358 Winchester

[AnthonyB]

Beard;
That is definitely an option. But, I have all those .30 moulds anyway...

Thinking this may become a multi-barrel rifle, although the "needed" cast calibers are about eliminated with the 308 and 358 Win.
Tony

[brasshog]

@Rapier- That is similar to my 35 Whelen on a M96 action from 1919. It also has a 1 in 14 twist barrel.

[brasshog]

I wasn't sure if I had updated this post since the rifle's completion. I believe that I have posted elsewhere on the forum about it but I wanted to show the end result in the original thread concerning the build in case anyone found this thread in a search. The completed rifle is a Howa 1500 with a stainless Hart 20" barrel chambered in 358 Win and a 1 in 12" twist. The stock is a NOS Weatherby monte carlos style wood stock that I pillar bedded, free floated and glass bed. The new Timney trigger is set at about 2lbs. The scope is a Vortex 4-12x56 Crossfire II illuminated model. Everything but the scope and hardware is cerakoted graphite black. She loves 200gr cast boolits at 2100fps (BHN-11, 94-3-3 lead, aluminum gas check) putting a four shot group into 1 5/16" at 100 yards.









Four Shots-Fifth is under the number "5" of the tape. It was a fouling shot. All five shot groups had the barrel cleaned since this was the first string down the new pipe. Each set of five in the string required a fouling shot for the groups to settle in after cleaning. There was no excessive or noticeable leading.

[Texas by God]

That’s a very nice looking (and shooting)rifle!
How is the weight with the laminated stock and the big scope?


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[brasshog]

The rifle as pictured weighs in at a hefty 10.25lbs. The stock really isn't that heavy. It's the scope and heavy barrel that add up. I guess I could have chosen a lighter set of rings also. I specifically set out not to have a lightweight or light sub-9lb rifle. I wanted an all day shooter that didn't drift much after a few rounds at the bench on a hot day and that is what I got. I can fire about a box of ammo (four five shot groups of slow fire) before the barrel is "warm to the touch". I have yet to experience any walking from barrel heat up and it is free floated so as to allow a sheet of printer paper doubled over to pass under the barrel.

I balanced the rifle at about two inches forward of the trigger guard to have a slightly heavy front heft for off-hand shooting. I dislike getting in a hurry with a shorter barrel and passing the mark when something breaks for a run in the brush. Recoil from this rifle with a cast 200gr load at 2100 fps is a dream. Think of it as the 38 special wadcutter of rifles in terms of recoil. Factory 200gr loads feel like a soft and light M80 round out of a FN-FAL (9.4lb rifle) without the sharp kick or the twang. Member "Lazy Squirrel" absolutely loves this rifle. His 35 Whelen is still being built so he is living through me vicariously at the moment lol.

Some eye candy of the process