What is 358 Winchester? It is a .358-caliber, rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge that Winchester introduced in 1955 by necking the 308 Winchester case up to hold a .358-inch bullet. It fires heavy, wide 180 to 250 gr bullets at moderate velocity, which made it a favorite for deer, black bear and elk in timber and brush. Chattahoochee Munitions manufactures 358 Winchester rifles today on its CM10 large-frame semi-automatic platform, with an 18-inch Mos-Tek 416R stainless barrel and a 1:12 twist.
What Is 358 Winchester at a Glance
| Specification | 358 Winchester |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1955, by Winchester |
| Parent case | 308 Winchester, necked up |
| Bullet diameter | .358 inch |
| Case length | 2.015 inches |
| Maximum cartridge overall length | 2.780 inches |
| Common factory bullets | 180, 200 and 250 gr |
| Published velocities (24-inch test barrels) | Winchester 200 gr Power-Point at 2,490 fps; Hornady 200 gr at 2,475 fps |
| Chattahoochee Munitions twist | 1:12 on the CM10 358 Winchester |
Cartridge and chamber dimensions are published in the ANSI/SAAMI centerfire rifle standard and the SAAMI cartridge and chamber drawings.
Where Did the 358 Winchester Come From?
Winchester released the 358 Winchester in 1955, three years after the 308 Winchester and the same year as the 243 Winchester, to give short-action rifles a big-bore option. It was chambered in lever and bolt-action sporting rifles and earned a reputation as a dependable woods cartridge for game at close to moderate range. Today it is an older member of the 308 Winchester cartridge family, beside the 338 Federal and 7mm-08.
What Is 358 Winchester Used For?
What is 358 Winchester used for today? Close-to-moderate range hunting where a heavy, wide bullet helps: thick timber, brush, swamps and stands where shots are usually inside 200 yards.
- Deer and hogs in cover: the wide .358-inch bullet leaves a large wound channel and holds up through brush better than light, fast bullets.
- Black bear: suitable with a well-constructed bullet and good shot placement.
- Elk: suitable at moderate range with heavy, well-constructed bullets.
For grizzly and brown bear, Chattahoochee Munitions points hunters to 458 SOCOM XL.
What Is 358 Winchester Performance Like?
The first two rows are published 24-inch figures; energy is calculated from weight and velocity. The 18-inch row is a Chattahoochee Munitions estimate using an assumed loss of 30 fps per inch, not chronograph data. Chattahoochee Munitions does not load 358 Winchester.
| Load | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy |
|---|---|---|
| Winchester 200 gr Power-Point, 24-inch (published) | 2,490 fps | 2,753 ft-lb |
| Hornady 200 gr, 24-inch (published) | 2,475 fps | about 2,720 ft-lb |
| 200 gr, 18-inch CM10 (calculated) | 2,310 fps | 2,369 ft-lb |
The round-nose and flat-base bullets common in 358 Winchester shed velocity faster than sleek modern bullets, so the cartridge does its work inside about 200 yards.
Is 358 Winchester a Subsonic Cartridge?
No. Chattahoochee Munitions treats the 358 Winchester as supersonic, and the CM10 358 Winchester is set up for supersonic ammunition with a flow-through suppressor rated for .358. For heavy-bullet subsonic shooting, look at 375 Raptor subsonic or 8.6 Blackout subsonic.
What Is 358 Winchester Twist Rate?
The CM10 358 Winchester barrel uses a 1:12 twist, the twist commonly specified for the cartridge. Short, wide .358-inch hunting bullets need less spin than long, thin bullets of the same weight, so 1:12 stabilizes the common 180 to 250 gr bullets without over-spinning lighter ones.
358 Winchester Compared With Other Cartridges
- 338 Federal vs 358 Winchester vs 7mm-08: the three 308-family hunting cartridges side by side.
- 338 Federal vs 308: how necking the 308 case up changes performance.
- 350 Legend: a straight-wall .355-inch AR15 cartridge for states with straight-wall rules, covered in Hall of Legends.
Who Makes a 358 Winchester Rifle Today?
New 358 Winchester rifles are scarce; many shooters know the cartridge from older lever and bolt actions. Chattahoochee Munitions manufactures the CM10 358 Winchester AR10, a semi-automatic with an 18-inch 416R stainless barrel made by Mos-Tek, 5R rifling and a 1:12 twist, rifle-length gas, a .750-inch Superlative Arms adjustable gas block, an adjustable buffer and 5/8×24 muzzle threads. It weighs 7 lb 14 oz with an unloaded magazine and comes in Black Tungsten, Cobalt Kinetics Green or FDE Metallic Cerakote, with one 10-round CM10 magazine. Browse CM10 358 Winchester rifles or Variant Valley.
More Variant Valley Guides
- What is 6.5 Creedmoor?
- 6.5 Creedmoor ballistics
- 6.5 Creedmoor barrel length
- 6.5 Creedmoor twist rate
- 6.5 Creedmoor for hunting
- 7mm-08 vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- What is 7mm-08?
- 7mm-08 vs 308
- What is 338 Federal?
- 338 Federal vs 308
- 338 Federal vs 8.6 Blackout
- 338 Federal vs 358 Winchester vs 7mm-08
- 308 Winchester cartridge family
- 308 vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6mm ARC vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6.5 Grendel vs 6.5 Creedmoor
What Is 358 Winchester FAQ
Is 358 Winchester based on the 308?
Yes. It is the 308 Winchester case necked up to .358 inch, introduced by Winchester in 1955.
Is 358 Winchester good for deer?
Yes, especially in timber and brush at close to moderate range.
Is 358 Winchester good for bear?
Yes for black bear with a well-constructed bullet. For grizzly and brown bear, Chattahoochee Munitions points hunters to 458 SOCOM XL.
Is 358 Winchester good for elk?
Yes at moderate range with heavy, well-constructed bullets.
What is the effective range of 358 Winchester?
Hunters usually keep it inside about 200 yards, where the heavy bullets still carry their velocity and the trajectory is easy to manage.
Who makes rifles in 358 Winchester?
Chattahoochee Munitions manufactures the CM10 358 Winchester AR10 with an 18-inch Mos-Tek 416R stainless 1:12 barrel in Black Tungsten, Cobalt Kinetics Green or FDE Metallic Cerakote.
Who makes 358 Winchester ammunition?
Winchester and Hornady list 200 gr loads, and smaller makers load others. Chattahoochee Munitions does not load 358 Winchester ammunition.