However, Winchesters .338 Magnum proved to be the darling of not only those bound for the 49th state, but for those hunting elk and moose at lower latitudes. Although such weight is rare, a big bull can exceed 1,000 pounds. So we see that even with a one pound lighter rifle, the .358 recoils slightly less than a .300 magnum. Most were intended for .38-caliber handguns, but any bullet made for either the .38 Special or .357 Magnum can be loaded and shot in the .358 Norma Magnum with varying degrees of success. In Johanssons case, disdain for serious training left him vulnerable when the superbly conditioned Patterson came back a year later, gave him a dazzling boxing lesson and reclaimed the title. it is complicated further by a requirement for different burning rate powders. 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 Rem. Most rifle elk hunting is not like bowhunting during the bugling season. Mag. Subscriber Services. Mag. 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. Spl. I would never argue that a .243 Winchester with a good bullet placed well, or certainly a .25-06 with a tough, heavy bullet, cant do the job. Let's also compare the .358 with the other end of the spectrum. and .35 Rem., it was an excellent woods rifle for hunting whitetails. That does not mean that any gunsmith who had his own ideas about velocity and accuracy might not include it or go completely the other way. Compare the .308 Winchester and the .358 Winchester, which are based on the same case, and the .358 wins hands down. Since then, I have often recommended medium bores, such as Elmer Keiths favorite .33s, and Ive used the 8mm Remington Magnum a lot. If we compare the .300 Win. So are the .350 Remington Magnum and .358 Norma Magnum. It can work in close or at a distance or dazzle you with footwork. Original Schultz & Larsens had substantial freebore to keep pressures down, and Normas specifications for the cartridge called for it. The cartridge would be championed by Denys Finch Hatton (of Out of Africa fame), John Pondoro Taylor and Pete Pearson, and would be used by Baron Bror von Blixen-Fineke as well. With such a variety of bullets, you would think the skys the limit in terms of different loads, but there are other factors to consider. I am not into the current long-range fad, especially on powerful animals like elk. I own several rifles in this cartridge and all my .35 Whelen rifles are accurate. Of course, it took the .338 Winchester Magnum many years to catch on, and it took the .243/6mm cartridges over a half century after the introduction of the 6mm Lee Navy cartridge to gain popular acceptance, so perhaps there is still hope for the .35's. My vote is for the .35 Whelen. of muzzle energy. Mention the Rigby name to any rifle aficionado, and odds are that the famous .416 Rigby cartridge will come quickly to mind, and with good reason; it is an undeniable classic. There are specialized situations where close shots are the norm, but most often, the ideal elk rifle should have enough versatility for shots out to 300 yards and change. In 1965 Remington took it to the next level with the introduction of the Model 600 Magnum Carbine. factory load is a 250-grain Oryx bullet listed with a muzzle velocity of 2723 f.p.s. Theres more to success than merely landing a good one on the chin. Equal in importance is that you can hit the elk. 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. The sad truth is that the active list of current .35-caliber rifles and cartridges is tragically short. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. For a while Savage chambered it in the Model 99, and I am still looking for one I can afford. The long accepted story was that James V. Howe developed the cartridge in 1922 and named it in honor of his friend, gunwriter Col. Townsend Whelen. 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. was also the only cartridge of that original Remington family that was based on a different parent case. Ive had a 350 RM in a 600 Remington since the 60s. 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. 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. Sadly, I cant find a single major gunmaker chambering this cartridge today. is on the threatened list, this one is on a path to extinction. I have become a 35 cal. Nosler offers the .350 Rem. Posts: 46,063. in its NoslerCustom line with a 225-grain Partition bullet at 2550 f.p.s. They can take their time and pick their shots. Somehow, years ago, I got the notion that it is not prudent to be opening the bolt face of a 700 from standard (270W) to magnum (358N). There are places where .22 centerfires are legal for elk. But starting in the late 1950s, the .338 bore size gained considerable tractionthanks to the emergence of the .338 Winchester Magnum. Hunting Shack 35WHELEN1N Game King 35 Whelen 225 gr Sierra GameKing Spitzer Boat-Tail - 20rd Box. But in 2003 Remington decided to attempt a resurrection. The .350 Magnum has a case length of 2.742 inches, and an overall cartridge length 3.44 inches, so it will feel at home in a magnum-length receiver. However, the optimum game range of the .358 (250 grain bullet at a MV of 2300 fps) is 240 yards. of energy at the muzzle. Bottles & 12-oz. 