Movement is more random in big country. This wonderful efficiency of the .35 calibers is especially remarkable when one considers that most all of these rounds are verging on obsolescence today. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Reloading Centerfire Ammunition: Tips For Getting Started, Shooting and Loading the 6.8x43 mm Rem. and the .32 Win. The .350 Rigby Magnum is, in the words of veteran Professional Hunter Robin Hurt, a perfect caliber to hunt lion and leopard. With a few exceptions, most African countries require a minimum of .375-caliber cartridges for thick-skinned dangerous game like Cape buffalo and elephant, and that makes sense in most instances. The classic .350 Rigby Magnum load pushes a .358-inch diameter 225-grain bullet to a muzzle velocity of 2625 fps for 3,440 ft.-lbs. Moving down a notch and comparing the .35 Whelen (250 grain bullet at a MV of 2400 fps) to the .30-06 (220 grains at 2410 fps), which have nearly identical case capacity, we find that the optimum game range (OGW) on 1000 pound animals is 10 yards for the .30-06 and 100 yards for the .35 Whelen. Thanks for any thoughts. The full spectrum of our many 7mms, from 7mm-08 and 7x57 on up to the fastest 7mm magnums, are also fine, but they are not magical giant-slayers. Avoid quick-opening bullets, especially match bullets; instead, choose controlled-expansion designs intended for hunting larger game. What keeps it alive? The .35 Whelen has a relatively simple design: it's a .30-06 Springfield case necked up to use .358 instead of .308 bullets (the exact opposite of the .270 Winchester in other words). As unmagical as that might sound, it's one of the hardest hitting non-magnum cartridges ever. So, if you have an interest in carrying an ultra-rare cartridge of impeccable pedigree, you either roll your own or have someone load it for you. This standard (.30-06) length magnum cartridge drives a 250 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2799 fps with 4350 ft. lbs. It also notes that the reconstituted Schultz & Larsen company is offering the chambering in its Model 97 takedown rifle. In any mass-production rifle, either the .375 or .338, or both, will be found as a standard chambering. We've got you covered. .22 LR7mm-08 Remington8mm Remington Magnum.338 Federal.224 Valkyrie.338-06 A-Square9.3x62mm Mauser.257 Weatherby Magnum.45-70 Government.300 H&H Magnum.25-06 Remington.30-06 Springfield6.5 Creedmoor.300 Remington Ultra Magnum7mm Remington Magnum.470 Nitro Express.280 Remington.300 Winchester Magnum.270 Winchester.222 Remington.45 ACP.404 Jeffery.44 Remington Magnum.41 Remington Magnum.243 Winchester.338 Winchester Magnum.357 S&W Magnum6.5-284 Norma8x57 Mauser.38 Smith & Wesson Special7x57mm Mauser9 mm Luger.35 Whelen.454 Casull.375 H&H Magnum.45 Colt.22-250 Remington10mm Auto.308 Winchester. That list, by the way, is in ascending order of power. The .358 Norma established its reputation in high-end hunting rifles like this Schultz & Larsen Model 65DL. On June 26, 1959, Sweden's Ingemar Johansson demolished Floyd Patterson in the third round of their first heavyweight title fight in New York. So are the .350 Remington Magnum and .358 Norma Magnum. The .358 Norma established its reputation in high-end hunting rifles like this Schultz & Larsen Model 65DL. I've owned several Magnum Mediums338 RUM, 340WBY, 375 H&H, 375 WBY, 358NM, 338WM. Here the elk offers hunters an advantage because the vital zone, like body size, is at least twice that of any deer. There are many good choices, and shot placement is more important than case dimensions and bullet diameter. Hornady has a Superformance load with a 200-grain SP at 2910 f.p.s. Size aside, American elk are very tough creatures. The 35 whelen and 358 winchester were the two I was torn between. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. I was wrong. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. of muzzle energy. The .45-70 is another very popular cartridge. and .358 Norma Mag.). You can start with the 6.5mms. Here in North America big game starts with deer. Also H&R 1871, Inc., offered single-shot rifles in .35 Whelen from 1994 to 1996. This year, H&R announced an expansion of its AR-15 lineup, bringing additional "retro" models to the market, including a 9 mm Luger-chambered Colt SMG clone, an M16A2-styled rifle and the carbine-size 723. .35 caliber rifle cartridges have been around practically forever without ever really becoming popular. