Bob Nelson convinced me - 35 Whelen

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I came up with a perfect name for your cult bob... there’s just one small problem apparently the odd fellows is already taken.

im only stirring it up because I’m not a member of the .358 club closest I can come is .366

 

[Viral_SIGness]

Over the last 5 years or so I have bought several Sportsman 78 rifles to be used for donor actions. One has already been converted to a 280 Ackley Improved. The above rifle will be rebarrelled and restocked as a 35 Whelen. As you can see, I found a jug of Bob's favorite, CFE223. I have the brass and will buy more this morning. I found the appropriate bullets in an estate and the used dies at a gun store. The wood will be sent to Richards microfit and carved into the 102 classic style.View attachment 396422

I thought Bob would like to know I'm moving forward.View attachment 396423

Just think how cool you will feel when you step up to real guns....

I wouldn't own A .35 at all. Three times the bullet selection in .338, and .375. Buying a .35 is like when you're young, and want to ride that 250cc dirt bike that the big kids do, but settle for a 150cc and try to pretend it's it's same anyway. A .35 is almost a .375, but it will never get any closer.....it will always, ALMOST be good enough....hehehe oh, hey Bob, didn't see you there.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

And they accuse me of stirring things.....

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Just think how cool you will feel when you step up to real guns....

I wouldn't own A .35 at all. Three times the bullet selection in .338, and .375. Buying a .35 is like when you're young, and want to ride that 250cc dirt bike that the big kids do, but settle for a 150cc and try to pretend it's it's same anyway. A .35 is almost a .375, but it will never get any closer.....it will always, ALMOST be good enough....hehehe oh, hey Bob, didn't see you there.

No cult membership for you, you’ll have to sit in the corner wearing the pointy hat while all the other kids chant load data. Out of curiosity do you own a .243?

 

[Viral_SIGness]

No cult membership for you, you’ll have to sit in the corner wearing the pointy hat while all the other kids chant load data. Out of curiosity do you own a .243?

No sir. Smallest I actually have at this time is a .264 Win Mag

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

mission complete

@Skinnersblade
Not yet my son you still have to be converted. That will be hard.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Nothing wrong with the .243, provided that you go easy on the propellant and stick to 90 grain maximum bullet weight. Do that and you will neither burn out the leade in a great big hurry nor will you need a piece of 4x2 to open the action. It can take a wee bit of fettling to get reliable magazine feeding but if you are going to do a lot of fast rechambering, you either buy a Sako OR select a chambering with a case design that was set up for reliable feeding.
That being said, it is not a good choice for anyone who likes to use hot loads OR who is starting to reload AND it is still in the .250 Savage class of chamberings. Before anyone gets confused by these words, I will never buy a .243 Winchester unless it can be effectively converted into a reliable 6mm Remington or I am looking to rebarrel.

@ZG47
Or just rebarrel it to 250 savage, 260,7mm08, 338 or 358.
If really desperate you could go the 6.5 manbun.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I came up with a perfect name for your cult bob... there’s just one small problem apparently the odd fellows is already taken.

im only stirring it up because I’m not a member of the .358 club closest I can come is .366

@Skinnersblade
We are not and never will be a cult.
We are a like minded group of intelligentsia that have come to realize old is good but can be made better. We try to avoid the dark side of newer foolish calibers that fail to live up to the hype like the manbun and 243.
You are welcome to join the group even If it with a 35 rem.
Bob

 

[BC.Pat]

Come on Bob, I am sure you could rock a manbun
sorry could not resist

Pat

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Just think how cool you will feel when you step up to real guns....

I wouldn't own A .35 at all. Three times the bullet selection in .338, and .375. Buying a .35 is like when you're young, and want to ride that 250cc dirt bike that the big kids do, but settle for a 150cc and try to pretend it's it's same anyway. A .35 is almost a .375, but it will never get any closer.....it will always, ALMOST be good enough....hehehe oh, hey Bob, didn't see you there.

@Viral_SIGness
May your pubes turn into fish hooks and rip the crap out of you.
The Whelen doesn't pretend to be a 375 as it knows it never will be.
We don't need a big selection of bullets because we know the one we pick will be perfectly fine for the job at hand from 225,250 or 275-280 grain will handle anything we need to do. If'n you need 27 different weight and makes of bullets to pick from something is wrong.
The Whelen owners only need 4 to cover everything. Saves time, money, powder and projectiles.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Come on Bob, I am sure you could rock a manbun
sorry could not resist

Pat

@B.C.Pat
Pat give me enough rocks and I could bury a manbun never to be seen again.
Bob

 

[ZG47]

