my VZ 24 has a Douglas # 5 contour barrel. It must be 28" long ......how short could you recomend going. It is in a Hougue rubber stock and does not seem well ballanced (heavy in the front)

Mine is 23" long, just right for my rifle.

Doug

22"-24" strikes me as right. Mine is 24.

My wife just shot a cow elk this morning with her 35 Whelen Ruger Hawkeye SS synthetic stock rifle. This rifle has a 22" barrel. The cow dropped where it stood. The distance was 254 yards and she used Federal Premium ammo with the 225 gr. TBBC at 2600 fps. The rifle weighs 7.5 lbs.(without scope, rings and full magazine) and with the 22"barrel, it's a joy for her to carry. Anyway, we observed no ill effect with the 22" tube.

I had rebored rem factory 22" on mine. Changed it to a #5 Douglas 24". Rough rebore on the first barrel and it fouled easily. Both were 1 in 12 twist barrels. Love the Whelen. The #5 Douglas gives it a little more weight up front and I like that. Go with a 24" and you can always shorten it latter if you want.

If you could be there when gunsmith cutting barrel have him cut it 25" if 28" or if 27" cut it 24". Then see how it balance before it's crowned sure don't want to cut it too short.

I used Kreiger #4 heavy sporter for 35 WhelenAI and balance real good for me at 24.5" long.

Good luck

25.5 on mine, a Springfield 03, and I love it. Heavy gun but still it's my favorite.

I picked up a 98 with a 27 inch light sporter barrel in 338-06 haven't seen the need to cut it off.

My Remington 700 CDL 35 Whelen with a 24" barrel has a nicely balanced feel (however I would have preferred a 1-in-12" twist instead of 1-in-16" to properly stabilize 310gr bullets).

Well IMO, you should have bought a CZ 9.3x62 as it's superior but as you have the 35, and if it shoots well, leave it alone.
The weight out front will make a better offhand gun and the myth about missing shots due to 4-6" of barrel is a myth. I hunt grouse in dense cover with a 32" barrel O/U and have yet to miss a shot because the bbls got hung up on a tree.

quote:

Originally posted by metalbeater:
The weight out front will make a better offhand gun and the myth about missing shots due to 4-6" of barrel is a myth. I hunt grouse in dense cover with a 32" barrel O/U and have yet to miss a shot because the bbls got hung up on a tree.

yet you forget that the action length of your O/U is far shorter than a standard length bolt action.

Though I have 30" barrels on my 1921 era S/S 12 gauge, I much prefer 26" barrels on a 12 gauge O/U as it's far handier for snap shooting.

But like everything else, barrel length is a personal choice...

It is not "far shorter" we're talking about less than 2". Show me a well respected PH or Alaskan guide that has actually been hampered by barrel length. It's like the other old myth about short stroking 3.6" magnum bolt guns.
Remember that "back in the day" Mauser made a rifle specifically for African hunting with a 28" barrel.
Shoot a Persian Mauser rifle and a K98, you'll be illuminated.

Metalbeater or meatballer, no difference, LOL! 9.3X62, it's about the 35 Whelen, you guys should stay at home, until the subject is aout your choice of cartridge. 24" barrel.

Who said 22 to 24" is correct IMHO. Mine has a 24" .

Long barrels on rifles do get hung up in thick bush. Been there done that. This happens mostly when walking/stalking not so much when taking the shot.

quote:

Originally posted by 4sixteen:
My Remington 700 CDL 35 Whelen with a 24" barrel has a nicely balanced feel (however I would have preferred a 1-in-12" twist instead of 1-in-16" to properly stabilize 310gr bullets).

I like that sling, can you tell me what kind it is?

The 35 Whelen AI I just traded off had a 24" barrel on it and it did ok, if I were to do it again I'd go with a 22" tube. To me the shorter barrels seem to handle better in my old age LOL.

quote:

Originally posted by montea6b:

quote:

Originally posted by 4sixteen:
My Remington 700 CDL 35 Whelen with a 24" barrel has a nicely balanced feel (however I would have preferred a 1-in-12" twist instead of 1-in-16" to properly stabilize 310gr bullets).

I like that sling, can you tell me what kind it is?

It originated from a Samozaryadnyj Karabin Simonova = SKS.

MOst of the cartridges with a 30-06 parent case work well with barels from 20 to 26 inches..Longer or shorter extracts a price I suppose, but that 358 bore kills by weight, and mass more so than by velocity. Also that cross section adds to its ability to put about anyhting in the salt.

If it wasn't for the 9.3x62 I would probably own a couple of 35 Whelens..great caliber.

I cut mine to 20 inches. I like short barrels and the Whelen is not hurt by running a 20 inch barrel.

The Whelan was designed as a short to medium range rifle suitable for all that walks on the NA Continent, and maybe Africa for that matter..

Inasmuch as its not a particulary long range caliber and I do have better calibers for long range, I would opt for a 20 inch fairly heavy barrel (for frontal balance)and go elk hunting in Idahos black timber areas with a perfect rifle for the job, and wouldn't hesitate using it for Mule deer as I seldom shoot anything beyond 300 yards, and I'm not adverse to "not taking a shot" at the best of trophy Muleys if I think he is too far or have doubts about the shot. That happens a lot when I'm carrying a 25-35 or its ilk. You have to walk away.

