Rebarrel of a Mauser 30-06. 35 Whelen or 338-06?

[jonp]

Ok, I asked opinions of this firearm several months ago and was thinking at the time of a smaller caliber like a 25-06 but now I've settled on a larger caliber as I have only one and it's a 35 Whelen New England one shot. I already have a few 30-06's and this rifle was bought cheap specifically for a rebarrel.

What's the opinion of everyone here. 35 Whelen or 338-06. Half of one, Six of the other?

[richhodg66]

I have always been intrigued by the idea of the .338-06, but your bullet selection will be much better with the Whelen. Any .38 Special revolver bullet will work for plinking loads.

[skeettx]

OK, OK. What is the gun chamber now?
Is the gun usable?
Will you REALLY hunt with this gun?
How old are you?
The older you get the less recoil you will like
and bigger caliber guns are fired less and less.
So as I near 70 my bigger guns most often sit in silence
Mike

[richhodg66]

About a year ago, I bought a beater commercial Mauser with the intent of reboring it to .35 Whelen. Oddly, I have been shooting it a lot, just plinking at 100 yards with cast bullets my Dad gave me a whole lot of, mostly Lyman 311466s. It may be the most shot rifle I own this year, and I've about decided to leave it a .30-06 now.

The recoil argument is valid, but a guy who casts can turn a .35 Whelen into a big kitten very easily. I don't like to get kicked either.

[jonp]

Recoil is not a concern. I can reload it down for whatever i feel comfortable with. As for hunting, probably not used for that as I can't think of anything I most likely will hunt that one of my 30-06's or 308's can't deal with. This is a project for "just because" reasons.

[richhodg66]

I don't know if you hunt with cast or not. I've been hunting deer exclsivelt with cast and the occasional arrow now for almost ten years and .30s work just fine under the conditions I hunt, but there is definitely an advantage to having a bigger bore. I think either a .35 Whelen or a .338-06 would make a fine cast cartridge for big game and would also be fun to punch paper with.

I've never looked into cast selections for the .338, surely someone makes a heavy one with a flat point.

[white eagle]

if you already opting out of the 06 for something bigger why stop
at 33 cal when 35 is even better

[kens]

A .35 cal barrel will most likely be better cast boolit shooter than .338. The 338 barrels almost always are a fast twist, and the .35 barrels are mostly 1:14 or 1:16 twist, much easier to launch cast bullets.

[Hardcast416taylor]

My .338/06 is my go to rifle for the last 10 or more years for either `J` bullet loads or for the cast loads. The 225 gr. `J` bullet is really the most reliable for deer sized game and up thru elk, though the 210 gr. bullet works for faster vels and distances. My 250 gr. cast actually does about the same results as the `J` bullet load on DRT thinking. Recoil is also less than the Whelen gives you.Robert

[richhodg66]

Robert, what is the 250 grain cast bullet you're using?

[Safeshot]

You might want to consider a .308 Win. Just my opinion.

[SciFiJim]

You've already got a 35 whelen, so probably already have the dies for it. The 338-06 would either take custom or very expensive dies. It might not be a consideration for others, but it would be for me.

[lefty o]

my choice between the 2 would be the 338-06. actually have a barrel and rcvr sitting here to build someday. not an easy choice between the 2, as they have a lot in common as far as performance.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Robert, what is the 250 grain cast bullet you're using?

I got it from Bruce when he had BRP mold making going. Sadly he isn`t doing this now that NOE has bought alot of his mold s.Robert

[Marlin356]

9.3x62 and never look back. 2 week turnaround on my No. 1B 30-06. Waaaay less than a new bbl !

[skeettx]

So a fun gun and not a hunting gun, so re-barrel to 6mm Rem or 243 Win , what fun.

BUT for a rebore, I would go with 358 something

[jonp]

9.3x62 and never look back. 2 week turnaround on my No. 1B 30-06. Waaaay less than a new bbl !

The old 9.3x62 has been recommended to me elsewhere and is very interesting but the sticky point for me is that you can't really form the brass from anything. I like to buy calibers for the most part that I can reform common brass for. Power wise the 9.3 doesn't have much on the 35 Whelen but does shoot the heavier ones.

[Tracy]

The old 9.3x62 has been recommended to me elsewhere and is very interesting but the sticky point for me is that you can't really form the brass from anything. I like to buy calibers for the most part that I can reform common brass for. Power wise the 9.3 doesn't have much on the 35 Whelen but does shoot the heavier ones.

Pretty sure you can form it from '06 brass. As for heavy boolits, the 358009 is ~280 grains. I have one and shoot it in my Whelen.

My choice among these three chambers went to .35 Whelen when I built mine 20+ years ago. I have not regretted that decision for a moment.

[Marlin356]

As Pet Loads shows making 9.3x62 from 06' is easy.
Further, PP make good brass that is not expensive.
In fact 35 Whelen brass is harder to get than 9.3x62 !

[cwlongshot]

I don't have any 338 calibers... and a affinity to the 358 so easy answer form me.

I had to decide between a Brown Whelen and a std version... I elected to stay STD and run a 26" bbl as dies where FAR cheaper...

I like 250g and recently discovered it shoots 225 Accu-bonds with RL15 VERY well... But it also shoots 200g Hornadys with 2520 powder OVER 2900 fps into sub MOA form its Shillen barrel...

CW