todbartell said:
big cased 35 cals are somewhat pointless when you see that one one side they're bordered by the big 338s, with their superior ballistic coefficients, and on the other side, the 375s, with their heavier bullet weights
Ardent said:
I concur, I see no advantage to the .35 bore unfortunately... .338 whoops it for anything where reach is required, and .375 pushes bigger slugs more efficiently. That said, .35 W. is a very efficient cartridge, and the basal hydraulics and bullet weights are perfect for the case. BC's bite though... Not my first choice.
I, on the other hand, see some very real advantages.
Let's consider the real world advantages of those superior ballistic coefficients. The .338 Winchester Magnum's approximate .35 caliber twin is the .358 Norma Magnum - both have a very similar powder capacity. So let's look at a 225 gr. bullet of the same make and model in each - may as well use the Barnes bullets as they're a popular one out there. And let's say both are starting that 225 grain bullet at 2800 fps - although in the real world, if everything else is indeed equal, the .35 will drive identical bullet weights slightly faster at the muzzle due to its' superior expansion ratio. That would eat up a bit of the advantage the .338's BC's should have, but let's start with velocity dead equal for comparison purposes.
So, the superior BC of the .338 caliber bullet over the .35 give it .8" less drop at 400 yards, 2.2" less drop at 500 yards, and a walloping 4.4" less drop at 600 yards. Different bullet manufacturers will have a somewhat different spread between their BC's, of course. Those figures will change somewhat with comparable chamberings in the overbore numbers, but the lower drop of the .338 compared to the .358 is going to remain reasonably consistent.
Boy, that's quite an advantage - particularly if you shoot regularly at those ranges AND can properly dope the correct range AND can hold tight enough at those distances to take advantage of that lesser amount of drop. I'm not sure there's a whole lot of guys out there who can take advantage of that very tiny difference. I also suspect any trajectory advantages the .338 has begin disappearing at about 250 grains and bigger, and indeed, it starts falling behind somewhere around there..
The .375s, obviously, can generate a lot more power than even the bigger .35's. However, if I ever find that a 250 or 300 grain bullet out of a .358 Norma Magnum is insufficient in the power department (something I find hard to visualize in North America), when I do step up it is going to be right over the .375 to some caliber which starts with a "4"...
Those are how I perceive the illusionary advantages of the .338's and .375's.
On the other hand, I can buy cheap jacketed or hard cast .358 bullets by the thousand for just a little over $35/1000 cast, to about $70/1000 jacketed. That translates into a lot of very inexpensive off season shooting with a .35 caliber rifle. That option isn't available in .338 or .375. I consider the ability to frequently shoot a .35 caliber rifle that inexpensively to be a significant advantage - you're bound to be a better marksman with your rifle.
And, I have a wide choice of .358 hunting bullets, intended for the .35 caliber handgunners, that are designed to reliably expand at lower velocities. No need to shoot a whitetail you've rattled in at 75 yards with a 225 grain bullet going just under 3000 feet per second; a 150 grain bullet travelling at 30-30 velocities (and designed to reliably expand at those speeds) will do just fine.
Minor, but a nice touch not available with the .338's and .375's. Pounding a deer with a premium hunting bullet going just under 3000 fps at 50 yards or whatever doesn't do anything at all for the flavour of the meat and what you get back when the carcass is on the meatcutting table.
Many people might not see any advantage to that whatsoever. But around here, where you can hunt anything from grizzlies, to goats, to elk and moose, to both species of deer within an hour of the house, I kinda like that option.
Cast bullet moulds are somewhat of a saw-off, but there are definitely more moulds to choose from in .358 than there are to choose from in .338 and .375. Again, if you aren't interested in casting, then this is irrelevant.
I also find the .35 caliber shot capsules a cheap and easy way to load up very quiet grouse assassinators for camp supper, but again, that might be a use that few are interested in.
Ultimately, any improvement a person sees in any of these calibers is going to be dependant on what they do with their hunting rifles and what they hunt. If you're not a handloader or you want the really big cartridges in a rifle straight from the factory, then the .35's are not for you. If you like to be able to shoot very inexpensively and like maximum versatility out of your rifles, then the .35 might be your cup of tea after all.
