The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles LH 35 WhelnGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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What would it take to build a left hand 35 whelen. I can't find any in a production gun, so I have toyed with the idea of building one in the future. I have never built a rifle before. I would want a quality synthetic stock or wood laminate stock with a controlled feed action, 24" barrel, and blue weather coated or stainless barrell and action. How would one go about it (basic step by step) and could it be done for $1,000 without optics? | ||
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For starters you'd need a LH action with a .473 boltface. I have one from MRC in SS and it's essentially a M70 variant with some M98 attributes. You may find your self a donor Ruger 77 SS rifle but you'd be looking at half your budget right there. A good synthetic stock will not be super cheap either. I think your $1000 budget given the quality you seek may be an un-reality. However, if you were willing to do it correctly you could certainly build yourself a high quality, high functioning rifle that will serve your needs adequately for all NA with room to spare. Lots of excellent folks on this site who will be all too willing to share their opinions and experiences so take advantage. Jeff | |||
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J-Po, I have two Lefthand M70's in 35 Whelen and a 358STA. The hardest part is finding a lefthand M-70, any standard long action caliber will do (270 or 30-06) and just rebarrel it. Remington made them for awhile or you can do the same with a standard long action caliber and rebarrel. good luck, Headache | |||
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or you could just rebore and rechamber an existing rifle for under $500 and use the rest of the money to go hunting. | |||
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The CRF would make it tougher. Unless you're hunting dangerous game with it, why bother? You could always buy a PF Savage SS 30.06 with a synthetic stock for about $600 and screw on a prefit SS Pacnor barrel for $260 Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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Please forgive my ignorance, but what is a PF (Savage), and is 30.0c .30-06 calibre? Can a gunsmith just screw the old barrel off and screw in the other barrel (I know it's most likely not that simple, but close?). Fjold, your idea seems the most cost effective. Would I be able to expect accuracy to be close to an untouched savage out of the box? I have a Savage in .270 and like it, so having another in .35 whelen would not be bad. I would like CRF, as I will be aiming to use this rifle for black bear and moose (possibly). I have had a feeding issue or two over the last couple of years with the Savage .270 as one round came flying out when trying to load the first round once up in my tree stand during deer season, and the rifle likes 3 rounds in the magazine not 4, otherwise it doesn't feed the second round (kinda important). Can the same thing (new barrel) be put on a ruger w/CRF? | |||
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Sorry, the PF is pushfeed and the 30.0c was supposed to be 30.06, the parent case of the 35 Whelen. With the Savages you don't even have to have a gunsmith do the change. You can do it yourself with a vise, a couple of hardwood blocks, a Savage barrel nut wrench (Available as Midway for $30) and a 30.06 headspace gage. Accuracy should be as good as or better than a stock Savage since if you use a Shilen or Pacnor barrel it will be of higher quality than the factory tube. You can change the barrel to the CRF Ruger, you just have to pay a gunsmith to thread, chamber and fit the replacement barrel blank since you can't do it at home like you can with a Savage. Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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The only lefthanded 35w rifles i have seen is varberger. http://www.kolvmakeri.se/index...ode=page&open=1&id=8 | |||
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My brother and I both have rebarreled savages in 35 whelen. I did mine first on a newer one and then found, IIRC, a 1959 vintage left hand savage for my bro and sent it to him. I bought 2 A&B barrels from Midway several years ago and think I paid $120 for both shipped. I wasn't expecting great accuracy but, lo and behold, both turned out to be MOA or better shooters. Just like Fjold said...barrel, vise, blocks, wrench and '06 headspace gauge. Takes about 20 minutes and then probably another 30 min to float the barrel and seal the channel (if needed). And then off to the range you go...to be AMAZED!!! Brad | |||
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by the way if anyone is interested, I think I paid about $225 for the '59 savage...now that one my bro has is Uber Cool!! | |||
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Grab a used Rem 700 action in 30-06 toss or sell the barrel and have a smith chamber a decent 35Wheelen barrel. As a fellow lefty I feel some of your pain. I did this route a few times and have been pleased. I could not find any used LH so I had to buy new. I have decided for a few dollars more to go the route of Stiller precision actions to build off of. I have a 35Wheelen AI in the process. Complete action w. bottom metal and Jewell trigger was $1125. Hart barrel was $315 and smith work is $250. Luckily he already has the 35Wheelen AI reamer. | |||
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Built my lefty Whelen on a stainless MRC action mated to a Lilja stainless barrel. Glassed the action into a McMillan stock and topped it off with a Leupold 2.5x8. Before the scope had approximatly $1,300-$1,400 invested. My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost. | |||
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Ruger had a limited run of #1 .35 whelens. Thats commercial but I've only seen two ever. Any 06 rebarreled as mentioned above will get you there. DRSS NRA life AK Master Guide 124 | |||
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I built my LH Whelen off a Charles Daly/ Zastava mauser action. It is by far my favorite rifle    | |||
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