@ZG47
Or just rebarrel it to 250 savage, 260,7mm08, 338 or 358.
If really desperate you could go the 6.5 manbun.
Bob

During my time running an NZDA range complex I lost count of the number of times that someone had a stuck case situation with a 7mm-08, .308 Win. or .223Rem. I understand that the .260 Rem. is worse on that regard.
I have a single shot target rifle based on a Spanish Air Force 98 action with a Koenigsberg barrel which is chambered for 7.62x51. I have no intention of ever again owning a so-called repeater chambered for .308 Winchester (or any derivative thereof) unless it is a two lug Sako. That is because the feeding of those cartridges is typically crap in cheaper rifles.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

During my time running an NZDA range complex I lost count of the number of times that someone had a stuck case situation with a 7mm-08, .308 Win. or .223Rem. I understand that the .260 Rem. is worse on that regard.
I have a single shot target rifle based on a Spanish Air Force 98 action with a Koenigsberg barrel which is chambered for 7.62x51. I have no intention of ever again owning a so-called repeater chambered for .308 Winchester (or any derivative thereof) unless it is a two lug Sako. That is because the feeding of those cartridges is typically crap in cheaper rifles.

@ZG47
My son has a Howa 1500 in 308. It feeds as smooth as silk and functions flawlessly. To top it off it is also very accurate.
Bob

 

[ZG47]

@ZG47
My son has a Howa 1500 in 308. It feeds as smooth as silk and functions flawlessly. To top it off it is also very accurate.
Bob

Bob, I knew that I had missed at least one name BUT I was quickly typing before going downstairs for my evening meal. Yes, the Howas are accurate and reliable. They are not cheap rifles. They are good rifles that are available at good prices due to high production volumes. Howa has built up volume by maintaining quality over decades, something that a number of gun company boards seem to have ignored.
I nearly bought a 1500 Mini rifle recently, in 7.62x39 but I came upon a minter second hand Izhevsk Bars (snow leopard) rifle at a very good price. That rifle supposedly has a 1-12” twist chrome lined barrel but it is possibly a 1-320mm (1-12.6”) barrel because the Dragunov rifles were originally made with that twist rate and it would have made more sense to use the original Dragunov barrel mandrels/buttons than to create new 1-12” tooling.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob, I knew that I had missed at least one name BUT I was quickly typing before going downstairs for my evening meal. Yes, the Howas are accurate and reliable. They are not cheap rifles. They are good rifles that are available at good prices due to high production volumes. Howa has built up volume by maintaining quality over decades, something that a number of gun company boards seem to have ignored.
I nearly bought a 1500 Mini rifle recently, in 7.62x39 but I came upon a minter second hand Izhevsk Bars (snow leopard) rifle at a very good price. That rifle supposedly has a 1-12” twist chrome lined barrel but it is possibly a 1-320mm (1-12.6”) barrel because the Dragunov rifles were originally made with that twist rate and it would have made more sense to use the original Dragunov barrel mandrels/buttons than to create new 1-12” tooling.

@ZG47 I got my son's 308 Howa with 3 to 9x40 nikko panamax scope, mounts and gun bag for $575 OZ on sale brand new.
Bob

 

[ZG47]

@ZG47 I got my son's 308 Howa with 3 to 9x40 nikko panamax scope, mounts and gun bag for $575 OZ on sale brand new.
Bob

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen The Bars was $250 NZ with Warne ring mounts. I have sufficient scopes on hand, not to mention spare ring mounts with recoil stops that fit an 11mm dovetail. We both did well, I reckon.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Most likely if I ever join your .35 “club” it’ll be .358 Winchester, a .358 Winchester model 99 savage is on my list.

 

[CBH Australia]

That’s how it start he converts one before you know it the whole forums a cult dedicated to the mighty 35 with bob our prophet who’s the chosen one. He’ll show us all the light lite by col. whelen and teach us to cast out those evil doers among us that spout blasphemy and carry .243s

Mmm, he hasn't turned you against the .243 has he?
Maybe you can turn your .243 barrel into a garden stake and rebarrel it to that .358win you want before Bob catches on .

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Mmm, he hasn't turned you against the .243 has he?
Maybe you can turn your .243 barrel into a garden stake and rebarrel it to that .358win you want before Bob catches on .

I don’t have a .243 I just bring them up because I get a reaction out of him.

 

[jpr9954]

I no sooner walked in to the shop when we sat down and discussed barrels. Moments later I went on a website and bought a barrel, 1:12 twist.
Chuck then took my rifle and started stripping it down. I had other work and noticed he is going to town!
View attachment 396455View attachment 396456View attachment 396457

Can you use what are called "Remage" barrels on the Sportsman 78?