I am a fan of 24" bbls and my Whelen is that length as well. I really dont care for 20" tubes at all, however I could see the point in certian configurations. Personaly I wouldnt want a Whelen with less than a 22" tube. If you want a rifle strictly for fast handeling and thick brush then something like a BLR 358 Win seems to make more sense to me.

I view the Whelen as a very effective plains game or Elk round out to 250-300 yds. And on that consideration 22" to 26" just makes more sense in my view. I guess it just depends on what you want to do with it..

Given enough bbl, the Whelen is to the 358 Norma what the 06 is to the 300 WM. only a couple hundred fs difference. Nuter it and you get closer to 358 Win power levels. Especialy with larger slugs where it really shines.

Barrel length & muzzle velocities: With the same charge of Reloder 15 and 250 gr bullets, I get about 2550 fps from my 700 (24" barrel) and about 2375 fps from my 750 (18.5" barrel).

A quick 2nd shot from the 750 more than makes up for the difference.

I have 2 Whelens. One, open sight and a 24" bbl. The other, 19" and oddly enough scoped. I'm a big fan of longer barrels but find myself grabbing that 19" gun all the time. It is probably the ugliest rifle I own.

I had my model 77 Ruger re-barreled from 22 inches to 26 inches and love it.

I'll be putting together a Whelen build later this year.

I'm going: #3 Pac-Nor, 5 groove, 12" twist @ 22". This on a M70 classic SS action. The clock just started for the McMillan waiting game yesterday on a New Winchester Hunter Edge stock.

quote:

Originally posted by MuskegMan:
I'll be putting together a Whelen build later this year.

I'm going: #3 Pac-Nor, 5 groove, 12" twist @ 22". This on a M70 classic SS action. The clock just started for the McMillan waiting game yesterday on a New Winchester Hunter Edge stock.

Sounds like a winner.

quote:

Originally posted by metalbeater:
It is not "far shorter" we're talking about less than 2". Show me a well respected PH or Alaskan guide that has actually been hampered by barrel length. It's like the other old myth about short stroking 3.6" magnum bolt guns.
Remember that "back in the day" Mauser made a rifle specifically for African hunting with a 28" barrel.
Shoot a Persian Mauser rifle and a K98, you'll be illuminated.

Here is one - and short stroking is not a myth either.




And I cut the barrel of my Mauser 35 Whelen back to 18 inches.

The shotgun I shoot best however is a M-12 with 28 " barrels --- but I am not crawling through thick pucker brush after something liable to kill me when I am ptarmigan hunting.

I have short tubes, long tubes and in between tubes, I have no idea which one is best or which one I like best, I have no complaint with any of them under most conditions so I let a "moment of choice take over" or just grab one and go..

Some points of interests with me are how the gun balances and I like a long std wt. tube of 26 inches, a 22 inch fwt. is nice, and a stiff short cabine barrel with some weight out front is nice and points well...

I seem to be better off hand with a 26 inch std. wt. barrel such as my pre 64 mod. 70 junker in 300 H&H..but I like the 20 inch 9.3x62 real well..

As to shooting in the bush, barrel length has never been a problem with me, maybe if I knew before hand where that limb would be I could pick a gun for that but I don't!! but I suppose I would grab the 20 inch gun just in case, and because I'm supposed to, and thats why I had to have it, and its perhaps handier and feels goooood!

If I'm hunting I'm so happy that I just don't care what I have in my hand if I can shoot it well, just glad to be there.

I had a guy get on my case because I profess to hate SS and plastic guns, and he caught me with a SS and plastic gun, He had to back down, it was my blueless 300 H&H and its exhibition driftwood stock. Its been around a while, lived in a saddle scabbard, left in the barn and sleeps in the floorboard of my pickup, and shot some big animals and DG in some mighty thick brush a time or two..

I suppose I'm too much of a gun nut to be able to make a firm decision on what I will hunt with on any given moment, I like'um all and that keeps me in trouble on the internet with the my way or the hiway crowd! ...

I just got it back from my son and checked it.
26". I wouls likw to go to 22"
I suppose the barrel needs to come off to do it and then crowned & headspaced again.
Thanks for the input. Lee

quote:

Originally posted by kaprota:
my VZ 24 has a Douglas # 5 contour barrel. It must be 28" long ......how short could you recomend going. It is in a Hougue rubber stock and does not seem well ballanced (heavy in the front)

Seems heavy for several reasons: First, that is a heavy contour. Second, long barrel. Shortening to 22" will improve the feel and eliminate some weight. You will never notice and difference in performance. It will still kill things just as dead.

In my shop, I wold pull the barrel to shorten and crown the barrel.. Others will leave it in place, shorten the barrel and then crown it using a piloted tool. All depends on who you have do the work.

I have a 35 Whelen AI on a 1917 action. 22" barrel with 1 - 14 twist. Shoots the 250 gr to clover leave at 100 yrds. I like the 22" length because of handling and weight.