35 whelen build

[brybenn]

Im starting the planning of another rifle. This one in 35 whelen. I could use some help deciding on what to use as the donor action. The plan is wood stocked or at least laminate. Traditional hunter style as it will be used for hunting moose and bear
Savage 110 and rem 783 offer prefit barrels. Mauser 98 copies offer controlled round feeding and a more traditional sporter look and feel.
Drop box or internal mag and push or controlled round feed dont matter i currently own and use all the above

 

[hoytcanon]

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1881308-Rem-700-35-Whelen

Just cut off the muzzlebrake...

 

[john-brennan]

My brother did one on a M98 action and it turned out nice.

 

[SuperCub]

I've used M700 BDLs for several semi custom rifles including 35Whelen. Not one of them was a disappointment.

It's the easiest route to go and still have a quality rifle in the end.

 

[fuzzy39]

I built mine Whelen on a Savage action. Did the work myself. Was going to put on a Boyd’s stock rather than the plastic but after I opened up the barrel channel to fit my heavy sported, 22 inch, stainless Shilen barrel, the rifle shot like a bench rest gun. It shoots the 200gr FTX Bullets under a half inch and the 225 gr TSX under an inch. Overall weight with a Minox 3-9 x 40 comes in just a shade over 8 lbs. With a limb saver butt pad it is really comfortable to shoot. I chose to do a 1-14 twist on this one. I have also built a 358 Norma off a Savage and am currently building a 35 Sambar off an old Savage 7mm WSM action with a fixed blade ejector (yes Savage built these for a couple years). I’ll post some pics when I get a chance. Any way you go, the Whelen will not disappoint.

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

A Rem 783 walnut model would be a nice base for a 35 Whelen job. Easy peezy with a prefit 22" tube.

 

[7mag]

I had Dennis Sorrensen build mine. Its an Rem 700 action (bolt locks on safety), 22” Benchmark stainless barrel, gun-kote black, factory trigger adjusted nice and in a factory remington pepper laminate stock with limbsaver. I have other guns I use more so you will probably see it on the EE soon

 

[Ardent]

Personally I’m semi-traditional, .35 Whelen is a mighty classy round. In my eyes should be housed in a trim, classic actioned sporter, ideally an M98 (FN?), M70 classic, or Pre-64. Personally for a .35 Whelen I’d opt for the Pre-64 M70, lots of affordable donors around.

By building yourself and farming out the machine work, you can build the equivalent of a $7500 rifle for a few grand. But none of those $7500 comparables use Savage or Remington actions, and fairly so.

 

[hoytcanon]

Personally I’m semi-traditional, .35 Whelen is a mighty classy round. In my eyes should be housed in a trim, classic actioned sporter, ideally an M98 (FN?), M70 classic, or Pre-64. Personally for a .35 Whelen I’d opt for the Pre-64 M70, lots of affordable donors around.

By building yourself and farming out the machine work, you can build the equivalent of a $7500 rifle for a few grand. But none of those $7500 comparables use Savage or Remington actions, and fairly so.

I agree, but with the quoted statement below, that is an unlikely route... slapping on a pre-fit, or starting with a factory Whelen is more likely to happen in reality... Ardent, you just have more will than the average bloke to make a decision and see it to fruition.

That is why I posted the "Easy Button" above.

Savage 110 and rem 783 offer prefit barrels...

 

[brybenn]

Personally I’m semi-traditional, .35 Whelen is a mighty classy round. In my eyes should be housed in a trim, classic actioned sporter, ideally an M98 (FN?), M70 classic, or Pre-64. Personally for a .35 Whelen I’d opt for the Pre-64 M70, lots of affordable donors around.

By building yourself and farming out the machine work, you can build the equivalent of a $7500 rifle for a few grand. But none of those $7500 comparables use Savage or Remington actions, and fairly so.

I was looking at a brand new supergrade today if it had been a 3006 instead of a 7mm mag id have bought it and rebarreled. It was quite nice although felt a lil heavier than it looked.
Ive been looking at some old husqvarnas as well. Not sure which way to go.

 

[brybenn]

I agree, but with the quoted statement below, that is an unlikely route... slapping on a pre-fit, or starting with a factory Whelen is more likely to happen in reality... Ardent, you just have more will than the average bloke to make a decision and see it to fruition.

That is why I posted the "Easy Button" above.

