358 winchester

[Mike Irwin]

That was the true problem -- a lightweight carbine.

Primarily the same problem that exists with the .338 Magnum.

Fantastic cartridge, but generally packaged in standard rifles that are simply too light. The .338 is potent enough that it really needs to be in a rifle in the same weight class as the .375 H&H.

[Paul B.]

"Fantastic cartridge, but generally packaged in standard rifles that are simply too light. The .338 is potent enough that it really needs to be in a rifle in the same weight class as the .375 H&H."

I agree 100%. I shoot a lot of different cartridges from the .22 Hornet to the .416 Rigby. While the ,404 Jeffery and the Rigby are quite noticeable, neither hurts me as badly as the two .338 Win. Mags I have. I like the .375 H&H though. I find it more of a push that a snappy come back like the .338.
Frankly, at my age, (85) I've just about stopped shooting the bigger boomers. I worry about the possibility of retinal detachment. I haven't for the recoil of my .35 Whelen to be all that bad. It's based on a custom using a Mauser action. However, the Ruger M77 and Remington M700 Classic are another story. Their lighter weight make recoil a it uncomfortable I'd guess my Mauser weight at least a pound more than the M700, maybe a pound and a quarter. I only shoot it to check sights aand at game. No long sessions at the bench with it anymore.
Paul B.

[Mike Irwin]

When I worked at NRA one of the other editors bought himself a .338 for an elk hunt.

We shot it stock, and it shot really well, but recoil wasn't a push, it was a full-on Mike Tyson style punch. Quite painful.

He ended up adding about 1.5 pounds of lead weight to the stock and putting on a PAST recoil pad. That made all of the difference in the world.

Another one of the editors had either a .416 or a .425. Beautiful antique rifle, true Mauser magnum action. Probably worth a freaking mint.

Recoil, while stout, wasn't nearly as bad as the .338 because the .416/.425 weighed about 14 pounds.

[ligonierbill]

We haven't heard back from oldbear, and I've hesitated to chime in, not having direct experience with the 358. I do have a 35 WCF, offspring of the 30-40 Krag. Not quite as powerful as the 358, but mine trails it by <100 fps with 200 or 250 grain bullets. It's certainly a thumper on both ends. Ken Waters was a fan of the 35 bore. If I may quote from his Pet Loads, the 358 Winchester is "a ring-tailed brush buster and timber cartridge par excellence".

[44 AMP]

Friend had a Remington... 600? 660? in .350 Rem Mag.

The thing was absolute MURDER with full power ammo. Kicked like an SOB.

Yep, they do that.

He downloaded it .358 Win. levels. It really tamed the recoil and he was highly successful with it as a deer rifle.

And, they do that too!...

The only real problem with the Remington 600 series carbines is recoil levels in the more powerful chamberings.

Depending on barrel configuration and wood density, the guns average between 5.5 and 6.5lbs. Mohawks tend to run a bit heavier, but not a lot.
.350 Magnum in one of those light carbines is on the harsh side of BRUTAL!

On the other hand, I've seen it knock a 650lb critter off its feet quite well. There's no free lunch. Loaded down to .358 levels it would be a fine deer / woods elk rifle. but its still going to kick, just not QUITE as much.

My first deer rifle was a Rem 600 in .308 Win. For a .308 it has considerable recoil, but nothing near the .350. Shot the .308 600 side by side against a Rem 700 7mm Rem Mag. The 7Mag was several inches longer, and nearly two pounds heavier. Felt recoil was the same, to me.

The .358 packs more punch and has more easily usable range than the .35 Rem making it a fine choice for a lot of hunting. Its another of those rounds what do their job really well, but never reached the top levels of general popularity.

[Paul B.]

My big boomer are all on Ruger #1s, the .404 and .416 as is the .375 H&H. I like the rifles but at my age the threat of something bad like a detached retina make me quite leery of shooting them. Molds for the two cartridges are quite expensive for good ones so haven't developed and cast loads for them.

The .375 H&H id a horse of a different color though as I have an RCBS mold that supposedly makes a 250 gr. bullet but actually make one at 270 gr. I run a load with H4350 that does about 2100 FPS and recoil is about like a stiff 220 gr. load from a 30-06.

Interesting thing about my two .338 Win. Mags. Both came equipped with what I think were Limbsaver recoil pads. At some time they turned into some kind of goo and are currently wrapped in masking tape. No idea what caused it and as I don't shoot them anymore they just reside in the safe.
Paul B.

[Buckeye!]

I have owned a few rifles in 358 Winchester .. one being a Savage 99

I had a soft spot for its 1st cousin.. the 356 Winchester

[Drm50]

I’ve only owned one rifle in 358 , a Win 88. Never got to hunt it traded it for a m70 in
300 H&H magnum. My favorite rifle was an old Sako 375 H&H which I usually had stuffed
with Speer 235gr semi-spitzers.
I did have couple of 600s in 350mag. Bought both used at local shops when they were brought back to trade off. Seems dip sticks didn’t appreciate the recoil. My dad gave one to our host on Canadian bear hunt. I hate to tell you where the other one is, after all the lines about boat accidents. It really is on bottom of a river up north. Flipped canoe in 73 and lost it. I figure it’s made it at least to James Bay by now. We used them foe canoe guns. They were something you could beat up or loose without feeling to bad.

[Pumpkin]

Get your answer oldbear?

[old roper]

One of my pet rifles is 35 WhelenAI.