Big Woods rifle conundrum - 358 Winchester and 7mm-08

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buckchaser

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The vast majority of my deer hunting takes place in a big woods environment where typical shots are almost always under 75 meters. I also have a chance (reasonable) of drawing elk and/or moose tags in the future to hunt in similar "tight quarters" big woods. I'm partial to the Browning BLR for this style of hunting.

The 358 Winchester caliber looks very attractive to me - I realize ammunition availability is an issue. I could use the 358 Winchester for both moose/elk and deer - but I do have some concern that the cartridge is a bit heavy for deer.

Alternatively, I have a 7mm-08 BLR returning from the factory after a production issue. This cartridge is ideal for deer, but a bit on the light side for elk/moose.

Should I use the 358 as a "one tool fits all" or am I better to bite the financial bullet (I could swing it) and buy the 358/keep the 7mm-08?
 
Big slow bullets are not hard on meat. I would consider the
BLR in 450 Marlin, although reloading would serve you best
with that caliber.
 
In my personal opinion forget the BLR and 7-08 combo.
I strugled with so many BLR's repairs to rack and pinions skipping problems that I gave up on those jobs.
I love 7mm08 I have one myself in LH Ruger 77 MII but it's not a woods cartridge.
IMHO if you like lever rifle and woods cartridge then buy, steal, rebarrel, rebore Win mod 88 in either 338Fed or 358Win.
 
Both are great cartridges for the job provided the right bullet selection and distance.
Just pick the one you feel most comfortable with is all. The 7mm-08 will do the job
on the big stuff with a sure shot.:)
 
A 30-30 is a typical woods cartridge but a 7-08 isn't?? I know we are talking about 358 vs 7-08 but that statement had me perplexed.

Wonder why animals dropped in the forest from my 7-08's? Must be defective.

The facts here are simple, any cartridge typically larger than a .223, say starting at .243 will work as a woods cartridge.Don't subscribe to this "brush busting" theme with these big bore slower chamberings , objects deflect bullets and there is NO was to predict what they will do.Cleat target picture , pull trigger, see a tree , don't.

7-08 not enough for moose or elk? There are many hunters on this forum using that exact cartridge on moose and elk and do so effectively year after year and at much greater distances than typical game harvesting ranges.

The long a short of it, they are both going to work on your chosen game.

Heavy for deer isn't really a concern.Stronger 358 cal bullets will be fairly stout and do less damage than a zipity do flick 25 cal.

Even Canadian Tire is carrying 7-08 ammo these days.

BLR's are and extremely accurate reliable rifle and nice to handle.Mine will even be pointed at coyotes on occasion because I know what it can do.

Bullet selection almost trumps cartridge selection these days.
 
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I'm a true large caliber lover , I just got a very nice husky from Tony at Tradex in 9.3X57 . The large diameter , mid velocity calibers work great on everything from Moose down to White-Tails . That being said , I've taken a few Moose with a Ruger No1 in 7X57 shooting 160 gr Nosler Partitions . As you probably know , there is no real difference between the two 7 MM's in the real world . If you don't reload , ammo for the 358 Win would be difficult to obtain ,whereas 7/08 ammo is available everywhere . I'm not trying to talk you out of the 358, it's an excellent round , just don't discount the 7/08 as an all-round caliber . With good bullets it's capable of taking anything we have in this country ( although not my first choice for the big bears ) it's ballistic twin , the 7X57, has been taking large game reliably for over a century now under just the conditions you describe . So , long story short , you need to buy a 358 and a 7/08 lol just kidding , either one will do the job well .
 
buckchaser said:
The vast majority of my deer hunting takes place in a big woods environment where typical shots are almost always under 75 meters. I also have a chance (reasonable) of drawing elk and/or moose tags in the future to hunt in similar "tight quarters" big woods. I'm partial to the Browning BLR for this style of hunting.

The 358 Winchester caliber looks very attractive to me - I realize ammunition availability is an issue. I could use the 358 Winchester for both moose/elk and deer - but I do have some concern that the cartridge is a bit heavy for deer.

Alternatively, I have a 7mm-08 BLR returning from the factory after a production issue. This cartridge is ideal for deer, but a bit on the light side for elk/moose.

