectiles the .35 puts out there. My comment relates more towards trajectory. It takes around a 300 fps jump from one load to another to much affect the trajectory, and truthfully most people can not shoot well enough to use that to their advantage. With my loads I have a point blank range of 225 yards. I like to keep it under 200 yards!

[Artful]

At one point I was a speed freak - I feel your need for speed - but I too have progressed past that - I don't do cast fast anymore and paper patch (and powder coated) will get you to higher velocity results but Jacketed are the quickest route to high speed satisfaction - I don't shoot my 22-250 much and do still use my 243 with jacketed - but most of my magnums stay in the safe now.

Best powder for your 358 speed quest - WW 748, H335 or 4895 would be my first choices.

[Jevyod]

Thanks for all your replies! For me it is therapeutic to talk about it! Maybe we need a support group! And no Tim, I do not want a 35XCB. I am sure it is an awesome cartridge, but I really do have my hear set on a 358 Winchester! To be honest, I am not sure I am a good enough shot to be shooting much beyond 300 yards. So in all honesty, the Winchester will serve my purposes very well, and will do so with less powder!! Sometimes I need to write about it to make myself look at it realistically! Its like speed in cars for me. When I was 18-25, I drove pretty fast a lot of the time. I came to the conclusion that would be a stupid way to die. So no more 140mph for me! 65 will still get me there, and will do so in a safer manner. I guess 2100-2200 fps out of my 358 with a 220 grain boolit will be plenty of power for pretty much all in the lower 48 out to 250 yards.

[Jevyod]

Thanks for all your replies! For me it is therapeutic to talk about it! Maybe we need a support group! And no Tim, I do not want a 35XCB. I am sure it is an awesome cartridge, but I really do have my heart set on a 358 Winchester! To be honest, I am not sure I am a good enough shot to be shooting much beyond 300 yards. So in all honesty, the Winchester will serve my purposes very well, and will do so with less powder!! Sometimes I need to write about it to make myself look at it realistically! Its like speed in cars for me. When I was 18-25, I drove pretty fast a lot of the time. I came to the conclusion that would be a stupid way to die. So no more 140mph for me! 65 will still get me there, and will do so in a safer manner. I guess 2100-2200 fps out of my 358 with a 220 grain boolit will be plenty of power for pretty much all in the lower 48 out to 250 yards.

[Harter66]

Speed has a great value ........ here for example I have to have 1000ftlbs @ 100 yd for big game rfiles . Sub 32 cal are hard to meet that without velocity. It also has a tendency to over expand .

[TXGunNut]

Going fast is worthwhile and a fascinating pursuit but for most hunting it isn't very useful. I figure 2200 fps will put a reasonably sized chunk of lead thru both shoulders of any big hog I care to shoot. Going faster than that will quite likely develop my casting and loading technique, never a bad thing.
Been hearing whispers about this 35XCB, sounds like fun.

[35 shooter]

I've been trying to boost the speed in my 35 whelen lately just for fun. Both me and the rifle are pretty happy at 2200 fps. and down though.
Did someone mention 35xcb boolit? Waiting on that one and hope it works out well in 35 whelen chambers and throats.

[Nrut]

I've been trying to boost the speed in my 35 whelen lately just for fun. Both me and the rifle are pretty happy at 2200 fps. and down though.
Did someone mention 35xcb boolit? Waiting on that one and hope it works out well in 35 whelen chambers and throats.
I could get excited about a 35XCB bootlit for both my Whelens and .358 win..
You guy's down in the states don't realize how lucky you are to have people like Jess' Reboring and Goodsteel catering to cast bullet shooters..

[Smoke4320]

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358 Win 200 Gr avg vel 2369
First 2 pics are groups at 50 yds .. Third Pic is 4 shots at 200 Yds on left then readjusted sights for 1 center shot
so you can get there with a 200 gr lead bullet accurately

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