30.06 to 35 whelen

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taltexan

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Thinking about a browning blr or Remington semi-auto for rebore to 35 whelen. What if any issues would I be looking at?
 
Very few gunsmiths rebore; it's expensive. Rebarreling would be easier if you fine a gunsmith with work on those particular rifles.
 
Why not re-bore to 338-06? With todays modern bullets, you can get almost .338 mag performance. I shoot a 338-06 in an Encore and my loads are only a few hundered FPS less than a .338 Win Mag. If you need to shoot the heavier bullets, then I think the 35 whelen may be the best choice, but for bullets from 225 grains and less, the .338-06 does the job with better ballistics.
 
I used to have a 7400 in .35 Whelen. Recoil was moderate for the amount of power, and it would pretty easily do 1 1/2” groups with factory ammo

From what I’ve read, Those rifles were not really designed for prolonged use. More to be taken out, shot a few times a season, and put away until next fall. IIRC, the rails that the bolt slides on tend to wear relatively quickly.

I’d find a factory specimen. Be advised that mags are something like $50 each.
 
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Other than recoil what do you expect to gain over 30-06? I've BTDT with both 35 Whelen and 338-06. When I came to the conclusion that a 200 gr from a 30-06 does everything a 225 gr does in 338 or 35 and a 220gr from a 30-06 does everything a 250gr does from 338 or 35 I sold them both. Plus we live in a world with much better bullets than 100 years ago. We have people killing elk at 1/2 mile with 243's. Kinda makes you wonder why we even bother with anything bigger than 7mm on this continent.

But if you just want to do it I'd avoid the Remington semi-autos. The BLR might be a better option, but both of those would be better used in a bolt gun. And after owning both I'd go with 338-06 over 35 Whelen if I were inclined to go back to either. Anyway you look at it you're going to have to handload. You have a lot more options for 338 bullets than 358. And a lot of the 358 bullets are designed for 35 Rem speeds

If I wanted something bigger than 338-06 I'd go straight to 9.3X62. Now you have bullets big enough to show an advantage over 30-06. And factory loads are available.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9.3×62mm

https://www.midwayusa.com/93x62mm-m...%7C1&Ntpc=1&Ntpr=1&customerSelectedSort=False
 
I had my M7600 in .30-06 rebored to .338-06 for a magazine article I wrote back in the 80s. It ended up well, I still use the rifle on occasion although with slightly reduced loads (200 SSTs @ 2450 fps). Is it significantly better than the original .30-06? Not by much, but this wasn’t the goal, that was to increase the potential of the rifle using bullets heavier than the .30-06 usually handles. I did use the rifle for Kodiak Island blacktails and a couple caribou with full-power 200-grain loads, it did great - as anyone would predict. There is no magic in any cartridge.


.
 
I like the 35 Whelen, but have never owned one.It should be a fun cartridge. Good luck in finding one or rebarreling a rifle to 35 whelen.
 
After reading a thread where a shooter's barrel rebored barrel blew up on the first shot with factory ammunition, and it was a barrel that had been rebored from 30-06 to 35 Whelen, I became leery of reboring. I did weigh a F34 contour barrel in 30-06 and 35 Whelen, these were barrels from Midway, and the 35 Whelen was three ounces lighter than the 30-06. A barrel is the most important pressure vessel in the system, it carries almost all of the cartridge pressure, the locking lugs carry very little compared with the barrel. And barrel were not meant to be reused. No one makes the things under the assumption that once the original service life is over, that material can be removed, (weakening the thing) making the old barrel serviceable for another lifetime of shooting. (No one makes tires under the assumption they will be re treaded, and just look at all the tire debris on the road!) It is just safer to buy a new barrel. However, most hunting rifles have less than 100 rounds through them, so maybe reboring a like new barrel is not so risky. But, I don't know if the material and heat treat are any different between calibers, I doubt they are for small arms, but I don't know. I would not rebore a barrel with worn rifling.
 
Reboring rifle barrels is a widely accepted practice, the US Army even did it to many thousands of rifles after the US Civil War. A single internet report of a “blown up” rebored barrel means nothing - what was the failure? Did the barrel break in two? Did the barrel come out of the action? I once read on the internet where a guy shot himself while cleaning his gun. Lots if folks have their car engines rebored and their brakes resurfaced to extend the life of their vehicles - is that unsafe too?

