Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 60

150-grain at 2,800 fps), and the .35 Remington cartridge with its 200-grain round nose bullet at around 2,000 fps. The .308 cartridge is one inherently efficient case, and has been the parent for many wildcats that have made it to factory status over the decades, including the .358 Winchester (others are the .243 Win., 260 Rem., .338 Federal and 7mm-08 Rem). Being rimless it works well in bolt actions, which can digest the more aerodynamic spire/spitzer type bullets, retaining greater power at longer ranges than their round nose counterparts. It also makes a nice powerhouse in a short action that could save a little weight (depending on barrel diameter and length). Original loads for the .358 Win. included a 200-grain bullet at 2,500 fps, and a 250-grain slug that went 2,300 fps, with 2,700 to 3,000 pounds of energy, which was powerful enough for any large game in the U.S. With a 100-yard zero, the drop at 200 yards was five to eight inches, depending on which bullet was used. With trajectory and foot pounds considered, it was thought of as a 250-yard cartridge, depending on the game. Handloaders could broaden their selection a little with 220- to 225-grain slugs that could be pushed to 2,400-plus fps, which became a good balance of weight and speed. Popular powders back then were IMR 3031, 4064, 4320 and a couple others. Throughout the years the .358 Winchester has been chambered in the Savage Model 99, Browning BLR, Ruger Model 77, Winchester Model 70 and Model 88, Remington Model 7 and others. As good as the .358 Winchester is, for some reason it never set any popularity records, and today only a few rifle manufacturers chamber it in a couple of their models. For those sportsmen who are lucky enough to own a .358 Winchester rifle, available factory loads include a 200-grain Silvertip from Winchester, along with custom cartridge companies such as the Conley Precision Cartridge Company, Double
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Tap Ammunition and Impact Ammunition using 180-, 200-, 220-, 225-, and 250-grain bullets from Speer, Nosler, Hornady, Swift and Barnes, with velocity ranging from 2,700 fps to 2,300 fps (velocity dependent on barrel length and bullet weight). The 180- and 200-grain bullets work well for deer, and 220-, 225- and 250-grain pills will handle heavier game, such as moose, elk and big bears. I personally prefer spire type bullets, to take advantage of the flatter trajectory if needed for longer range. For handloaders the old standby powders are still a good choice, but many of the newer powders, such as Reloader 7, Viht N135 and a few others, are just as good if not better in their burning rate for the volume of the case. The faster burning powders should be matched up with the lighter bullets, and the slower burners would work best with the heavier slugs. A few years ago I met a fellow on the range who was shooting a Winchester Model 70 with a low powered variable scope (1.5-5x) and swore by the 180-grain spire bullet for deer. He loaded it to 2,750 fps and said that the jacket was built thin enough for the light resistance of a whitetail and dropped them like a lightning bolt. In shooting it, I found that the recoil is far lighter than the 250-grainer, and the drop was less than four inches at 200 yards. It was surprisingly accurate, too. I know that you can load flat nose .357 pistol bullets at velocities beyond 2,800 fps, but why shoot a bullet you will never use in the field. This is a big game cartridge, not a dual purpose varmint cartridge, and it accomplishes its big game responsibility well. Why the .358 Winchester never made it big is beyond me, but for those hunters who have chosen (or choose) it for big game hunting, they will never have to worry about its reliability to harvest game. Even today, when a new rifle in the .358 Winchester hits the rack it doesn’t last long, and used ones find a new home very quickly. It seems every time I get a lead on one, it’s gone before I get there. 
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Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011

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