[preacher]

Ok guys, chime in for me. I am thinking about selling some stuff and buying either one of the above. My leaning is toward an older Belgium BLR in 358 Winchester, but I think the short action Model 700 350 would be a great one too. I am thinking of a "companion piece" for my Whelen AI. ( I am not looking for a Marlin 356, I want to use spitzers mostly.)
I have a Model 700 Classic in 35 Whelen Improved, all tricked out for wet weather, light weight,synthetic stock,etc. I could load it down to 358 levels, of course, or even the 350 RM ( which is about like a standard Whelen) I want to be able to theoretically take an elk out to 300yds, but do most of my hunting alot closer anyhow. I also want to take deer w/o messing them up. My Whelen AI and the Barnes 200X have proven themselves in South Africa on plains game, and I like that load alot. In fact, I have that load, the 250X and the 310 Woodleigh loaded up. It has taken the place of .338 mags in my safe/in the field.
So, you guys that have either or both, tell me why you like your BLR or 350 Rem Mag. Is the BLR in 358 and obnoxious kicker? Is it accurate? Is the 350 RM in a short action bolt gun handy in the woods? etc.
( I know its my choice, I want to know what you like about your choice) Thanks fellows.
PS Just saw a rebored Savage 99C in 358, and discovered the Remington Model 7 CDL in 350Mag...any opinions on these two as well?

 

[marlin shooter]

I have had a BLR 81 in .358 win for about 10 year's now and it's a fine rifle. Easy to carry, accurate. and I don't consider it a hard kicker (I've never shot 250's out of it) I shoot 200 and 225 grain reload's and it has been very accurate with both. I had a mod 7 cdl in .350 Rem mag that was a very nice rifle, looked great, handled beautiful, excellent shooter. I traded toward a Rem 660 in .350 mag. I gained nothing but had to throw in some money. I like the 660 a lot but for the difference I should have kept the Mod 7. Both of the rifle's you talk about are great thick wood's gun's, and have some serious thump. I would have to say accuracy is a wash in both rifle's (mine). I like the magazine in the BLR if you are loading and unloading a lot, Mod 7 carried a little better, Trigger was better on the Mod 7. You could flip a coin and not go wrong with either, I would give the slight edge to the Mod 7.
Karl

 

[TNWoodsman]

I wouldn't buy the Browning. I'd get the Model 700.

 

[preacher]

Well, I really love Remingtons, but my 35 Whelen has the long throat, which makes reduced loads a bit iffy in accuracy, but not a problem per se. Does the Remington 350 also have a long throat? I know that most people use the 200/225 weights, so it must not be a problem, just wondering.
Marlin Shooter, did that Model 7 in 350mag curl your hair with 200/225's going around 2500 or so?

 

[308/338]

I have a BLR.-358W. Japanese bought in 1983 new. It's a fine rifle all around. I load Sierra 225 gr. GameKing for it and it's an accurate round. I only shoot out to a hundred yards on paper though. If you interested I have 225 to maybe 300 Rem. 200 gr PSPCL. I'm looking to sell .30 cents each and free shipping if take all. They're loose and not seconds.

If you buy old BLR Belgian it will have a potbelly magazine. these magazine are hard to find and if you do it might cost $200. I have seen these magazine on gunbroker with a buy now price of $250. So if you buy a Belgian BLR don't lose the magazine.

I have thought of attaching fishing line to my BLR.'s magazine with epoxy.

T NY

 

[horseshoe]

I have a rem model seven KS in 350mrem mag and a 35 rem in same rifle. I have never shot full house loads in the 350 rem as I load it with 56 grains of IMR 4320 with a 200 grain hornady spire point and it is right with a 358 win. Both rifles have a 20 inch barrel and weigh 5 1/2 pounds with the McMillian stocks. They are a pure pleasure to hunt with as far as carrying and handling go and hold steady and have very good triggers. They will make you wonder why you ever owned a heavy rifle. If someone was seriously interested in buying the 350 I might make a deal since I have a ruger 358 and 350 flatbolt which are my ideas of a perfect rifle.

Regards
Horseshoe

 

[IN1894SS]

I may even have posted about it before but a friend has a Model 7 in 350RemMag and it is one very good shooting rifle if they are all like that I know what I'd do.

