Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .308 to .358

I have a Ruger Hawkeye AW in .308, that I am considering reboring to .358W. I like the medium bore for a bit more thump on deer to elk. The gun is unfired at this point, but I already have several .308 rifles, and thinking a .358 might be the ticket with this rifle.

I am thinking of having it rebored by JES, or possibly rebarreling it. Thoughts?

Pretty sure they made a Hawkeye AW in .358

If yours is unfired, you may be able to unload it in the classifieds and go buy a .358 already done at Ruger

The only thing it'll thump harder is your shoulder. Load some 200-215 gr bullets for your 308 and you'll be ahead.

Can't go wrong with a 358 and JES has a good reputation.

Looked, but don’t see the .358 listed, nor the AW Hawkeye, either?! They show that fugly FTW, but no AW. Pity. Could also look for a used AW in.358, I guess, I know they made them, not sure how many.

The point of the caliber change is something oher than .308, which I have a plurality of already. The fact that the .358 will push a medium bore bullet of the same weight faster than the .308 is interesting, as is the ability to run 225 and 250gr. pills effectively. And then there are the pistol and cast bullets for reduced loads for smaller game and plinking. The other idea in my head was to put together a .35 Whelen. Maybe a more useful round yet. Probably on a Winchester Model 70. Might do that, too, just for fun.

Jes just re-bored a 308 to 338 Fed for me...Came out great..Shoots great.. I recommend it..308's are kinda boring.

I think you'll find a better selection of 338 bullets than 358 too. I really like my AW Hawkeye in 338 Federal.

OTOH, here's a good deal on a M77 358.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...3585432/gonew/1/ruger-m77-358-800#UNREAD

I got lucky and recently picked up a Ruger 77 Hawkeye all weather in 358. It shoots excellent, recoil is less than I expected. I don’t think you will be disappointed with the 358 win.

Go for it OldGrayWolf!

I have an AW in both 358 Win and 338 Fed. Enjoy them both, but the real fun gun is my little Frontier in 358 Win!

Best thing I've heard all day. Pm santiam he just had jes do one.

Very happy with my re-bore..Took a old wore out gun and made it new again.. Shoots as well as it ever has,and I have had it since 1967 .. Still fooling with it,but here it is playing around at 300 yards..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmflIbp_hLY&t=16s

That is a nice rifle, and I would prefer the tang safety. But I am a stainless synthetic hunter, just because of how I generally hunt. I will probably paint the rifle anyway...

Just wanted to set your mind at ease..JES does good work.

Looks like I will be talking to JES. Saw an article yesterday on the caliber by Paco Kelly that was interesting . He is... adventurous. But makes me want to see what the caliber will do. Thanks for the responses, guys.

No worries. I was responding to River Ridge’s post.

That was a 338 Fed??? And it says what about the 358 Winchester?

I looked at the 358 win vs 338 Fed and went 338 Fed. After shooting a Kimber Montana with full power 225s in 338 fed - I don't want 250s.............

I bet the recoil is pretty stout in a Montana. The Ruger weighs somewhat more(pounds more), so recoil is more manageable. Recoil generally doesn’t bother me, but the hardest recoil I have dealt with was a 10 ga. shotgun. A side by side that my uncle thought it would be great fun to see me shoot. I killed my first goose with it. At 8 years old. Showed him. I don’t think he thought I would pull the trigger. The .358 runs about the same in the recoil department as a similar weight .30-06, so I don’t think it will be an issue

8 to 8.5 lbs all up works well for me. Hunted my .308 precision AR last year, try lugging a 13 lb. rifle around in oak thickets and up and down ravines. Makes a normal hunting rifle feel pretty light.

I'm considering do a .308 Tikka T3 to .358. The weight afterwards may require a recoil pad change I'm thinking.