Being a 308 guy, that would be my choice. It can handle anything on the continent except for the big bears and the ammo selection is almost endless, whether factory loads, or re-loading.
Big/slow and monos don’t tend to pair well together due to inconsistent expansion from lack of velocity based on my experience.
I concur.358 win sounds awesome! Go with what makes you happy. You’ll get plenty of opinions but you know what they say about opinions!
Running 75gr Tipped Hammer Hunter with either Varget or N540. Both the Savage Model 16 and the Sako 85 are 10 twist.
Having several 35 cal rifles and having now taken deer from 40-150 yards with them, they work. The down side of 35 cal is low bc bullet choices and higher recoil. If I had a 473 bolt face needed a new barrel, I would go smaller, either 6mm or 25 cal, probably creedmore. Factory ammo and lots of range with less recoil. A 25 cm with 134 eldm’s is 2800 fps and a .645 g1. IMHO better than a 200g with a .3-.4 going 2500 ish.358 win sounds awesome! Go with what makes you happy. You’ll get plenty of opinions but you know what they say about opinions!
I agree recoil in a 308 is very reasonable, Many on this forum would not feel the same way.
Stop trying to create arguments to justify your beliefs.
.35 whelen is a cool option if you want something bigger than a .30 cal. There are some decent factory ammunition options available as well at reasonable prices so you could pretty easily get brass. It's very popular in Mississippi and Louisiana due to some regulations they have in primitive weapon season that allow using it in break-action rifles so it is not likely to die off in the foreseeable future. It has noticeable felt recoil, but it is a slower, blunt recoil vs the fast and snappy recoil that some cartridges have.
I thought the same thing. Probably the easy button with the 35 whelen.
Recoil within reasonable levels does not lead to decreased accuracy under hunting conditions. I do not consider a bullet that flies into fragments the same or better performance than a bullet that betters double diameter expansion, maintains 70% of its weight and travels along the line of travel it was aimed. In a hunting rifle for me at least recoil is a minor factor. I still have areas I hunt that are slug only and have never missed a shot due to recoil and 12 gauge slugs from a medium weight shotgun are absolutely no fun to shoot from the bench. There is no negative to exit holes or deep penetration.
I have only had one bang flop in about 10 deer I have taken with 35 cal rifles. That one was a spine shot and he didn’t move, just dropped. The rest all ran as would be expected for a non cns shot. This is what started me down the rabbit hole of how animals die and why I now believe that any caliber can work with the right bullet delivered at the right speed. Do 35 cal rifles work, yes, quite well, but I would use a 6mm or 25 cal if I was allowed to. I shoot better with lower recoil.