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. This was not the factory bullet from the 1960s, with its mild-steel jacket, but a later one. All Rights Reserved. Of the bullets used, several performed extremely well, including the Bear Claw and a Nosler 250-grain Partition. As well, most bullet manufacturers produce soft, 200-grain roundnosed bullets intended for the .35 Remington, and these fit a wide range of uses. with a similar 180-grain bullet. As Ive said, I like mediums, such as the unpopular 8mm Remington Magnum and the faster .33s. Released in 1908, the .350 Rigby Magnum is an entirely original design, with no parent cartridge. The cartridge predates the more famous .416 by three years, and the .350 Rigby was the first to feature the sharp 45-degree shoulder which is the hallmark of the Rigby designs. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. But in those countries where the lighter cartridges are legal for the cats, the .350 Rigby Magnum is just about perfect. The 338/06 when compared to the .35 Whelen only beats it with the lighter bullets and not by much. The big issue with the .350 Rigby Magnum is the lack of available ammunition. Between the .25s and the .35s are dozens of cartridges that are versatile and suitable. However, the majority of American deer hunters dont live in elk country, but many dream of going elk hunting. With todays interest in long-range shooting, big scopes are in, but powerful scopes add weight. Theres also a mindset difference. of muzzle energy. The trouble is, they didnt sell. Compare the .308 Winchester and the .358 Winchester, which are based on the same case, and the .358 wins hands down. The barrel is a full 22 inches, like it always should have been, but the foolish design with the huge shark fin front sight turned hunters off, and it was dropped. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." would follow that tradition. Let's also compare the .358 with the other end of the spectrum. The .338-inch fans cite the advantage of the higher sectional density figures, while the .358-inch camp favors the better frontal diameter of the larger bore. I am also looking at building a 358 Norma Mag on a model 110 Savage action, formerly a 300 Win mag, and start from scratch with the stock ( bedding and pillar) and make it a tolerable shooter even if a bit heavy. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. That 225-grain bullet has a sectional density (SD) value of 0.251, a bit light for what is normally considered to be appropriate for dangerous game. Any of these will handle just about any big game one might hunt with a .358 Norma, where you want to employ its ample knockdown power. Released in 1959though there were no factory chambered rifles or factory loaded ammunition available for the new cartridgeNorma offered chamber reamers and new component brass for its new brainchild. Mag. In the 80s, when Jack Carter was making his Trophy Bonded Bearclaw bullet by hand, I did some elk hunting with the 240-grain .375 version. This is comparable killing power to the long .375 H&H Magnum with a 300 grain bullet (ME 4331 ft. The recent introduction of a Hornady LeverEvolution factory load for the .35 Remington has usefully improved its ballistics. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. offered the performance level of the .358 Win. The ammunition situation is a little better than the rifles. I'm sending my 270 tikka off to JES rebore to get it punched out to 35 whelen. In rifle cartridges, we usually take the safe route and .30-caliber has emerged as the American shooters choice. In 1965 Remington took it to the next level with the introduction of the Model 600 Magnum Carbine. Kali Parmley of Gun Dog Magazine talks to George Thompson from Benelli USA about the new features from the Benelli line in 2023. It was introduced in the bolt-action Model 70 in which it was trustworthy, but boring. I have become a 35 cal. I have shot a few critters, including a tough South Texas Nilgai, and have been happy with the performance. If the .350 Rigby Magnum was effective in the golden era of safari, modern premium bullet designs will make it even better. I have used the .35 Whelen on critters from bobcats to moose. