358 Winchester

[brasshog]

I recently got off my duff and started my long awaited 358 Win project. The idea is to have the perfect (for me) brush gun for hunting in the swamps and to cover the majority of medium game that I might ever hunt in my golden years. I purchased a new and unfired Howa 1500 chambered in 22-250 last week for $400 and sent her off to Hart barrels. The new barrel will be a #5 Heavy Sporter in stainless with a 1 in 12 twist cut at 20". When they are finished chambering it I have requested that everything be cerakoted in graphite black so that it all matches. At the moment it is a 10-11 month turn around time so stay tuned.

I will most likely alter the existing Hogue stock for the new barrel unless I can find a decent short action wood stock to alter. I'll also add a Timney trigger to her. Currently I expect to add a Zeiss Conquest V4 3-12x 56mm for optics. I would prefer to add iron sights as well but until it's in my hands I don't know exactly what to order since I'm changing the barrel. I may also have the detachable magazines just for fun but I prefer a BDL style rifle. I have attached some pictures of the original rifle for my "before" pictures.

[AnthonyB]

Very nice! I have a similar dream for a short action M 700.
Tony

[brasshog]

I was originally going to go with a Rem 700 SA but the complete rifle was cheaper than a new Remmy action plus the bottom of the Howa action is flat thus making it easy to bed. The current stock has an aluminum bedding block and pillars in it. It has the M16 extractor on it and I wanted to try a rifle with one so it worked out well.

[AnthonyB]

I’m not wedded to the 700 action; it is just what I have. No flies on your choice at all!
Tony

[Harter66]

I have a Santa Barbara 98 24" 1-14 . Best load to date off the books RCBS 35-250 , 38ish gr of IMR 4350 .

[dverna]

I like your choice of rifle and caliber. Perfection.

Good luck!

[brasshog]

@Harter66 Thank for pointing me in the right direction on powder. That boolit is what I plan to initially try. Have you had any issues with 250gr pills in the 1 in 14 twist ?

@dverna Thanks

I feel like I'll regret not making the barrel 22" long even though it will probably only be a 70-100 fps loss. About 95% of my hunting in the years past has been at about 50yds in the thick part of the swamps here in Florida. The two inches of barrel length won't really matter much at those ranges but my buddy will be starting his 35 Whelen project soon hopefully and we hope to one day try some elk at 300yds or less. I've never seen a black bear (seen the damage though) here but I have seen two panthers while in the woods.

[BK7saum]

Your velocity loss in a 358 from 22 to 20 inches would likely be 12-20 fps per inch.

[brasshog]

@BK7saum Thanks for the info. That helps ease my mind some.

[badwolf]

I did this a few years ago, bought a left hand Sako that had a 25" ? Shipment barrel on it it a fiberglass stock. Had it cut down to 18" for PA bear hunting in the thick stuff. Came in at 7 1/2 lbs with a 1.5x 8 Vortex scope on it. So far only shooting 250 gr Nosler partitions out of it, want to try cast

[waylonrocks]

Nice! I live in NW Montana and I deem the .358 Win to be the perfect cartridge for hunting everything in my area, yet has a comforting level of power should I meet up with a grizzly bear. I have a Marlin XS7 bolt action that started off as a .243 and was rebored by JES to .358. Although, I think my Browning 81 BLR may be the perfect platform for this chambering in terms of portability. I debated long and hard about sending my Remington Model Seven .308 off to JES for a rebore before I bought the Marlin but the .308 is such a perfect round that I decided I had best leave well enough alone. I think a Model Seven would be the perfect bolt action .358 Win.

[square butte]

Nice! I live in NW Montana and I deem the .358 Win to be the perfect cartridge for hunting everything in my area, yet has a comforting level of power should I meet up with a grizzly bear. I have a Marlin XS7 bolt action that started off as a .243 and was rebored by JES to .358. Although, I think my Browning 81 BLR may be the perfect platform for this chambering in terms of portability. I debated long and hard about sending my Remington Model Seven .308 off to JES for a rebore before I bought the Marlin but the .308 is such a perfect round that I decided I had best leave well enough alone. I think a Model Seven would be the perfect bolt action .358 Win.

