Good stuff guys, all the 350 talk makes my have seller's remorse: Buddy wanted to borrow my Ruger 77 SS and flattened a nice 10pt WT buck one evening. Later after killing more deer he dropped a HUGE Elk, cannot recall score - but it's up there, very impressive. Yeah, felt compelled to keep him happy and sell it to him so he had all the fun w/it
I could do worse than find another - chop bbl to 20-21" and bead blast it like another guy on the fire did, and do a trigger job/replacement.
YET, if I can get the same job done (via 338F), and have more rounds in the mag well - 'just in case' (thinking bears) and less recoil/blast to boot....but I realize there is a trade - off and no free lunch.
I do find alot of 358 Win users very satisfied w/their rifles for how they use them, on all size game animals, and feel if enough experience was out their in 338F w/good bullets that work best in the niche short action round, it may stack well also for a medium range mid bore.
T11 - me thinks I'd not be using the same bullets in a faster '06 or Win mag case as I would a short action case, and as to horsepower/penetration, a faster round gives more expansion/frontal area which typically decreases penetration. SO if an '06 - belted case, for large game and 33-35s, I'd start at 225s myself, but the 338F is probably at best peaking thru 210s and a 358 thru 225s, though some will argue and run 'HEAVIES' in a 358 and granted - up close they are hammers...regardless of downrange drop in trajectory and terminal velocity.
SO perhaps the playing field is leveled some (assuming modest distances) - as no doubt crunching numbers the shorts will never be longs in performance, but in penetration to get thru vitals however far from entry hole on various large animals, I guess there is a point where 'enough is enough' - assuming you have enough....and after that 'dead is dead.' To me the rationale between using a mid bore and a small bore is when you are hunting game, or hunting in an area where critters roam that can hurt you....and you want a little more bullet in expectations that you would put something down faster up close ...if needed.
Thanks guys.
