358 WINCHESTER

Research notes

Two years before the adoption of the 7.62 NATO in 1954 Winchester had already applied for and received the rights to market the new round commercially as the 308 Winchester which turned out to be one of Winchester’s success stories, Shortly afterwards in 1953 they necked the .308 Win case down to .243 cal., which also turned out to be one of their success stories in the 243 Winchester. In 1955 Winchester decided to create a medium bore cartridge by necking up the 308 Win case to .358 and introduced the 358 Winchester. During the 1920’s the .35 Whelen was created by necking the 30-06 case up to .358cal, and the 358 Winchester can almost be described as the same treatment for the 308 Winchester. It never gained a large following and is semi-obsolete. The late 50’s and early 60’s is also the time of the introduction of cartridges like the 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, and many of the Weatherby’s. It was also the era of velocity equals everything and the new magnums could do everything the 358 Win could do and much more.

Prototype from 7.62 military case