Is there enough meat at the muzzle of a Remington Model Seven for Jes to rebore to .358? I don't know what his minimum muzzle diameter is - But the Model Seven's always looked a bit skinny at the far end

[brasshog]

@square butte- from what I read the barrel tenons on both the model seven and the model 700 are the same (https://rifleshooter.com/2015/05/rem...00-comparison/)

@waylonrocks-perhaps your on to something with the model seven. It would be a nice build but I might be tempted to make a 338 Federal on one if I had the action.

[ulav8r]

The tenon would not be a problem but the muzzle diameter might. There will be a minimum diameter that JES will rebore.

[brasshog]

@ulav8r- Thank you. I misread rebore thinking rebarrel

[rockrat]

IIRC, JES needs at least .050 on either side of the bore. Instead of a new barrel, why not have JES re-bore your existing barrel?

[brasshog]

@rockrat-In my case I didn't want nor need a 26" heavy barrel on a brush gun in any caliber hence why I didn't consider reboring the rifle. I went with a lighter contour and shorter length. By the time I would have had a barrel rebored, muzzle cut & finished, and had it recontoured I might as well just get a different barrel for the cost.

[Harter66]

I had round holes and .900" groups . I believe there was room for more speed but the delivered groups well into jacketed speeds was very satisfying .

1-16" is probably plenty . I played with the calculator/bullet design tool that was on the mountain moulds sight a lot . Not much for 35 cal . The 1-14" is faster yet .

I did just for grins shoot some 148 WC they remained in groups to 100 yd . Typically 35/38 cal pistols and PCC have 1-16" and will readily handle 200s . There are lots of spitzer/spire point type bullets available to 250 gr without twist advisories on the boxes ..........well no advisory on the Speer Hot Core 220 anyway . It's all I have on hand other than Hornady 200s and cast .

[brasshog]

Originally I was going to build a Whelen but chose the current cartridge over it. My research at the time showed a general dislike for the 1 in 16 twist by many people in the whelen. I owned a 35 whelen Rem 700 CDL with a 1 in 16 twist and it didn't like J-Words starting at 225gr. It did like the RCBS 35-200 FN. I had considered making this current build a 1 in 14 for general shooting from 180-225gr boolits and jwords but after careful thought decided on the 1 in 12 due to the fact that I intend to use 225-250gr pills most of the time.

The CDL rifle also reminded me what it was like to have a thin barrel that wanted to walk after only a few rounds. I really wanted to like that rifle but it just didn't grow on me. The reason that I went with the 358 Win over the 35 Whelen or variants such as the Brown Whelen was that it was more powerful than my old 35 Rem, allowed for quicker cycling between shots on charging boars due to the shorter action and less recoil, and it was just sexy to me. There's something about the round that simply appeals to me.

I have never owned or shot a 358 Win before and all that I am asking is MOA accuracy, moderate recoil, and the ability to take some larger game such as elk or caribou at or under 300 yards IF I ever get to go on a dream hunt. Our deer here could probably be successfully hunted with a .177 air rifle they are so small. Our hogs on the other hand can be tough to drop fast in close quarters hence the desire for a 35 cal boolit.

[Harter66]

This rifle has a barrel that had about 100 rounds through it as a 35-303 then it was cut back for my 98 action and rechambered in 358 . The smith shot both 200s and 250s in it . It's an Adam's and Bennett barrel .

MBT or Goodsteel did a write up regarding the performance of the 35/358-200 on deer here on the forums . He was the builder of this rifle .
Malcolm Ballistic Tool Conway AR . He's a little pricey but worth it .

You're welcome to shoot a 1-12 but it seems to me like it's pretty fast for a conventional rifle in 35 cal .