I mentioned in another thread that I'm building a 358 win on a 700 SA in a boyds brown laminate stock. Ilol be sending the action out as soon as I've made a decision on barrel length and twist. I'm looking for a compact rifle that I can still get my maximum velocity out of. In my wind I'm thinking 19 or 20 inches and 1/14 twist. I'm planing on running 225gr partitions and woodleigh RN 225s also. Not that it matters much but I am gonna have the barrel straight fluted to make it "my own". Any opinions or better yet, experience with this kind of build would be great.

Brandon

All I'll say is, wouldn't it be better to go long as you might want and try it? Couldn't you cut it more later if it wasn't what you envisioned? I always thought the 358 Winchester that I wanted to build would have a 20" barrel.

Built 2 different 358 Win rifles. I went with 21 inch barrels on both and would never change a thing on them. One on a short Rem 700 and one on a Sako Finnwolf.

I think 20" would be my max length. I have a 20" 350 mag in a CDL 7 that's quite handy. Plus if I flute the barrel I don't know that it can be cut after and be okay? I know the flutes usually stop an inch or so shy of the muzzle.

TwoTrax, do you have any pics of these rifles? And what loads did you use?

Get at least a 1-12 twist. Forget that 1-14.

Mine goes 20" and seems ideal to me. The one in the middle.

No current pics, lost my memory stick! I could take some and email them, do not subscribe to any hosting service any more.

Mostly loaded 200 Hornady SP snd 225 Nosler. Have loaded 250 Speer and Hornady but never killed anything with them in the 358. Used IMR 3031 for 200, IMR 4895 for the others. Have some TAC to try when I get around to it.

20" ish and a 1:12 would be my pick.

Mine is 22" and while I should cut it back, I don't despise the length enough to mess with having the front site moved back.
If you want max velocity, you might consider the 200 TTSX.

My 358 wssm has a 22” bbl if I remember right, if I had to do it all over again I’d go 20”
Yeah go with the 12 twist.
I shoot the 225 Accubonds at 2420 fps.

Thanks for all the great input!

SKane, I do have about 300 200 gr TTSX's on hand. They shoot super nice from my Whelen carbine pump right at 2825fps. My only concern, and only because I don't have enough experience with them is, will the 358 win drive them hard enough for maximum expansion? I also have a huge pile of 200& 225 accubonds and 225/250 partitions along with 200pcs of 225 woodleigh weldcores. I was just thinking case capacity with the longer projectiles would be an issue.

skybuster,

I don't have enough experience with them either - just switched to them earlier this summer (from the 225 Partition and 225 GK's).
The 200 TTSX isn't exactly skipping along at 2520ish with 47.5gr TAC. The 180's were a no-go for me for the reason you noted above.

The only experience is relayed second hand from my father. He shot a black bear with his .358/200TTSX a month or two back and said it was rather impressive performance - keeping in mind that was 50 or so yards.

I have a 16" 358 win. 225s at just over 2400 fps, 200 TSX at 2620 fps, and 160 Raptors at 2850. But I like the short and handy rifles.

I went 1/12 twist at 21" in mine, the barrel length being more for balance than performance. I'd probably do the same again as I've been very pleased with it.....though if I was doing it now I'd build it off of a short action Forbes rifle for the extra mag box length.

alaska_lanche,
What powder are you fueling the 200 TSX in your .358?

Both RL-10 and TAC.

Excellent, thank you.
I'm hoping to put a little more arse behind that bullet in the future.

Couple comments:

1) If you're fluting simply to make it your own, you can always specify they stop them short of muzzle so you have room to cut back.
2) Be aware that all the .358 TSX bullets (and most Barnes for that matter) have different operating windows. I emailed them a while back and got the below response:

The 180 will open down to 1900 fps, the 200 gr. will open down to 1800 fps and the 225 will open down to 1600 fps.

Based on this, I typically email them about every bullet I look to shoot of theirs now. The .308 168 TTSX is designed to open down to 1500 fps. I think it was the first "LRX" basically.

this!

Using TAC we brought the above rifle loaded with the 200 gr TTSX to Africa in 2012 and took a number of animals from springbuck to gemsbuck recovering one bullet from a full length diagonal on a warthog at 150 yards.

20”

I'd go 18-20 inches.

The 18 inch is nice for it's compactness and you loose very little to a 22 inch because the bore size is large enough to burn all it's powder in a shorter barrel.

I have a 99 brush gun with a 17.25" barrel , 1/12" twist. Shoots 180 TSXs quite well. Both pointed and RN conventional cup & core 200 gr Remington bulk. And 280 WLN flat point. All shoot quite well but I haven't shot my 275 gr RN from old Hornady stock. As the story went a hunter had a bore obstruction and had to get the barrel shortened. Sights were reinstalled and all is well with a good crown I have had multiple DRTs with it. I also have a Lone Wolf 14" pistol that has killed a couple whitetail does with Nosler BTs. The BTs didn't seem to open at the pistol velocity. Had to follow the does about 30 yards. Not the same as the DRT I'm spoiled to having. I like the 358 Winchester and plan to have a M600 Remington barreled that way as a Scout Rifle.

