358 win in an encore???

[part_timer]

Do any of you have a 358 winchester in an encore and how do you like it? I'm switching most of my rifles over to encore or conters and was wanting the 358 for moose hunting. From looking at the manuals it looks like it would sure make a good caliber for hunting with cast boolits. Any thoughts would be great.

[Dusty Wheeler]

Part Timer-
I bought a .358 barrel for my Encore but haven't had a chance to shoot it (darn those snowy winters). I bought it for the same cast bullet idea you had in mind. I live in fertile elk country with some big deer and a few moose. I have some 180 drain hard cast plain base boolits but I'm still searching for heavier. My other Encore barrel is a .308 that is a tack driver with just about everything so my hope is that the .358 does the same.

[cabezaverde]

I have an Encore barrel in 350 Rem Magnum, but haven't played with it much.

[jhalcott]

The closest thing I have is a 14" 358JDJ rechambered from a 35 Reminton. It is very accurate, but KICKS hard. I have a few hand problems, so I had Vis brake installed. I do NOT believe there has been 2 dozen cast bullets thru it. I am afraid I'll have to clean all those holes if I start shooting lead in it now. As Moose medicine I think it would be great IF you can handle the recoil.

[leadman]

jhalcott, I've shot cast in my 30-30AI for about 10 years. I just get a light coating of lead with the hotter loads. Hoppe's #9 left overnight takes care of it.
I'v thought about the 358JDJ. How do you like it?

[part_timer]

jhalcott, I'd be getting this in a rifle length barrel of probably 22" or there about so recoil shouldn't be a problem like in a pistol.

[Doc Highwall]

Another cartridge would be the 375 JDJ, now you can go with even bigger bullets. JDJ has even killed Elephants with it it is his most popular cartridge, it is based off the 444 Marlin. Also on the group buy right now look at 358009fp if you go with 358 Win.

[HEAD0001]

I have a 358 in an Encore Pistol. It is a ported MGM barrel. It is a handfull to shoot. Recoil is sharp, and fast(even with the porting). I am glad I had it ported. I shoot the RCBS 200 grain lead boolit. Fairly accurate rig, but it is just a little to much to be a fun gun to shoot. Tom.

[part_timer]

Dusty, I was looking at the 265 gr boolit in the group buy for this one. Seems that great minds think alike as far a big game rigs go anyways.

Head0001 I bet that is a hand full. A friend has a 308 in a pistol and it is more than I like to shoot with big boolits. His isn't ported/ isn't much fun.

I had thought about the JDJ series but my son has a BLR in 358 so we are set up with brass/dies and I figured if I went that way for the new toy I'd have a bit less money involved up front. I do like the boolit in the group buy section. I bet it would put a big hole in a donk.

[Doc Highwall]

My big hand gun is a TC Contender in .375 Win. with a 10.5" barrel. I shoot Hornady's 220gr FP with AA1680 powder and it averages 2074fps and with the muzzle break on the recoil is not bad but the MUZZEL BLAST is substantial that when I shoot it at the range I put in my custom in the ear plugs with over the ear muffs on top of them and you can FEEL the concussion when you touch one off. When I take this out hunting I always wear my Walker Game Ears so to protect my ears.

[part_timer]

Doc, I had one of those for awhile in a 14 but sold it for a 256 winchester bbl. I was a lot of fun. I was able to shoot a 500s&w in a handi rifle this weekend, I can't imagine shooting that in a handgun.

[Doc Highwall]

Part Timer, a friend of mine has one with a 4" barrel that he wants me to shoot. I say that's ok maybe later---- Much Later. Right now I am just interested in long range accuracy. One of my favorite calibers is 22lr at 2-300yds, it really makes you pay attention to the wind. One of the things I teach people is to have a 22lr set up just like your big gun. I have a contender in 22lr with the same sights as my .375Win., a 1885 lowwall in 22lr to match my 1885's in 30-30, 38-55,40-65,45-70, and 45-90. For a bolt gun I have a model 57 Cooper to match my bolt action hunting rifles. I also compete in smallbore and highpower and take the pains to make sure that the iron sights and scopes match as much as possible so the switch from gun to gun is not a problem. I am lucky that I have these and a lot more, life is to short to only have one gun.

[jhalcott]

Leadman and parttimer, MY gun is ground hog accurate . I've shot a lot of them at 200 yards off sand bags with a table for a rest. It will drop deer and black bear right there! I use a lot of the 180 rn bullets in it, but 225'and 250's work OK. Recoil goes up with them. A good all around bullet is a 200 grain that shoots accurately in YOUR gun. I've shot a cow that had a broken hip from slipping on ice. The slug went in the forehead and stopped in the neck (200 grain). The depth of penetration left no doubts about effectiveness on LARGE game. Since arthritis and carpal tunnel set in this barrel gets used less and less.

[part_timer]

Doc I can't imagine that in a 4" bbl. I bet it would peal the wiskers off your face. We can't shoot that far here. we only have about 60 yards out the back door so we put empty 22 brass in a piece of card board and try to shoot them out of it. I sure like to shoot the 40-65. A friend has one in a sharps and it is a lot of fun.

Jhalcott it sounds like I'm at least thinking in the right direction. I'm beginning to think a break might just be a good investment.

[Wayne Smith]

Get the Encore Pro Hunter stock. It has recoil absorbing stuff in it. I have one on my S&W 500Mag Katadin barrel. Shooting 465gr boolits in front of 31, 32, and 33 gr W296 the only problem was that, from the bench, the trigger guard was hitting my finger HARD! Offhand no problem. The 20" barrel puts the muzzle blast almost far enough away, too.

[part_timer]

almost far enough away, is that like almost pregnant? :)

[Hipshot]

BOY CAN YOU GUYS STEAL A THREAD !!!!!!!

I have a custom .358 Win. on a Mark X action. I have some (very little left) Lyman mold # 358318 which throws a app. 240 gr. GC bullet.
I Didn't cast the ones that I have and don't have a mold for them.
I read an article by C.E. Harris on using 2400 powder in a .30-06 so tried the .358 with 17 gr. 2400 and the Lyman 315318.
Well was I surprised as IF I did my part I got 1/2" and smaller at 50 yds.
The only proplem is the velocity is probably 1500-1600 fps.
This would be NO PROBLEM with hard cast bullets at woods rangesfor moose!

Hipshot

[part_timer]

Hipshot :Where we go most of the hunting is done on gas pipe line roads so ranges very a bit but most shooting is 150yds or less. It sounds like you have a fine shooting rig there. Have you tried anything in the 200gr range?

[jhalcott]

I HAVE a 358 318 mold that I use with my Whelen. I often wonder how it will work thru that Vias brake. It works wonderfully in the Whelen,gives me sub 4" groups for 5 shots at 200 yards. Sand bag rest and 3x9 scope at 9x. 180 and 200 grain J word bullets do NOT beat it by much(they do beat ME though)! I strive for a velocity around 2000 fps and usually get it with cast. J words can be driven a good bit faster.

[Rafe Covington]

I have a 17 in bull barrel for the encore from FRO, it is very accurate. When I do my part with a 2.5-7 Burris scope it will stay at 1 inch group at 100 yds. I shoot the 225 gr. Sierra SPBT with 47.5 grs IMR4895 with Fed 210M primer. Personally I don't think the recoil is bad in this caliber, of course I shoot alot of large caliber encore pistols.JMHO:drinks:

Harold