Does the power of the magnum offer much over the whelen in real life terms? Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. The cartridge is closely related to the .308 Norma Magnum. The Remington Model 600 Magnum rifle, along with the cartridge it birthed, was just such a product. 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. This is basically a deer and black bear (CXP2 class game) cartridge, although it is reputed to be superior to cartridges in the .30-30 class for game weighing over about 400 pounds. zero-we see that contrary to popular belief, a 35-caliber can be a long-range cartridge. Out of stock View Details . Heeding the advice of American friends, Kvale worked on what would become the .358 Norma Magnum. He, too, could have been one of the greats. Original Schultz & Larsens had substantial freebore to keep pressures down, and Normas specifications for the cartridge called for it. Campfire 'Bwana. I believe it never will. 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. Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. 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. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. If you happen to have a .35 and don't mind the extra recoil, there is no denying that it will flat get the job done. It was recovered in bits and pieces. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is with Dawn Wehunt of Rock River Arms INC. learning about the new Ascendant platform. There is certainly no lack of .358-inch diameter bullets to choose from but brass is limited. The fortunate few who own them want to keep them, and these are the core admirers who make it worth Normas while to continue offering brass and loaded ammunition. Frankly, I would not want to be without them. I own several rifles in this cartridge and all my .35 Whelen rifles are accurate. I would also expect it to handle anything in North America from deer to the big bears. 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. Energy figures have it knocking at the door of 375H&H. in the Big Bore Model 94. Ive had a 350 RM in a 600 Remington since the 60s. The .300 Rem. No matter if its books, art or hunting cartridges, its only those with a deep understanding of the subject who can fully understand the greatness often buried in obscurity. to achieve its potential. 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. It, as you know, can be loadeddown to be a 35 Whelen but the reverse is not true. In the entry on the .358 Norma, it maintains that, had Norma convinced a major American riflemaker to offer the chambering in the early years, it could have become one of the greats. I had the privilege of spending some time with a 1917 vintage take-down Rigby-Mauser rifle while on a hunt in Scotland, and the words sweet shooting came quickly to mind. Synthetic wins over laminate because laminates, strongest of all, are also heaviest. Faster 6.5sthe new 6.5 PRC, the old .264, or the super-fast .26 Nosler and 6.5-300 Weatherbywill deliver more energy and open the range envelope a bit. However, that may be changing, or at least the possibility of change may exist. | Elk bullets must be tough enough to provide adequate penetration. 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 have needed to reach 400 yards, but never a whole bunch farther. 35 Whelen. This load uses a 200 grain Flex-Tip spitzer bullet and delivers a MV of 2225 fps and ME of 2198 ft. lbs. were to go head to head with the .25-35 Win., .30-30 Win. Winchester introduced its initial trio of belted magnums in the mid-1950sthe .458 Winchester Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum and .264 Winchester Magnumand all were designed for the long-action receiver, using a case length equal or similar to the .30-06 Springfield. It is, as you say, a thumper. The experimentation with the H&H cases, first by Weatherby and later by Winchester and Remington, certainly changed the way we hunted and made our purchases; magnum mania definitely took root. So are the .350 Remington Magnum and .358 Norma Magnum. The Norma factory load, with Normas own 250-grain bullet, performed poorly, coming apart in the chest cavity. 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. Folks who live in elk country may consciously seek a cow for the freezer. 200-grain bullet to almost 2500 f.p.s. has been offered in just about every rifle action type ever conceived and a few handguns. So while some of my rifle choices may have been oddball, none of the rifles Ive used for elk have been exactly wrong. I wont go so far as to say thats foolish, but theres a major difference in size and toughness between a cow or spike and a mature bull. Essentially a .338 Magnum with a bigger mouth, the .358 Norma can push 250-grain bullets faster. Its often thought that if they had it would have gained popularity over the .338 Win. was introduced in 1955. I have never lost an elk, and I do not recall ever tracking one for recovery. As it was released in the first century of the . 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. The 358 Norma is a sure mag round, but expensive ammo and brass. .35 caliber rifle cartridges have been around practically forever without ever really becoming popular. cases. Clearly, for the hunter seeking heavy game and willing to accept this level of recoil, the .358 Norma Magnum deserves far more popularity than it has received. I am not into the current long-range fad, especially on powerful animals like elk. Now, I have to go out on a limb and say that sensible elk cartridges arent all about power. was simply a .308 Win. We owe a debt of gratitude to the engineers at the British firm of Holland & Holland; though it is lost to history who exactly designed the belted magnum cartridge, the .275 and .375 Holland & Holland Magnums were game changers. My favorite hunting round. The .35 Whelen is a powerful medium-bore rifle cartridge that does not require a magnum action or a magnum bolt-face. when fired in a 7.5 pound rifle. As a "stopper" for use on dangerous game the .358 Norma is clearly superior to the .300 Magnums. The only rifles I can find in production are from Nosler, Remington and CVA. Equal in importance is that you can hit the elk. From the Green Goblin (a bolt-action rifle I built on a Remington action), both will produce groups that are sub-minute-of-angle. PerH AH fanatic Joined May 8, 2021 Messages 536 Reaction score 813 Location Norway Articles 2 Jun 4, 2021 #5 The original Schultz & Larsens were sold without iron sights, and they were installed on my rifle afterward. But the .416 is certainly not the only cartridge to bear the Rigby surname; read the works of Walter Dalrymple Maitland Karamoja Bell, or Col. Jim Corbett and the .275 Rigbybetter known as the 7x57mm Mauserwill get all sorts of praise. 