I am looking for a starting point for this rifle, i was given everything i need to start loading except for a recipe. along with the dies, i was also given a box of 250 gr spire point bullets and 1lb of IMR 4350 if anyone has some info using these components that woud be very helpful, heck any starting point would be helpful as none of my manuals seem to have load data for this cal.
loads for .358 shooting times alaskan
- Thread starter ntejensen
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loadedround
Member
Go to www.hodgdon.com Their website will give you about half a dozen loads for the 358 STA. A great wildcat cartrige BTW. 
Thanks, get alot of loads from that site, but i must have missed it when i was looking the first time, I am looking forward to working up some rounds for this rifle, my Brother in law has had if for i believe 8 years or so and the only rounds through it are from the gunsmith that built the rifle.
Cover Dog
Member
I have been lurking here for several months and am active on several other hunting dog related boards but this will be my first response here.
Needless to say I have not run into alot of 358STA owners. I purchased mine from Winchesters Custom shop around July of 2000. They had just made a small special run of them in stainless with stainless Badger barrels. I wanted it in the hopes of a Brown bear hunt but it has only dropped one bull Elk so far, but that was impressive.
Before I began load testing on mine I sent it off to get an Answer muzzel brake and thier recoil pad on the stock Winchester wood.
Once back from Answer it went to McMillan for one of their custom stocks bedded by them. I have not put the Winchester wood stock back on.
I did the break-in while I was fire forming my brass. I used Win. 375 H&H cases and a set of Redding Custom dies $$$.
Before I go on, I must say I got alot of info from an article that Layne Simpson did for the Nov. 1997 issue of Shooting Times.
My fire forming consisted of necking down the 375 H&H in the 358STA Redding dies and then a 250gr bullet and 80grs of H4350. I turned my head to the side the first time I shot it to fire form the case. I had never done anything like that before. Must say, it works.
Then the cases were put through the FL dies and trimmed and de-burred and load testing started. I used 4 different powders IMR 4831, H4831, R22 and H4350.
I used either Nosler 250gr Partition or 250gr Swift A-Frames in load developement.
Speeds for the two 4831 powders were as high as 2774fps. R22 took speeds to the mid 2800 and H4350 broke the 3000 barrier.
Best accuracy was R22 with a Nosler partition, Fed 215 GM primer @ just over 1/2" (.502) three shot group. Avg fps. 2900.1. ES 59.5 and SD 30.5
Load I setteled on for Brown bear (Elk) was H4350, Fed. 215 primer, 250gr Swift A-Frame. 3 shot group was .990 at 3060fps ES 16.4 SD 8.3 The energy developed was 5200ft/lb.
I didn't give any powder weights other then to fire form since you will need to work up to YOUR guns safe load. I mic'd my cases after each shot to find where my limit was. I FL sized the cases again after the second firing and then loaded these for the hunt.
I was about a 3 week period to test all loads. About 85 shots in all. Just to let you know, you Will know when the gun fires.
Have fun.....Cover Dog
Needless to say I have not run into alot of 358STA owners. I purchased mine from Winchesters Custom shop around July of 2000. They had just made a small special run of them in stainless with stainless Badger barrels. I wanted it in the hopes of a Brown bear hunt but it has only dropped one bull Elk so far, but that was impressive.
Before I began load testing on mine I sent it off to get an Answer muzzel brake and thier recoil pad on the stock Winchester wood.
Once back from Answer it went to McMillan for one of their custom stocks bedded by them. I have not put the Winchester wood stock back on.
I did the break-in while I was fire forming my brass. I used Win. 375 H&H cases and a set of Redding Custom dies $$$.
Before I go on, I must say I got alot of info from an article that Layne Simpson did for the Nov. 1997 issue of Shooting Times.
My fire forming consisted of necking down the 375 H&H in the 358STA Redding dies and then a 250gr bullet and 80grs of H4350. I turned my head to the side the first time I shot it to fire form the case. I had never done anything like that before. Must say, it works.
Then the cases were put through the FL dies and trimmed and de-burred and load testing started. I used 4 different powders IMR 4831, H4831, R22 and H4350.
I used either Nosler 250gr Partition or 250gr Swift A-Frames in load developement.
Speeds for the two 4831 powders were as high as 2774fps. R22 took speeds to the mid 2800 and H4350 broke the 3000 barrier.
Best accuracy was R22 with a Nosler partition, Fed 215 GM primer @ just over 1/2" (.502) three shot group. Avg fps. 2900.1. ES 59.5 and SD 30.5
Load I setteled on for Brown bear (Elk) was H4350, Fed. 215 primer, 250gr Swift A-Frame. 3 shot group was .990 at 3060fps ES 16.4 SD 8.3 The energy developed was 5200ft/lb.
I didn't give any powder weights other then to fire form since you will need to work up to YOUR guns safe load. I mic'd my cases after each shot to find where my limit was. I FL sized the cases again after the second firing and then loaded these for the hunt.
I was about a 3 week period to test all loads. About 85 shots in all. Just to let you know, you Will know when the gun fires.
Have fun.....Cover Dog
ricciardelli
Member
IMR-4350 From 77.5 grains to 81.5 grains
Federal 215 Primer
Federal 215 Primer
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