With such a wide range of both cast and jacketed bullets available, and todays variety in powders, the .358 Norma has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to load possibilities. An elk offers a large target, so extreme magnification shouldnt be necessary. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. That load actually produced 2825 f.p.s. Many western hunters annually take elk with 6mms and .25s. In a letter written to friend Townsend Whelen during early 1920s, Leslie Simpson-- one of the first Americans to become a professional hunter in Africa--opined that the hunting world needed a .35 caliber cartridge . it is one nice gun and made for tight places. Can this be made into a .358 Norma Mag or must I do a .35 Whelen. 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. While most of the .35 caliber rifle cartridges are powerful medium bore numbers designed for use on large (CXP3) game like elk and moose, the most popular .35 caliber rifle cartridge is the .35 Remington. The .35 Whelen is accurate, hits hard, penetrates deep, shoots flat and recoils mildly. And those sentiments can be an awful lot of fun. in the Big Bore Model 94. and is a good cartridge for hunting the thick woods for deer, hogs, black bear or even elk. Where does the .358 Norma sit, in comparison to the more popular cartridges in its class? There are places where .22 centerfires are legal for elk. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. My 35 Whelen will run 250gr partitions at 2700 fps with power pro 2000 powder. That load has a maximum optimal range on 1000 pound game (like a big Alaskan moose or brown bear) of 151 yards. At the same time, it will do almost everything the .375 will but with vastly more versatility. It is capable of driving a. I did secure properly head stamped Norma cases thinking we'd need them going over into the Yukon (no one ever checked). Bertram Brass from Australia is a good source when you can get it, and Quality Cartridge makes a run of .350 Rigby every few years, but you could be waiting a considerable amount of time. I own several rifles in this cartridge and all my .35 Whelen rifles are accurate. But they are not essential, and despite their effectiveness, all magnums from .30 caliber upwards generate more recoil than many folks are comfortable withand are able to shoot well. We've got you covered. .450 Nitro Express .17 Hornet 7mm STW 6.8 Western .375 Ruger .223 Remington6.5x55 Swedish .416 Remington Magnum .300 Winchester Short Magnum 28 Nosler 6.5 PRC .22 WMR .458 Winchester Magnum .204 Ruger .22 Hornet .280 Ackley Improved .240 Weatherby Magnum .458 Lott.264 Winchester Magnum.348 Winchester.33 Nosler.260 Remington.30-30 Winchester.416 Rigby.358 Norma Magnum.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 Mauser9mm Luger.35 Whelen.454 Casull.375 H&H Magnum.45 Colt.22-250 Remington10mm Auto.308 Winchester. In the mid 70's I picked up a 358Norma. In any mass-production rifle, either the .375 or .338, or both, will be found as a standard chambering. Remington loads a 200-grain PSP Core-Lokt bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2775 f.p.s. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is with Dawn Wehunt of Rock River Arms INC. learning about the new Ascendant platform. 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. As it turned out, having a great punch was not enough for either one. Lyman lists 47 different moulds that were available at one time or another, ranging in bullet weight from 70 to 282 grains. Is the .358 Norma Magnum a cartridge destined to make a huge comeback? Ill bet its been awhile since those cartridges have been seen in a hunting camp. I am often criticized for following the Elmer Keith school in suggesting powerful cartridges. Right now, I think that the Browning BLR lever-action rifle is the only production gun left on the market in .358 Win. Here the elk offers hunters an advantage because the vital zone, like body size, is at least twice that of any deer. Bottles & 12-oz. We argue cartridges and calibers endlessly, but bullet choice matters. Now, I have to go out on a limb and say that sensible elk cartridges arent all about power. 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. The .35 Rem. The .358 Norma Mag. I took it to Texas in 1989 and decked a nilgai at about 90 yards. Mag. Synthetic wins over laminate because laminates, strongest of all, are also heaviest. Synthetic stocks arent always lighter than wood, but they are stronger and more stable, and elk hunting can be hard on rifles. 