.358 Win

[RugerFan]

I finally got to test the terminal performance of this years hunting load in my Ruger M77 Hawkeye .358 Win. After trying different bullets, diameters, and powders the winner was the following:

245 gn Saeco #352 (.359” sizer)
12.5 BHN
38.0 gns H4895
Glennhills Green lube
Velocity: 2,010 fps
Bullets were seated to lightly engage rifling.

I took one deer sat evening and #2 the next morning. The first doe was shot broadside at 35 yards. The bullet entered at the back part of the right shoulder blade and exited behind the left shoulder. She dropped like a stone without a twitch. Autopsy showed lung damage was impressive. The second doe was hit behind the shoulders without a major bone being struck. She ran about 75 yards with a tremendous blood trail. The lung pic shows the exit side on this deer. I am very happy with the Saeco #352 in this gun (best 100 yd 5-shot group is .942). Good accuracy with no leading and deadly on game.

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/Todd8Nov08doe2.jpg
http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/doe2a2.jpg
http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/Lungdamage2.jpg
http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/358saeco352.jpg

[sav300]

Rugerfan,good shooting and good venison for your efforts,enjoy.
I also use a 358win in a savage 99,but not a deer hunter,flattens feral pigs real good.

[357maximum]

Sweet...... nice shootin


If Walt Disney had known the thrill of the hunt, the pleasure of the feast he never would have allowed the movie BAMBI to get off the ground, and we (those who cling to our guns and our Bible) would be alot better off today. I blame it all on Walt.[smilie=1:

[waksupi]

Everyone KNOWS the .358 Win will just bounce off of animals! Way to go!

[The Nyack Kid]

Everyone KNOWS the .358 Win will just bounce off of animals! Way to go!

Yes they do . However deer bounce off of F-350 meat mangler magnums ...... heck it had lead WWs on it .

[NoDakJak]

Those Deer don't bounce off of 400 Kawasaki's worth a darn. Neil

[Tomkitty]

My 358 Winchester hunting load is the 200 gr RCBS 35FN with 45 grs RL-12. This works extremely well in my old Ruger M-77R with alox lube. They don't make RL-12 anymore so I'll have to find another powder as soon as my supply of these loads is gone. Deer just go straight down. I think there would be a good blood trail but so far I haven't had to follow it.

[RugerFan]

I had been using the RCBS 35-200-FN with H4895, but the best I could do was 1.3 MOA. There was much more experimentation I could have done with this bullet, but the Saeco #352 just worked so well right from the get go.

[Marlin Junky]

RugerFan,

You're having better luck with your Hawkeye than I am. I had to really work at it to reach 2100 fps with good accuracy using SAECO 352... and with LBT Soft Blue and heat treated boolits too. I think I'll utilize my .359" sizer again.

Thanks for the report...

MJ

[RugerFan]

RugerFan,

You're having better luck with your Hawkeye than I am. I had to really work at it to reach 2100 fps with good accuracy using SAECO 352... and with LBT Soft Blue and heat treated boolits too. I think I'll utilize my .359" sizer again.

Thanks for the report...

MJ

MJ,
I hadn't seen you post for a while about your Hawkeye and kinda wondered where you were at. I was getting frustrated until I tried the Saeco #352. I actually bought 100 from Glenhills to try them out before buying the mould. Now that I have a good hunting load dialed in with the .358 Win, I've sorta moved on to tinkering with some C&R milsurp guns that the UPS man keeps bringing to my door. That's a whole other sickness :)

[hemiallen]

Looks like some impressive shots.

I tried to search glenhill bullets but came up blank. I am loading for a 358 in a BLR and I would like to try heavier bullets than my RCBS 180 gc and the 200 fn gc. I would like to get some of these bullets to try.

Any chance to post Ctg oal for the pictured rounds? And how much powder space was available with the posted load. I don't have any load data besides an old Hodgdon manual, but I suspect I can use jacketed loads just under 2200 fps...??

Thank you
Allen

[357maximum]

Looks like some impressive shots.

I tried to search glenhill bullets but came up blank. I am loading for a 358 in a BLR and I would like to try heavier bullets than my RCBS 180 gc and the 200 fn gc. I would like to get some of these bullets to try.

Any chance to post Ctg oal for the pictured rounds? And how much powder space was available with the posted load. I don't have any load data besides an old Hodgdon manual, but I suspect I can use jacketed loads just under 2200 fps...??

Thank you
Allen

Go to gunbroker.com type in the search box "GHCB" without the quotes marks.

[RugerFan]

Looks like some impressive shots.

I tried to search glenhill bullets but came up blank. I am loading for a 358 in a BLR and I would like to try heavier bullets than my RCBS 180 gc and the 200 fn gc. I would like to get some of these bullets to try.

Any chance to post Ctg oal for the pictured rounds? And how much powder space was available with the posted load. I don't have any load data besides an old Hodgdon manual, but I suspect I can use jacketed loads just under 2200 fps...??

Thank you
Allen

Allen,
The OAL was 2.695" (seated to lightly engage the rifling in my Ruger M77 hawkeye). There was definitely some space left over in the case. For load data I did a lot of searching here in this forum and also read some Paco (http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/358_wcf.htm).

Let us know how you progress.

[John F.]

Great info, Rugerman! Thanks for sharing your results with us, and congrats on the good shooting!

What alloy were you using?

Thanks,
John

[RugerFan]

Great info, Rugerman! Thanks for sharing your results with us, and congrats on the good shooting!

What alloy were you using?

Thanks,
John

Good question. The only info I got with the bullets from Glenhills was "12.5 BHN".

[jtaylor1960]

You can find Glenhills bullets on Gunbroker.I have not been able to find the website.I think Vern Anderson is a member here.