.358 Winchester....the final results of casting

[35Whelen]

Well I am tickled pink. These were my first ever cast and now they are ready for the range.

See post #22 for the Range results....Holy cow I am pleased !!!!!!!

Accurate Mold 360- 240A
Cast with Magnum shot containing 5% Antimony, then added approx 3% tin.
Got a great fill out on the mold. Cast at .361, then sized to .359"
Gas checked and lubed the come it at 238 grains with only 1 grain difference between rounds.

Loaded in Hornady cases with BR-2 primers, and H 4895 powder , this is my load. Any comments on the load date please feel free to comment.

Load 1 - 39 grains
Load 2 - 40 grains
Load3 - 41 grains
Load4 - 42 grains.

They are going to be shot in a Ruger Hawkeye Stainless with a 22" barrel. Going to Chronograph each load using 2 rounds of each load, then I will shoot three into a target at 50 yds to see how they do.

Something extremely pleasing about casting your own boolits. I sure hope they shoot as good as I feel about them.
Only wish whitetail does were still open here to do a bit of field testing, as there are loads....bucks are a bit harder to find.

Comments, recommendations and criticisms most welcome....fire away. Thanks for all the help and messages gents.

[Screwbolts]

They look awesome , any chance setting the crony up so all shots are recorded?

Ken

[35Whelen]

I'll try Ken......I have very small screens, so it can be a bit challenging to get them perfectly aligned and still hit paper. I will post my results if I can get out to the range this week. Going to be a bit chilly I think...calling for -7 here overnight this next week..

[35 shooter]

Hope they shoot as good as they look for you. H4895 works well in my whelen with my 200 gr. boolits and is fantastic with jacketed in the same rifle. Looking forward to your results.

[35Whelen]

What can you guys offer in way of opinion on the load data....love to hear your favorites. I have a good selection of powders to pick from. I would also take great care in working up to any loads posted by the brothers. Thanks

[Bjornb]

The 358 Winchester is a very forgiving cartridge to load for. I've been shooting the RCBS 200 FN (NOE version and original) with great success, and your bullet looks like an excellent design. My powder of choice has always been IMR 3031; Goodsteel turned me onto it and it has never let me down. Start around 29 grains and work up (I usually recommend 31 and up with the 200-grainer), you'll find good accuracy and velocity somewhere in the low 30's. That bullet should also shoot very well with Varget, my sweet spot with the 200 was around 41 grains, so yours would possibly do well if you start around 35.

I notice that you seated the bullets very far out, does your rifle have a very deep throat? My Savage Axis with an ER Shaw barrel would only allow me to seat to the crimp groove so I was just curious.

As for your loads with the H4895 they look like they are right in the ballpark; good luck and good hunting!

[35Whelen]

Seems to have a long throat. The bullet is a bore ride design and I get light engraving on the nose with just a light touch on the band ahead of the crimp groove. I actually have room in the magazine to go longer, but I will be deep into the driving band ahead of the crimp groove. I am very happy that the gas check is situated about 1/8th inch up from the base of the neck.

Thanks for the tip on 3031 BJ...I had it on the table, then thought perhaps with the boolit tipping the scales at 238 I thought perhaps a bit slower powder might work well. I have cast up an even 100 of these 240 grainers, so I will try 3031 with the next loadings. Just itching to get out, but weather here is about to go south.

[taco650]

Seems to have a long throat. The bullet is a bore ride design and I get light engraving on the nose with just a light touch on the band ahead of the crimp groove. I actually have room in the magazine to go longer, but I will be deep into the driving band ahead of the crimp groove. I am very happy that the gas check is situated about 1/8th inch up from the base of the neck.

Thanks for the tip on 3031 BJ...I had it on the table, then thought perhaps with the boolit tipping the scales at 238 I thought perhaps a bit slower powder might work well. I have cast up an even 100 of these 240 grainers, so I will try 3031 with the next loadings. Just itching to get out, but weather here is about to go south.

238 or 338? You mention 338 in your first post which I thought was pretty high even for a 35 cal. I'm guessing that's a typo and 238gr is correct.

Anyway, your loaded rounds look great and should do very well for any of BC's four legged game.

Did your Ruger come from the factory chambered in 358 Win?

[35Whelen]

Hi Taco...... Yes typo, corrected to 238. Yes Ruger is an M77 Hawkeye all weather stainless, chambered in .358 Win. I took off the original plastic stock and installed a charcoal colored laminate off of a Ruger Ultralight. Fits me like a glove now. Lucked out in buying this one used off of a local fellow. I have only ever seen one other for sale, and it didn't last a day for sale.

[Pilgrim]

I'm using VVN135 in my .358. Douglas barrel, 22", 1:12 twist, RCBS 35-200, vel. 2430 instrument (Oehler 35P) which is about 2445 muzzlevelocity. Never used 3031 in anything so I can't comment on that powder.

[glockky]

Pilgrim what kind of groups are you getting at that velocity?

[taco650]

Hi Taco...... Yes typo, corrected to 238. Yes Ruger is an M77 Hawkeye all weather stainless, chambered in .358 Win. I took off the original plastic stock and installed a charcoal colored laminate off of a Ruger Ultralight. Fits me like a glove now. Lucked out in buying this one used off of a local fellow. I have only ever seen one other for sale, and it didn't last a day for sale.

Sounds like the ideal rifle for BC. Now get out there and shoot something with it so we can see how well it works LOL!

[runfiverun]

I have a ruger hawkeye in 358 also.
no it ain't for sale.
I use a heavier boolit and a much slower powder, it should be outlined in Tim's thread.


3031 is like using a fast lot of I-4895 and varget/4064 is like using a slow lot of I-4895.

[35Whelen]

Thanks runfiverun.........any chance you could provide a link to Tim's thread. Thanks for all the information so far too guys...much appreciated

[taco650]

I have a ruger hawkeye in 358 also.
no it ain't for sale.
I use a heavier boolit and a much slower powder, it should be outlined in Tim's thread.


3031 is like using a fast lot of I-4895 and varget/4064 is like using a slow lot of I-4895.

I have to agree with r5r's comment about slow powders. I made some loads for my 303 British using 40gr of RL22 and the HDY 150gr j-words. I was getting 1", 3-shot groups at 50 yds with the battle sights on my #1 Mk3. Very low recoil and noise too. RL 22 is for the 300 mags but it worked really well in my 303.

[Beerd]

Thanks runfiverun.........any chance you could provide a link to Tim's thread. Thanks for all the information so far too guys...much appreciated

I think it's a sticky.
..

[35Whelen]

Can't seem to find the sticky.......

[runfiverun]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...e-in-the-world

this is a good discussion.
and will show why your boolit at a nominal velocity of about 1900 fps will be very good at it's intended use.
it's a good discussion for any caliber, but deals with Tim's 358 mostly.

[35Whelen]

Thank you......I have read it sorry, but thanks for bringing it back to my attention. Good bunch of guys here, thanks again.
Wish the weather would creep up past -10 and I would chance a day at the range.

[TCLouis]

I could be wrong, but this cartridge seems to be the perfect match for cast boolit hunting of medium game.

Case capacity, bore diameter, boolit weight choices.

OK, a 45-70 for those that have a use for a heavy boolit.