Cast in a 35 Whelen

[Blammer]

Ok, was thinking of getting a custom barrel in 35 whelen.

I have the 358009 that drops a 286gr bullet and the 358009FP I ran that drops a 266gr cast. Plus I'll be shooting the 207gr JTL and the 180gr FP and some other lt wt stuff.

Probably be a 24" tube.

What twist would you recommend and why?

I was wanting to get the velocity up, so is a slower twist in order?

Say 14T? vs the standard of 12T?

[felix]

14T ... felix

[Glen]

Yeah, what Felix said. The .35 Whelen with a 1 in 14" shoots cast bullets quite nicely thank you.

[Bass Ackward]

Say 14T? vs the standard of 12T?


The standard twist for the 35 Whelen? Well when it was developed the twist was 14 twist for bullets up to 300 grains.

[Shuz]

I've had experience with the 358009 and the 35 Whelen with both the 1:12 and 1:16 twists. That boolit works fine in the 1:12 but did not in the 1:16. At least not mine! Perhaps a 1:14 would be a good compromise.--Shuz

[stocker]

I have two Whelens, both with 1/14. 358009 is stable at the 200 yard mark from both. Haven't range tested beyond that point. Velocity is a mild 1950-2000 using aircooled w/w+2% Sn. and Lars C-red. Accuracy is MOA , sometimes slightly better. These rifles also shoot very well with 358318 (approx 250 grain). At the range 1/16 barrels using the same load showed slightly tipped bullets (358009) at 100 and at 200 yards were full keyholes all over the map. Perhaps pushed faster they might stabilize in 1/16 but that certainly removes the flexibility of useage.

[runfiverun]

D.J.
the 14 twist should allow you the higher velocity with accuracy..
especially with the 200 to 260gr boolits.
j.m.o.

[Blammer]

thanks 14T looks to be the winner!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I built my 35 on a 1917 Win and used the original barrel...had it rebored with a 1:12 twist based on what Frank Barnes wrote in Cartridges of The World. He said that essentially 1:12 handled the 300 grainers best, but if 1:14 is easier to arrange and works well for you then go with it. I too use Lyman 3589 which is now listed as 358009. Its a superior bullet design. I started with and still use IMR 3031 and worked up from loadings listed for 358 Win. LLS

[Blammer]

Which would be the best?

22 or 24" barrel?

[felix]

21.75", weighted & tapered for your particular posture while shooting offhand. ... felix

[Bass Ackward]

Felix and I seldom disagree, but I like a longer barrel use slower powder and start a heavy slug out slow and still get the best velocity. Plus I like the way a longer barrel swings and lays out. And the extra weight will be appreciated at the bench too.

So it really depends on what you want out of this. If it's a jacketed gun for cast fun, 22" is fine. If it is to be a cast first piece, then I would go long. Mine is 24 and it would have been 26 if the bore would have been good further out the pipe. As it is, 24 was the best I could do.

[Blammer]

cast boolit primarily and jacketed fun maybe.

I'm looking at having a dummy round made up so they can throat it to the dummy.

[Hipshot]

Very basic rule of thumb--------the LONGER the bullet (not the weight) the faster the twist I don't believe that bbl. length would make a difference, whether 22" or 24" , extremes might !

Hipshot

[shooter93]

I shoot mostly 20 and 22 inch pipes except for varmit guns. Velocity differences in calibers 35 and up can suprise you as to how little you actually lose.

[Just Duke]

I love the Whelen. Remington used to make their semi-auto in a Whelen but it was dropped before I could get one.

[stocker]

I have two Lyman 2 cavity moulds for the 358009. One of the cavities hase a nose section just slightly larger in diameter than the other 3. It's about .0006 larger as near as I can measure. The larger one has to be seated in the chamber of one rifle with considerable authority and the boolits thus chambered show light land engraving for about 1/4 " on the nose sides. It will chamber and extract provided the boolit isn't hardened. When hardened those boolits can't be chambered in that rifle. The boolits from the other 3 cavities chamber freely with barely a mark on them but they are basically land ride. I imagine after another couple thousand rounds the tight one will chamber without land engraving. The second rifle has a barrel by the same maker (one is chrome-moly , the other stainless) and has a slightly larger throat and all boolits hardened or not chamber freely. He cut both barrels with the same button and they otherwise slug identically. He cut the chambers with the same reamers. The chrome moly barrel had a couple hundred j-bullets through it priot to using 358009. The stainless barrel has never seen a j-bullet and that might be the reason it remains slightly tighter. I have not been able to distinguish any effect on the target from the tighter boolit shot with the others so haven't bothered to try and identify and isolate the cavity. The first time I encountered it was a bit of a surprise though as previous chambering had been so smooth.

I just checked the sight in for both rifles today in anticipation of a trip next week. I ran every one of 100 loaded rounds in and out of the rifle with the tighter throat. There were 18 in that bunch that I set aside for range use or use in the other rifle. They are just hard enough to chamber that they could cause a glitch while hunting.