Re-Barrel a .30-06 to ??

[HankBuck]

John,

I’ve decided to do both a 35 Whelen and a 9.3x62. I am now looking for a LH donor rifle for the 9.3x62 build.

I have a Ruger LH in .25-06, purchased in 2005 and used on one WY antelope & mule deer hunt

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I have a Ruger LH in .25-06, purchased in 2005 and used on one WY antelope & mule deer hunt

@HankBuck
The 25-06 is a great cartridge.
Loaded with a 100gn TTSX or nosler balistic tip at 3,400fps it shoots real flat. For a bit more punch a 117grain SST or 115gn nosler balistic tip at 3,100fps is just dandy for long range. It's not to far behind the 257 Weatherby.
Bob

 

[HankBuck]

@HankBuck
The 25-06 is a great cartridge.
Loaded with a 100gn TTSX or nosler balistic tip at 3,400fps it shoots real flat. For a bit more punch a 117grain SST or 115gn nosler balistic tip at 3,100fps is just dandy for long range. It's not to far behind the 257 Weatherby.
Bob

I’m sure most loads are plenty fast enough and the drop at 300 yrds changes little between 100-117 gr....all I look for is accuracy and good bullet expansion. I ended up sticking with the 117 grain but it’s a rifle I haven’t used in a decade

 

[cash_tx]

What about the worlds best rifle cartridge the 6.5 manbun with a muzzle break 20 round mag, pistol grip stock & a 35x60 dial up scope every body at our local range has one. other required accessories are a cammo out fit & your hat on backwards.

I believe you're referring to the 260 Whelen. ;-)

 

[Waterbuck2008]

AKA the .263 He-She.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I’m sure most loads are plenty fast enough and the drop at 300 yrds changes little between 100-117 gr....all I look for is accuracy and good bullet expansion. I ended up sticking with the 117 grain but it’s a rifle I haven’t used in a decade

@HankBuck

I also look for accuracy
These are typical 100 snd 200 yard groups with my 25.
At 400yrds it drops 13 inches with the 115/117grain bullets.
With the 100gn TTSX it's spont on at 300yds and only 8 inches low at 400.
This is with both sighted 2.5 inches high at 100yds.
I do like fast 25s
Bob

 

[K95]

@HankBuck
The 25-06 is a great cartridge.
Loaded with a 100gn TTSX or nosler balistic tip at 3,400fps it shoots real flat. For a bit more punch a 117grain SST or 115gn nosler balistic tip at 3,100fps is just dandy for long range. It's not to far behind the 257 Weatherby.
Bob

The new 25 cal110 gr Atomic is very devastating at 3500 fps
Ken

 

[IvW]

7x64mm, 9.3x62mm or 35 Whelen....

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The new 25 cal110 gr Atomic is very devastating at 3500 fps
Ken

View attachment 550895

@K95
Ken
I will have to get onto Cameron then. What's the accuracy like.
Bob

 

[K95]

@K95
Ken
I will have to get onto Cameron then. What's the accuracy like.
Bob

It’s only a prototype at the moment, I don’t even know if he has the time for another caliber. accuracy and performance are outstanding.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

It’s only a prototype at the moment, I don’t even know if he has the time for another caliber. accuracy and performance are outstanding.

@K95
Talking to Cameron if they work by your standards he will make more.
He just turned the 130gr 270s down as a trial and they appear to work.
Bob

 

[K95]

Yes the 270 was one of the calibers I wrote up in the March sporting shooter. They all work brilliantly. If your after meat, put the bullet through the rip cage and not the shoulder as the damage when hitting heavy bone is massive.

 

[Fatback]

Update: What is a fella to do when you can’t just decide between 2 things. Like to have a 35 Whelen or 9.3x62 re-barreled from a 30-06. Well, I bought another ‘06 and had one of each made. Just recently got them back from the gunsmith. Got scopes on the way and hope to have them sighted in later this week. Top is the 35 Whelen and the bottom is the 9.3x62. Both are Ruger Mark II, M77s.

 

[rdog]

Great rifles RUGER 77MK2 ,had a 35 Whelen built on a original 77 tang safety in a fit of lunacy sold it,
now have a Ruger 77 mk2 350 Rem mag & have built a 9.3x62 on an FN M98 love the 9.3 mild recoil & thumps pigs like hit by lightning.

 

[sgt_zim]

Update: What is a fella to do when you can’t just decide between 2 things. Like to have a 35 Whelen or 9.3x62 re-barreled from a 30-06. Well, I bought another ‘06 and had one of each made. Just recently got them back from the gunsmith. Got scopes on the way and hope to have them sighted in later this week. Top is the 35 Whelen and the bottom is the 9.3x62. Both are Ruger Mark II, M77s. View attachment 640316

On the 9.3x62, it really pays to measure the firing chamber. I have a Zastava and a Sauer in 9.3x62 - I can seat bullets out way past the SAAMI spec 3.291". You can end up with more MV at a lower starting pressure and still have quite a jump to the lands. I'm getting 2475 fps with 286 gr A Frames out of my Zastava. No sticky bolt lifts, no deformed primers.