 

[358 Win]

Preacher I was gonna comment on the Browning BLR's from Belgium having the slope back stick you in the hand magazines which are worth their weight in gold, but 308/338 beat me to the keyboard. I never owned a BLR but have shot them in .358 Win. and they were not that bad off the bench. I have the 673 Remington in .350 Mag but not exactly what you are considering. Mine is H E A V Y with it's laminated stock and
steel vent rib. Scoped it weighs right at 9 pounds so it's a ***** cat off the bench but nasty to carry all day if I'm on the prowell. A Model 7
in .350 Mag would probably get your attention but it sure won't toss you to the ground!LOL You handload so your loads are limited only to your
imagination, .35 Rem, 356 Win, 358 Win and of course full house .350 Mag loads. Components for the .350 Mag are readily available (brass)
albeit a little pricey. I stocked up for mine when the brass was $31.00/100 and bought 400 pieces. I dearly love my 673, I just have not done
much experimenting with mine but the potential is there. First load I tried with IMR3031 and the 200gr RPPCL/HDY Spitzer put me at 2638fps and it was shooting these tiny, itty bitty groups so I stopped load development and never tried anything else. Go for the .350 Mag.
358 Win

 

[Ridgerunner665]

ALL Remington rifles have overly long throats...been that way for years, don't expect it to change anytime soon.

 

[preacher]

Thanks for the chimes fellows, I think I am going to go for the 700 Classic in the 350mag. I remember those potbelly mags on the Belgium BLR, and I held a new alloy BLR awhile back=too light for me. Being tall, I also feel the Model 7's 20" bbl is just too short to feel right in my hands. A bolt gun just feels different than a levergun to me at this length. I have always had Model 7's rebarreled with longer barrels ( I have had a few that I put 220 Swift, 6mm/284, .260 barrels on, all 24". My current Model 7 has a 24" Shilen fast twist 22/250 Ackley barrel on, plus a brake ( so I can see Mr. coyote "puff up" at the shot!) 22" feels like a carbine to me. I "make do" with a 444P of course! ha. I also like the wood stock on the Classic over synthetic for what I want this rifle for. (Otherwise I'd torment you Horseshoe for that Mod 7 synthetic!) My Whelen in it's synthetic stock is cold enough to hang on to late in the year!
Bob- I too think the 350 gives me more leeway with lighter loads than my Whelen, but can be loaded warm enough with a 200 TTSX to put a hurting on Mr (Mrs) Elk out around 300 or so. So...I will let you guys know later how/when I get it. Thanks again for the input.

 

[biku324]

Take the action style you like best. Hogs, deer, elk, mose & bears won't know the difference. I've had a 356 in a Win 94, a 358 in Ruger 77, and have a 35 Whelen Rem 700 - any can handle whatever needs to be handled.

 

[preacher]

You guys with the Model 700 Classic in 350Mag....what is the heaviest bullet you shoot in your rifle, or could, if you wanted to. Every short action Model 700 I've had I used a col of 2.780 to 2.795. I will get a custom Lee FCD made up for it later. I will most likely just shoot the Speer 180, 220FN , the Remington 200RN and the Barnes 200 TTSX.

 

[Barenjager]

Preacher, I experimented with Hornady 200 gr spires, Barnes 200gr X, and Nosler 225 and 250 gr Partitions, but quickly standardized on the 225gr Partition as my go to load for my customized .350 Remington 700 Classic. Seated out to 2.825" to fit the magazine box of the short action 700, I get an honest 2700 fps and average groups at 100 yds of an inch or better. It's taken quite a few bears and is such a good load that, combined with lazyness, I never bothered to switch to a lighter bullet for whitetails...and it does yeoman duty on them as you can imagine, with little meat damage. (No, I won't repeat the load here.)

I began load development long before I had the barrel shortened and bedded into a fiberglass Rimrock stock and had some struggles at the start. Groups at 100 yards were consistently between 3 and 4 inches no matter what combinations I tried. Out of desperation and running short on time for a then upcomming bear hunt, I hogged out the barrel channel of the factory stock, freefloating the barrel. Groups instantly shrank to 1.5 to 1.75". and a little fine tuning resulted in the Partition load mentioned. This isn't the only time I've had a Remington bolt action respond favorably to freefloating.

My largest bear to date fell to that combo that autumn and the rifle proved to be a keeper. Subsequent groups with the 200 gr Hornadys and 250 Partitions shaded those produced with the 225s, but that bullet seems to be a nearly perfect match with the stubby magnum, providing a substantial velocity increase over the 250 gr slugs, yet giving up little if any in penetration.

Soon after, I had the barrel shortened slightly removing the front sight, glass beaded and reblued for a non glare finish, and bedded into the Rimrock, with a Leupold 1.75 X 6 VXIII in ultralight SK rings. Total weight, field-ready, is just a touch under 6.5 lbs and the rifle handles like a dream, my magic wand so to speak.

