|
|
Post by whelenman on Nov 5, 2009 15:07:47 GMT -5
It's getting near hunting season and I've hunted with a short barreled 358 Winchester for several years now when hunting thick woods. I've always used the Hornady 200 Spire Points and have harvested a few deer in the past. I decided to try the 200 Round nose bullets this AM with the same load (52.0 gr. W748). I think there may be something better for close range shots here. There was a little wind from 9 o'clock accounting for the right position of the group but I couldn't be happier. Best group this rifle has produced so far.  The 300WinMag I assembled from spare parts after buying an old action from nearby. I had a heavy Savage Barrel and stock but needed an action so I bought an old 7mmRemMag and cannibalized it for the action. This was it's second trip to the range and I tried some loads with 180 Ballistic Tips over76.0 gr. of RL22. I seated these longer than the magazine would allow to get closer to the lands. I'll have to use these single shot if I use them in the field though. After zeroing I shot this 5 shot group at 200. Should be good for bambi if I should wind up taking this rifle this year.  |
|
|
|
Post by bigiron on Dec 30, 2009 21:56:29 GMT -5
Boy I'll say it did good alright. That combo of componants is sure working for you. I use a 358 as well. Mine is a rechambered 760 Rem. that started life as a 35.Bought it new back in........83 maybe.Killed quite a few deer w/the Hornady 200gr RN and 3031.Back in 92 or 93 I figured the 358 would be just abit better so had the work done and its worked very well for me. I just switched to Ramshot TAC with Fed 215 Mag primers and getting 2600 fps w/200gr Hornady SP. What kind of rifle are you shooting,Ruger?
|
|
|
|
Post by whelenman on Dec 31, 2009 11:46:52 GMT -5
This rifle is a 98 Mauser bedded in a synthetic stock with a Douglas 20" barrel and a Timney trigger. I traded into it and wound up with it for a cheap price a few years back. It was new and had been built for a fellow planning on a Maine black bear hunt but never was used and then traded off....one of those things you spot on the rack at the gun shop. I put a Leupold VXIII 1.75-6 scope on it. I really like the feel of the rifle and usually use it if hunting in thick spots where shots will be short. I use the W748 most of the time. Mine prefers the 200 grain bullets but I still want to get it to shoot the Sierra 225 but it hasn't worked out so far. I've got one of the Remington 7600s in 35 Whelen similar to your 358 Winchester but it hasn't ever been out of the box except for a time or two to look at and put a little oil on. The 35s have been a favorite of mine with 35 Remington, 356 Winchester, 358 Winchester, and the 35 Whelen having stopped here. I've still got a notion to build a 358 Norma Magnum but I really don't know what I need it for.....you know how that goes when you get the gun fever. I just ordered a stock for the 300 Winchester Mag Savage that I posted a group from above. It just may become the 358 Norma over the Winter. My next door neighbor got this bad boy last year with an old 35 Remington pump. I was proud he got it with a 35.  |
|
|
|
Post by bigiron on Dec 31, 2009 18:32:14 GMT -5
That looks like a Mod. 141 oa 14. They were nice rifles in their day.
|
|
|
|
Post by rjhans53 on Dec 31, 2009 22:14:48 GMT -5
That's some fine shooting there. My ruger did good yesterday on a doe. I was using the only bullet that I could get my hands on at the time 200 flex tip hornadys) If every deer I shoot has the same reaction that she did I don't know that I'll ever go back to my 308s. I've been going to mess with a 358 win for a couple of years, ordered the barrel (ordered a 35 whelen a & b barrel, had the threads cut off and rethreaded) to build my mauser and my dealer (who is a friend) came across a SS ruger at clearance price and so now I have 2. They both shoot a whole bunch better than I do and will do under MOA @ 100 if I do my part.
|
|
|
|
Post by jims on Dec 31, 2009 22:30:51 GMT -5
Thick main beams on that buck.
|
|
|
|
Post by whelenman on Jan 1, 2010 9:34:10 GMT -5
rjhans53.....I've got some of the flex tips that I've been intending on loading up. I noticed that my local dealer got in a few boxes of the same recently also. If you've had good performance with them I'll need to shoot a few this spring with Fall in mind. Hopefully since my rifle likes the 200s the flex tips might show promise.
bigiron....it's a model 14 that he shot that bruiser with. He said it was just as dead as it would have been if he shot it with a 300 magnum.
Jims.....That deer has to be seen to be appreciated. For our area it's a real monster and has a body size about a time and a half that of most normal bucks. The mount really shows just how big the deer was. Tine length didn't give it a super high score but just sheer mass makes it a winner in my book. Even better is the fact that it came off of public land at a state management area. This year another monster came off of the same area so things are looking up.
|
|
