375 Whelen vs. 35 Whelen??

[taco650]

I've got an old Ruger M-77 .30-06 that I've really considered re-boring to 35 Whelen but now I'm wondering if I might like a 375 Whelen instead. My idea is to have a bigger bore rifle to throw big lead with and not have to buy another rifle. I have considered getting an H&R Handi in 45-70 but I like my old Ruger. I've read many good things about the 35 Whelen but those are more common. Who has the 375?

[SDGarrick]

You would rebarrel, not rebore. and you should compare the cost of sending your gun to a smith vs buying a used rifle. I'm sure others with more experience will chime in. good luck!

[starmac]

How do you keep from buying another rifle?? I need this info before the gun show coming up saturday, please.

[Stephen Cohen]

I have a 375 whelen and love it. I had it made for just the purpose you mentioned, big lead. Both 35 and 375 are great in my view, both can suffer head space problems if you don't set your sizing dies right, the 375 a bit more so. If you go with 375 make certain your sizing dies match your chamber, there are a lot of different varieties of this cal out there. When my brother had his done, I took loaded and dummy rounds to same smith that did mine and had his chamber cut to the bullet my brother wished to use. As yet I have not found the perfect cast load but I have had good results with the Lee 375-250-RF and 35gr of 2206H, an Australian made powder. I should mention this powder is sold in States as H4895.

[taco650]

How do you keep from buying another rifle?? I need this info before the gun show coming up saturday, please.

It's easy: low paying job + kid one year from college + "thrifty" house manager (aka wife) + motorcycle = no $$$ for guns.

Maybe a better way to put is I have too many other loves that I love more than my guns.

[taco650]

I have a 375 whelen and love it. I had it made for just the purpose you mentioned, big lead. Both 35 and 375 are great in my view, both can suffer head space problems if you don't set your sizing dies right, the 375 a bit more so. If you go with 375 make certain your sizing dies match your chamber, there are a lot of different varieties of this cal out there. When my brother had his done, I took loaded and dummy rounds to same smith that did mine and had his chamber cut to the bullet my brother wished to use. As yet I have not found the perfect cast load but I have had good results with the Lee 375-250-RF and 35gr of 2206H, an Australian made powder. I should mention this powder is sold in States as H4895.

So I gather from your post there's no "standard" dimension for 375 Whelen? I realize its a wildcat but thought there might be a "most common version". Not so?

[Mk42gunner]

It depends on thick the barrel is on whether you can rebore or not. If the barrel is too thin then you must replace the barrel.

I have never messed around with a .375 Whelen, but plenty of members have; you should be able to find a lot of info by searching older posts.

When I built my .35 Whelen, I wasn't casting for rifles yet. It is a superb whitetail killer with the red coated factory loads, but I haven't taken it after anything bigger. Knowing what I know now, if I were to build a .35 caliber rifle for cast, I would go with a .358 Winchester.

Robert

[lotech]

I've had a couple of .35 Whelens along with the .35 Whelen Improved, .375 Whelen Improved, and the .411 Hawk. I eventually lost interest in all of them. In retrospect, I'm not sure the differences among the cartridges are as great as I once thought. They're all very satisfactory for cast or jacketed bullet use. If I were to work with an '-06-based big bore cartridge again, I would probably stick with the standard .35 Whelen. It will shoot a heavy bullet at decent velocity - just like the others.

[MT Gianni]

My preference is with the 35 bores because of mold choices and gc availability. You can try the lee 105 or the Ly 3589 280 gr.

[Stephen Cohen]

taco65 yes the common one is the one with 40 degree shoulder, that is the one I have and is a blown out improved 30/06. Easy to make shells blow them out with cream of wheat method or expand necks to 4o cal then size down to 375 using the 40 call area to maintain head space. I had my chamber cut to headspace on standard 30/06 go gauge so its easy to make shells. If memory serves me well there is a 26 30 and 35 degree shoulder version as well as the 40, the 40 is supposed to give a bigger shoulder to head space on.

[mikeym1a]

There was a thread on the .375 Whelen on this site recently, and it was quite interesting. What I got from reading it, and side notes by some of the participants was that Mr. Howe made this cartridge with a 40 Degree shoulder, not the standard 17 degree of the 30-06. Since this was a proprietary cartridge, this fact was never let out to the public. Apparently, copycats tried making their version of the .375 Whelen, using the 17degree shoulder, and this is where the headspacing problems came from. The 'Improved' cartridge was apparently made to overcome the 17degree headspace problem, and unknowingly mimicked the original Howe design. I want a .375 myself, but can't afford the outlay at this time. Good Luck with whatever you choose.

