Tell me about BLRs in 358 Winchester

[AkRay]

I should have one within the next couple of weeks. It's a '79 manufacture steel frame gun. Condition isn't perfect, but was rated at 85% or so for the blue, and about the same for the wood. Bore is in excellent condition, at about 95%. I still haven't seen the gun, but the fella I'm buying it from took it to a gun store and this is what they told him. Comes with 2 magazines.

Is ammo hard to get for this caliber?

Are these usually good shooters? Are they accurate? I've never owned a BLR or a .358 Winchester before. I'll shoot it with the open sights and see how I do. If I need to scope it though, do they balance okay with a scope mounted? After all, this is going to be a hunting rifle. I'm thinking this should be a fun one to shoot and to hunt with.

[Hobie]

Doc Hudson loved his. Ammo is easy to make if you can't get it as you can just neck up some .308 Win brass and load some .358" bullets of 200-250 gr. over powders suitable for the .308 Win. I've handled a couple with scopes and by far the better handling gun was the one with a 2-1/2X scope mounted. Small scope worked well on that gun. The usual 3-9X or bigger did not. Just my opinion though.

[Old Savage]

Cowboytutt has one and loves it. He is on the road today I believe but I am sure he will be happy to post on it.

[Pete44ru]

I peeped the one I had, with a Williams WGRS - and found it much handier than scoped.

I eventually sold it, because I couldn't really get emotionally attached to the stock, and couldn't afford a custom stock at the time.

[txpete]

I had one and it was a great rifle.as with hobbie I just reformed 308 brass.if there is one down fall to the rifle it is that skinney barrel does heat up fast.I had a very good friend that talked me out of it for his yearly trips to co for elk hunting.
pete

[marlin shooter]

AkRay
I have 1, a BLR81 (with the magazine that is flush with the bottom of receiver) Your's may be the 1 where mag protrude's from bottom of receiver? Either way they are nice shootin rifle's, a little butt heavy. Mine has been very reliable and pretty accurate. Barrel will heat up but this is a non issue in a hunting rifle (to me) I have a wgrs sight on mine and it handle's nice.Factory ammo can be expensive and a seasonal run by winchester. This cartridge shine's when reloaded. I use the Hornady 200 grn RN or sptz bullet with WW748 powder (50.5 grn's) standard primer. I get 2360 FPS with great accuracy. This work's good in my gun your's may differ. Good luck and be sure to post picture's!
Karl

[Big K]

I've owned two BLR's in 358...The first was an early steel gun and it shot 1 1/2" with Winchester 200 gr. Silvertips..I shot two buck with it in two years and they both dropped at the shot...After another year or so, it developed a glitch where the gear mechanism would not close all the way even though it felt like it was closed..With the hammer in the full cock postion, the rifle would not discharge, and I would have to open the action half-way, and slam it shut, and then I could get the rifle to go off..I soon sold the rifle.

My present BLR is the same vintage, an early steel gun which shoots around 2"" at 100 yards with the same 200 gr. Silvertips...Having problems getting ammo to feed from the magazine,, they just seem to pop out of the mag as soon as the bolt starts to push on a cartridge toward the chamber........ Aside from that,t hese are nice, smooth rifles and the 358 cartridge is very impressive.

[Jayhawker]

I have a newer model and simply won't sell it. It carries nice and is more accurate than I can hold. Like marlin shooter said, it really shines when reloaded in the 200-250 grain range. They are complicated rifles, and usually function just fine, but can be a real PITA when the timing gets off.

[CowboyTutt]

I have one of the newer one's with the aluminum receiver. It shoots very accurately for me and others when we do our part. A friend of mine picked off a tin can at 100 yards with the aperture rear and fiber optic front sight! It balances really well in the hand, is very light weight and easy to carry in the field. The 358 is a great cartridge for hunting and easy to reload for. I use high quality Lapua 308 brass and match primers for good accurate loads. I really can't speak for the older ones however. You will have to try it and see.

-Tutt

[brucew44guns]

I have an aluminum pistol grip model in 358, and just happened onto 20 boxes of 358 Win Silver Tips in 200 grain for 21.00 a box shipped to me. Now ain't it a shame that with all the deer dieing of old age around my home place, that I have not gone out and blasted something in the past 2 years I've had the gun? Thats about to change. I like the BLR rifle, and it just feels good when you grab it, shoulder it, and squeeze. Glad you're getting one too.

[Old Savage]

The aluminum receiver models like Tutt's balance better than the BLR81 I have. But, I like mine and will keep it.

[RKrodle]

I also have one of the newer aluminum receiver models but with a pistol grip. The 358 is real thumper and is accurate.

[Tycer]

Love mine. Great shooters. Very accurate. Easy enough to find ammo. Ammo is expensive. Handloads really shine in the 358.

[Goat]

I have had a steel frame blr-81 for several years and would hate to know I had to get rid of it. I have taken between 15 and 20 deer with it and have never had to shoot one more than once. Most have fallen to the 200gr Hornady round nose bullet. A couple to 220 Speer flat points and the remainder to the 225gr Nosler Partition. I know the Partition is not necessary for white tail deer but it sure kills well and has become my standard load. My BLR has a Leupold Vari X-III 2.5-8x. With this combination I believe I could hunt all of North America if I used good sense. Hope you like your BLR as much as I do! Goat

[AkRay]

Thanks for all the information about BLRs in .358 Winchester. I'm really looking forward to getting mine now. One more question though. Do they come with sling swivels, or will I have to add those on my own?

[Old Savage]

I think you have to add them. I have had the kit for mine - for about 18 years. Haven't done it yet. So much yet to pursue in shooting.

[AkRay]

I hate to change my rifles. If they came from the factory without sling swivels, I usually don't add them. It about killed me to add a set to my Winchester 670, but they don't take any of the value away, and the swivels turned the rifle into a true hunting tool. I also added a set to an old beaten up 9422M I used to own, and that really changed its utility as a hunting rifle, at least to my eyes. WIth the 22 magnum, I figured that I would be able to replace it easily at some later point, but it's been more than a decade and I haven't found an adequate replacement 9422M yet. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned there.

This BLR is going to be hauled in the riverboat and truck, and carried through the brush and tundra in pursuit of big game. That means there will be times when I need to have my hands free while carrying it. I'll have to pick a set up if some previous owner hasn't already done me the favor.