One potential rebore problem is the sight holes, although I doubt it would cause a blowup. If the holes are too deep and the rebore leaves inadequate metal between the sight hole and the bore - well there’s a problem. I ran into this when I rebored my M7600 - I wanted to build a .375 Whelen but the sight holes were too deep so I went with the .338-06.

I have another rifle I once sent to P. O. Ackley to be rebored from .30 caliber to .375”. He did a great job and 40+ years later the rifle still functions fine. Done correctly there is absolutely nothing wrong with reboring a rifle barrel. Done wrong, well you get the picture.

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I would read up on the Brown-Whelen and give some consideration to it. Then consider 338-06. Then ponder and waffle. Or not. That's where I am.

I have a spare 30-06 barrel for a T/C Dimension that I may send to Jesse (JES Rebore). But then I wonder why. I mean, 180 grs Partitions are perfect for elk and I don't think I'm ever going to hunt polar bears, sooo....

Anyway, ponder.
 
I'm not a hand loader, I have a bolt action. 338-06 made by rebarelling a Remington 798 (no idea on original caliber, I bought it as-is). I'm quite pleased with the. 338-06 ammo I've purchased from Reed's Ammunition annd Research in Oklahoma, as well as ammunition in other calibers I've purchased from there.

https://shop.reedsammo.com/338-06_c254.htm

250 grain Nosler Partition is readily available in .338-06 as well just not directly listed. As their website states, if you don't see what you're looking for, just ask!

I'm putting together an order for 7mm-08 and 7X64mm Brenneke ammo using projectiles that will never be available as factory ammo from any major ammunition manufacturer (7mm 155 grain Federal Edge TLR is one example).

Their 9.3X62mm ammunition is no slouch either!
 
Colonel Townsend Whelen coined a phrase that stuck with the shooting crowd and that was "only accurate rifles are interesting." To get the most out of a 35 Whelen or a 338-06 I would suggest you consider a bolt action. A bolt action is usually lighter than an autoloader, more accurate and friendly to the hunter.

I've never owned or even fired a 35 Whelen but I do have a 338-06 with a 22 inch barrel and it is a great rifle and cartridge. I use it to hunt deer and hogs and it is quickly becoming my favorite rifle.
 
I think about doing this often. I wanted a .35 Whelen for years, but I never found a deal in one. I even have a new 30-06 barrel for a Mauser action that I though about sending to JES to rebore to .35 Whelen before I install it. But then I remember, that when working up loads for my 30-06 Remington 700, even with a Limbsaver recoil pad, I quickly grow weary of the recoil. To add to that, I'll probably never shoot anything bigger than an Alabama whitetail. And boy the whoopin' that 30-06 puts on them is impressive, to say the least.
 
I have a question. What is the difference in cost of reboring versus rebarreling a rifle?

And other than cost is there an advantage in one versus the other?
 
Reboring is usually less expensive due to an existing barrel which is already contoured, polished and blued. Because you only have once chance in getting a rebore correct, there is a risk of a damaged bore due to metal inclusions, chattering tools, etc. Since custom barrels are made to a standard, poor barrels are not sold. The risk is small, but is real.


..
 
WisBorn said:
I have a question. What is the difference in cost of reboring versus rebarreling a rifle?
Click to expand...

There are a lot of variable in this question. If you re-bore a barrel you will have to hire a gunsmith to remove the barrel and then reinstall it again, and the throat will need to be reamed for the new cartridge. Cost of the rebore and the gunsmith could be estimated as much as $300. A new barrel that is chambered and fit to your action by someone like Douglas will cost about $500 and you will have to have a gunsmith blue the barrel. If you buy a barrel that is chambered and fitted to your action from someone like Bartlein the cost could be as much as $750 and you will also have to hire someone to blue the barrel. Some barrel makers only work on bolt action rifles. You would have to pay shipping using either method.

I think the best way to get a low cost barrel is to find one on eBay that was made for your specific rifle and a gunsmith will usually charge less than $100 to change barrels and adjust the headspace. For example, there's a 338-06 Krieger barrel on eBay that fits a Savage rifle and the buy it now price is $350. If I had a Savage rifle I would be thinking about it.
 
