16 inch 308 win or 358 win

[TX Trophy Hunter]

I’m considering getting into the suppressor world and like the look of the ruger Hawkeye hunters with the 16.5 inch threaded barrels. Would you go with the 308 or the 358 in that rifle? It would be for western hunting in the thicker country where I might not want to mess with ear plugs. Mostly under 200 yards but have the ability to do 300 if needed. I hand load my ammo.

 

[Dsnow9]

I run a .308 with an 18” barrel with a can and love it.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I run a .308 with an 18” barrel with a can and love it.

Same.

 

[Fire_9]

.308 gives a much larger pool of suppressors to choose from. No brainer on the .308 for me

 

[Potsie]

add another vote for .308, I enjoy my bobtail .308 and can.

 

[Sheltowee]

Of the two, .308. I'd go .338 Fed with an Omega36M suppressor if that was an option.

 

[Robert N]

Christensen Arms Ridgeline Carbon .308 with a 16.5” barrell with a Q Thunder Chicken can on it.

IMO, the .308 is the answer, if for no other reason than the can.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

358 just to be different

 

[Hams42]

I have an 18" .308 with a Banish Backcountry. I love the gun but it took about 7 months of load development before I was happy. Sounds like you won't have the high standards that I had of wanting energy out to 500 yards. I think 16.5" for close range would be awesome.

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

I have an 18" .308 with a Banish Backcountry. I love the gun but it took about 7 months of load development before I was happy. Sounds like you won't have the high standards that I had of wanting energy out to 500 yards. I think 16.5" for close range would be awesome.

Yeah I have a 300 wsm for the open country. Lately I’ve been getting kind of bored with the same old routine of glass, stalk, shoot. I had a muzzleloader hunt last year and just still hunted the thick stuff and shot a little bull at 35 yards. I want to do more of that style of hunting moving forward.

 

[Hams42]

Yeah I have a 300 wsm for the open country. Lately I’ve been getting kind of bored with the same old routine of glass, stalk, shoot. I had a muzzleloader hunt last year and just still hunted the thick stuff and shot a little bull at 35 yards. I want to do more of that style of hunting moving forward.

Feel that. I'm about to get a 45-70 for close range brush hunting.

 

[D4570]

I JUST built a 358 from a savage 110. I went with a 20" barrel, 1x12 twist. I'm shooting Hammer 215 HHT. I'm getting 2516 FPS, and just under an Inch at 100 yards over 3000 pounds of energy. I shot a 4x4 whitetail at 265+ yards. It was in very thick cover, but standing in a small clearing where I could see its shoulder and the front part of the ribs (lungs). I chose to take out the shoulder to stop it from running into the thick brush. It hit just where I hoped, and the deer fell to the ground and never twitched. When I got to it, I could see the bullet crushed the on side shoulder and the same to the off side on its way out. When we dressed it out, both lung tops, the heart top where completely mush. SO MUCH BLOOD. I'm positive IF it had run the blood trail would have been easy to follow. Is it Better than a 308? Maybe not, but the results definitely made me a believer that it's at least as good.

 

[Hams42]

I JUST built a 358 from a savage 110. I went with a 20" barrel, 1x12 twist. I'm shooting Hammer 215 HHT. I'm getting 2516 FPS, and just under an Inch at 100 yards over 3000 pounds of energy. I shot a 4x4 whitetail at 265+ yards. It was in very thick cover, but standing in a small clearing where I could see its shoulder and the front part of the ribs (lungs). I chose to take out the shoulder to stop it from running into the thick brush. It hit just where I hoped, and the deer fell to the ground and never twitched. When I got to it, I could see the bullet crushed the on side shoulder and the same to the off side on its way out. When we dressed it out, both lung tops, the heart top where completely mush. SO MUCH BLOOD. I'm positive IF it had run the blood trail would have been easy to follow. Is it Better than a 308? Maybe not, but the results definitely made me a believer that it's at least as good.

I think that's a testament to the Hammers. I am shooting the 151 gr Absolute Hammers out of the 18" .308 at about 2900fps. My wife and I killed 4 elk with it this year. The bullets are awesome and are devastating!

 

[Brad]

I have had both an 18.5" 358 and 308. I'd go 308, hand's down unless you just have some sort of 35 cal scratch that needs to be itched. From a practical perspective, the 308 does everything the 358 Win does, and does it with less recoil, better brass and bullet availability, and with a flatter trajectory. Factory ammo can be had in the smallest gas station in Montana.