Does anyone reload 358 Norma Mag?

Rule 303 · Sunday at 3:35 AM

jruby said:
My 358 Norma kicks me worse than my 375H&H. My 358 Norma is on a pre 64 and my 375 is a l61r.

Most like due to the stock fit. I have found stock fit does more to reduce felt recoil than additional weight.

Bob Nelson 35Whelen · Sunday at 3:57 PM

50Gunner said:
Had four red/white and black metal one pound cans of Norma 204 powder around forever, decided to build loads with it in my BRNO 98 Mauser action 358 Norma, the rifle has a three position Winchester type safety, 26 inch 12 twist barrel and sits in a synthetic stock, all metal is cerakoted black, it wears a matte finish 30mm 3-9 VX-R Leupold Firedot, perfect glass for this setup, a real all weather rig.

New Norma 358 NM brass
250gr Partitions
78grs Norma 204
CCI-250 primers
COL 3.300"
VEL 2809 fps

Have 50 rounds left to shoot and hunt out, when they're gone I'll neck size all 150 cases bumping the shoulders back 0.002"

Will then build all new loads with the 250gr Norma Oryx bullets and H-4350 powder, it will be awhile, the current loads are too accurate and hit too damn hard to waste on paper and rocks, a very capable, accurate and efficient cartridge.

@50Gunner
So the big Swede uses 14 grains more powder to get 100fps more than the Whelen
Me wonders if it is truely worth it.
Bob

M48scout · Sunday at 5:27 PM

jruby said:
My 358 Norma kicks me worse than my 375H&H. My 358 Norma is on a pre 64 and my 375 is a l61r.

Do you happen to know the rifle weights for comparison? What contour barrel (approx) does your 358NM have relative to the 375? Thanks

jruby · Sunday at 10:27 PM

I believe the big difference is the stock. The sako finnbear was designed to handle the 375. The winchester was originally chambered in 300H&H. The winchester was manufactured around 1948. The Sako appears to be about a pound and a half heavier.

jruby · Sunday at 10:33 PM

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@50Gunner
So the big Swede uses 14 grains more powder to get 100fps more than the Whelen
Me wonders if it is truely worth it.
Bob

I wonder what pressures your whelen is running at?

50Gunner · Monday at 5:42 AM

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@50Gunner
So the big Swede uses 14 grains more powder to get 100fps more than the Whelen
Me wonders if it is truely worth it.
Bob

LOL, now come on Big Bob, are you sure you're not trickling 68 grains under those 250 grain 35 Whelen slugs?

Plus, Hells Bells, I had Norma powder, Norma brass, in a cartridge developed by Norma, I couldn't resist ; ]

BTW, traded a 5.56 ammo can full of 38 Special wadcutter ammunition I loaded for the whole rifle to an old guy for his grandkids to shoot back during the barack hussein obongo days of weapons and ammunition hysteria, he could no longer fire the rifle, I had peanuts in the ammunition.

Rule 303 · Monday at 3:20 PM

I dare say Bob will get back to you when he reads this. Bob is using CFE223 powder from memory and this gets the Whelen up towards 358 Norma territory. It puts the Whelen in the same range as a 35Sambar (358 WSM)

jruby · Monday at 4:03 PM

I would argue the powder column is larger in the norma case. It would make sense to me if you can drive the 358 norma the same way.

Rule 303 · Monday at 4:39 PM

jruby said:
I would argue the powder column is larger in the norma case. It would make sense to me if you can drive the 358 norma the same way.

I do not know if there are suitable powder for the 358Norma to do that. If you know somebody with Quickload or similar run the CFE223 and other CFE powders through it. We can't get CFE in Australia now but I would look at them for my Whelen, 35 Sambar, and 356.

Bob Nelson 35Whelen · Monday at 6:53 PM

jruby said:
I wonder what pressures your whelen is running at?

@jruby
According to load from a disc 52,000 cup.
I have no pressure signs and long case life, primer pockets are tight and I only use Remington brass.
Bob

Bob Nelson 35Whelen · Monday at 6:56 PM

Rule 303 said:
I dare say Bob will get back to you when he reads this. Bob is using CFE223 powder from memory and this gets the Whelen up towards 358 Norma territory. It puts the Whelen in the same range as a 35Sambar (358 WSM)

@Rule 303
Definitely use CFE223 unless I'm loading 310 grainers, then it 2209/H4350.
I wonder what the Swede would do with 310s.
Bob

Bob Nelson 35Whelen · Monday at 7:00 PM

Rule 303 said:
I do not know if there are suitable powder for the 358Norma to do that. If you know somebody with Quickload or similar run the CFE223 and other CFE powders through it. We can't get CFE in Australia now but I would look at them for my Whelen, 35 Sambar, and 356.

@Rule 303
Hodgson superformance is similar to H4381 and RL22 but with a different pressure curve. If you can use the former powders in the Swede then superformance should work and give it a boost.
Bob

50Gunner · 2026-10-06T09:43:53-0500

Rule 303 said:
I do not know if there are suitable powder for the 358Norma to do that. If you know somebody with Quickload or similar run the CFE223 and other CFE powders through it. We can't get CFE in Australia now but I would look at them for my Whelen, 35 Sambar, and 356.

LOL, Rule 303, Agreed, if I were to want to step on the gas with this 358 NM after the current loads are gone I'd look no further than 6.5 Staball powder, it is very compact and dense, you could get plenty in the case, slower burning than Norma 204 with the bonus of being temp stable.

But, 250 grains at the current 2800 fps, or even stepping up to 2850/2900 fps is like getting hit with a loaded semi at 55 mph or 70 mph, it's not going to matter, the intendeds are still gonna be screwed blued and tattooed.

Rule 303 · 2026-10-06T16:19:20-0500

50Gunner, I thought 250 grains bullet at 2800 was a bit anemic,

so I made up a 358/338 RUM 250 at 3150. This makes it an easy 400 mt cartridge. That is just me wanting something flatter shooting and to see what it could do.

Does anyone reload 358 Norma Mag?

Rule 303

Bob Nelson 35Whelen

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