I think that was indeed the expressed purpose of the .358.

I used to own a couple .348's, killed deer and bear with them and generally liked them except for the fact that they were somewhat heavy for caliber. I also owned a piece of farm machinery that the makers called a rifle...the Remington 81, and killed deer with it. I always liked the Remington contraption, but more as a curiousity than anything else I guess.

As for the .358, I think it missed its niche, which IMO is a light short-action carbine like my Ruger .308 Ultra-light. For following up bear hounds and as a mountain woods stalking rifle for deer, how could a fellow beat it?

But really, from a marketing standpoint, the .358 was doomed from birth and I'm surprised Winchester even went through the effort to develop it. It never sprinted and always limped along, marketing-wise. Good cartridge, but it will never enter Top Ten in the RCBS reloading die list...