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. I think Jack OConnor, the great champion of the .270, would agree. Shaw rifle's 24-inch barrel.. and .358 Norma Mag.). Included in that have been a whole bunch of deer, hogs and a bear or two. It is easy to forget that the .358 bore comes in an extremely varied range of twist rates from 1:16 to 1:12. A failed product is often said to be ahead of its time, which is usually just a polite way of saying nobody wanted to buy it. The .351 WSL did grab a bit of fame, first as a popular rifle for prison guards and then as one of the rifles used to punch a lot of holes in Bonnie and Clydes automobile (although that accolade is in question). Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. 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. As it stands, it is most certainly on the edge of becoming obsolete. But have owned multiple 9.3s and Whelens. All we do know for sure is that it was either Howe or Whelen, or both, who necked the .30-06 Sprg. The 250-grain .358-inch bulletwith a sectional density of 0.279if properly constructed, has enough length to handle the brown bear and bison, and all of the African plains game species, plus lion and leopard. Trust me, you could do worse, but youll be hard-pressed to do better! Shaw rifles 24-inch barrel. And the hunter must have full confidence in his or her choice. Heres a detailed look at each step of the process. 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. I rely on Roberson Cartridge Company out of Texas for projects like these, and their .350 Rigby brass is wonderfully uniform and properly headstamped. Mag. I have used the .35 Whelen on critters from bobcats to moose. I wont be ashamed to take it elk hunting, but today Im certain that level of power is not essential. The 338/06 when compared to the .35 Whelen only beats it with the lighter bullets and not by much. the problem in this debate is we are crossing over in calibres, which means thrust on different sized pistons. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Size aside, American elk are very tough creatures. The ammunition hung on a while longer, but eventually Big Green abandoned her babies and stopped making both cartridges. And for the larger antelope species, like any of the eland, wildebeest, zebra and roan, the .350 Rigby Magnum is a sound choice. The origins of the .35 Whelen are controversial even today. loaded with a 180-grain Oryx bullet to the .358 Norma Mag. And those sentiments can be an awful lot of fun. Today we have better bullets than when I was a kid. 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. 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. Heres a detailed look at each step of the process. I'm sending my 270 tikka off to JES rebore to get it punched out to 35 whelen. Ruger briefly chambered the M77 rifle in .35 Whelen. So when it comes to penetrating thick hide and heavy bone, one could see where the .350 Rigby could benefit from a heavier bullet, say a premium 250-grain with a SD of .279. 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. Synthetic stocks arent always lighter than wood, but they are stronger and more stable, and elk hunting can be hard on rifles. The body of the .350 Magnum measures 0.517 inches at the base, smaller than the 0.589-inch base of the .416 Rigby. of muzzle energy. Nosler has three loads in its Custom line. 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. Todays Norma factory ammunition is loaded with the companys excellent bonded-core 250-grain Oryx. Its a flat shootermimicking the trajectory of a .30-06 with heavier bulletsand is fully capable as an all-around choice. Elk Venison and Root Vegetable Stew Recipe, Best New Thermal Optics from the 2022 SHOT Show, Venison Backstrap with Sweet & Spicy Peach Relish Recipe, Tested Tough - Modern Zeiss Sports Optics. With modern powders the muzzle velocities can certainly beat those of the Cordite loads a century ago, especially in a modern rifle. For example, take the most powerful of the factory standardized .35's, the .358 Norma Magnum. Mag., and I think thats the only current production rifle in that cartridge. The big case certainly made its reputation with the 250-grain bullets, as their sectional density gives excellent penetration on even the heavy-boned animals, and the .358 Norma can push them to a muzzle velocity of 2750 fps. There are several reasons. Its still a fine choice, but I dont have a .338 right now. Mag.They have almost identical case capacity, but the .358 Norma Mag. 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. 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. I will go with the 35 Whelen BUT 9.3x62 will be cool due that you already have a 350 Rem mag, if you're opening the bolt face the 358 STA better option than Norma and 338-06 could be a nice choice too. Why the public abandoned it so quickly is a mystery to me. All Rights Reserved. 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. is still not burning up the sales records, so maybe ahead of its time is the wrong description. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I see no reason to shy away from it. 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). Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. It can be the ballistic equivalent of the .30-06 with a 180-grain bullet or, pushed the other way, it can easily match the velocity of the .300 Weatherby Magnum with the same weight bullet. All rights reserved. With its spitzer-pointed bullets, the .358 is a good medium- to long-range cartridge with capabilities out to 250 yards on big game.