Hello, I plan to build a 35 Whelen if i can save enough money in the near future. I was wondering if any whelen fans would consider posting pictures of their rifles. Also any recomendations as too what barrel contours muzzzle diameter and twist. I have a Pre" 1964 Win Mod. 70 FWT action that i will use and was thinking about a 23" barrel, 1/12 or 1/14 twist,with a .625 to .650 muzzle diameter. Havent decided on a stock yet but it will be a synthetic, Also was thinking if i go with the .650 diameter i might have it fluted and the entire barreled action finished in flat black matte. Thanks Karry

Karry, you're certainly in the drivers seat with that rig. Keep us posted with pics on what you do with it.

DB

KLM300,

Welcome to AR.

This picture is of my 1903 Springfield actioned 35 Whelen with a 22" Shilen barrel. I believe it is a #3 contour (medium). The barrel twist is 1:14 and the stock came from Richards Microfit. Decelerator recoil pad.

Things I would chage. Keep the barrel 24", add open sites. Some say the 1:12 twist barrel is better and it may be. But I have found that 225grain Barnes TSX will do everything I need, so I don't see the need for the faster twist. I have shot up to 300 grain RN without any indication of key holing. But if a 1:12 barrel can be had, and you have visions of shooting heavier bullets then 250 grain, then you may want to go with it.

Good luck with your project,
BigBullet

I take it this is going to be an actual all-weather take it in the woods and kill things rifle rather than a pretty "display"
piece?

What is a normal "sporter weight" diameter for a 30-06
is a "featherweight" for a whelen...
Weight is your friend so if it were my rifle I'd look at making the barrel diameter a bit fatter at the muzzle at .75"

I'd keep the tube at 24" and go with the faster
1:12 twist because the 1:14" essentially closes
the door on using the 250's

In synthetic stocks there is nothing that beats a laminate for rugged utility.... nothing!
I think the whole "light synthetic stock soaking up recoil"
line that I frequently read is the purest night soil of a well fed male bovine. (though people still say it)
The only things that soak up recoil are thick mushy recoil pad (Can you say: "Limbsaver"? Sure you can!)
and mass. (Mabey mercury tube(s) in the stock butt?)
Hey, I'm putting a mercury tube in my 30-06!
(I'll take every advantage I can get!)

if you are going for a black matte finish might I suggest a stainless barrel then have the whole rifle done in black teflon?

AllanD

Here is mine. It is currently getting a safety transplant and now has a hinged floorplate.

98 milsurp with 24" Douglass barrel. Stock is a GAGS.

Allan..I have to disagree with you. My Whelen has a 1:14 twist barrel and it shoots 250gr hornady spitzers very accurately. Don't close that door too quickly on the 250gr bullets...

Zeeriverrat..

I have three rifles in .35 Whelen, two factory jobs (Remington 700 Classsic and a Ruger 77RS) and a custom Mauser on an Oberndorf action. The two factory rifles have 1 in 16" twists to their barrels and the Mauser a 1 in 14" twist.
The factory rifles are accurate with the 250 gr. bullets I've used, Remington factory ammo, and Hornady and Speer in handloaded ammo. The Mauser's accuracy is in the same ball park with groups only very slightly smaller. The slower twists do not shoot well with bullets heavier than 250 gr., and the I consider the 1 in 14" twist a bit marginal for the 275 gr. bullets I have. The next Whelen will have a 1 in 12" twist. PERIOD!
Regarding synthetic stocks, well to each his own. Most of my serious hunting rifles have them and the new Whelen will have one. Do they reduce recoil.I can't say positively, but I do have to fairly hard kicking rifles that have them, both Ruger 77s. One is the .35 Whelen mentioned above. I replaced the stock because it was just too darn pretty to scar up. Apparent recoil does seem to be less with the synthetic stock. The other rifle is a .375 Taylor wildcat that gives .375 H&H punch in a standard length action. My recoil meter, AKA my shoulder, says yes apparent felt recoil is less.
The key word here is "apparent".
Paul B.

KLM300,

I was at a friend place the other day who has about a dozen semicustom p64s from 6mmRem to 458win.
His utility 64 had a Mcmillan G&H synthetic. I didnt think much of them just by looking at the website, but when I handled his rig I was surprised what anice stock it was/is, with a real neat forend shape and effective cheekpiece.
Barrel Dia: I like .630"@25 1/2",but with your shorter tube I like .675"@23" .If I was building a utility rig(in my case it would be 9.3x62), that is what I would probably do.

Thanks for the replies keep them coming. One more question i forgot to ask was about field ready weight i.e. with scope,sling and full mag if you happen to know.
Allan, yes this will be a hunting drag it through what ever rifle. Thanks again for the replies and pictures, cant what to see more. Karry

Those are all some fine looking rifles in a great caliber ! I have no Idea how to post a picture of mine here or i would, Its a grat round and I did mine on the cheap with a adama and bennet barrel and stock kit from midway. Its a millsurp mauser.
i would not worry about recoil. If its a problem for you shoot somthing smaller.
If you worry about the kick you will feel it worse ...tj3006

Excellent rifles all. Another one, perhaps the nicest seen in recent times, was a Gary Goudy job listed for many months by Morris Hallowell. Some of us actually consider rifles like this "actual all-weather take it in the woods" hunters. This piece is no longer cataloged on Hallowell's site, so it may have been sold. However, the link is still active; here is the leading image. There are several more here.

1903-A3 Springfield. 22" ER Shaw barrel.

I'm thinking more like 400 Whelen in a 1917 Enfield. My 35 is a 7600 and although a go to gun, it is not pretty as in a custom gun. Sorry, not a picture available. Packrattusnongratus

Once again thanks for the replies everyone. GrandView tell me how do you like the Shaw barrel on your rifle.
Thomas im not worried about recoil, i would still like to hear about your rifle.
Woodjack thanks for the recomendation, I have been doing a lot of research on stocks and have looked at Mcmillan and Rimrock just two name a couple. But i have yet too actually put my hands on one to see how it really looks and feels. Thanks Karry

I had shaw barrel up a older winchester m70 to 35 whelen for my father this year as a birthday present. I was pretty impressed with the job they did on both the barrel and the reblue. The stock was an old take off stock that they had at a local gun shop, I redid and fitted it myself. Overall it turned out really good.

I have a cheap Adams & Bennet barrel for my Savage 110 30-06, in 35 Whelen, it has the one in 14" twist. Every American rifle manufacturer uses a one in 16" rate and every one who has a Whelen or .350 rem mag agrees that there is no problem with stablilizing 250gr bullets.

The one in 14" rate should stabilize bullets in the 270, 275, and 280gr weight range. I believe a one in 12" would be needed for 300, and 310gr bullets. I would definately go with a one in 12", thats whats in my blr .358 win and it does great with light bullets.

Once again thanks for all the replies. If anyone else has a whelen but and arent able to post pics i would still like to hear about it. I have one more question about stocks but i'll start another post for it. Thanks Karry

Holy shmoly! Nice Whelens, can't think of a bear objecting to be taken with them!