Cast Bullet in 358 win

[flhroy]

Is there anyone here who has tried the lee 158rf in 358 winchester. Wondering if maybe I could get that to work in my 99. If there's another group buy for the 358 heavies would like to get one of those too.
I'm thinking the 158 would be good for blachtail here in western Oregon and the heavy would be good for elk. Seems I remember Waksupi took an elk with a 358 using cast bullets.

Thanks

[waksupi]

I did try some Lee wadcutters, in around the 158-160 range last week. Nine grains of Red dot was giving about a 1.75" group at fifty yards. I didn't get good info on the heavier loads. I had tumble lubed the bullets, and ran them through a Lee sizer, so had removeed lube from critical areas. So saying, some fairly nasty leading by the fifth shot on the first load. I suspect the first group mentioned had began it's growth, due to this condition. I'll be trying it again this week.

I'm sure the 158 gr. range would work for your deer, although I always tend to lean towards a heavier bullet. Actually, the Bator Lite would most likely be suffiecient for any elk or deer. I'll be working with it more this summer. My rifle throat is fairly long, so I have pretty much stuck with the Bator Heavy for most of my shooting previously.

I did pick up a Saeco 250 gr. four holer bullet mold for the .358 a couple weeks ago at a gun show, and the first group stayed in 1.5" at a hundred yards, so if you could find one of those, they would be a good candidate.

I don't know your ranges for hunting around there, but I think you would like the heavier bullets for superior penetration on both deer and elk at longer ranges, say up to 200 yards.

If you want to PM me an address, I could send you some of the Bator Lites, which I think would work pretty well in your 99, without having to seat them too deeply.

[MT Gianni]

In my 356 94 big bore Win., a 215 grainer 358627 works good but they are hard to find also. The LBT 180 fn [which the 180 gr Lee custom buy on another thread here is a virtual copy of] is too short to feed from the magazine but groups well from my gun. Gianni.

[onceabull]

Waksupi: Great catch on that saeco 4Holer. You & MT.Gianni already had an edge on the rest of us ,being that close to Western Bullet.. I must admit that I've used the western brand of both of those you two mention here,to try and sort out what works in the "affordable "class. Personally like the Saeco 352 enough to have it atop the short list for future purchase. Both that and the lyman 215 gr.swc have done fine work for me in 356W.358W,and 35 Whelan. Making 4x per pass,you could go"Commercial" once hot stove time comes again..!! Onceabull