Rebarrel a .30-06 to what?
- Thread starter bcsteve
- Start date
One suggestion - 35 Whelen!!!! I've looked up and down, long and hard at the 338-06... numerous times, and just can't warm up to it (believe me, I have thought about building one a few times...been very close even recently). However, every time I sit down with a ballistics program, it offers no noticable trajectory gain.... with less frontal area that the 35 Whelen.
Sure the SD's are higher for 225 vs 225 etc... but I've only recovered 1 bullet from a critter thus far from my Whelen (225 gr TSX lengthwise down the spinal column of a whitetail (after breaking the pelvis and 2'+ of spine), and 250gr Speers have been unstoppable.
As for "close enough to 35 Cal".. sure it is, but there is less difference between 35 Cal and 375 Cal than there is between the 338 Cal and 35 Cal.... food for thought.
2725fps w/225gr bullets
2550 fps w/250gr bullets
Will a critter know the difference between the 338-06 and the 35 Whelen? Likely not... but the "Thwack" a 250gr 35 cal bullet makes brings a twisted smile to my face (grin)!
280_ACKLEY
Sure the SD's are higher for 225 vs 225 etc... but I've only recovered 1 bullet from a critter thus far from my Whelen (225 gr TSX lengthwise down the spinal column of a whitetail (after breaking the pelvis and 2'+ of spine), and 250gr Speers have been unstoppable.
As for "close enough to 35 Cal".. sure it is, but there is less difference between 35 Cal and 375 Cal than there is between the 338 Cal and 35 Cal.... food for thought.
2725fps w/225gr bullets
2550 fps w/250gr bullets
Will a critter know the difference between the 338-06 and the 35 Whelen? Likely not... but the "Thwack" a 250gr 35 cal bullet makes brings a twisted smile to my face (grin)!
280_ACKLEY
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Yeah 280, I'm on the same page as you. Did lots of searching and a .35 Whelen it's going to be. There is more bullet choice available for the .338 but what more do you need than a 225gr TSX or a 250gr Hornady or Speer. Brass will be easy to find and straight forward to load. Anybody has a set of .35 Whelen dies for sale?
280 Ackley, I get 2642 @ 15 ft with 60.0 gr of RL15 in a 24 inch tube and have pushed it to 62.0 with no pressure signs in my rifle and knocking on 2700fps which is not surprising considering that Sharps guide to handloading 2nd rev shows hotter loads yet within the published pressure limits. I find 60.0 to be the berries though , lotsa smack downrange and great accuracy. Kinda like a lightweight 338mag that holds 5.