Roe

 

[preacher]

Thanks BJ! I like those Rimrock stocks, my 700 Classic Whelen has the Brown Precision High Country stock. Why don't you PM me your load for that 225 Nosler? I promise not to blow myself up! I have had alot of experience with the Barnes in that Whelen, but I love Partitions also, would like to try them.
Biku- I saw your BB 94 356 for sale before you were trying to go overseas, did you ever sell it? We have two BB 94's in our family, a 375 & a 444, so I wasn't in the market, but it seemed to me you had a good price on it. I tell you, you are right about 35 caliber bullets out of anything, they are awesome on animals, and can sure spoil a man for big animals too! ha.
Bob- I put a scope on that old Model 93 in 7x57, if it shoots well, I'll keep it, if not, its gone! But my liitle 7mm08 is ruining me for anything similar,ha! I find that as I get older, I would rather trade/sell to try something different, as hunting opps for me are becoming more rare and further apart, but there are rifles I would never part with! When I discover one like that, I have my name engraved on it....for heirloom and to keep me from trading/selling it off! : :-*

 

[preacher]

Here's two of my all time favorites, and one that is "fast becoming", the 444P with pistol grip, thinned/smooth stocks.
I treated myself to this Kimber 7mm/08 almost 10 years ago. This is my second Model 700 classic in 35 Whelen Ackley Improved, also around 10 yrs ago. The 444P is a recent project. Swapped out furniture, had a Leupold 1.5x5 on it, but it's going on the 350mag. I put the Weaver 1x3 back on it, its a sweetheart scope too. Leupold 2.5x8 on the Kimber, 3200 Elite 2x7 on the Whelen.

 

[Festus]

Preacher, I have a 358 BLR that I bought new about 8 or 9 years ago (Jap model) and I have nothing bad to say about it. It does not kick any worse than a bolt action 30-06 and mine will hold 3 inch groups at 200 yards with a Leupold M8-4x scope on it using Winchester 200 grain Silvertip factory ammo. With handloads I can duplicate the accuracy but not beat it, at least yet... I have not loaded anything heavier than 225 grain and I mainly shoot 200 grainers. The 200 grain bullets will penetratea souther deer from stem to stern with little meat damage. Bottom line, I like the BLR and love it in the 358.

My BIL has a model 7 in 350 mag and my reviews of it are mixed as is my opinion of the model 7 in general. I have owned or shot 6 different model 7 and exactly half of them required modifications to get them to shoot better and I still own one in 260 Remington that will only hold 2 inch groups at 100 yards on its best day :-\. Back to the 350 model 7, it is also one that required the barrel to be free floated before it would shoot well. It will now shoot 1.5 to 2 inch groups at 100 yards but it is better than then 3 or 4 inch groups it started out shooting. My BIL does have a 300 Remington SAUM in a model 7 that will shoot under an inch at 100 yards as it come from the factory...

My two cents ;D...

Festus

 

[preacher]

Thanks Festus- I like the BLR carbines, don't get me wrong. I saw several BLRs on Gunbroker in 358 ( every one I've ever seen out here is in 308) The ones on GB had flush magazines, so those are the Japanese makes? I've had several Jap Brownings(Model 1886's) through the years, all were high quality.
I got the Model 700 Classic ( which I am a sucker for them anyway) about $200 less than the BLRs I saw, the good ones anyhow. I reasoned the 350 also gave me a bit more pizazz for elk. My 444P is quick becoming a very favorite levergun, and its bigger bore suits my "bears are looking at me" feeling, ha. In fact, I am planning on using it on a black bear hunt "next" fall in Maine to shoot a 500#er ( "the Spirit of Faith believes and speaks",ha) But I will have one of these 35's along as a back up. I always take two rifles on a trip.
I have had three really nice, accurate 35 Remingtons ( 2 Marlins, 1 Rem 141 pump) and I just never got excited by them, for some reason. I think I have developed a penchant for "elk capable" rounds since moving here. My "combo rifles" are 'deer/elk", not "varmint/deer",ha. I can see a use for 35 rem/358 level loads of the 200RN from 2200-2400 in my woods though, especially if it shoots same POI as a hotter elk load. How do like that 358 on those hogs, or do you waste all your time shooting them with a bow out in the quicksand marshes!!!???

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I always liked the 220-225 grain bullets...best balance for the caliber IMO.

I haven't loaded any in quite some time though, I'd have to look the loads up and I'm not at home....they were around 2,600-2,650 fps from my guns.

 

[Festus]

How do like that 358 on those hogs, or do you waste all your time shooting them with a bow out in the quicksand marshes!!!???

I have not shot a hog with a rifle since 00 or 01... I prefer the bow for them ;D quicksand is optional ;D... I guess I should have mentioned in my previous post that I do like the Remington 700 and my bad luck has pretty much revolved around the model 7. I also have and load for the 35 Whelen. I tend to like the 225 and 250 grainers in it (Remington 700 CDL). My favorite powder for the Whelen is RL15. My favorite 358 powder is IMR4895 or 3031, 748 also works well.

I'm not sure if you've ever looked at the site listed below but since you are a 35 caliber fan I think you will enjoy it...
http://35cal.com/loading.html

 

[preacher]

I think, just for "empirical data", you ought to take that 358 to those marshes and shoot a pick-up load of those hogs, take pictures, do necropsies of bullet wounds,etc. This would please me to no end...I mean it would be invaluable data! ha.