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. was initially chambered in Remingtons Model 8 autoloader, soon followed by the Model 14 pump-action. The .358 has 24 percent more energy at the muzzle than the .300 Win. The .25 Rem., .30 Rem. exlcusive user. Posts: 46,063. The 600 Magnum suffered from a barrel that was too short at 18 inches. How it would have done on a live animal is impossible to say. Looks like I'll do a Whelen. That is quite a few cartridges considering that there is not a single best selling rifle cartridge in the bunch. Most Professional Hunters agree that a bullet with a S.D. Theres more to success than merely landing a good one on the chin. I have one, and I like it a lot. By coincidence, in that same year, Norma Projektilfabrik of Sweden introduced its own heavyweight champion, the .358 Norma Magnum. But have owned multiple 9.3s and Whelens. Far more alternatives, in fact, than exist in several more popular caliber families. They truly were ahead of their time, as they were short magnums back when being a short magnum wasnt cool. Cartridges that in many cases cannot match the killing power, at normal hunting ranges, of comparable .35's. Heeding the advice of American friends, Kvale worked on what would become the .358 Norma Magnum. Nils Kvaleone of the chief designers at Normahad experimented with a shortened .300 H&H case, necked to hold 8mm bullets, with the rim turned down to match the 8x57 rim diameter. For a while Savage chambered it in the Model 99, and I am still looking for one I can afford. Perhaps thats how it should be, the masses rarely embrace true greatness. So if you have a .375 (or larger) and a yen to take it elk hunting, be my guest. So we see that even with a one pound lighter rifle, the .358 recoils slightly less than a .300 magnum. was also the only cartridge of that original Remington family that was based on a different parent case. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Give a Gift The .358 Norma Magnum, like the .358 Shooting Times Alaskan, generates a considerable amount of energy, but due to the caliber restrictions for dangerous game of most of the African countries, it falls shy of the markthe .375-inch bore is minimum for many countries. SAUM and .300 WSM, with their 180 grain bullets at a MV of 2960-2970 fps, have an optimum range of about 120 yards on 1000 pound animals. On the other hand, you must hit it well, because if poorly hit, an elk shows strength and stamina and may cover many miles of tough country. was simply a .308 Win. Norma loads their 250-grain Oryx bullet to this velocity, and as the rear portion of the bullet is bonded, it will give an excellent blend of expansion and penetration. It was predictable that the .356 Win. My .375 H&H seemed quite adequate. Where the .338 Winchester drives its 250-grain bullet to 2650 fps, the .358 Norma beats that figure by 100 fps or so, delivering over 4,200 ft.-lbs. It is capable of driving a. I believe it never will. You bet they worked! The .318 Westley Richards was a highly popular choice at that time, and it drives a 250-grain bullet of .330-inch diameter, with a SD of 0.328, and the .375 Holland & Holland uses a 300-grain bullet of nominal diameter with a SD of 0.305; both are renowned for their penetration. Remington loads a 200-grain PSP Core-Lokt bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2775 f.p.s. The body of the .350 Magnum measures 0.517 inches at the base, smaller than the 0.589-inch base of the .416 Rigby. The .350 Rem. Also, many of these hunters have the luxury of a long season close to home. A 358Norma is a good fit for this action. In more recent times, the 1994 release of the .450 Rigby gave dangerous game hunters a bit more bullet weight than the .416 Rigby and has developed a small but devout following among both professional hunters and their clients alike. The only rifles I can find in production are from Nosler, Remington and CVA. Winchester and Hornady both offer 200-grain loads at 2475 f.p.s. pushes a 200-grain bullet to just more than 2000 f.p.s. Mag. Here in North America, you could take the .350 Rigby anywhere youd take the .35 Whelen or .358 Norma Magnum, and that includes north to Alaska for the great bears. Shortening the 2.85-inches long .375 H&H case wasnt exactly a revolutionary ideathat little-known .275 H&H so closely resembles the design of the half-century younger 7mm Remington Magnum that its uncannybut with the Winchester marketing machine the concept was brought to the forefront. This is because it was discontinued in the mid-1970s, and reintroduced by Remington in 2003. Today, it is strictly a custom proposition unless one of the original rifles chambered for it