03 Springfield/35 Whelen project

[papaglenn]

Good morning,

I am very close to checking off one of the guns on my bucket list. I have always wanted a 35 Whelen but the price of factory rifles has been holding me back.

I recently had my old 03 Springfield re-barrelled with a new Criterion barrel so I figured I would try something similar on my next project.

I actually posted an ad locally looking for Springfields with bad barrels. It didn't take long to find a beautiful specimen. It looks like a 60's or 70's sporter job. Beautiful stock, 24 inch barrel that looks original but with the front sight replaced with a banded front sight. Lyman rear sight. Beautiful blueing. And a terrible bore.

My plan is to send it to JES for a rebore. I was thinking of a 3 groove 1-16" twist.

My question is about the specs. JES lists the groove diameter on this rebore as .359" Should I plan on sizing my bullets to .361" or will .360" be good?

I have a Lee 358-200 mold already. I have never cast with it but if I have to I can Beagle it up.

Am I on the right track? I don't want to buy a NOE or Accurate mold until I get the rifle back and slug the bore and throat.

Thanks in advance.

[Fitz]

I recently had Jes rebore a rem 700 from 270 win. to a 35 whelen , the bore is a .359 but the throat is .362 and long very long at .500 which I was concerned about at the time but decided to try what the Master of Rebore had finished , I paper patch so the mould I use is a 310 gr NOE mould ,I size the buller down to .356 and patch it up to .362 to just slip fit into the throat , and as all my Jes rebores this one shoot great .

[Adam Helmer]

papaglenn,

I have long wanted a .35 Whelen and explored the 03 Springfield route. Happily, just before I went that path, my local Penny Saver paper had an ad for a Remington Classic .35 Whelen. It was new in the box for the 1988 price tag still on the trigger guard. I snapped it up and am happy ever after.
Good gunsmiths are hard to find and SOME drill 03 receivers on plumb!

Adam

[Reg]

.360 would be a good starting point and with the three grooves one would think it would be correct.

[LAGS]

I have re barreled Two Mauser 98's to .35 Whelen.
One a 1909 Argentine and the other a 98/22 Czech.
I am very pleased with the rounds performance.
They are both very accurate with a 250 gr bullet.
And very fun to shoot with cast Boolits too.
Both mine have a 1in 14 twist barrels.
I recently sold the Argentine because I have many other Mausers that need re barreling and several new Sporter barrels in different calibers to build them with.
Including another .35 Whelen

[Mk42gunner]

I don't think Remington did the .35 Whelan any favors when they listed it with SAAMI with a 1:16" twist. I am sure that would be okay, if all you ever want to shoot is 200 grain projectiles or less.

I have built a couple of Mauser 98's with 1:14" twist; they do fine with 200's, and the potential is there if I want to go to a heavier projectile for game larger than whitetail.

Robert

[Tripplebeards]

My special run Remington 7600 chambered in 35 whelan carbine slugs at .358”. I’ve done quite a bit of ladder testing with 180 grain and 200 grain jacketed ammo. Has not shot better than 1.5 MOA. I’ll have to try some 220,225,and 250 grain bullets. Cast won’t reliably feed in it so I gave up the “cast boolit” project in it a few years back. I’d tell you to find a modern bolt gun to convert. Already drilled and tapped for optics and aftermarket triggers are available if you can’t polish one out. Had a sporter 03 with a Timney trigger I added. Had it drilled and tapped. Added a Boyd’s laminate stock. Still was a heavy awkward tank and the action was always hard to cycle with trying to “cock” when closing. I sold off all my sporters and now keep all my military rifles stock. I run .3595” in my .357 slugged 35 rems with excellent accuracy as you can see in my avatar. I was planning on trying the same size in my whelan but could never get it to feed from my magazine.

[missionary5155]

We had about same journey. But we decided after a long study to rebarrel one of our 03 Sporters to 338-06. No regrets. Already had an 03 .375-06 (JES) so the .35-06 was just to close so on to .338. Again no regrets.
Most any larger caliber on 06 brass works great.

[umwminer]

40 some years ago I had a FN commercial 98 mauser chambered in 30-06 re chambered for the 35 Whelan Ackley Improved . I liked the original barrel weight/contour and had it sent out to be rebored . This rifle is my lifetime absolute favorite . Hard to believe that a 06 case with the taper blown out of it and the neck moved forward slightly can launch 250gr Speer spitzers at a cronographed 2670 fps and produce 3” 5rd groups at 300yds .
It kills elk just as hard and fast as my 375H&H and has done so out past 600yds on several occasions and with the 300gr Barnes Original it is absolute death in the timber . Her name is “Old Bull Thrower “ and that she do .
This reply doesn’t do much if at all to answer the questions/concerns that papaglen posted but I just wanted to let anyone that may be interested in this simple wildcat know that this old meat hunter is and remains amazed .

[atr]

My 35 Whelen is based on a 1942 Mauser 98 action and a green mountain barrel with a 1:14 twist and shoots well with both jacketed and lead cast. Regarding lead cast both the 200 grain round nose and the 250 grain flat nose are accurate. Regarding jacketed bullets the 180 grain spire point is NOT accurate. The 1:14 twist likes the heavier bullets.
Personally I would shy away from the 1:16 twist barrel.