EdM, have you run your load through a chrony?

225 Sierras work great on deer, I'd save Partitions for Larger game. For fun, 158 pistol bullets were a hoot out of my 350 RM....hell on milk jugs to 200 yds, drops bad at 300....

For balance and blast I'd stay at 19-21, and mount a light scope. That lam stock might be hefty, it might could be lightened, esp in the butt.

Good round, enjoy.

http://leverguns.com/articles/paco/358_wcf.htm

I've got 22" with a 12 twist on my m70 featherweight and load it to 30-06 pressures.


Phil

20"

So, knowing where I want to be in a compact aspect and confirming my suspicions and ideas based on most all you guys input I know I want to be around 18 1/2-20".
Being a builder by trade, mostly log homes, I happened to have a lot of peging dowels kicking around. Since we got rained out about noon I took an 11/16" dowel cut it down and even shaper tabled in four flutes and sprayed it black. Probably sounds stupid but I wanted an exact feel for how this rifle will look. I know at 18.5" it looks ridiculously stupid. The fore end on the stock boyds made for me is longer then any of my model sevens obviously and it just looked funny. Anyhow I think 19 1/2" is going to be just right. It ends up an over all legnth that matches my M7 .350 exactly and will probably keep me up around 2500 fps with 225s without working too hard.

225s hit like a Hammer. On stock forearm length, it may be possible to trim it back - if desired.

Enjoy your new build - meat stick.

I've got 358's from 16"-24". I like them all but prefer 18-20". So much more to it than just barrel length. Barrel weight, balance, loads you want to shoot.

My preference would be a 22" barrel, and I can attest to the effectiveness of 225 gr. Sierra Game King bullets on whitetails it is my go to bullet in .35 Whelen and it should perform equally as well in the .358.

18.5" here......and lovin' it!

Of my three 358's (Savage 99F, Ruger 77 & Rem 7600) I prefer the 20" tube on the 7600. Mostly for how it handles with the shorter barrel.

22"s gets 2700 fps with the 200 gr TTSX's and RL-10, great accuracy in a handy, lightweight hard punching little package.

Gunner at that speed how does it do on whitetails (the ttsx that is)
I’m sure great...kind of a dumb question I’m sure.

Ruger Hawkeye stainless synthetic, the 200gr TSX and TTSX's continue to confound the hell out of me on how quick they put deer down, here we have moderate velocities WITH monos, not supposed to work that well, don't know how or why, but damn they work, have never recovered a bullet either.

The ones that have ran [2 or 3] show a [max] 30 yard death run that's listing out of square low in the front headed for a quick face plant in the dirt. really puts a hurting on them, have shot more than 30 deer and pigs with that rifle and bullet combo, same/same/same every time, I'd gladly use it on any elk, moose or big bear 350 yards and in.

Thx

Re mono and mod speeds I suppose frontal area helps open them in mid-bores

The pre64 M70 Fwts. chambered for the 358 have 22” barrels....

Ok you guys have piqued my interest in the 358.

Looks like 2700 with 200 TSX in a 22" barrel. What about a 225?

I dearly love sneaking around the timber for elk. This would make a great timber elk gun.......

I like those rifles. What is that on the right?

My one and only 358, a Ruger 77 RS, had a 19" barrel. I think 19-22" is about right.

Had mine built with a 22 inch barrel with the intent that it could be cut down, never did. However, I would go 20 inches if I was to build it again.
Pre 64 action, Douglas #3 12 twist, McMillan compact. Shoots bug holes with 225 Sierra and Partitions.

2450-2500 is pretty easily done in my 358 Winchester in my BLR. I’ve been using W748 but hear TAC is the stuff. I’m using 225 Partitions and Sierras. No issues at all with it in my BLR.

I would certainly help to know what contour you guys are running with 18 - 20" barrels. I'm guessing that folks are running #4 contours on the shortys. I have a 22" Whelen w/ a #3 PN and it's definitely light up front.

Douglas #3 at 21" with and Edge fill stock. Balance is slightly forward, just right.

Thanks!

I would not suggest a 4 for weight reasons, remember, as you move closer to the chamber, and barrel is often thicker. Custom tubes taper along the length.

I would not want less than .65 or more than .7 on the muzzle, but look towards a contour around .675.
Others might feel different. Ask 257 above about his...

I have a 20" #2 Douglas, balances right but the stock is a 20oz MPI. Its a light rig, but well balanced. It kicks a bit, especially if loaded to max, I find a 200 hsp at 2400 is a nice compromise.

I also have a 2.5 shaw, which is like a #4 from most makers. Its in a wood stock and its a little muzzle heavy, its little heavy for carry, but shoots nice. I use it in tree stands.

For a general use, I would go with a #3 and a normal weight stock..

Nope.

An 8x57 on an Erfurt action.

I had to press the 16" .358 into service as a Tactical Tent Defense Weapon this spring with a bear in camp two nights.