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Gryphon - years ago in 1973 through 1975 I had a .358 Norma magnum in a ZKK 602, complete with the pop-up peep on the rear receiver bridge.

With the 'normal' .358 NMag powders of the day, 4320, 4350, it would shoot around an inch to about 1 1/2" - certainly good enough for bug game hunting or for shooting coyotes, which is pretty much the only game I shot with it.
After moving down South from northern BC, I used it with cast bullets in the new to me, sport of position competition and won or placed highly several shoots in Sportsman class and made Marksman class with it.
due to it's exceptionally pretty (inside) bore, I was depressed over it's lack of preceision with jacketed bullets. The cast bullets I used in competition shot as well with the peep sight, as jacketed did with a scope - go figure. The gun was as pefectly bedded as I could make it, but still refused to drop below 1", or 1 1/2" with most loads.

Friend at that time, a Bench Rest shooter suggested I try IMR3031 - which I did and found some loads for it, somewhere. I started at 58gr. with a Speer 250gr. and worked up to 62gr. and called that maximum. I didn't have a chronogaph at that time, but it was supposed to be running 2,700fps - about the same as factory ammo.

That load made my .358 come alive. I mounted a 12X scope on it and shot with old Alex Bulhman - beating him overall and just about group for goup one whole day - him shooting his heavy varmint 6x47, and me the, .358 Norma BRNO.

It was absolutely amazing - imagine a big bore like that, shooting 1/4" & sub 1/4", 5 shot groups groups at 100 yards.
So- reason for this post - don't discount powders that don't bulk well - a full case does not always give the best accuracy - sometimes a faster powder can 'fix' a problem yet still match factory ballistics, especially in an 'old' number.

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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