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I couldn't have said it better than jmr40 did. If you want a gun in that size and power range get the 9.3x62 and be done. And CZ makes a nice one.

You may be able to find a 35 Whelen Remington pump on GB. Remington used to make a yearly run of them with synthetic stocks. Since you don't already have a gun on hand thats what I would do. But I would get a bolt action before the pump or lever.

There are several pumps listed ready to go for between $600 and $800.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Rifles/search?Keywords=35 whelen&Sort=13

I really like this one. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/851780515
 
Slamfire said:
After reading a thread where a shooter's barrel rebored barrel blew up on the first shot with factory ammunition, and it was a barrel that had been rebored from 30-06 to 35 Whelen, I became leery of reboring. I did weigh a F34 contour barrel in 30-06 and 35 Whelen, these were barrels from Midway, and the 35 Whelen was three ounces lighter than the 30-06. A barrel is the most important pressure vessel in the system, it carries almost all of the cartridge pressure, the locking lugs carry very little compared with the barrel. And barrel were not meant to be reused. No one makes the things under the assumption that once the original service life is over, that material can be removed, (weakening the thing) making the old barrel serviceable for another lifetime of shooting. (No one makes tires under the assumption they will be re treaded, and just look at all the tire debris on the road!) It is just safer to buy a new barrel. However, most hunting rifles have less than 100 rounds through them, so maybe reboring a like new barrel is not so risky. But, I don't know if the material and heat treat are any different between calibers, I doubt they are for small arms, but I don't know. I would not rebore a barrel with worn rifling.
Click to expand...

I would agree with you except for tractor trailer tires. Those are pretty much the source of most of our road gators and are probably reutilized through recaps way too much as a cost saving measure. Most average Americans' experiences with retreads on passenger cars from WWII and its aftermath was bad enough that that it wasn't done much for these tires after that.
 
sage5907 said:
There are a lot of variable in this question. If you re-bore a barrel you will have to hire a gunsmith to remove the barrel and then reinstall it again, and the throat will need to be reamed for the new cartridge. Cost of the rebore and the gunsmith could be estimated as much as $300. A new barrel that is chambered and fit to your action by someone like Douglas will cost about $500 and you will have to have a gunsmith blue the barrel. If you buy a barrel that is chambered and fitted to your action from someone like Bartlein the cost could be as much as $750 and you will also have to hire someone to blue the barrel. Some barrel makers only work on bolt action rifles. You would have to pay shipping using either method.

I think the best way to get a low cost barrel is to find one on eBay that was made for your specific rifle and a gunsmith will usually charge less than $100 to change barrels and adjust the headspace. For example, there's a 338-06 Krieger barrel on eBay that fits a Savage rifle and the buy it now price is $350. If I had a Savage rifle I would be thinking about it.
Click to expand...
 
Slamfire said:
A barrel is the most important pressure vessel in the system, it carries almost all of the cartridge pressure, the locking lugs carry very little compared with the barrel. And barrel were not meant to be reused. No one makes the things under the assumption that once the original service life is over, that material can be removed, (weakening the thing) making the old barrel serviceable for another lifetime of shooting. (No one makes tires under the assumption they will be re treaded, and just look at all the tire debris on the road!) It is just safer to buy a new barrel. However, most hunting rifles have less than 100 rounds through them, so maybe reboring a like new barrel is not so risky.
Click to expand...

I agree with you on the barrels. But did want to mention that way back in the day when Muzzle Loaders were built with the idea that after the barrel was rusted and shot out from bad/improper cleaning they could be rebored to a new caliber. And I know BP and smokeless powder pressures are different.

I own several Marlin rifles and one day measured the outside diameters. All the barrels had the O.D. diameter no matter the caliber. So a 30-30 has the same barrel size as a 44 mag and I am guessing the 45-70. And Marlin feels it fine and safe. I wish I had more Marlins like some of the new Marlin rounds to measure and I bet even with the higher pressure rounds the OD is the same. The weak link in a lever action is the bolt lock up.

But there needs to be a certain amount of safety built in. Since the OP doesn't have the gun and barrel yet there is no way to know how much barrel wall thickness would be left with a rebore. But I bet JES has a minimum and would not make an unsafe gun.
 
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