Posts: 46,063. But there is another Rigby cartridge, vastly overlooked even among rifle cranks, but which was at one time as popular as the .375 H&H Magnum: the .350 Rigby Magnum. These work, but my thinking has changed over the years. Every time I use it I ask myself, Whats not to like? Beats me, but nobody liked it enough to keep it in production. 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. Most rifle elk hunting is not like bowhunting during the bugling season. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. 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. 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. I have used the .35 Whelen on critters from bobcats to moose. 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. and .35 Rem., it was an excellent woods rifle for hunting whitetails. Hornadys LEVERevolution pushes the performance up a notch with a 200-grain pointed bullet at 2225 f.p.s. In cartridges, as in boxing, what goes on behind the scenes often determines the outcome. lbs. The .270 WSM and .270 Weatherby deliver more energy, but all three are fine. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. 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. 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. 358 Norma runs 250gr partitions at 2810 with Norma 204 powder. 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. The quest for an acceptable .35 has inspired such impotent wastes as the .35 Winchester Self Loader, once labeled a candidate for the title: Worlds Most Useless Center-Fire Rifle Cartridge.. While the American mainstream wont accept the .35, they are not unloved. The .358 Win. The .358 is vastly underated as the Whelen. By and large, we shooters seem to gravitate to the middle of the road; to bland, yet predictable, mediocrity. Either way, the Newton is the unbelted twin of the .358 Norma. With modern powders the muzzle velocities can certainly beat those of the Cordite loads a century ago, especially in a modern rifle. can drive the same weight bullet a bit faster. They can take their time and pick their shots. Recoil was completely manageable, and it inspired me to begin the journey of having my own .350 Rigby rifle built. The major problem with light loads is getting enough pressure to provide a good gas seal. X-Vision Optics long-range ImpactThermal Scope (TS300) boasts a 640 x 480 thermal sensor that can detect big game well past 3,000 yards. For the next year, comparisons were inevitable between Johanssons Hammer of Thor and the .358s powerful 250-grain bullet. Heeding the advice of American friends, Kvale worked on what would become the .358 Norma Magnum. 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. The .357 Magnum is ideal for light game like javelina and will do for the smaller species of deer and antelope at short range. was simply a .308 Win. An elk offers a large target, so extreme magnification shouldnt be necessary. Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING magazine, Kevin Steele is at the Steiner Optics booth with Alberto Corbetta to discuss the Predator 4 and Predator 8. But perhaps youre not after thick-skinned dangerous game. I have long been something of a .35 caliber fan, but I have to admit that I believe the reason for the general lack of public acceptance of all but the least powerful .35's is, in a word, recoil. As it was released in the first century of the . So are the .350 Remington Magnum and .358 Norma Magnum. Mag.They have almost identical case capacity, but the .358 Norma Mag. Any desire to hunt African dangerous game with your medium bore? That load actually produced 2825 f.p.s. The .35 Whelen is a fine elk cartridge. and is a good cartridge for hunting the thick woods for deer, hogs, black bear or even elk. Pet Loads and Handloader are registered trademarks of Wolfe Publishing Company. Can this be made into a .358 Norma Mag or must I do a .35 Whelen. 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. in its NoslerCustom line with a 225-grain Partition bullet at 2550 f.p.s. 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). In 1965 Remington took it to the next level with the introduction of the Model 600 Magnum Carbine. I wont be ashamed to take it elk hunting, but today Im certain that level of power is not essential. Hornady has a Superformance load with a 200-grain SP at 2910 f.p.s. 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. Fusion Ammo has a 200-grain with a muzzle velocity of 2800 f.p.s. has been offered in just about every rifle action type ever conceived and a few handguns. Honestly, Ive taken as many elk with the .30-06 as with any other cartridge, and the farthest at 350 yards was no problem. 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 . Moderate, safe, bland and predictable. 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. A 358Norma is a good fit for this action. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." Copyright 2003, 2012 by Chuck Hawks. Spl. 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. The numerous magnum .30s are also excellent, but they deliver more recoil. 