Home › Browse Calibers › .358 Norma Mag.
Common uses: Hunting, Big Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 250gr Norma Oryx |
| Muzzle velocity | 2756 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 4217 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.34 |
| Case length | 64 mm |
| Overall length | 83.8 mm |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2756 | 4216 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2489 | 3438 | 0 |
| 200 | 2238 | 2781 | -4.1 |
| 300 | 2003 | 2226 | -15.2 |
| 400 | 1782 | 1763 | -35.1 |
| 500 | 1580 | 1385 | -65.9 |
At 1,000 yards, .358 Norma Mag. (250gr at 2756 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 49.2 MOA / 14.3 MIL, retaining 977 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 2003 | Supersonic | -15.2 | 4.9 | 1.41 |
| 400 | 1782 | Supersonic | -35.1 | 8.4 | 2.44 |
| 500 | 1580 | Supersonic | -65.9 | 12.6 | 3.66 |
| 600 | 1400 | Supersonic | -110.7 | 17.6 | 5.12 |
| 700 | 1247 | Transonic | -173.3 | 23.6 | 6.88 |
| 800 | 1128 | Transonic | -258.3 | 30.8 | 8.97 |
| 900 | 1041 | Subsonic | -370.6 | 39.3 | 11.44 |
| 1000 | 977 | Subsonic | -515.0 | 49.2 | 14.30 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .358 Norma Magnum is a hard-hitting medium-bore built to deliver heavy .35-caliber bullets with flat trajectory and substantial retained energy, making it well suited to the largest North American game such as elk, moose, and the big bears. Enthusiasts regard it as one of the more effective heavy-game cartridges ever designed, driving a 250-grain bullet noticeably faster than the more common .338 Winchester Magnum. Its practical limitations are commercial rather than ballistic: factory ammunition and rifles have always been scarce, so it lives largely as a handloader's and specialist's cartridge. Recoil is stout, reflecting the energy on offer, and while it shoots flat enough for open-country shots, it is fundamentally a close-to-medium-range big-game tool rather than a long-range or precision cartridge.
Introduced in 1959 by the Swedish ammunition maker Norma, the .358 Norma Magnum was developed largely by designer Nils Kvale and aimed squarely at the American hunting market. It uses a belted case sharing the .300 Holland & Holland head dimensions but with a shorter, less tapered body, and it was the first commercially produced .35-caliber cartridge offered to American hunters since the .35 Newton faded in the 1920s. Though respected on its merits, it never achieved wide factory support and remained a comparatively niche chambering.
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