Another .358 Win. range report

[tanoose]

This is the last one of the year  as the rest of my trips to the cabin will be to scout and hunt. I only used one powder IMR3031 with four different charges from 47.5 to 49.0  The 49.0 load is the max load in the IMR powder manual. There were no high pressure signs with any of these loads and all were able to hit a dime at 50 yards.
rifle used---BLR 20"
brass-new 358 win.
primers-cci-BR2
bullet-- Hornady 200 RN
powder IMR3031
charges---47.5---2450 fps
             
              48.0---2470 fps

              48.5---2485 fps

              49.0--- 2520 fps   I am going with the 49.0 as i was hoping to get just over 2500fps.   Next year i may try the 250 grain bullets but we will see
how these loads perform in the field first. I just wanted to share this info with you guys. I got these averages taking 5 shots each but i did it twice with the 49.0 grain load because i found it strange the i averaged a 20 fps gain with the 1/2 grain increments except the 49 grain load jumped closer to a 40 fps gain Later Tanoose

[rickt300]

Why the need for 2500fps over say 2400fps. This last 100 fps isn't going to change trajectory enough to notice. It's the only reason I stayed at 47.5 grains of 3031, I just couldn't see a reason for the added 100 fps. For some reason though I would like to get 2300fps from my 250 grain loads out of my BLR. I am going to hunt with the 250 grain Speer bullet with 46.0 grains of Winchester 748 this year and it only gives 2140 fps out of my BLR. Good enough for hogs at night though.

[tanoose]

Not a need Rick just a velocity i want out of the  blr i was wanting to get the following
200--2530fps
220--2430fps
250--2330fps
I have achieved the following
200--2520fps
220--2420 fps
250-- 2100 with 42.0 of IMR3031

100 fps less in any of these bullet weights wont matter at the ranges i hunt but these are the velocities i will be happy with. I believe i will work the IMR3031  up and try to get 2320 fps with the 250 grain bullets come spring. Hell my 35 Remington chronyed just under 2000fps with the Winchester factory 200 grain bullet and we all know this is a good deer and black bear load. My goal is to be able to push the Woodleigh 250 RN to 2320fps loaded to the crimp groove   Later Tanoose

[rickt300]

Didn't mean to sound like it is a bad thing to go for what your after. I'm just jealous that I have had less time for range work than you have. I am off to the lease this weekend myself with plenty of chores. I'm happy my rifles are sighted in. As to the 250 grain load I am shooting if I had had the time I would have shot them up already and loaded some 200 grain corelokts to sight in with. i still have almost two months though so it may happen yet. I might even work up another grain or so. Just might get my nephew a hog at the lease this weekend too, He'll be using the rifle he always borrows, my 7x57. He better be quick because my BLR is hungry too.

[tanoose]

Where you from Rick and how big do the hogs get by you . We dont have any hear in NY except for the few that escape some of the hunting preserves around the state.I think a hog hunt is something i would like to do in a few years.

[rickt300]

I live south of Fort Worth Tx. my lease is in King county about 60 miles west of Wichita falls. The hogs get as big as 600 pounds, my biggest is 400 plus pounds. If I were to focus on them I could kill 10-12 a year, there are a lot of them they are just crafty and you almost never see them in the daytime. I hunt them by sneaking up on deer feeders at night when there is a big moon so I can get around without using a flashlight. I prefer to do this from late december thru february as the rattlesnakes arent out then (much) but I still do it a 2-4 times during the summer just to keep my nerve up. There was a 9 foot rattlesnake killed less than 20 miles from the lease.

[tanoose]

Sounds like an exciting hunt, 400plus pounds at night , does the hunt ever get dangerous do the hogs ever attack .  or are the snakes more of a worry? we have timber rattlers hear in ny as well as copperheads but i have yet to see one on our property  mostley garter , green and black snakes .

[rickt300]

The hogs can be a bit sullen at times and I think they are less afraid of humans after dark. The snakes are a problem. The moon was small and went over the horizon just after dark night before last so that meant no walking around in the dark because if you can't see your feet you sure can't spot a snake. We saw one hog but he saw us first sunday morning, two huge bull snakes, 8 deer and around a hundred turkeys. We shot nothing but I enjoy being out there. We did get a stand put up and got the feeders running.

[BlackWolf]

My wife got me everything I need to get started in reloading for christmas (I know its not time for yet but I had to order what I wanted )  Do ya'll have any more news or updates for the .358?

[doetag]

      I've been using sierra 225gr.  gamekings pushed with 47.0 gr. of H335 and had good results on whitetails. Off the bench groups were averaging an  inch and under  @100yd. and right @ 2440 fps out of my Rem. 7600 . If your new to reloading 358win., you might want to " load up" on brass when you find it as it is a sesonal item for Winchester. They chose not to make any last year and it got very ,very hard to find. 

[MtJerry]

Just buy 308 brass and run it thru a 358 sizer.  I use Lake City military surplus 308 (7.62) and get very nice brass

BTW - I use 44.6 gr of 3031 in my Pre 81 BLR in 358 Winchester.  I am using Hornady's 200gr Spire point.

[rickt300]

The brass issue is a non issue.  The reformed 308 brass is better stuff than what Winchester puts out. Just lube the inside of the case neck with a patch made from Armorall Protectant wipes wrapped around a brass bristle brush and lube the outside of the case normally.

[GradyL41]

you can also run 30.06 hulls in a 358 die and then trim---that load of H335 powder is my favorite load in my .358 and it has taken a number of deer  out  to 200 yards or so -- also works well with the 250's

[Country Boy]

 I have achieved all those veloc ities and more in my Browning blr 20" bbl. How about 2370 with a .250bullet or 2675 with a 200 or 2450 with a .225 it can be done ! and all were accurate. Just look through some of the older load manuals AA2520 is also a good powder for alll bullet weights as is 748.

[Rogue Ram]

I jumped in to load for a friend's new Ruger Hawkeye in .358.  The data is not in front of me, but, I went with about 1/2 grain less than max of AA2520, WLR primer, Winchester brass (flash hole deburred, primer pocket uniformed up), and Remington 200 gr Core Lokts. I seated the bullets .015 off the lands.  So far, from his less than ideal sighting in, he saw well under 1" groups, repeated a couple times.  I'll post back when I get him to do it under some better conditions. But, so far, AA2520 appears to work well.

fwiw

RR

Oh, and the Hawkeye......darn nice rifle, I gotta say.