358 wssm for deer hunting

[fireball168]

MGM isn't using one of my reamers, but they did base their throat length off one of my dummy rounds that was sent to them by a friend last July/August.

Unless something has changed, they are using a 25 WSSM reamer to cut the body and a .358 neck reamer and throater. Nothing wrong with that in the least, other than maybe some minor variation in throat length between barrels.

They've generally been throating them on the long side, which is good - more throat = more room for powder. A good friend has one, he can seat the 225 Nosler out to a little better than 2.425", as I recall.

In that setup, it really maximizes the 57g of water capacity the cartridge has (incidentally that's exactly the same as a 358 Winchester).

No problem in using the preformed brass and dies.


The 358 Grant uses shortened and necked down WSM brass with an "improved" shoulder, its a great cartridge as well - but a little more work in my opinion.

 

[swilk]

Ok ... so it seems doable.

I assume a person can buy your brass and dies? I browsed your site but didnt see $$ figures for the brass and dies. Would you mind telling me or would you rather handle it some other way?

Do you offer encore barrels for sale in this cartridge yet?

 

[fireball168]

I don't have any of the Encore barrels on the shelf at the moment. I stocked them for awhile, but it never seemed like I had the combination of length, finish and contour that folks were looking for.

Dies are $150, brass pricing depends on the quantity you're looking for - generally speaking you're looking at $1.50 a piece, if they give you any problems in a reasonable amount of firings with a reasonable load, I'll replace them.

The brass is formed, neck turned, annealed, primer pocket uniformed, flash hole deburred and trimmed to DNR legal length.

 

[swilk]

Sounds like a plan.

I dont personally have an encore but I just text messaged a buddy who has one and he said i could borrow his as soon as the sun goes down Sunday evening.

I have a Leupold just sitting around that I could put on the barrel ..... seems like for $6-700 I can do a little experimentation this winter.

Are you familure with the quality of the MGM barrels? Are they any good?

 

[fireball168]

Jerry's in Rensellaer has two complete Encore's priced very attractively, as I recall the blued one was $479 - the stainless was $549 or $579.

Both were in 25-06.

The 25-06 barrel would likely bring $200 without much problem, would put you into a receiver and furniture fairly inexpensively.

 

[swilk]

If I like the round .... and Im sure I will .... I would still like to have a bolt gun built. But my wife will be a whole lot happier about a $600 experiment instead of a $2500 experiment.

 

[swilk]

Are you interested in building me an encore barrel? I dont have to have one just this minute and would rather put a little more coin in your pocket than someone else.

 

[fireball168]

I don't make much of anything on the barrels, or anything else for that matter!

I have to contract the hanger welding out - and to be competitive with MGM/Bullberry, etc - there's not much margin left after paying for the barrel, the hanger, wear and tear on the reamer and paying a certified welder.

Finding one in stock, like the one MGM has is virtually a miracle - and its priced right too.

If its in the finish and length you want, I'd be all over it.

In the end, its still another 358 WSSM burning powder which is a good thing in my book.

 

[scout5]

Okay I finally got my 10 post in. Somebody is probably scratching thier head wondering "why did he post that".

I'm not fond of recoil but do not have a problem with it if I need the results that come out of the other end. I already own some stout firearms in rifle, handgun, and shotgun. I have an encore handgun with a .270 barrel, it gives me all the range I need and shoots as good as most rifles, but a rifle is just easier to get in position for an accurate long range shot when it's needed, and the optics are better as well.

I'm interested in the 358 from the wssm case. Seems several folks are building there own version. If I get the rifle set up and it does what I need I'll have other uses for it as well so the recoil will be okay.

Fireball, I'll be sending you an e-mail to get some more information and prices. I think I want to set up a bolt gun, if it doesn't work out I can put the original barrel back on and I still have a rifle. Since I have the encore action I could get a shoulder stock and barrel and go that route. I'l have to think about it.

Even if the DNR changes the rules I would still have a rifle. Although since we are already shoot faster loads than this out of handguns, why would they?

 

[swilk]

Thank you sir. I appreciate the information. I will be looking you up in the coming days to order some brass and dies.

Again, thank you.

 

[fireball168]

Its all fun, the more folks shooting them - the more data points we all have.

There's something about cold weather that makes me want to shoot cast bullets, will be trying some lead through the 358 BFG here very shortly, and some 125g .357" XTP bullets for giggles.

 

[swilk]

Have you been successful in getting bolt guns to feed reliably?

 

[swilk]

Never mind ... I see where you said the savage wsm and Winchester wssm guns feed pretty well.

 

[kludge]

Originally Posted by kludge
I would buy an AR if I could get one chambered in .45 Win Mag.

Working on that project right now.

Tell me more! Need a tester?

What would be a better deer rifle in your opinion, the .45 Win mag, or the 35 Gremlin?

Something else I've always wondered... those 45 caliber sabots with the polymer tips that Hornady (and others) make for muzzleloaders... what diameter are they, and can they be loaded for in a .45 Colt revolver, .454 Casull, .45 Win Mag, etc.?

 

[fireball168]

The Gremlin would win in my book.

Although an intermediate length Mauser 98(M-48/M-24) using the M1 carbine magazine setup, a fairly lightweight stock and medium weight barrel makes for a pretty handy brush carbine in 45 Win Mag/450 BFG. You wouldn't be confined by the bolt loading restrictions of the AR platform.

The Hornady muzzleloader bullets I've bought, thinking the same thing, have been .452! So yes, they can be used - although I haven't loaded any yet.

 

[kludge]

Hmmm... your post sent me googling... and look what I found!

I wonder what it costs???

Mauser Conversions

Mauser 45 Winchester Magnum conversions coming soon!
Uses M1 Carbine magazines​

 

[fireball168]

He's sold the magazine adapters to me for $50, which is all I've used from him.

 

[DWFan]

I'd like to see a .375 Rimless SuperMag in an AR-15. Unlike the other SuperMag cartridges, the .375 isn't a straight-wall case, (it tapers from approx. .420" at the base to .405" at the mouth), so it should be better in a semi-auto format. If Starline would just make a .38-55 case with the .30 Remington head dimensions, boy, the wildcats that could be done using existing dies.

 

[yoteskinner]

Can a Savage 112 in .223 rem be rebarreled and converted to the 358 wssm ( or same cartridge called by another name)? Id like to get one built for next year.

 

[kludge]

Possible? Probably. I would much rather have a short action, and I would hazard that getting the rounds to feed from the magazine will be tricky. It would be much less work to start with something on a WSM or WSSM action. It will have the right bolt face and the rounds will feed with no/minimal mods to the magazine.