.358 Winchester experience anyone?

[Deputy819]

Hey all. I realize that this is a Long Range Hunting Site which is why I chose to ask this question on this particular sub-forum and not the Long Range Hunting and Shooting forum. Who here has experience with the .358 Winchester and what are your thoughts on it? I snagged a factory new Ruger American Predator today on GunBroker chambered in .358 Winchester (Limited Run) to use for the short-range deer game here in Kentucky. I've got the long-range game already covered with a .280AI. Let's hear it.... Thanks!

 

[hunter67wa]

Great hammer you will like it.

 

[Hand Skills]

Great compliment to the .280AI. Highly recommend the 225gr Nosler Partition and Ramshot TAC.

I gave up a trusty .358 BLR for a .308 takedown. While it's a bit easier to shoot and much easier to clean I will have it rebored at some point for the best of both worlds

 

[Deputy819]

Highly recommend the 225gr Nosler Partition and Ramshot TAC.

I dont think I've ever seen Ramshot Tac around here locally. I'll have to hunt for that one. Thanks for the recommendations!!

 

[Hand Skills]

You're most welcome. Ramshot is tough to find around here too, but I think TAC is worth searching out for the .358 Win

I've heard good results can be had with RE 7, but no firsthand experience myself. She likes quick powders. I tried 3031 and 4198, of course Varget and 4895.

If you have on hand H322/Benchmark/H335 may be worth trying as well.

 

[Deputy819]

I tried 3031 and 4198, of course Varget and 4895.

Got it. There's plenty of these at the local stores.

 

[Liberator]

You are going to love that rifle ! What length barrel ? It's great elk medicine here.

 

[Deputy819]

What length barrel ?

20" barrel. A place in Pennsylvania called Grice Gun Shop recently sought 250 of those rifles from Ruger in that particular chambering. They had @ 30 left when I grabbed one today. Can't wait to start loading for it...

 

[Hand Skills]

It's a riot with pistol bullets over 10 or so grains of Trail Boss or Blue Dot too. Like a Long...pistol

 

[OhYtD]

I've owned and hunted with the .358 for over 25yrs and love the cartridge. I have two rifles chambered in it now, a steel receiver BLR and a SS M77 Hawkeye. I've taken deer , hog and black bear using one or the other of the rifles and using 200, 225 or 250gr loads.

I've pretty much settled on using a 225gr load now by BB at a hair under 2550 FPS at the muzzle. This load carries 1500 FPE to 350 yards. I've also used a 250gr Grand Slam for hogs and my SIL used the Hawkeye with 250s to take a 150" Tn buck. Both the hog and the buck dropped at the shot.

I like the 250 for close ranges, but the trajectories are a bit steep looking 200+ yards. I passed up a shot on a big Georgia boar that was a bit under 300 yards when my quick figuring came up with 15+" of drop with the zero I'd used for a bear hunt a few months prior.

For deer, I'd look at 180gr JFN, 200gr RN or SP, 220gr JFN or the fine Sierra 225gr Spitzer. I've seen companies claim 27-2800 with those 180s and I'm sure they would absolutely do a bang-up job on deer.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

Like OhYtd I have used a 358 a good bit-- I have a BLR and a custom 700.. you will love it. I use a 225 for almost everything now. My favorite 358 I ever owned was a ruger 77 with a 18 in barrel...accurate and handy.

 

[ducky]

I don't think it really matters what bullet you use, just find one that shoots well. The .358 isn't going to launch any bullet at such a blistering speed that you need to buy premium bullets. When I had my Savage 99A in .358 Win I settled on 200 and 225 grain Hornady SP bullets. They shot the best of the cheap bullets I tried.

I never did kill anything with that rifle and I sold it because I realized I'd never hunt that rifle. It did pay for a new build of a M70 Classic Stainless in .338-06. I do have an ER Shaw .358 Win prefit and a Stevens 200 in my safe I'll get around to one of these days.

 

[Deputy819]

I ordered some Sierra 200gr ProHunters to try out.

It did pay for a new build of a M70 Classic Stainless in .338-06.

I just parted out/sold off a .338-06 to do this .358 Winchester thing. That '06 was bad news for deer around here. Just wanted to try something a little different....

 

[358 Guy]

I own and hunt with 3 rifles in 358 Win.. Having hunted with this caliber since 1979, I have tried many different combinations of bullets and powders. I started using TAC a few years ago, and have found it to be about the most useful all around powder, followed closely by IMR 4198. The 180 gr. Barnes TTSX pushed to 2700 fps is absolutely the best bullet that I have found for deer sized game. For many years I used the 200 gr. Hornady spirepoint, and while good, it did not perform as well as the Barnes on raking shots. For elk, and large black bear I load the 200 gr. TTSX, again using TAC powder. I have killed 4 elk with this load, and it performed in a most satisfactory manner. Deep penetration and very wide wound channels. I could write a book about loading and hunting with this very useful, and deadly round, but will stop here with what I found that works the best for me and my style of hunting.