.358 BFG/wssm performance report

[schoolmaster]

Hello Dinny and Indy. I decided to start a new thread on the .358 BFG now that the modern gun season is over in Indiana. I have two grown sons besides myself that hunt with the .358 BFG here in Indiana. The deer hunting was very sub par on the farm we hunt this year. However we were able to take two deer with our .358 BFG rifles. Our rifles are all Savage Weather Warriors with the McGowen .358 barrels from our sponsor. We are shooting different loads in these 3 rifles until we need to reload then we will use what I am shooting. My load is the 200 gr Barnes TTSX over 47 grains of Benchmark powder, Rem 9 1/2 primer at 2640 f/s, 2nd load is 200 gr TSX and everything else the same. The 3rd load is the 180 speer fn, Rem primer, and a heavy dose of RL-7 at 2800 f/s. My rifle shoots 2in at 200 yards and the other 2 shoot 1 inch at 200 yards. The 200 TTSX hit a forkhorn at 50 yards just behind the near shoulder and exited in the flank behind the last rib. Knocked flat at impact, got up and went 30 yards and expired. Only got one lung. The 180 Speer FN hit part of near shoulder at 80 yards and exited just behind the far shoulder. Five yards to recovery. Both lungs and top of heart destroyed about 2 inch exit. I have never seen a deer knocked down with a body hit before and none of the spine hit. But this buck was. The nice big doe was slammed by the 180 Speer and managed one jump before crashing. I am very impressed by the .358 BFG
 

[Lon371]

 Congrats on the deer. And WOW on the .358 bfg! Some day I may go that route. But for now, I am on budget diet. So I am going to set up a .35 rem short or .460 s&w. And after my Maxi's performance over the last 2 years, it will stay a Maxi meat getter. 
 
Lonny

[Dinny]

Unfortunately BFG is no longer a sponsor. Don't know why...


Good to hear that you had some luck this year with the 358 BFG, I am deer poor this year cuz Lonny got them all.




Thanks, Dinny

[schoolmaster]

OOps. sorry didn't notice the sponsor thing. Lon my middle son shot a button buck last year with a .357 maxi at 206 yards and the 180 grain Hornady ssp bullet went through the deer long wise. The 357 maxi is a deer killing cartridge and a lot better than paper ballistics indicate. I believe that with the new 1.8 rule on schedule for next season there are a number of cartridges that will perform excellently on white tails. I really like the idea of the 45/70 short, the .358 win short, just to name two that will work in the handi rifle frame work. The 460 S&W is no slouch either and the handi is a budget way to enter this performance level. If the only deer rifle I had was a .357 maxi I would happily just keep on harvesting deer.

[Lon371]

Unfortunately BFG is no longer a sponsor. Don't know why...


Good to hear that you had some luck this year with the 358 BFG, I am deer poor this year cuz Lonny got them all.




Thanks, Dinny

 Now thats not right. I let 2 bucks walk. And several youngens   Then again I do have a big freezer and a muzzleloader and crossbow   I will let the Bucks walk, but no promices on the youngens. But I will stay out of Borden, so those deer you penned will be safe
 
 Schoolmaster, congrats to your son. That is some awesome shooting.
 
Lonny

[schoolmaster]

Lon my 3 grown up sons and 1 daughter are all better shots than I am. They have youger eyes. They started shooting at a very young age and are pursuing an outdoors life style. My grandkids are following in their footsteps. We go camping not to the mall.

[Lon371]

 Our family is a lot like yours. All 3 of ours started shooting early and hunting when I thought they were responsible enough(and shot accurately) We camped for several years regularly, until school activities took over. Now days my boy 19 and one daughter 22 still hunt with me. My eldest daughter has a problem with shooting those cute little deer . Oh well we can not all be perfect
 
Lonny

[phatgemi]

Not cast a dim light on any of the .358 info but isn't that a pretty expensive platform. All I can say is you guys must be a whole lot better healed to be able to afford that kind of rifle for deer hunting. I do envy the specs on the .358. Great performance.

[schoolmaster]

Yes they are a little pricey. Now I am not a rich man but my priorities are hunting and fishing. Now I have always believed that you might as well start out with what you are going to end up with. For this build, I started with a NIBSavage Weather Warrior 300 wsm, accutrigger, accustock about $700 added a 24 inch McGowen dropin barrel $340 50 new brass cases $87.50 a set of Hornady dies $150, Leupold QR extended rings and bases $75 and a Leupold VX111 4.5X14X40 B&C reticle $600 and a Claw sling $25. Now I didn't lay out that much cash, I traded for the rifle and scope. I already had brass,  bullets, and dies from my first build and I sold the 300 barrel for $100. Now my oldest son purchased one of these rifles from the guy who built minefor $1000 which included 50 rounds of ammo, a Weaver 4X16 scope in Leupold mounts and rings and a nice sling. I don't bowl, play golf, or gamble. I am a gun loony pure and simple. I shoot custom barreled, cutting edge performance rifles, reload for them, hunt with them, and that is all I spend my mad money on. Everything else is plain vanilla.