.358 Winchester

[300blk]

That's a new one on me, but I'm gonna take you as a credible source on the matter.

[Smoke4320]

That's correct, there will have to be some minor changes to properly feed, but this action was salvaged from a trainwreck of an Israeli 7.62 capture/conversion, all I'm worried about now is the nose width/length, should be fairly straightforward.

Thanks to all for the powder and boolit recommendations!

GRUMPA: thats very informative, I just won a set of .358 Redding dies on eBay, when I get a little closer I will shoot you a pm with specific questions if I encounter any (if that's alright with you)

Smoke: that's some fine shooting, what does 35-200 weigh, once hollow pointed?
i hadn't thought about reboring, I think I've got a 7mm Mauser barrel take off around somewhere... Think that would be a good candidate?

Edit: maybe a good option, but not a the cost of a new barrel, or twice the cost of a blank.

Wow I just noticed the mold description Its actually the NOE copy of the RCBS 200 HP
NOE-360-200-FN RG4 (HP)
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...roducts_id=356

Mine actually weigh right at 200 after gas check and Pc'ing

[Texas by God]

My powder of choice so far is IMR4895, I use CH dies I won on EBay; they form .308s into .358s perfectly. My Rem700/JES rebore is sub MOA with Sierra 200gr RN at 2300 fps. I haven't got a proper Rifle mould yet but it shoots 158gr RN cast very well with IMR4198 @50yds. Fun Gun. Best, Thomas.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

the 358 Winchester would get my vote for the best cast bullet cartridge ever made. I would have voted 30-30 other than feeding issues in a bolt rifle.
Regular Mauser 98 box will let you seat even the old 358009 with the base even with the neck shoulder junction. If I did not have a super accurate 9,3x62 M98 that shot cast in the 1 moa range out to 200yds, a 358 would be my next project.

[300blk]

Thanks for your input Texas and Idaho, respectively.
I was thinking of a pun involving states... But, I got nothin'
I lost an auction today, that had every part I needed for the Mauser build on eBay.
Climbed 200% in the last 5 minutes.
So this project is gonna take a little longer than I had anticipated.
Gonna need to turn up a .358 win finishing reamer too, that's gonna be a hard one.
Please continue with the input and experience! It's been very helpful so far.

[RPRNY]

I just want to reiterate a point made above in case it sneaked by you. The 8x57 chamber is a quarter inch longer than the 358 Win, so it's not just a case of finishing up the 8x57 chamber. It really wants a new barrel and there may still be feeding issues.

On the other hand, a 9x57, which will be in between the 358 Win and the 35 Whelen would require nothing more than a trip to JES rebore. 1:14 Twist. Jesse might be able to make a nice long slow taper throat perfect for the longest boolit you can fit in the magazine. 8x57 will neck to 358 just as easily as 308 will, in fact, just a little bit easier.

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk

[300blk]

Thanks, a new barrel is definitely going to happen.
A chamber reamer rental and barrel blank are still cheaper than the reboring service.
I'm sure he does great work, but I don't have a donor barrel for it anyway.

[CptnBarney]

With all the case forming I do the LEE dies are the worst out there. For regular loading for the most part they do just fine, but for forming.....don't go down that road.

Mind elaborating some more please? I have Lee 358Win dies and have reformed once-fired 308Win and 243Win to 358Win with no issue whatsoever.

[HandgunHTR]

I did exactly what you are talking about a few years ago. Mine was a Turk Mauser that I sent to ER Shaw for a rebarrel. Put a Bold trigger with safety, a new bolt shroud and a Tubb's Speedlock firing pin in it. Laid it all in a Boyds laminated stock. It is a shooter for sure. Haven't shot cast out of it, but mine (1-12" twist) is right at MOA with 180-250 grain bullets. It really isn't that finicky either.

As for feeding, I have not had a problem (no mods). With those fat bullets and almost no shoulder, the bullets slide up pretty well as long as I don't "limp wrist" my bolt work.

[Sur-shot]

Years ago I hunted with a WWII vet that had a 358 Win Pre 64 feather weight rifle and it was a deadly deer rifle, fast to handle and very accurate. So I always wanted one but got side tracked many times by many cartridges. Shot a 357 Herrett for several years while moving steel. I had an old set of Redding Dies and a spare AR-15 set so decided to put together a 357 Herrett AR just for fun. Well in the process I found a guy that is building 358 barrels for the AR-15 for a cartridge based on the 6.8 SPC necked up. I bought one barrel, a 20 twist then another barrel, a 12 twist and have been playing with them for over a year now. The NOE copy of the 200 PB RCBS that is PCed is very accurate and the 2,400 fps load stout enough to make you like a recoil pad. When loaded with 1680 will produce 358 Win factory book stats for 24 inch barrel with a jacketed bullet out of a 16 inch carbine barrel without leading. The barrels and dies are sold by MGP Custom. The .5 inch group is a fireform load out of a little light weight carbine pictured.
Ed

PS: This makes one hell of a truck gun. Gives a new meaning to Found On the Road Dead.

[NoAngel]

I am of the opinion that had the .358 came out at another point in time, it would be a household name. Alas, it came along when all the big magnums were stomping around new and it died. Sad. It really is just about as fine a short action centerfire cartridge as you could ever ask for.


Sur-shot, that is SO very tempting! I have been seeing buckets of 6.8 brass at my range. No one wants the stuff. Hmmmm..........