After years of muzzleloading and single shot rifle hunting with the Encore I've finally got around to taking the plunge into serious pistol hunting. After reading Hampton's Handgun Hunting book and my cartridge reloading manuals (about a hundred times) I finally settled on the 358 Win in a 15" heavy barreled Encore from Fox Ridge Outfitters. Seemed like just the ticket for smacking the big close cover hogs that I hunt in Texas and Florida. Could use some advice and loading data if anyone has any experience with this combo. I've played around with revolvers in 44 mag and 454 Casull a few years back and wasn't really bothered by the recoil. Hoping that the recoil won't be much worse on my new boomer.

TP

Texas Pete, I have been researching different calibers for my Encore and the 358 Winchester is high on the list. When you get the bbl. post the results you get. I'm sure others would be interested in this caliber in a handgun. Did you get the muzzle brake or not? I would like to know how much recoil this cartridge would have in an Encore handgun.... Good Shooting

TP-can you keep me posted on your .358 Win load progress. Although I don't have an Encore, I have am getting a .358 Win in a Pachmayr Dominator 14". Thanks, Dennis e-mail at drminak@hotmail.com

Dennis,

Won't have the barrel from Fox Ridge for a few weeks yet. I'll post load development when I work some up and test them out at the range. Planning on using 180 Gr Hornady single shot pistol spirepoints and 225 Gr Nosler BT as starting bullets. Both should expand reliably on deer and hogs at the slightly reduced velocities out of the 15" barrel as compared to longer rifle barrels. Might also try the 200 Gr Hornady RN as well.

I've used both the 180 Hornady ssp and the 200 Hornady RN in my 10" 357 Herrett with great accuracy. The 180 absolutely leveled a whitetail doe this season with complete penetration on a quartering away shot (behind left rib through and out right shoulder) at about 65 yards. Couldn't ask for more.

You could try 47.5 grs. of IMR 4895 under a Sierra 225 gr. spitzer boattail. This load shoots into 1 and 1/4 inches in my encore. 17" bull barrel, mag-n-ported with Simmons 4X scope. I don't know if that will help but I hope so.

On a different note I have thinking moving to Alaska, friend of mind lives in McCarthy, he says he loves it up there.

Just curious how you like your .358 Winchester.

I have an RPM XL Hunter in .358 Win.that I got it right before deer season last year. Because I did not have time for load development, I opted to use some WW 200 gr Silvertip factory loads that I have had on hand for a few years (I have a BLR and a Savage 99 in .358 Win).
I killed three deer with this gun last year, and I have to say that I was shocked that the ST bullet would not fully penetrate a Texas whitetail (fault of the bullet, not the cartridge). The bullets on all 3 deer blew up with devastating effect on the chest cavities from secondary missles (bone fragments), but the offside interior of the chest cavity was not even damaged. Believe me, we autopsied those deer so thoroughly that CSI would have been proud. Conclusion-not the best choice for heavier game, and possible suicide on a big bear.

I have been working on developing loads this Spring, and although I have not gotten around to chronographing any, my initial results indicate with bullets in the 225 gr range seem to be best for an all around choice in the .358. IMHO, with the case and bore capacity of the .358, I think you need the extra resistance of the heavier bullets for more complete powder burning. Best powders are those in the same burning rate range as H-4895, RL-15, AA-2495, etc.. Just as with the .308 Win. Although, I have had good results with H-322 with 200 grainers.

AA-2520 is often touted as the best powder in the .358 JDJ, and it is a favorite in my XP-100 .35 Remington. I expect it to also be a winner in the .358. I loaded some 200 gr X bullets with that powder, and they provided excellent accuracy.

Other bullet testings indicate the R-P 200 gr PSP, Hornady 200 PSP, Barnes 200 X, Nosler 225 gr BT and Partition, Sierra 225 SP, and Speer 220 FP have the construction to hold up to the increased velocity of the .358 (over the .35 Rem), and expand reliably on medium to large game. IMHO, the 180 gr bullets and the Sierra 200 RNSP and R-P RNSP are best left to the .35 Remington and .357 Maximum. Use them if you wish, but I have not had good results at higher velocties.

The latest editions of the various reloading manuals have mostly forsaken the .358 Win., but strangely enough contain .356 Win data. The .356 Win is simply a .358 Win case with a rim, and slightly thicker walls. You can use .356 Win data as a starting point for .358 loads, if you have a problem finding data on the newer powders.

I do not think you will be disappointed with the .358 Win as a hunting handgun. As with the other members of the .308 family, its case capacity is just about ideal for 15" handgun barrels. As with the .308, you give up very little in velocity over similar loads in a rifle.

Welcome to the forum Sawfish!! I think you'll like it here, & you sound like someone who's experience can benefit us as well. I've got an acquaintance up here in Alaska that shoots the .358 in an Encore & swears by it!

Vance, Thank you Sir. I enjoyed your bear baiting story in the other forum. Reminded me of some "interesting" adventures hunting over bait in the Canadian bush. My underwear has also remained clean. Those who criticize bear hunting over bait have obviously never had the opportunity to get "up close and personal" with a big bear. I only hunted bear in AK one time, but plan a return trip someday. It is a beautiful and exciting place. Had I gone there as a young man, I might have never returned. Regards.

Sawfish

In my previous post, I neglected to mention the subject of recoil. It is very difficult to answer the question "how much does it recoil" without a consideration of bullet weight, gun weight, stock design,etc.. My .358 RPM XL is lighter than an Encore, and has an RPM muzzle brake. With 225 gr bullets, it recoils significantly less than My RPM in 45/70 Govt. with 405 gr. bullets (which has Mag-Na-port dual traps), and slightly less than the 45/70 RPM with 300 gr bullets. With lighter bullets, it recoils less.

I have shot a Contender in .308 Winchester, and I would say that the 200 gr bullets in the .358 will feel similar to the 165 gr in the .308, which is less than a BFR in 45/70 with 405 gr bullets, or a Ruger Super Redhawk in .480 Ruger with 410 gr. bullets (both guns with dual traps). These are my estimates based on perceived recoil. I hope this helps.

As an aside, when I ordered the gun, the Manufacturer asked if I was a reloader, and recommended .356 Winchester because of the rimmed case. I declined to follow that recommendation because at that time there were no .356 cases available, and I had a good stock of new .358 cases on hand. This has required some extra care in resizing of brass, which was a problem with some rimless calibers in the old Contender. My problem was related to the fact that the RPM was originally conceived as a target/silhouette gun, and virtually every caliber is chambered to match specs.. I have not heard of a similar problem with the Encore, but I do not own one.

WELCOME!! Sawfish.

Quote:

---

As with the other members of the .308 family, its case capacity is just about ideal for 15" handgun barrels

---

I agree 100%, seems just right.

Thanks Tigger. One thing I learned from Jim Rock (old time silhouette shooter and holder of many world records)is that you can only burn a given amount of powder in a given barrel space (bore x length). The rest is waste i.e. fireball. With some of the huge cartridges being stuffed into handguns these days there might be a market for a combination muzzle brake/USDA approved flash arrestor.

Welcome dude. In my opinion, the 358 Winchester recoils a lot more than my 308. My 358 and heavy slugs without a muzzle brake was brutal; I think its manageable with 200's. I love the 358 calibers though. That's why I have a 35 Whelen; it loves 225 and 250 grainers but the recoil is fierce.