..........You might try some WC846 for next year. Does superb work in my 35 Rem. I realize it's a smaller case then your 356 so I'd also suggest you initiate a filler such as Super Sam (poly shotshell buffer) from the beginning, for a 100% capacity load. The 35 Rem propells the Saeco #356, 200gr FNGC to about 2300 fps from it's 20" bbl with a full caseload of 41.0grs. The rifle's twist is 14".

Loading started at 35.0grs. I went up in 1.0gr increments and the groups got tighter with each increase to the 41.0 load which maxed out the case capacity. You might start at 42.0grs + SS and then work up. I'd tried some of the RCBS 200gr slugs which were sent to me and they performed as well as the Saeco's I have a mould for.

............Buckshot

We got back from our hunting trip this afternoon. No blood on the 356. We had a good trip in spite of the gremlins running amuck. We go into this area on mountain bikes. Several years ago I made a trailer to pull behind the bicycle and carry camping gear on and venison out. I take it apart to haul it. Friday we got to the parking area, unloaded and I twisted one of the tabs off that the wheels bolt to on the trailer. It apparently work hardened over the years and cracked. So we loaded up and shook, rattled and rolled for an hour and a half over the rocky road back down the mountain and went to the nearest town and got it welded. The welding part went great. Cheap too, five bucks! Then we shook, rattled and rolled back up the mountain to start over again.

All that shaking took its toll. A couple miles from the parking lot smoke started pouring out from under the dash. One of those little plastic ties that secure the wiring broke and the wiring harness wandered under the corner of the battery box. The sharp edge of the battery box cut the insulation and shorted one wire out which burned about 3 feet of insulation off that wire. I don't know what that wire is supposed to do. The truck was running OK so I just cut the burned up section out, taped the ends and drove on. Within a mile we were rewarded with the sight of a forkhorn running up the road in front of us for about a quarter mile.

We got parked, loaded up and had a great weekend. Saw no legal bucks, but for us opening is more to get in shape than it is to kill anything. One of the most miserable times my wife has ever had is the morning we killed two bucks opening day back in the hottest canyon on the mountain on one of the hottest days of the year. She was begging me to shoot her before we got out! Anyway we came out today in good shape. The gremlins weren't done though. I went to unload the 356 and it locked up tight when I tried to cycle the rounds through. I checked it before we left and it was fine, but something is awry now. I never chambered a round all weekend until I tried to unload it so I never knew I was carrying a club instead of a rifle.

Buckshot, I tried WC846 when I first got the rifle and it was dismal. I did not push the velocities up and it may have been before I did a tune up on the rifle and it was probably pre-beagled mold. I will give it another try. I would rather avoid fillers, but if it works, why not? I have a 12" twist so we shall see.

Mark1,

I have found that 40.5 grains of H-4895  works well with the RCBS 200 FN in my .358 Winchester, giving 2000+ fps at the muzzle. I'm using necked up LC'72 brass.-JDL

JDL, I don't have 4895 but I do have AA2495 which is represented as being similar. I don't know about that. 2495 seems to be pressure sensitive. It does well in my 30-06 and 7-08 with cast bullets, that is, the more bottle necked cases. It doesn't seem to work as well in 30-30 which has less capacity and bottle neck. It did not work in the 356 at first trial. It seems to need a certain amount of resistance to work right.

At any rate I am going to try everything in my powder magazine that falls into the mid to slower burn rates. I tried several powders when I first got the rifle but I did some accurizing on the rifle and beagled the mold for better fit since then. I need to retest.

"The 35 Rem propells the Saeco #356, 200gr FNGC to about 2300 fps from it's 20" bbl with a full caseload of 41.0grs. The rifle's twist is 14". "

Marc1, I'm sorry I miss-spoke. My rifle's twist is 16" vs the quoted 14".

...........Buckshot

Buckshot, me also. I looked at my records and WC846 did not do badly at all. It put 5 into about 2-3/4"@100 yds. There is plenty of room for more powder in that case so I may just load up a batch with WC846 to try next time!

Reply to : Marc1

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JDL, I don't have 4895 but I do have AA2495 which is represented as being similar. I don't know about that. 2495 seems to be pressure sensitive. It does well in my 30-06 and 7-08 with cast bullets, that is, the more bottle necked cases. It doesn't seem to work as well in 30-30 which has less capacity and bottle neck. It did not work in the 356 at first trial. It seems to need a certain amount of resistance to work right.At any rate I am going to try everything in my powder magazine that falls into the mid to slower burn rates. I tried several powders when I first got the rifle but I did some accurizing on the rifle and beagled the mold for better fit since then. I need to retest.

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 BLR.358 Win. notes   

200 RCBS as cast, 22 BHN, LBT Blue Lube, Temp. 65

LC 72 case, WLRM Primer, COL 2.65

40 gr. IMR 4895 ,2284 fps

 100 yrds ,5 shots ,1 1/2"

Same as above except

40 gr. IMR 4064, 2120 fps, Temp. 78

100 yrds. three 5 shots groups 1 1/4 " average

Repeated 1 week later everything the same except moly coated bullets then lubed with LBT.

2062 FPS, 100 yrds, 20 shots 1 1/2 ", Temp 72

I have tried 2015, rel 7, WC 846, 4320, 4831 with the 200 RCBS, I have pretty much settled on 4064 for this bullet rifle combo.

    Good luck