can be found. As it stands, it is most certainly on the edge of becoming obsolete. As it was released in the first century of the 20th century, when the common boundaries of cartridge usage were being defined, the .350 Rigby Magnum was considered an all-around cartridge, especially in the more open terrain of British and German East Africa, known today as Kenya and Tanzania. But starting in the late 1950s, the .338 bore size gained considerable tractionthanks to the emergence of the .338 Winchester Magnum. The 25-degree, 30-minute shoulder gives plenty of room for powder, and though the neck of the .358 Norma measures less than the desired one-caliberit comes in at 0.328-inchthere is plenty of neck tension to hold the bullets in place without the need for crimping. And the hunter must have full confidence in his or her choice. For more specialized uses, Speer makes a 180-grain flatpoint (semispitzer)that, with reduced loads, turns the .358 Norma Magnum into a pussycat for recoil but is easily capable of handling game such as black bears and white-tailed deer out to 250 yards or so. The .270 WSM and .270 Weatherby deliver more energy, but all three are fine. Griffin & Howe developed the semiwildcat .350 G&H based on the .375 H&H case, as well as pioneering the .35 Whelen. Its spawn, the .351 Winchester Self Loader, fared a little better, but it was never in danger of greatness. Can't really imagine one cartridge doing anything the other couldn't, though the availability of bigger bullets and way more factory ammo (if wanted) are definite pluses for the Mauser. Out of stock View Details . Trust me, you could do worse, but youll be hard-pressed to do better! Gun guys recognize the potential in the .358. With its spitzer-pointed bullets, the .358 is a good medium- to long-range cartridge with capabilities out to 250 yards on big game. While the Colt Model 601 was the first AR-15 to be mass-produced, there were several design variations that came before during the platform's development. Perhaps, if the word gets out to the shooting public, the born again .350 may finally achieve the commercial success it deserves. I'm looking for a simpler project on this one. The .358 is vastly underated as the Whelen. was designed for the American market, but sadly no American riflemaker ever chambered the cartridge in a cataloged gun. Mag. For anyone with an experimental or fanciful turn of mind, the .358 Norma and the many .358-inch diameter bullets are a gold mine. Synthetic stocks arent always lighter than wood, but they are stronger and more stable, and elk hunting can be hard on rifles. From the Green Goblin (a bolt-action rifle I built on a Remington action), both will produce groups that are sub-minute-of-angle. Fusion Ammo has a 200-grain with a muzzle velocity of 2800 f.p.s. If the .35 Rem. Alas, to the best of my knowledge, its not imported to the U.S. Then come the .270s. You get the shot you get, and within sensible limits, you must be able to take the shot offered. For example, take the most powerful of the factory standardized .35's, the .358 Norma Magnum. to achieve its potential. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; that is one of the physical laws of our universe. These work, but my thinking has changed over the years. From there, you can work up until you find a load that gives you the accuracy and velocity you want. I think Jack OConnor, the great champion of the .270, would agree. Petersen's HUNTING Publisher, Kevin Steele is in the CZ booth with Dylan Rice at SHOT Show to talk about CZ 600 Series Trail rifle. To return to our boxing analogy, the .358 Norma Magnum not only has the Hammer of Thor, but it also offers an excellent jab, a good hook, a wicked uppercut and a variety of feints. in an 8.5 pound rifle, is comparable to the much more popular but less effective (on CXP3 class game) .300 Weatherby or .300 Remington Ultra Magnums. Federal loads the 225-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2600 f.p.s. 1 Item (s) Show per page. The .35 Rem. Loved by gun guys and rejected by the huddled masses, this is perhaps the most underappreciated cartridge of them all. Thats the primary game for many of us, but one size doesnt fit all. Bottles & 12-oz. To reach the .300 mark, youd need a 270-grain bullet (the North Fork and Woodleigh bullets come immediately to mind), but stabilization becomes an issue in the slower twists, and thats long been a problem in .35-caliber barrels. The 