Recommendations and Observations on 358 (Hunting) Mold

Hey all - I’ve recently had a 358 Winchester built on a Mauser action, and I’d like some feedback on boolit molds. I really like the idea of a wide, flat meplat, but I worry about feeding issues. Anybody got any observations about what will and won’t feed from a Mauser 98? If we were dealing with a “regular” bottleneck - 8x57, 7x57, or even an ‘06, I’d already have plenty of confidence and move right along. With the shorter case and a blunt tip, though, I’m just not sure. As it sits, it feeds jacketed slick as can be - at least the 50 or so I fed it to break it in.
So, for those of you running a 358 Winchester in a staggered mag (longish action) bolt gun, have you had any issues with flat points feeding? It’s worth noting a couple things… this gun is going to be used for whitetails, so performance is important. Barrel is a 1:16, so I’m hesitant to go too heavy, and that will impact OAL to some degree, at least as the case is being moved forward into the chamber and being picked up by the claw. So far, the RCBS 358-20 (IIRC) seems to check a lot of boxes for the right design. I know I can likely “make” anything work (I’ve got another 98 rechambered in 7.62x39 that will feed flat point designs, but it was an act of Congress to get therte), but I’d like to not have any more grey hair.
Alternately, a round nose - maybe hollowpointed(?) - might make sense, but I just don’t have the confidence in the design. I owe the deer a fast, humane kill. Maybe I’m overthinking or trying to find answers to problems I’m only imagining.

As always, thank ya’ll!

I don't have a 358 Winnie but the SAECO #358 200 grain bullet works great on hogs out of my 35-30/30.

I think your best bet would be to obtain a handful from a member here and see how they feed for you. I recently purchased a Yugo conversion in 358W and it only feeds well from the right side of the stack with similar bullets . I have read I need to open up the the sides some so the stack is wider. There is a formula to determine how wide the "mag well" needs to be based on the diameter of the cases.

I don't have a 358, but I do have marlin 336 and rem model 8 and 81 in 35 Remington. The Lee 358-200 works great in all of them.

Good luck...the advice to get a Few to try is spot on..
My 98 Mauser feeds 35Rem...very well...only an occasional very short, very flat (think Pistol boollets) ..hiccup.
Another (Turk) won't even feed 8mm!!!! Possibly someone Fooled with that one, as it was a Beater when I got it.. It will however Feed 22-250...and Only with very wide,flat, nose will it balk at 308.
Best advice is Still...Try some!!! Especially a 220 gr, round, (with small flat), long Boolit, that I do Not recall who made the Mold... but it feeds most 35 long arms like a House afire..

Great - thanks for the ideas, and I will play around with some designs and see. I know “anything is possible” but I also know “anything” can get very frustrating!

Cree

I have a savage 110 long action that started out as a 30-06 , I bought a new shilen barrel in 358 win I shoot the 310 gr paper patched in it mostly but it will feed the NOE 249-360 RN very well also and its a blind magazine action and stock. if that helps.

Thanks Fitz. That’s the real question for me - the longer action and the shorter cartridge. I know I can fabricobble a solution, as I did with the 7.62x39 as well as a 22/250 on the 98 action, but it’s always nice to hear the challenges are not as challenging. I appreciate all the help and ideas.

Cree

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the RCBS 358-20 (IIRC) seems to check a lot of boxes for the right design.

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I load for my son's Savage '99 in .358 Winchester using the RCBS 35-200 GC bullet. It's a good bullet for deer here locally in N. Kentucky.

I cast them from air cooled wheel weights +~2% tin for mold fill out. Sized 0.358" with a moderate roll crimp, they've not given us any leading. We use 50-50 lube and Hornady gas checks seated in a Lyman 450 sizer. For powder, I've used SR4759, 18-20 grains will really group well for the first 3-4 shots(2" or less @ 100 yds with a 4x scope mounted). QL shows velocities from 1450 -1700 fps, though I've not chrono'd the combination as yet. I'd think that 4227 would work as well since SR4759 has been discontinued.

Best regards, Rod

Cree,
I recently had a .358 Winny barrel made for my T/C Encore (I know - totally different animal) and I was having difficulties with getting a cast bullet to even group for me. . .I had AWESOME shotgun patterns. I did exactly as mentioned above about asking forum members for various castings and received a whole slough full of bullets in my mailbox!!! There are many great folks on this forum and a good knowledge base at your fingertips. I was looking for a bullet/load that would keep me in the 2200/2300 fps with a decent metplat and no more than 1.5MOA at 100 yds., not sure what your goal is. I would like to "Pass it On" and if you PM me a mailing address I would be happy to send you at least 5 different bullets in weights from 200gr. to 245gr. for you to experiment with. The .358 Win is an excellent cartridge for the deer woods and out to 300 yds., I really like mine. Good luck.

offshore,
what bullet did you settle on?
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Originally Posted by Beerd

offshore,
what bullet did you settle on?
..

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I can't say for sure that I have settled. . .but the RCBS 35-200 has shot pretty good. Right now I'm eye-ball'n the 36-215SG from Tom at Accurate Molds, and I may ask him to open the meplat to .230 for me. His 36-207R mold could be a dead ringer for the RCBS 35-200.

GT bullets has a listed 220 hp-- all of mine have been 215-- any way PCd at .359 and accuracy as been good -- deer season started, and I stopped working on it until spring. but are good well made bullets

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Originally Posted by pworley1

I don't have a 358, but I do have marlin 336 and rem model 8 and 81 in 35 Remington. The Lee 358-200 works great in all of them.

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I'll second that recommendation. I have an 18" barreled BCA upper in 350 legend and the Lee 200 grain RF feeds beautifully in my AR. Shoots great too! If it feeds in an AR it should work in just about anything.

Well, I grabbed a few RCBS 35-200 flatpoints from the Bullshop to try, and as always, they were first class to deal with, despite some of the disagreements here over the years. Now that deer season is almost over, I can spend some more time at the bench and start playing with these as a baseline, since they’ll be in front of some 7383 from Jeff. I don’t like developing loads with 2 new variables at a time (“new” powder and “new” bullet) but it’ll give me a starting point and I’ve got plenty of time to dig in.

My early efforts with 7383 (and jacketed) with this rifle early last fall seem to bear out IN THIS CARTRIDGE that it’d be tough to overload it (I’ll only say the top end loads with 7383 I tested that were assuredly compressed and showed no pressure signs in a barrel that slugs an honest .358). Now, I’ll go back to the low end and see where it takes me.

If these bear fruit, I’ll likely move to some heavier boolits and see if they’ll stabilize in a 1:16.

As always, I appreciate you guys taking the time to share what has worked for you and how I can use that experience in my load development.

Thanks-
Cree

I have a 358 Win built on a Mauser 98 action. The 2 cast bullets I shot were the RCBS 35-200, and the NOE 360-232. That one has a wide meplat of .275 inches. I had to seat it a little bit deeper so the edge didn't catch, but it worked and fed fine. No problem with the RCBS either.