.358 win guidance ??

The Hodgdon reloading data shows 49gr of 3031 to be a compressed load. I used H4895 and have been very happy with that choice.

CT Dave said:

Speer man#14 shows that I can load IMR 3031 for 180 gr FNSP from 47.0 start to 51.0 max , no way can I get this charge in to the case

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I've run that bullet but not that powder. Are you saying you can't get 47g into the case? I can get 47g of VV N140 into a .358win case

My sources say 49 gr is max with 200 gr bullets, can't find any data for that powder and 180's. If you can't get more than 47 gr in the case something ain't right at all. Scales might not be calibrated right or something else way off.

For one thing 3031 isn't a good match for that case, neither are 180 gr bullets. Sorta defeats the purpose of having a 358.

My Notes for 180 Speer bullet.
Winchester factory 358 cases full length sized and trimmed to 2.010".
49 grains IMR-3031 and 50 grains RL-15 both fill case to top of neck from RCBS Uniflow powder dispenser (thrown charges). Settling powder in case results in 0.10" powder compression for either of those two powders when seating 180 gr Speer to the cannelure.

I agree there are better bullets than 180 Speer. I've shot them all. The 250 gr Speer hot core spitzers with a 0.422 ballistic coefficient and the Hornady 200 gr SP Interlock are all I use now.

I disagree about IMR-3031 not being compatible with 358 Win. It works well (so does varget, RL-15) and you can always find 3031.

Ive been doing some workups with .358 for my 16" AR. I have a load with a 220gr Speer HCFN and H4895 that gives sub-MOA and 2300fps.
I had a ladder set i made with #34 primers and Ramshot TAC behind 225 Sierra gamekings...only to realize i set my seater die up wrong and pushed back the shoulders when i seated the bullet in, making the head jamb into the lands when i test chambered. I now have a bunch of rounds to pull down and try again, because i got ahead of myself...

Anyway, i haven't used 3031 personally, and not sure how the weight/density compares to what i have used, but it i suspect scale calibration as well...

I mostly load 200-225gr heads in .358W. I feel like it's sort of the sweet spot for the round. IMO, the 180s dont offer enough advantage over a .30 cal bullet, while the 250s are better suited to Whelens or bigger, if you want to keep velocities up enough for consistent expansion past about 50-75 yards. Just my read, though.

.225 Gamekings worked well for me this year. Took a nice 10 point with them using the aforementioned VV N140.

Have you tried a drop tube and slow pour???

I've had no issues running compressed loads with the extruded powders, the "crunching" feeling is a little unnerving at first, but I've gotten used to it.

Chuck

Dave, do you have any Varget or H4895?

the "crunching" feeling is a little unnerving at first, but I've gotten used to it.

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As an aside - I've found that powder settling will often eliminate the need for the 'crunching'. I take the case, and put my fingertop over the mouth while I tap it lightly it down on the bench. This settles the extruded grains without cutting/crunching them.

Have you done a case-capacity "water weight" test?

Real simple way to quickly check your scale. Take most any target grade or other quality bullet and weigh it. A 55 grain bullet will weigh exactly 55 grains nearly every time

If i get a moment I'll dig out a .358 case and see how my water weight compares, see if your cases are in spec for capacity. Its pretty rare for modern brass cases to be drawn significantly out of spec, but it's still a possibility.

Okay, so i found a fired and sized Hornady .358 Win case, stuck a spent primer in it, and got:
163.9gr empty
57.9gr water capacity

That puts your case capacity at 98.3% of mine, and as mine has been fired and resized, i would basically consider there to be no practical difference in case internal volume.

Now, while, as i said, ive never used 3031, i will say that, in my loading experience with H4895, i have run charges up to 48.0gr with 200gr Hornady FTX, and 100% case fill comes somewhere around 46...so theres a bit of crunching can be done pretty safely in most cases. Though ive never had it fill all the way to the case mouth.

Btw, a look in my Hornady load book puts max charge of IMR 3031 with their own 180gr SP w/ 2.600" OAL at 46.8gr.

Not sure what the big discrepancy is about. Maybe lot to lot consistency with 3031 hasnt always been great?

I don't have any 3031 to compare either (maybe it's less dense?), but my hunting load this year was 48g of VV N140 with a 225g Gameking seated at an OAL of 2.800. It was compressed

Last year was my first year to load for the .358 win and I did some abbreviated testing using the 180g Speer Hotcore. I used H4895 with the goal of making some lighter loads for my son to use for deer hunting.

Here's the thread

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/anyone-reload-for-the-358-winchester.814064/