You might have read my previous post several days ago where I stated that I had bought a Ultralight Arms Model 20 in 358 Win. The rifle had a Burris signature 1.5x5x26 scope on it with not a lot of eye relief. The scope is a good one but from the front of the scope to the turrets there is just barely enough room for your rings to fit and does not allow for much room to adjust your eye relief. I put a Leupold 2.5x8x on the rifle and it solved the eye relief problem.
The rifle is extremely light and to be honest the recoil with full house loads was brutal to say the least. The rifle off the bench would jump out of my left hand and I would have to hang onto it with my right hand. The rifle is a little darling and I really like it but it was no fun to shoot. I called Melvin Forbes who builds the rifles and he acted like a 358 Win with the proper length of pull in his rifles was very shootable. He told me that if I was having trouble with the recoil of the 358 Win to send it to him and he would put a brake on it for 250 dollars.
I started experimenting with the 180 grain Speer FP and several starting loads like IMR-4198, AA2015 and WW-748 powders. I loaded up 6 rounds with the 180 of each powder listed above and went to the range. I started with 42 grs of AA-2015 lited at 2375 fps from a 22 inch barrel. This load showed promise, the recoil was bearable and a two inch dot at 100 yards was definately in danger. I then went to the 49 grs of WW-748 and the recoil with 2375 fps felt just a little harsh so fter just two shots I switched over to the 38 grains of IMR-4198 and the first shot was just left of the dot so I made a scope adjustment and fired three more rounds letting the barrel cool between shots. The recoil was just right and I saw a orange splash in the center of the dot so I shot again and the splash till looked about the same. I fired the third shot at 2380 fps with the IMR-4198 and the orange splash in the 2 inch dot looked maybe just a hair bigger. When I walked down to check my target there was three shots in a 1/4 inch group, a perfect little triangle. I as stocked. I had never loaded IMR-4198 in a centerfire rifle other than the 444 and just really did not consider it a viable 358 powder but it changed my mind. I don't feel uncomfortable at all with the 180 Speer FP at almost 2400 fps to use on deer, in fact it would be my bullet of choice where I hunt. I guess you could say that I went from being preplexed about the brutal recoil of the lightweight rifle to being in love with it all over again.
The rifle is extremely light and to be honest the recoil with full house loads was brutal to say the least. The rifle off the bench would jump out of my left hand and I would have to hang onto it with my right hand. The rifle is a little darling and I really like it but it was no fun to shoot. I called Melvin Forbes who builds the rifles and he acted like a 358 Win with the proper length of pull in his rifles was very shootable. He told me that if I was having trouble with the recoil of the 358 Win to send it to him and he would put a brake on it for 250 dollars.
I started experimenting with the 180 grain Speer FP and several starting loads like IMR-4198, AA2015 and WW-748 powders. I loaded up 6 rounds with the 180 of each powder listed above and went to the range. I started with 42 grs of AA-2015 lited at 2375 fps from a 22 inch barrel. This load showed promise, the recoil was bearable and a two inch dot at 100 yards was definately in danger. I then went to the 49 grs of WW-748 and the recoil with 2375 fps felt just a little harsh so fter just two shots I switched over to the 38 grains of IMR-4198 and the first shot was just left of the dot so I made a scope adjustment and fired three more rounds letting the barrel cool between shots. The recoil was just right and I saw a orange splash in the center of the dot so I shot again and the splash till looked about the same. I fired the third shot at 2380 fps with the IMR-4198 and the orange splash in the 2 inch dot looked maybe just a hair bigger. When I walked down to check my target there was three shots in a 1/4 inch group, a perfect little triangle. I as stocked. I had never loaded IMR-4198 in a centerfire rifle other than the 444 and just really did not consider it a viable 358 powder but it changed my mind. I don't feel uncomfortable at all with the 180 Speer FP at almost 2400 fps to use on deer, in fact it would be my bullet of choice where I hunt. I guess you could say that I went from being preplexed about the brutal recoil of the lightweight rifle to being in love with it all over again.
