As above has anyone offered a 358 Winchester in the AR platform?

Not that I've seen, but it should work if you could get a barrel made for it. The .358 is based off of the .308 case, correct?

I have that on my bucket list for the AR10 platform. Think it would be a neat round.

Don't know of anyone that does it, but surely someone would or could.

The biggest thing to me, since I don't know how to, and have relied on a top AR smith to do for me, is to calculate the gas port size RE what powder and bullet you will end up shooting, and the gas system.

Armalite is doing a .338 Federal in the AR10T

The 358 has satisfied my lever gun needs for several years. I also shoot a Lone Eagle in .358. I just wanted to hear if some folks have some real experience in the AR with the 358.

That would be a great round, especially in Alaska. Same bolt as the 308. Just swap uppers. It would also fit the same mags except for maybe long heavy bullets like a TSX or something.

Cool idea, would love to try one!

That is correct. I've been thinking about his for a couple of years myself. Just haven't had the extra time and $$$ to do anything about it. It would be way cool.

Easy to address with a bigg-ish port and an adjustable gas block?

BMT

I baby sat a 358 M1A in 358 winchester while a friend was overseas on contract one-time, I loved that gun functioned perfectly. I know that isn't what you where asking about but it shows at least its doable in a semi-auto.

I wonder how it would work on a FNAR?

I'm still wondering if someone who has been there, done that could reply personally. Thanks for the replies so far. Rusty

the biggest question would be why what in the world can a 358 win do that a 308 can't with modern bullets. you don't gain anything with it. your going to be limited to less range because the bullet is bigger and slower. the same with the 338 federal thats why both rounds are dead.

Some folks seem to think that starting with the widest diameter you can to start with, has more effect on game when hit.

Not everyone is looking for a 200 plus yard gun.

I'd run a 358 Win for a moose gun in heartbeat and feel fairly confident they'd do as well or better than the 308

Look up Mike at Dtech and ask. If he hasn't, he may well know who has....

It ain't rocket science, chamber a barrel and the only issue is calculating the gas port size and I suspect even though I"m not a smith and never have been I could do enough research to find out how much pressure there needs to be, and then calc that out by the rounds pressure and figure the port size at its inteneded location.

The 358 winchester is a pre-expanded .308. Why do people who have never shot it think it is not powerful or more than adequate? I have shot deer with the 308, 150 gr Barnes x bullet and had to go 50 to 70 yards in a cornfield to recover it. I never went more than 5 yards to recover a deer with the 358 Remington RN or Protected point, all were discounted bullets. All with a Savage 99 or Lone Eagle singleshot pistol. A 358 is a 308 simply expanded to 35 cal.

There is no magic cartridge that drops deer DRT every time. .358 works no better or worse than a .308 with the same shot placement. .223 even works great with the right shot placement. I have dropped deer with a 64gr .223 and had them run with a .280 Remington. There is just no way to guarantee anything.

See here how far a deer can run when hit with a 650gr bulllet from a .50 BMG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okn_OS9twok

I'll agree that no round drops em all the time.

But I have seen that some rounds, typically eihter really fast or starting wider than normal have a track record with me, of typically killing a bit quicker than smaller rounds.

Its one reason I rechambered a standard 30-06 to 338-06...

Shot a largish (for TX anyway) doe with my 358x444 contender carbine 225gr BTs several years ago. I believe a pretty hot load with AA2520 was pretty close to 2500fps at the muzzle. I thought man that biggo bullet is going to put her down in a heart beat. At about 70yrds, put the cross hairs at the top of the heart, squeezed the trigger. Damn thing ran off like it wasn't even hit. Piled up about 40-50 yards from the shot not any different then most any caliber I have used.

Nothing magical about the bigger bullet when it comes to deer at least IMO. I still would love to build a 16" upper for my LAR-8 in 358.

I've also been thiking about his combo for a couple of years. Search 6.8 Forums under the alternate AR calibers page. There are some guys trying to build a couple.
The big thing is being able to find a barrel. You'll have to get one custom built and all the builders out there are focused on .308, 5.56, 6.5, and other calibers right now. You'd be on the bottom of the list. I'd love to build a 20 inch barreled .358 on a Mega Arms MATEN upper. As for the gas port size you could probably have one drilled slightly larger than "standard" and buy the Kies adjustable gas bock. It works great on my .308 MATEN.

Why don't you just rebore a 308 in the guise you want? Am assuming just bore and chamber original barrel with same headspace?

W

I have read a lot of stories about bigger diameter bullets. Guys in Africa say a bigger hole going in and out makes a bigger blood trail to follow to find a shot animal. Too small a hole and the trail gets lost in the dust. If range is not an issue, that is why people like bigger holes. A 358 would be about the largest realistic round for an AR-10 unless someone cuts off the neck of the 308 and makes a short 45 caliber something or other to fit the magazine well. Then it would be like the 45-70 or 444.

The 358 is not a short range round, it loses very little to the 308.

Until you start loading target rounds.

Larger bullet? .458 SOCOM !

I realize the 358 is not a "short" range weapon, but 250 yards or less it is good. I have a 35 Whelen. The 308 is more accurate at longer ranges same as the 30-06 vs the 35 Whelen. The bigger holes they make in under 250 yard shots is better for blood trails. The 358 would be cheaper to reload for than the 458 Socom. Smaller bullets, less powder, and you can form the brass from 308 brass which is more plentiful. I make my 35 Whelen brass from 30-06 cases. Although you can use 45-70 bullets for the Socom, but offhand shooting accuracy is probably less than 150 yards. Depends on what you are hunting and where. A 358 would be a good caliber for the AR-10 variants because it would use the same bolt and magazines as the 308. Same with the 243, 260, 7mm08, and 338 Federal. Nothing wrong with the 308 for anything in North America. I know the 35 Whelen and the 358 are popular with hunters in Canada and Alaska for moose and big bears short of a magnum.