.358 Winchester cast load data

[bluejay75]

Greetings Gents,

Have decided to get one of my 308s rebored by Jes to 358 Winchester. Any tips to get me started reloading?

I would like to hear what your experiences are or just see what the load book says for 200 grain cast.

Bluejay

[Norske]

My BLR has a thing for IMR 3031 powder. Whether 200, 225, or 250 gr bullet, cast or jacketed, my BLR always shoots much more accurately with 3031. It made a really tight 3-shot group (0.17" c-to-c) at 100 yards with a RCBS 200gr gc Flat Point over 39 gr of 3031. Luck was involved, but it interconnected 5 Hornady FTX bullets @ 100 yd with 48gr of 3031 as well. Your barrel will have its own preferences.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Reloder 7 Lee 200 cast from 49/49/2 Pure, COWW, Pewter, PCed. 1/12" Ruger American. 100 yards. Never got ES to settle down so I kept bumping the charge to see if it would before my boolit gave up, but got side tracked by other things before I nailed it down.

This was with a 4x scope on a plastic table. Better scope, target, and rest might have improved things as well.

[RJM52]

Have a Ruger Frontier and with its 16.5" barrel there isn't enough velocity to expand most jacketed bullets so I went to cast.

A friend has the same rifle and used a 200 grain RCBS FP to take a nice doe in Pennsylvania three years ago.

I bought the MP 220 with FP and HP pins....very accurate bullet with Reloader-7. CWlongshot on here just took a doe with one of those HP bullets a few days agp from a .350 Legend Ruger American Rifle and put the deer right down.

Velocity is a little over 1900 fps in the Frontier...

Bob

[Tatume]

Using bullets from an RCBS 35-200-FN mold and H4895 data from http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/ for the 200 grain Hornady SP bullet, I got excellent accuracy and 2300 fps in my Browning BLR.

[cwlongshot]

Im loving that NOE 230 I think I bought from you!!!

Its about as perfect for me as a bullet can be.

Good luck Brother

CW

[Tatume]

It wasn't me, but I'm glad you have a good mold.

[sharps4590]

I've always had excellent results with the RCBS 35-200 in 35's and 9mm rifles. For the 358, data should be as common as dirt.

[softpoint]

I have 2 custom barreled bolt guns in .358W, a 700 Rem and a 600 Rem. I have the RCBS 200 grain mold, the 250 grain Saeco mold and an original 358009 Lyman that casts about 287 grains out of my alloy. 3031, 4320, and Unique have been my powders. All three of those bullets shoot very well out of both rifles. I have recently been using a lot of the RCBS 200 grain bullet because it does about anything I need as a hunting bullet, and uses less alloy.

[bluejay75]

Im loving that NOE 230 I think I bought from you!!!

Its about as perfect for me as a bullet can be.

Good luck Brother

CW

Sometimes you regret some sales you make. Just sent the rifle to get bored out. Got a little while to get ready.

[bluejay75]

Have a Ruger Frontier and with its 16.5" barrel there isn't enough velocity to expand most jacketed bullets so I went to cast.

A friend has the same rifle and used a 200 grain RCBS FP to take a nice doe in Pennsylvania three years ago.

I bought the MP 220 with FP and HP pins....very accurate bullet with Reloader-7. CWlongshot on here just took a doe with one of those HP bullets a few days agp from a .350 Legend Ruger American Rifle and put the deer right down.

Velocity is a little over 1900 fps in thr Frontier...

Bob

The rifle I’m getting done has a 17 inch barrel.

That’s good info to know.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

The rifle I’m getting done has a 17 inch barrel.

That’s good info to know.

Good performers in the 35 Rem should work just fine in your 358. Just avoid those designed for the 35 Whelen....or just use cast

[Silvercreek Farmer]

What twist rate are you going with?

[RJM52]

CW borrowed my mold... He also has a NOE that has a larger meplat...

[bluejay75]

What twist rate are you going with?

3 groove 1:14 twist. It is my intent to get a good break in on the barrel. Lap it good with compound and shoot the 200 RCBS Clone and or the 230 Ranchdog. Hoping to get close to 2000 with 2400. Then try Win 748 from 45-50 grains.

At 17 inches I should barely break 2000 with either. Looking for consistency. Could live with a solid 2 inch repeatable group.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I'll bet it'll do better than 2" as long as the bedding in the donor rifle is good. I started pretty high with 2400 aiming for 2000 fps because I wasn't interested in anything any slower. I didn't find any joy, but mine is a 1-12" so maybe yours will do better. I'm sure if I'd eased off a bit, 2400 would have produced an accurate load, it might have at 1975 fps

3 groove 1:14 twist. It is my intent to get a good break in on the barrel. Lap it good with compound and shoot the 200 RCBS Clone and or the 230 Ranchdog. Hoping to get close to 2000 with 2400. Then try Win 748 from 45-50 grains.

At 17 inches I should barely break 2000 with either. Looking for consistency. Could live with a solid 2 inch repeatable group.

[bluejay75]

Rifle headed back now and I’m getting ready for my Winter project. I have settled on 2400 powder as I have 16 or so pounds of it.

I also re-purchased the NOE 360-230 in GC.

Going to use a 4x scope on it. Can live with a reliable 2 inch at 100 -150 yards.

Any other suggestions.

[black mamba]

Paco Kelly did a real treatise on the 358 WCF, very complete!

https://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/358_wcf.htm

[RJM52]

...always liked that article and his very interesting writings...

That said, he uses a 23" barrel and over the top loads to get those velocities. To me the best virtue of the .358 is being able to build a compact gun with a lot of power on a short action and to keep it compact, a barrel of no more than 20".

Bob

[bluejay75]

I was wondering if my 17 inches was going to give me excessive muzzle blast. Thanks for the read.