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. Of the three, only the .358 Norma has not become a standard chambering. loaded with a 180-grain Oryx bullet to the .358 Norma Mag. It is capable of driving a. And, as any fan of the .35-caliber cartridges knows, there are quite a few bullet weights to choose from within the caliber. Hunting Shack 35WHELEN1N Game King 35 Whelen 225 gr Sierra GameKing Spitzer Boat-Tail - 20rd Box. As a comparison, the .358 Winchester with a 250 grain bullet at 2300 fps delivers 25.4 foot-pounds of recoil from a 7.5 pound rifle. Most rifle elk hunting is not like bowhunting during the bugling season. 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). 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. So if you have a .375 (or larger) and a yen to take it elk hunting, be my guest. 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. Around eight pounds set to go is a good compromise. can drive the same weight bullet a bit faster. 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. I see no reason to shy away from it. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. If we compare the .300 Win. 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. Released in 1908, the .350 Rigby Magnum is an entirely original design, with no parent cartridge. If you match the bullet to the game, this is one of the all-time great hunting cartridges. exlcusive user. Common loads fire a 200-grain bullet at 2,800 fps (about 3,480 foot pounds of energy), a 225-grain bullet at around 2,600fps (3,380 foot pounds of energy . And the hunter must have full confidence in his or her choice. 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. I think Jack OConnor, the great champion of the .270, would agree. 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. Have a .350 Rem Mag, building a .358 Win currently, would prefer to do the .358 Norma if possible but not sure if this action can handle it.Anyone? Now, I have to go out on a limb and say that sensible elk cartridges aren't all about power. The major problem with light loads is getting enough pressure to provide a good gas seal. 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. However, should a hunter who enjoys using cartridges that arent among the most popular find a rifle chambered for the .358 Norma Magnum? The body of the .350 Magnum measures 0.517 inches at the base, smaller than the 0.589-inch base of the .416 Rigby. We argue cartridges and calibers endlessly, but bullet choice matters. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The .357 Magnum revolver cartridge has also gained considerable popularity as a combination rifle/pistol cartridge and lever action rifles for the .357 Magnum sell pretty well. Introducing the Veracity PH from Burris, the perfect combination of reliability, quality, and technology delivering a simple aiming solutiona tool for the hunter that just works. Today, it is strictly a custom proposition unless one of the original rifles chambered for it can be found. My vote is for the .35 Whelen. They will also slap down lighter game like deer, feral hogs and black bear with authority, of course. In fact, the recoil of the .358 Norma Magnum, at about 35 ft. lbs. 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. From left: (1) .35 Remington, (2) .358 Winchester and (3) .358 Norma Magnum. Not so the .358 Norma. The first time I ever hunted with a .358 Norma Magnum, it was a custom rifle built on a Mauser Mark X action. 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. 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. of muzzle energy. was included in that party is a mystery, as it had no Winchester counterpart. 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. Everybody agrees that the .358 Win. The .35 Win., .35 Newton and .350 Griffin & Howe Mag. 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. And those sentiments can be an awful lot of fun. Subscriber Services. 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. I have used the .35 Whelen on critters from bobcats to moose. By coincidence, in that same year, Norma Projektilfabrik of Sweden introduced its own heavyweight champion, the .358 Norma Magnum. 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. 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. 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. With the 250-grain bullet, it's better than the .30-06 on heavy game at close ranges. That being said, with much wider availability, and the higher . Kevin Steele from Petersen's HUNTING speaks to Jordan Egli of Burris Optics about the all-new Veracity PH Riflescope. Shaw rifles 24-inch barrel. Thier wouldn't be any action mods required to do the Whelen,just rebarrel and enjoy. 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. The .35 Whelen is accurate, hits hard, penetrates deep, shoots flat and recoils mildly. Yet, that bore diameter produces some of the best hunting cartridges available. 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. 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. Heres a detailed look at each step of the process. By Layne Simpson. Also, the 35 Whelen will not do much that your 350 and 358 already do, if anything. For the next year, comparisons were inevitable between Johanssons Hammer of Thor and the .358s powerful 250-grain bullet. is a wonderful cartridge, but nobody buys them. Bottles & 12-oz. crying, My kingdom for a rifle.. Sadly, I cant find a single major gunmaker chambering this cartridge today. Can this be made into a .358 Norma Mag or must I do a .35 Whelen. For a while Savage chambered it in the Model 99, and I am still looking for one I can afford. On a 600 pound animal like a big bull elk the optimum game range of the .308 (180 grain bullet at a MV of 2610 fps) is a useful 175 yards. 