Should I use the 358 as a "one tool fits all" or am I better to bite the financial bullet (I could swing it) and buy the 358/keep the 7mm-08?
Click to expand...

Where do you get the idea that a 7-08 is light for moose and elk? The classic 175 gr bullet loaded in the 7X57 has killed similar sized game not only in North America, but also in Africa, Asia, and Northern Europe. Your 7-08 will do anything the 7X57 will do, it will drive a 140 gr bullet at 2900 fps, a 160 at 2700 fps and a 175 at 2500. At these velocities the rifle will shoot flat, and the terminal performance at those velocities will ensure good expansion and deep penetration on the largest game. My experience with hunting in thick cover is that your chances improve if you make your way to an area where you can see beyond 75 yards; power lines, lake shores, swamps, burns, and areas where timber cutting has occurred in years past, provide such opportunities where the flat trajectory of your 7-08 can be appreciated.

If the problems you've experienced with your BLR have soured you on that rifle, then yes, you should probably replace it, but I doubt that the 7-08 cartridge has, or will, let you down. A pal of mine has killed several moose with his .280 Remington, and one was a large bull in the willows at 25 yards that dropped to a single 160 gr bullet! Now I prefer the longer .280 Remington myself, but to say that there is a practical difference between the two would be dishonest. This is not to say a .358 is lacking as a big game cartridge. With a 180-200 gr bullet, it will shoot flat on the days you do want a little more reach, and with a 250 at 2300, it will anchor any elk or moose you're likely to encounter. Does the .358 offer a significant terminal advantage over the 7-08? Probably not, and if you owned both, and became thoroughly familiar with both, the one you'd be more inclined to reach for is the one that cycled a little smoother, had a slightly better trigger, or shot a bit tighter. Its good to have a spare anyway.
 
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Kevan said:
Looky has it right, the 358 wins hands down for your needs....
Click to expand...
I was shooting mine yesterday. Hornady 200s for deer, and 250s for moose if I ever get another tag. Plain old C&C bullets will work fine at these speeds.

Why not buy a good 24" bolt gun in 7/08 for longer shooting and a 358 for deer and moose? You'd be set for pretty much all hunting here in Canada.
 
Both of those are going to work just fine...and the 7mm-08 will take down a moose no problem out to 300 yards. You'd probably enjoy shooting the 7mm better, with it's minimal recoil, and go to the range more often and practice with it. There's your advantage with the 7mm-08.
 
I will add one thing to the discussion... I stand by the "get both" recommendation... but optimize the .358 for larger game at moderate ranges, ie. 250 SP's... and set-up the 7-08 with a medium weight bullet (139's or even 120's) for longer range shooting... makes for a pretty diverse set...
 
To me the "woods rifle" term stinks of gun magazine marketing.

I'd go with the 7/08.
More available.
Probably more affordable.
Will do the same job with far less effort/recoil required.

YMMV.
 
buckchaser said:
The vast majority of my deer hunting takes place in a big woods environment where typical shots are almost always under 75 meters. I also have a chance (reasonable) of drawing elk and/or moose tags in the future to hunt in similar "tight quarters" big woods. I'm partial to the Browning BLR for this style of hunting.

The 358 Winchester caliber looks very attractive to me - I realize ammunition availability is an issue. I could use the 358 Winchester for both moose/elk and deer - but I do have some concern that the cartridge is a bit heavy for deer.

Alternatively, I have a 7mm-08 BLR returning from the factory after a production issue. This cartridge is ideal for deer, but a bit on the light side for elk/moose.

Should I use the 358 as a "one tool fits all" or am I better to bite the financial bullet (I could swing it) and buy the 358/keep the 7mm-08?
Click to expand...

Both.

I'm not looking for a 7mm-08 BLR, at the moment.
 
yeah, the 7mm/08 will kill any moose that ever walked, no argument but for the conditions and game described the .358 is a much better choice. The big heavy bullet hits hard and will wade more meat than a 140 grain 7mm bullet. It stands up to close range hits on heavy bone and will work on quartering and bad angle shots that sometimes you have to take or just resign yourself to eating baloney for the winter. Many have never tried the mediums and have no idea how effective they are even out to 300 yards.
 
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