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. The guide professed to be dumbstruck: I never saw a nilgai knocked down like that, he said, And we use some big rifles here!. The M700 has been a popular action for building a rifle in .358 STA, a wildcat based on the 8mm Remington Magnum. Among my own favorites for the .358 Norma are the Nosler Partitions in both 225 and 250 grains, Swift A-Frames (225, 250, 280) and various Woodleighs, including the unique 310-grain Weldcore. It was verry expensive to shoot, lots of powder and expensive bullets and brass. If the .35 Rem. 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. it is complicated further by a requirement for different burning rate powders. Heres a detailed look at each step of the process. Looks like I'll do a Whelen. was included in that party is a mystery, as it had no Winchester counterpart. 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. Mag. It was an 03 Springfield action, unknown barrel, very nice piece of wood, all the fancy metal work done (custom trigger, side safety ala Rem 700, cocking knob and safety removed, milled floorplate, forged bolt, speedloader slots removed, D&T'd ,polished and blued). The .350 Rigby Magnum is, in the words of veteran Professional Hunter Robin Hurt, a perfect caliber to hunt lion and leopard. With a few exceptions, most African countries require a minimum of .375-caliber cartridges for thick-skinned dangerous game like Cape buffalo and elephant, and that makes sense in most instances. I own several rifles in this cartridge and all my .35 Whelen rifles are accurate. This raises the obvious question: Why, with so many modern cartridges around of more or less equal power, chambered in readily available rifles, is there this lingering interest in, and loyalty to, the .358 Norma? Cartridges of .25 caliber and below are not ideal elk cartridges, especially if a big bull is a potential. No, its not exactly easy on the shoulder, but its not terrible either. The 600 Magnum suffered from a barrel that was too short at 18 inches. 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. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, 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. What keeps it alive? The .358 Norma can be loaded down to duplicate the performance of either of the two smaller cartridges. 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. Your rifle is your most important hunting tool, and knowing how to properly clean and store it when hunting season comes to a close is critical in keeping it in tip-top shape. On June 26, 1959, Sweden's Ingemar Johansson demolished Floyd Patterson in the third round of their first heavyweight title fight in New York. I could get brass easy from each by forming parent cases, 308 and 30-06. 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. It will work in this action with ease and will be plenty cheap to feed and use if one simply sizes up 338 brass and goes along thier happy way. Is the .358 Norma Magnum a cartridge destined to make a huge comeback? R Rocky I would also expect it to handle anything in North America from deer to the big bears. My 35 Whelen will run 250gr partitions at 2700 fps with power pro 2000 powder. And the hunter must have full confidence in his or her choice. The first time I ever hunted with a .358 Norma Magnum, it was a custom rifle built on a Mauser Mark X action. Where does the .358 Norma sit, in comparison to the more popular cartridges in its class? To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. The 6.5mm Creedmoor and the old 6.5x55 are sound minimal choices, adequate to 300 yards. 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. You bet they worked! There is certainly no lack of .358-inch diameter bullets to choose from but brass is limited. with a similar 180-grain bullet. Still have a 9.3 (so I guess it "won"). That is quite a few cartridges considering that there is not a single best selling rifle cartridge in the bunch. The .35 Whelen is a powerful medium-bore rifle cartridge that does not require a magnum action or a magnum bolt-face. Elk hunting can be extremely physicalnot only steep country, but also altitude and sometimes deep snow to buck. factory load is a 250-grain Oryx bullet listed with a muzzle velocity of 2723 f.p.s. 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. .35 caliber rifle cartridges have been around practically forever without ever really becoming popular. 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. 10 GA. That 225-grain bullet has a sectional density (SD) value of 0.251, a bit light for what is normally considered to be appropriate for dangerous game. In any mass-production rifle, either the .375 or .338, or both, will be found as a standard chambering. It, as you know, can be loadeddown to be a 35 Whelen but the reverse is not true. 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. Layne Simpson did an article on the comparison of the two and it was reprinted in Big Bore Rifles and Cartridge ISBN 1-879356-00-7.