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. As many hunters know, the Remington Model 600 carbine, which was introduced in 1964, was one of the first short, light, bolt-action rifles to find success with deer hunters. In its 112-year lineage, it has probably taken more elk than all other cartridges combined. Folks who live in elk country may consciously seek a cow for the freezer. Included in that have been a whole bunch of deer, hogs and a bear or two. With a 200-grain bullet the .35 Whelen actually shoots a bit flatter than the .30-06 Sprg. The major problem with light loads is getting enough pressure to provide a good gas seal. The ammunition situation is a little better than the rifles. Its often thought that if they had it would have gained popularity over the .338 Win. .500 Nitro Express. When chambered for cartridges such as the .243 Win., 6 mm Rem., .308 Win. These are elk cartridges, and as Jack Atcheson Jr. likes to say, the .338 numbs them. loaded with a 180-grain Oryx bullet to the .358 Norma Mag. The 338/06 when compared to the .35 Whelen only beats it with the lighter bullets and not by much. Shaw will make a rifle, as will any other custom, or semi-custom, riflemaker. 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. My 8mm Remington Magnum was stocked in dense walnut and had a long barrel. The .35 Whelen is a necked up medium bore wildcat cartridge that was created by necking up a .30-06 Springfield case which is famously overpowered for the 30-caliber bullet it propels. bruce. of muzzle energy. lbs. Kali Parmley of Gun Dog Magazine talks to George Thompson from Benelli USA about the new features from the Benelli line in 2023. into the deer woods, and I pine for what could have been. The .308 Winchester is a fine elk cartridge, and the grand old .30-06, with a bit more velocity and energy, is better. Perhaps thats why it has survived. The .35 Whelen is a fine elk cartridge. Perhaps thats how it should be, the masses rarely embrace true greatness. Federal loads the 225-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2600 f.p.s. They are a little short initially and after two firings they were just fine. 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. My 35 Whelen will run 250gr partitions at 2700 fps with power pro 2000 powder. That year, Remington also brought out the Model 673 Guide Gun in .350 Rem Mag. They live in steep, rough country, and their long legs cover a lot of ground. Your at the old delema again: does 200 fps matter to the deer. Choose at least medium weight for caliber: 140 grains in 6.5mm and the lighter 7mms; 140 and 150 grains in .270s; 150 to 160 grains in faster 7mms; 165 or 180 grains in .30 calibers. and the .32 Win. I am not into the current long-range fad, especially on powerful animals like elk. Sure, you can get away with it, especially with todays extra-heavy bullets, but I think its foolish. Blocker Outdoors Finisher gloves, headcovers and other accessories are available in Mossy Oak Bottomland and Mossy Oak Obsession NWTF camouflage patterns to match various turkey hunting terrain. Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. You can start with the 6.5mms. I think Jack OConnor, the great champion of the .270, would agree. It is, as you say, a thumper. Around eight pounds set to go is a good compromise. From a 12 twist bore, accuracy sweet spots for light bullets include 2950fps with 180 grain bullets, 2925fps with 200 grain bullets, before normalizing with 225 grain bullets at 2900fps. Its a great gun for moose and elk, bear and boar, and for bison as well. 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. By and large, we shooters seem to gravitate to the middle of the road; to bland, yet predictable, mediocrity. 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 .35 (.358) caliber has never really gotten a serious toehold here, although the occasional item like the .35 Whelen, .350 Remington Magnum, or .358 Winchester roils the waters every now and again. In fact, the recoil of the .358 Norma Magnum, at about 35 ft. lbs. The softpoints were used for the various antelope species, dangerous cats and even buffalo, while the full-patch, non-expanding solids would be used on elephant. But in those countries where the lighter cartridges are legal for the cats, the .350 Rigby Magnum is just about perfect. Of them all the one I still have is the 9,3X62. This is because it was discontinued in the mid-1970s, and reintroduced by Remington in 2003. As a result of all this activity, .358-inch diameter jacketed rifle bullets are available in a wide range of weights and styles, from 150-grain semipointed to 200- grain roundnose, all the way up to 310 grains for the heaviest game. Essentially the .338 Winchester Magnum necked up to hold .358-inch bullets, the .358 Norma Magnum made all sorts of sense to a hunter in pursuit of large game, such as elk, moose and the great bears of the north. Here are the features to watch out for. Remington currently lists a Model 7 rifle with a 20-inch barrel; todays version of the 600 in .350 Rem. The .35 Win., .35 Newton and .350 Griffin & Howe Mag. Why the public abandoned it so quickly is a mystery to me. Winchester still offers ammunition, but the guns are history. Sadly, I cant find a single major gunmaker chambering this cartridge today. As well, most bullet manufacturers produce soft, 200-grain roundnosed bullets intended for the .35 Remington, and these fit a wide range of uses.