358 Norma is a sure mag round, but expensive ammo and brass. figure of 0.300 is desirable, and comparing similar cartridges, youll see the .350 Rigby comes in a bit behind the other popular choices of the day. It was verry expensive to shoot, lots of powder and expensive bullets and brass. Around eight pounds set to go is a good compromise. The Remington Model 600 Magnum rifle, along with the cartridge it birthed, was just such a product. Ive seen many elk taken cleanly with a .270 Winchester, and my own longest shot on an elk was on a big New Mexico bull at 400 yards using a .270 Winchester with a 150-grain Nosler Partitionone step and down. Many western hunters annually take elk with 6mms and .25s. Twenty years ago, I might have said .338 Winchester Magnum was the perfect choice for elk. This is in sharp contrast to the overwhelming success of the .357/9mm handgun cartridges, whose popularity dates right to the beginning of the self-contained cartridge era. crying, My kingdom for a rifle.. In the mid 70's I picked up a 358Norma. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. It is easy to forget that the .358 bore comes in an extremely varied range of twist rates from 1:16 to 1:12. The M700 has been a popular action for building a rifle in .358 STA, a wildcat based on the 8mm Remington Magnum. He, too, could have been one of the greats. Heres a detailed look at each step of the process. However, the small bore cartridges from .24 to .32 caliber have proven quite reliable on these smaller animals, so I am not going to argue that anyone needs a .35 to hunt CXP2 class game. Right now, I think that the Browning BLR lever-action rifle is the only production gun left on the market in .358 Win. and is probably a better deer and black bear cartridge at woods ranges than the more popular .30-30 Win. Its a flat shootermimicking the trajectory of a .30-06 with heavier bulletsand is fully capable as an all-around choice. Compare the Queen of the .35's, the .350 Remington Magnum--the original short (.308 length) magnum cartridge--with the new generation of short action magnums. was introduced in 1955. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. It arrived with three other cartridges designed to compete with Winchesters popular lever-action lineup. The writings of Robert Ruark certainly helped the reputation of the cartridge and the company, as Ruark put his young PH Harry Selby and the .416 Rigby rifle he carried on a pedestal. The quest for an acceptable .35 has inspired such impotent wastes as the .35 Winchester Self Loader, once labeled a candidate for the title: Worlds Most Useless Center-Fire Rifle Cartridge.. Normas original spec sheet for the .358 Norma Magnum when it was released in 1959 indicated the cartridges ballistics. In cartridges, as in boxing, what goes on behind the scenes often determines the outcome. Also, after a few dozen elk hunts, Ive seen many taken effectively with lighter cartridges. They can take their time and pick their shots. The .35-caliber cartridges usually top out at 250 grains, though if a 300-grain bullet at a slightly faster twist rate were employed, it would certainly be in the same class as the .375 Holland & Holland. Would be nice to have a 35 Wheelie, 350 Rem and a .358 Win. The .358 Norma Magnum is a rifle cartridge introduced in 1959 by Norma. I see no reason to shy away from it. They include both the AccuBond and the Partition 225-grain bullets with a muzzle velocity of 2800 f.p.s. We argue cartridges and calibers endlessly, but bullet choice matters. Think of the .358 Norma Magnum as the chunky cousin of the .338 Winchester Magnum; not quite as svelte or popular, but equally effective in a fight. Copyright 2003, 2012 by Chuck Hawks. Barnes has a Vor-TX load with a 180-grain TSX bullet and a muzzle velocity of 2900 f.p.s. The .35 Rem. It can work in close or at a distance or dazzle you with footwork. The .358 in a bolt-action rifle with a good scope is as accurate as any hunting cartridge available. With the 250-grain bullet, it's better than the .30-06 on heavy game at close ranges. In 1987 Remington made an honest cartridge out of the .35 Whelen. in an 8.5 pound rifle, is comparable to the much more popular but less effective (on CXP3 class game) .300 Weatherby or .300 Remington Ultra Magnums. Maybe it's a regular BDL? Im going to rule out short-range cartridges that have the power because theres no sense in making the shot more difficult than necessary.