[IridiumRed]

There was a thread on the .375 Whelen on this site recently, and it was quite interesting. What I got from reading it, and side notes by some of the participants was that Mr. Howe made this cartridge with a 40 Degree shoulder, not the standard 17 degree of the 30-06. Since this was a proprietary cartridge, this fact was never let out to the public. Apparently, copycats tried making their version of the .375 Whelen, using the 17degree shoulder, and this is where the headspacing problems came from. The 'Improved' cartridge was apparently made to overcome the 17degree headspace problem, and unknowingly mimicked the original Howe design. I want a .375 myself, but can't afford the outlay at this time. Good Luck with whatever you choose.

That IS quite interesting.... and certainly explains a lot of the stories about poor headspacing!

[Buckshot]

.............I have a 375 Whelen, Ackley Improved with a 40º shoulder.



From the left is a 220gr 30 cal RN. Next is a 352gr 375 slug from an NEI mould. The first loaded round has the 352gr. Next is a 328gr NEI. Next is a 300gr SP and last is a 270gr SP. At the time I had mine built there sure wasn't much load info around. "RIFLE" magazine has had ONE article on it I'm aware of, and that was a standard 375-06. Apparently the maximum effort powder (at the time) was IMR4320. I don't have any pictures of my rifle, and it's no big deal. Just a M98 Mauser action, 24" heavy sporter bbl with a 12" twist in a Cabellas (I think it was) walnut stock. Don't know why I made it as I've never hunted anything larger then deer and my -'06 or 7x57 has always done the job. Guess it was just the oddity of it The Montana Rifleman did the barrel and CH4D carry those dies as 'stock' items.

...............Buckshot

[Stephen Cohen]

I know of several who have headspace problems with the 35 Whelen. because they don't open the shell neck enough for cast and push shoulder back. I had same problem with 375 until I read the threads on this site, the problem was my lack of understanding.

[mikeym1a]

Referencing Buckshot's notes; because of the three different version of this cartridge, The other thread suggested that when you do this, make sure that whoever rebores the gun also rechamber it for the correct version. If you get the Ackley Improved version, then the chamber reamer and the reloading dies you get will most likely match. You wouldn't want to get the barrel chambered in the 'Improved' version, and get dies for the 'standard' version, or vice-versa. Well, that was probably clear as mud. Hope the meaning got through. Cheers!

[lotech]

Buckshot- there's an article on the .375 Whelen Improved in HANDLOADER #119 (January, 1986). It was reprinted twice by Wolfe in WILDCAT CARTRIDGES and BIG BORE RIFLES & CARTRIDGES. No cast bullet data, however. I think it's the 40-degree version as you described.

[taco650]

Thanks to everyone for all the input and photos (Buckshot).

Buckshot's comment about hunting nothing bigger than deer and having the rifle for the oddity factor really resonates with me. I've hunted elk but that was years ago when I lived in OR. Now living in GA and there are big hogs here but no 1000lb elk. Maybe a 45-70 Handi Rifle isn't such a bad choice after all just because of the big lead, pistol bullet option and easy reloading component availability.

[sthwestvictoria]

My preference is with the 35 bores because of mold choices and gc availability. You can try the lee 105 or the Ly 3589 280 gr.

Great point. The dies are also easy to find - Lee even makes 35 whelen two die sets and you can use their 358WIN neck sizing die or crimpers. Especially if you are on a budget this would factor in. You can even use jacketed pistol bullets in a pinch as a cheap option.

[TXGunNut]

I went with the 35 because of die & component availability and because I didn't want to get into another boolit diameter...and then I ordered a 375449 mould to bring my 375 Winchester out of retirement. May want to check in w/ JES about barrel diameters, most Rugers I've seen may be a little thin to go from .30 to .375.

[paul h]

My preference is with the 35 bores because of mold choices and gc availability. You can try the lee 105 or the Ly 3589 280 gr.

Couldn't put it any better. A cast bullet gun is only as good as the molds that are available, and there are plenty of good 35 caliber molds available, and they all seem to shoot well.