I havent found a factory 35 whelen ive liked. I dont want another pump action remington and ive never been that into the 700. I dont have an issue spending money on cutting a stock blank for savage or 783. Adding a select match prefit and figured stock blank gets me a hunting rifle that is likely to shoot well and not to hard to look at. Not everyone is stuck on rugers

 

[hoytcanon]

I havent found a factory 35 whelen ive liked. I dont want another pump action remington and ive never been that into the 700. I dont have an issue spending money on cutting a stock blank for savage or 783. Adding a select match prefit and figured stock blank gets me a hunting rifle that is likely to shoot well and not to hard to look at. Not everyone is stuck on rugers

I know my comfort level... it isn't dropping $5K+ on a build, that is just me... I'm a blue-collar working stiff, but I definitely enjoy living vicariously through some of the folks posting on here, with some of their amazing builds. I am not "stuck," since I have many other models from various manufacturers, but I certainly do gravitate to the M77 MKII's, only in that (for me), they represent the best value all things considered, cost, fit and durability not being the least of these... also, my OCD tilts me toward balance and conformity, but again just me. A Supergrade would be a good choice as a starting point and they usually come with pretty nice furniture, I have Supergrades in .257 Roberts and 7X57 that have pretty incredible sticks for factory guns.

 

[bcsteve]

Rembo built mine on an early stainless Ruger MKII (it’s actually a pushfeed MKII with a claw extractor) a few years ago with a Bevan King barrel. I haven’t used it in a few years but it’s not going anywhere.

 

[nowarningshot]

M1917

 

[Ardent]

I havent found a factory 35 whelen ive liked. I dont want another pump action remington and ive never been that into the 700. I dont have an issue spending money on cutting a stock blank for savage or 783. Adding a select match prefit and figured stock blank gets me a hunting rifle that is likely to shoot well and not to hard to look at. Not everyone is stuck on rugers

Having made a few stocks, I would never put all that work into it for a Savage or 783. If you’re going to put fifty or a hundred hours into nice wood do it justice with a classic action. To do it on a Savage would be like starting a classic car project with an Acadian. Don’t get hung up on prefit barrels, those abound for Mausers too. Side note I agree with Hoyt that Ruger offers the most interesting combinations of features, chamberings, and quality of the off the shelf rifles no flies on them.

 

[yodave]

I'd toss the idea of a prefit out the window if you want a conversation piece with nice wood, you can put AAA walnut on a savage and all people will ever see is the savage action and nothing more.....but, if your stuck on a prefit and it is a major deciding point on your build then I would consider a Tikka T3X lightweight, forester stock and 22 inch stainless barrel, if CRF is a requirement then the M70 is the only way to go, but get the bolt jeweled to add some serious bling, and.......get sights installed on the barrel.......

so a model 70 supergrade in 30-06 rebored to 35 cal is what you really want........if there is enough meat on the barrel to support the larger hole in the middle.....

to those that suggest the M1917......shake your head.....that gawd aweful bolt handle, huge clumsy 3 pound safety and far from ###y and streamlined lines of that action just do not exist, a ###y rifle it could never be, a rifle that you wouldn't be afraid to use as a jack handle...well yeah that it would be

 

[fuzzy39]

Here is my build. The Whelen is the one on the bottom with the synthetic stock. Not much to look at but it shoots everything I load up for her and the Superformance go under an inch. The pics of the groups are from my Whelen. The first pic is of my 358 Norma build.

 

[Jim870]

My 35 Whelen is on a 700 action and other than maybe adding a wildcat stock in the future I don't see me changing much. I may add a 375 of some flavor in the future, that will be a control feed action. I can understand the appeal of fine wood and controlled feeding and like ardent and a few others have mentioned a Ruger 77 would be very high on my list.

 

[brybenn]

I know my comfort level... it isn't dropping $5K+ on a build, that is just me... I'm a blue-collar working stiff, but I definitely enjoy living vicariously through some of the folks posting on here, with some of their amazing builds. I am not "stuck," since I have many other models from various manufacturers, but I certainly do gravitate to the M77 MKII's, only in that (for me), they represent the best value all things considered, cost, fit and durability not being the least of these... also, my OCD tilts me toward balance and conformity, but again just me. A Supergrade would be a good choice as a starting point and they usually come with pretty nice furniture, I have Supergrades in .257 Roberts and 7X57 that have pretty incredible sticks for factory guns.

Rugers just never feel right for me. No matter how i bring them to my shoulder i find i need to make adjustments before i can line up the sights. Being a wing shooter i prefer a gun that points naturally where i look. I admit my savage rifles are not stunners in the beauty department but they fit and they work
The supergrade i looked at had decent wood but not all that fancy. It just felt good and looked good
To me it isnt about the money. I can always make more. Its about being happy. Im a simple guy. Smoking tires makes me smile. I drink the good whisky and i enjoy what i have. Although id love to have a collection of fine doubles and london bests.

 

[brybenn]

I dont need a show piece but just an accurate reilable moose hunting rifle thats nice to look at and carry. Im moving from mostly synthetic stocked guns to wood.
I dont have ardents talents but i do know a guy that can build a stock duplicator and then the bulk of the work can be done fast and i can learn to inlet over time.

Its not that i need a prefit barrel its just nice to know that i can easily swap them at home if i so desired. I have no talents in metal working. I just dont want to end up with yet another boring synthetic stocked big game rifle.