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. My .375 H&H seemed quite adequate. Thought about that 375 Ruger but nah. The big issue with the .350 Rigby Magnum is the lack of available ammunition. Normas original spec sheet for the .358 Norma Magnum when it was released in 1959 indicated the cartridges ballistics. Any listing you find for H-4895 can be modified by loading only 60 percent of the published minimum to create some very comfortable loads. Most ammunition makers have a 200-grain load, and Remington also has a 150-grain load with a muzzle velocity of 2300 f.p.s. Far more alternatives, in fact, than exist in several more popular caliber families. 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. ), but with considerably less recoil. The .358 Win. It did shine with 148gr Double ended wadcutters over a few grains of 700x shooting clover leaf groups at 50 yards, I used it all fall putting squirrels in the pot. When chambered for cartridges such as the .243 Win., 6 mm Rem., .308 Win. But in my experience, if you can cover that 300-yard window with confidence youre in good shape. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; that is one of the physical laws of our universe. All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. .500 Nitro Express. 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. I could get brass easy from each by forming parent cases, 308 and 30-06. 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. Kynoch was a big producer of .350 ammo, but that has ceased in the recent past. At the same time, it will do almost everything the .375 will but with vastly more versatility. This is comparable killing power to the long .375 H&H Magnum with a 300 grain bullet (ME 4331 ft. With the best loads, my Remington Model 700 is one-hole accurate. Posts: 46,063. I did secure properly head stamped Norma cases thinking we'd need them going over into the Yukon (no one ever checked). .50 BMG. Thanks for any thoughts. a good brush buster and good to 300 yards. I have become a 35 cal. Meanwhile, the .358 Norma fizzled, for lack of a better term, because rifles were not readily available, ammunition was expensive and hard to get, and it found itself in direct competition with one of the great American cartridges of the twentieth century, Winchesters .338 Magnum. up to 0.358 inches and dubbed it the poor mans magnum.. He never questioned the adequacy of his .270 for elk, nor do I, but he was also a lifelong .30-06 fan and privately conceded its superiority for elk-sized game. I say that because so many reasonably successful yet hard kicking cartridges have been introduced in the last few years. Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. 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. 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. Perhaps thats why it has survived. 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. Not only that, many different bullet moulds were made for casting .358 bullets in some of the most fanciful shapes. 358 Norma runs 250gr partitions at 2810 with Norma 204 powder. From limited experience of loading for two different 358 Norma Magnum rifles (a Schultz & Larson Model 65 and a Custom Sako AV) I used to neck up new Winchester 338 Win. pushes a 200-grain bullet to just more than 2000 f.p.s. In rifle cartridges, we usually take the safe route and .30-caliber has emerged as the American shooters choice. 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). The .35 Rem. offered the performance level of the .358 Win. .470 Nitro Express. Shaw rifle's 24-inch barrel.. 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. . Theres also a mindset difference. Id mate it with a good 180-grain bullet, top it with a one-inch-tube scope (to save weight), and go elk hunting. And for the larger antelope species, like any of the eland, wildebeest, zebra and roan, the .350 Rigby Magnum is a sound choice. The rifle, cartridge, and bullet must be capable of handling that one opportunity. in a rimmed cartridge that would work in a lever-action rifle. Winchester and Hornady both offer 200-grain loads at 2475 f.p.s. Give a Gift As a "stopper" for use on dangerous game the .358 Norma is clearly superior to the .300 Magnums. Mag. Compare practically any small bore cartridge (.32 caliber or less) with a .35 caliber cartridge of similar powder capacity and the result is pretty much the same. These include some of my favorites, such as the .358 Winchester and .45-70. This new model featured two new cartridges, the .350 Rem. Ruger made a few bolt-actions some years back, and Remington made rifles in the 700 Classic line, but they are long gone. 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. Sure, we experiment a bit with other bore sizes, but in the end it always comes back to the .30 caliber. Quite honestly, the .350 Rigby isnt a cartridge Id describe as practical, but if you are looking for something quite left of center, this may be for you. Also, many of these hunters have the luxury of a long season close to home. and is a good cartridge for hunting the thick woods for deer, hogs, black bear or even elk. 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. In 1968 the 600 Magnum was replaced by the Model 660 Magnum, which featured a 20-inch barrel, but it was never a big seller, and Remington dropped the rifles. The H-4895 load given in the table is not from any manual but was worked up with the assistance of Hodgdon ballistician Ron Reiber. Norma offers factory ammunition, E.R. Equal in importance is that you can hit the elk. My 8mm Remington Magnum was stocked in dense walnut and had a long barrel. It was predictable that the .356 Win. and the 6.5 mm Rem. factory load is a 250-grain Oryx bullet listed with a muzzle velocity of 2723 f.p.s. Our editors have hand-picked these essential pieces of gear to make you a more successful hunter when you hit the game trails this season.