I won't disagree on BC and LR shooting with a smaller bore.
Yes, will say I had a 338/06 built by Hart years back, mid 90s, and around 96-97 stuffed one of my 200 BTs in a 308 case.
It was done LONG ago and a write up in Precision Shooting was done, I believe on a M88, and the premise was at the time, there was not a 35 bore partition, so the author, cannot recall the name right now, used a 338 bore to use the 210 PT.
It works and well to around 300 yds of decent trajectory. If one hunts wooded areas, like the 358 you will get a nice entry and exit holes if you need a blood trail. Yet you do not have less expensive pistol bullets to plink and practice, or small game hunt if one so inclines.
I see it like the 358, best in a 17-20 inch carbine that thumps deer and hogs, or larger, but keeping shots to around 300 yds where it's trajectory and retained impact speed for expansion is best. Sure it can be stretched but would choose a smaller bore if longer shots were expected.
185-210s are IMHO where the round is works best, no doubt the lighter Barnes works fine to ranges where is expands. I would choose the 185 Barnes and 200 loads, the 200 BT is a longer bullet and deep seating required for many mag boxes.
I did see a 338 Federal at a SHOT show in a Ruger 1A IIRC, 99% sure, but never seen them hit production that was scheduled. I may be wrong. COL might be generous in that rifle, but an '06 case more fully exploits the potential of the round, giving it around another 100 yds of usable distance, again - if it matters to one's hunting conditions.
