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powdergun

powdergun

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My newest quest is for a rifle in a caliber greater than 30 but not into the forties. My ideal round would be:

1) Reasonably flat shooting to 300 yards.
2) Not too much of a shoulder buster.
3) Versatile in a reloading sense.
4) And of course that Bang flop potential we all desire ( Please no lectures on shot placement I've been around for a a few decades )

So far I am kind of partial to the 35 whelen but any other suggestions are welcome
 
powdergun said:
My newest quest is for a rifle in a caliber greater than 30 but not into the forties. My ideal round would be:

1) Reasonably flat shooting to 300 yards.
2) Not too much of a shoulder buster.
3) Versatile in a reloading sense.
4) And of course that Bang flop potential we all desire ( Please no lectures on shot placement I've been around for a a few decades )

So far I am kind of partial to the 35 whelen but any other suggestions are welcome
Click to expand...

Given the criteria you've mentioned, the .35 Whelen would be an excellent choice. With a 225 gr bullet at 2700 fps, trajectory is about the same as a 180 gr out of a .30-06 but the 225 hits a lot harder.

Recoil with a 250 gr load loaded warmish is about the same as a .300 Win Mag shooting a 180 gr bullet(as measured by my 'shoulder gauge')

The Whelen is very loader friendly. A .30-06 case run through a .35 Whelen FL die results in a Whelen case. The die requires a tapered expander which is standard in the RCBS die. RL15 or Varget are good powder choices. There are plenty of good bullet choices available.

The 9.3X62 Mauser would be another good choice. A 270 gr Speer at around 2500 fps or a 286 gr bullet at 2400 fps are both good to 300 yds.

Recoil is brisk but nowhere near that of a .375 H&H.

I have had no problems getting cases or bullets for mine. Here again, RL15 or Varget are good powder choices.
 
Another vote for the 9.3x62. I'd recommend 250 grain bullets if you're not hunting anything too tough. 250 Sciroccos would be the ticket.

For the handloader the 9.3 is more versatile than the 35 Whelen or the 338-06. Bullets range from 232, 250, 270, 286, 300 and 320 grains and run from the Hornady Interlock, Swift Scirocco and Speer Hot Cor to NPT, A-Frame, Norma Oryx, TSX, Barnes Solids and Woodleighs (they're the 320s). That's more selection than you'll get with almost anything outside 7mm and 30 cal (Norma alone offers 5 different bullet styles IIRC). Load your 286s to 2400 FPS for stomping on moose and bears, 320 Woodleighs or 286 Solids for Cape Buff, down to 250 Sciroccos or 232 Norma Vulkans for deer and such.

9.3mm is the real medium bore sleeper.
 
338 federal, 338-06, 35 whelen, 9.3x62. The 338's are especially versatile, the whelen & 9.3 have a bit more thump with 250-286 grain bullets but you begin to drop down in speed quite a bit.

I really like the 338 Federal, with a 210 gr TSX or 215 gr Sierra BTSP it will do a bit over 2600 fps. That gets you to 250-300 yards without too much bullet drop, recoil is mild and there is plenty of hitting power. You can also shoot 160 grain TTSX @ almost 3000 fps, or 250 grain Hornady round nose @ 2300 fps for a close range thumper. Relatively low recoil and very efficient with the powder charges, usually around 45-47 grains


PS, BUM there is no 9.3mm Swift Scirroco but they do make a 250 gr A-Frame
 
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SuperCub said:
35 Whelen will cover all the bases you have set forth including a fairly good selection of factory ammo and guns.

.
Click to expand...

X2, a good choice here is a Ruger Hawkeye SS in .35 Whelen, .358 Win, or .338 Fed...

Or you can do what I did. Got a .338WM, which I can make shoot like a .338Fed or .338-06, or full loads...And you can buy them from near every manufacturer...
 
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