I have a bunch of different .366 bullets: Hammer, Nosler, Swift, Hornady, and Norma. They all measure ~3.38" with the ogive sitting on the lands. It would seem they all use the same ogive taper. Ball powder with 286 gr seems to be the way to go. I haven't used CFE223 with any of mine, but 2000MR and Big Game both give excellent velocity and consistent groups.

 

[Fatback]

On the 9.3x62, it really pays to measure the firing chamber. I have a Zastava and a Sauer in 9.3x62 - I can seat bullets out way past the SAAMI spec 3.291". You can end up with more MV at a lower starting pressure and still have quite a jump to the lands. I'm getting 2475 fps with 286 gr A Frames out of my Zastava. No sticky bolt lifts, no deformed primers.

I have a bunch of different .366 bullets: Hammer, Nosler, Swift, Hornady, and Norma. They all measure ~3.38" with the ogive sitting on the lands. It would seem they all use the same ogive taper. Ball powder with 286 gr seems to be the way to go. I haven't used CFE223 with any of mine, but 2000MR and Big Game both give excellent velocity and consistent groups.

@sgt_zim, unfortunately I don’t hand load and will be using factory ammo. Got scopes mounted yesterday and got them sighted in. Real happy with both of them. Ready to try and shoot some deer and pigs now.

The 35 Whelen with 225 grain TBBCs & 100 yards.

9.3x62 with 286 Hornady Interlocks @100 yards. Both were pleasant to shoot.

 

[Fryeguy]

Great to see they are doing well for you! I love my 9.3x62! I have taken animals in Africa with partitions and the swift aframes. They both did great. Used Big Game, same charge in both loads as they both shot very well. Around here I have used only the accubonds, and they performed well. I bought a whole lot of the Speer 9.3 270 grain bullets at midway a few months ago because they were so cheap. They have been super accurate as well and it saves the expensive bullets for hunting. I just haven’t hunted with them yet. In my 35 whelen I have yet to hunt with, but it’s also a Ruger african. It liked the Norma oryx a whole lot. Ravin rock has them on sale right now. Would you mind sharing your load for the 225’s in whelen? I would like to try lighter bullets in mine as well. Right now I haven’t hunted with it because it’s too close to the 9.3, and well I just grab the 9.3 every time over it

 

[Fatback]

Great to see they are doing well for you! I love my 9.3x62! I have taken animals in Africa with partitions and the swift aframes. They both did great. Used Big Game, same charge in both loads as they both shot very well. Around here I have used only the accubonds, and they performed well. I bought a whole lot of the Speer 9.3 270 grain bullets at midway a few months ago because they were so cheap. They have been super accurate as well and it saves the expensive bullets for hunting. I just haven’t hunted with them yet. In my 35 whelen I have yet to hunt with, but it’s also a Ruger african. It liked the Norma oryx a whole lot. Ravin rock has them on sale right now. Would you mind sharing your load for the 225’s in whelen? I would like to try lighter bullets in mine as well. Right now I haven’t hunted with it because it’s too close to the 9.3, and well I just grab the 9.3 every time over it

The TBBCs were factory loaded by Federal. I don’t hand load and am limited to factory loaded ammo. I’m sure these 225s will be good on anything that I choose to hunt with them.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@sgt_zim, unfortunately I don’t hand load and will be using factory ammo. Got scopes mounted yesterday and got them sighted in. Real happy with both of them. Ready to try and shoot some deer and pigs now. View attachment 640886The 35 Whelen with 225 grain TBBCs & 100 yards.

View attachment 6408879.3x62 with 286 Hornady Interlocks @100 yards. Both were pleasant to shoot.

@Fatback
You may have to start loading your own to get the full potential out of the Whelen. A 225gn @2,900 fps puts a lot of hurt on game way out yonder.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Great to see they are doing well for you! I love my 9.3x62! I have taken animals in Africa with partitions and the swift aframes. They both did great. Used Big Game, same charge in both loads as they both shot very well. Around here I have used only the accubonds, and they performed well. I bought a whole lot of the Speer 9.3 270 grain bullets at midway a few months ago because they were so cheap. They have been super accurate as well and it saves the expensive bullets for hunting. I just haven’t hunted with them yet. In my 35 whelen I have yet to hunt with, but it’s also a Ruger african. It liked the Norma oryx a whole lot. Ravin rock has them on sale right now. Would you mind sharing your load for the 225’s in whelen? I would like to try lighter bullets in mine as well. Right now I haven’t hunted with it because it’s too close to the 9.3, and well I just grab the 9.3 every time over it

@Fryeguy
In the Whelen with 225s you could try working up from 66gn to a max of 70 gn of cfe223 depending on the bearing surface of the projectile. I have loaded Sierra 225gn with their max load of 70gn for 2,880 fps.
I have also used noslers load of 61gn of varget/2208 for over 2,800 fps in my Whelen
The 225gn Woodleigh from memory were 66 gn of cfe223.
These loads proved safe in my rifle but work up from a few grains below.
Bob