Turn a 30.06 into ?????

chola

chola

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I have a chance to nab a nice 30.06...Win mod 70,has been duracoated black,looks very nice.....what would be an alternative cartridge to turn this baby into....I would like something different(to me)...thought about about the 35 Whelen.......am just kicking around ideas....what would need to be done to turn into a whelen,may have to start a winter project.....thanks for any help and

Bob
 
It would be very easy to make it into a 35 Whelen. It is a fine cartridge. Kicks like a mule at both ends. I have not owned one but I have made a few for customers and they all liked them.
 
guntech said:
It would be very easy to make it into a 35 Whelen. It is a fine cartridge. Kicks like a mule at both ends. I have not owned one but I have made a few for customers and they all liked them.
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hmmmmmm..........got to think on that now...not a big recoil fan...was just looking for something different...any other thoughts?????
 
the other thing is to consider the infrastructure behind the cartridge- you can get '06 stuff everywhere- same as 308- 35 whelen is just about as easy, but the more oddball you get, the worse it is- and you may end up with a gun with no ammo for it unless you reload- no offense intended, but cranbrook isn't a major center and most folks have to go to calgary or vancouver to get anything gun related
 
Try this one on. I call it the 7Mystic which equates to my version of the 280 AI. The entire purpose stems from having a barrel in 7mm and a set of 7RM dies. Still a concept but I have made brass and know the mechanics of making the chamber is sound.

One of the biggest headaches with wildcats is the availability then cost of custom dies. So my 7Mystic, like all my other Mystic wildcats, is based on adapting off the shelf dies.

The case is formed in one step by running 30-06 brass into a 7RM FL sizer. It necks down the brass and leaves a very nice secondary shoulder. Fire form that in the chamber and voila, a new wildcat.

Now the best part. To size and deprime, you use a Lee collet 7RM die. To seat, you use a 7RM seating die. Believe me, it all works just fine. So all you need to buy is a set of Lee Delux 7RM dies and you are ready to make ammo. Simple and cheap.

So how do you make this chamber? You take your 280 AI reamer and run it a bit deeper. You use that necked down case as your headspace guage. The smith will ream so that the case is a crush fit. Voila!!!

All the benefits of a 280AI without the expensive dies or need for another reamer. Most smiths have the 280AI reamer. I prefer the 35 or 40deg one. The 30deg RCBS version doesn't look wildcat enough for me but would work just the same. Go ask Guntech. He can easily set you up.

Boss Hogg is right in the performance of any 280AI and variants. You will get very close to 7WSM/RSAUM/RM performance in 24 to 26" barrels. You should as the case volume is almost the same as the RSAUM. I think my 7Mystic is basically the same.

One more wildcat to throw on the list...

Jerry
 
I have a 35 Whelen and I can tell you it kicks no more than an '06......and a 280AI can't get the same velocity as a 7mm Rem Mag..at least not at the same pressure in the same barrel length with the same bullet. The 7 Rem Mag holds about 8-10 more grs of powder.

The Whelen is a good one, no fireforming and factory ammo is avaliable. It will come real close to a 338 Win Mag without the recoil. Mine does 2725fps with a 225 Partition.

I've built 280AI and 35 Whelen and have both reamers...
 
t-star said:
the other thing is to consider the infrastructure behind the cartridge- you can get '06 stuff everywhere- same as 308- 35 whelen is just about as easy, but the more oddball you get, the worse it is- and you may end up with a gun with no ammo for it unless you reload- no offense intended, but cranbrook isn't a major center and most folks have to go to calgary or vancouver to get anything gun related
Click to expand...

Exactly the scenario around here....I do reload though so that's just not a real problem either way....just deciding what to do is the tough part
 
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I'm with Amphibious on this one, 6.5-06 just sounds too tempting if it were me in your dilema. And I am sure that mysticplayer could lend lots of experience with this round too.

Good luck with what ever you choose.....lucky bastard!
 
guntech said:
It would be very easy to make it into a 35 Whelen. It is a fine cartridge. Kicks like a mule at both ends. I have not owned one but I have made a few for customers and they all liked them.
Click to expand...

Geez, I must be boring... I had a Rem BDL in .30-06 turned into a .270 with a 24" barrel.... ;)
 
guntech said:
It would be very easy to make it into a 35 Whelen. It is a fine cartridge. Kicks like a mule at both ends. I have not owned one but I have made a few for customers and they all liked them.
Click to expand...
With a proper stock and recoil pad, a 35 Whelen doesn't recoil badly.

I shoot 250s out of my 7600 with no problems and it has no recoil pad at all :eek:


SC......................
 
chola said:
So what are we looking at here costwise to go to a 35 or a 280AI
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To supply and install a match grade stainless barrel and do all the associated work is about $650 right now for those two calibers. A blued match grade barrel installed is about the same price but takes longer.

That's what I charge anyway.
 
Corlane's is doing my .338-06, I am providing the .338 Douglas blank. Chambering, installing, countouring, "phase 1" blueprinting, and a hot blue (outsourced) for approx $400
 
chola, the cost is in the barrel. You can use a take off for $50 or go to a full meal deal SS match pipe for $350. The install is pretty close to the same with either tube. Less if the take off is for the same action just needing to be headspaced.

Decide on the accuracy you want then buy a pipe to match. You might not want or need a match barrel if all you will feed it is hunting bullets. I doubt you will see the gains the barrel should give you.

If you play with the Savage actions, the switch could be really cheap as you basically do the install.

Me, I have Savage actions in both '06 and magnum bolt faces. All I am going to do is get different barrels and spin them on to try.

Options, options, options...

Jerry
 
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