Ken

You will also be paying a premium for reloading dies, vs std price for 358 win dies.

It is my firm belief, the average lower 48 hunter can field no finer round then the 358 win for shots inside 200 yds, which compromise most folks hunting.

The 35's just had the misfortune of being labled "woods rounds" which is horrible for marketing. That said, you'll find 35 shooters are a loyal lot, and used 358's, 350 rem mags and 35 whelens are a rare beast, cause they work, and you don't need to move them for something better.

The 338/08 and the 358 will have very little practical difference. Becuase of case capacity your 338/08 is probably going to limited to 210 grn bullets may be 225.

The 358 is an honest 225yd-250yd round before drop starts to get pretty dramatic. the 338/08 probaly adds 20 yds to each of those numbers.

If I wanted a wildcat and wanted 'efficient' non missle 338 I would look at a 338/284.

Yes, of course you could do a 338 WSM which is just going to be a short 338 win mag.

If you want a practical economical round that will take anything up to elk/moose to 225 yds and brown bear to any distance that your should be shooting one then get the 358 win.

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MED

The sole purpose of a rifle is to please its owner

One of the handloads for it (in the article) develops around 2,670 fps with a 200-grain bullet. It shoots faster and flatter with some of the 180-grain Barnes X.

There are numerous .338 bullets. Most are tough to handle high velocity and impact, but there are plenty of slightly softer bullets should you want to shoot the heavier ones. You could shoot the standard NOS Partitions, Barnes Original, Speer GS, Norma, Woodleigh, and a few others. Also, you could shoot a lightweight Barnes X without any problem.

Go for it. I would if I had the extra money, but then I just love wildcats.

Now I am using the 180 gr Speer Flat Point. This bullet kills deer faster than a 06 or a 7 mm Mag out to 240 yards.

I suppose that the .338-308 will have some slight edge at long range over the .358 Winchester but not any big deal.

You can load a 180 gr bullet in the .358 Win to at least as fast as out of the .338 bore or so common sense tells me. As long as the bullet is matched to the game results should be similar but given .338 vrs .358 I will go with the bigger bore anyday for killing power.

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Never dropped a deer in its tracks...hmmm. Lets see my 358 has 1 shot kills on 2 elk, 2 pigs, 1 kudu, 1 zebra...and you're right not in their tracks...the Zebra went 20 yds.

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MED

The sole purpose of a rifle is to please its owner

[This message has been edited by Gary Rihn (edited 01-11-2002).]

And yes, I have had "drop in their tracks" kills with the 358 using 250 RN Hornadys.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I have had only two deer go right down when hit with the 7mm mag and that was in the base of the neck with a 140 Nosler Partition at 50 ft. Shots like that do not really count. The other was hit in the ribs with a 120 Hornady at max velocity in the ribs at maybe 30 ft and it did not go far either. But the others all got up and ran. Most were shot at 50 to 100 yards with the 140 Sierra or the 130 Speer, all flat bases. All of these deer either ran, ran a long way or got up and ran. The one that ran a long way was hit in the lungs with a 160 gr Sierra BT at 50 yards. It was a big doe in Maine and she ran into a swamp. That took two hours to find.

With the .358 Wincester I have used only the two bullets I mention above. They both have a lot of lead exposed and are suited to the game which is whitetails in the forest.

Over and over I continue to be amazed at the knockdown and keep down power of this bullet.

Back it 1967 I recall shooting a buck with a running snap shot at maybe 30 to 50 feet. I saw the cross hairs go off on it's belly as it quartered away. I said to myself "oh no I gut shot it" The buck did a nose dive and was down before I could eject the cartridge and if you have ever fired a 99 Savage you will know how fast they are to cycle.

The only deer that ran was a buck that I shot it's LF leg off running at long range (I know it was too far) But there was lots of blood and it layed down and I found it.

They all fall right down and stay right down when hit with the right bullet in the .358 Winchester. Not so with the 7mm Mag or the 30-06. And for that matter I rate the 30-06 as a better killer than Rem's 7 mag at woods ranges.

Kimmo

quote:

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Originally posted by GSF1200:
8-308 would be cool, how about 9.3-308

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A 9.3-308? It would be a rather slow cartridge: the slightly longer 9.3x57 has 2067 fps with 286 grains. And this wildcat would be still slower - as fast as a snow-ball.

Fritz