So anyway, I've got this really nice 35 Whelen with a beautiful piece of walnut that I've stopped using and that nobody will buy (?????). I guess maybe I'll re-barrel it - it's on a Remington 721 action.

Four criteria:

1) I'm thinking a stand rifle - something that doesn't need to be feather light or stubby barrelled.

2) No magnums, belted or otherwise - not my bag.

3) Shots will vary from 50-300 yds, depending on which stand I park myself.

4) Whitetails to elk.

I'm open to factory or wildcat suggestions. Thanks.

[ 07-22-2003, 08:21: Message edited by: 9.3x62 ]

Elk to 400 yards and NO Magnums does not compute. To be a reliable killer of elk at 400 yards is where the power [big, heavy bullet with enough velocity to give expansion and buck the wind] of a magnum shines.
For deer only I would say a 270 or 30-06. throw in elk to 400 yards and I would pick a 300 mag as a minimum and take a hard look at the 340 WBY class of cartridges. You owe it to the elk to use enough power for a clean kill.

Ok, I changed it to 300 yds. (I'll stalk the extra 100 if necessary). I have been and always will be magnum free.

In that case I would just keep the 35 Whelen. I would shoot a 225 Nosler Partition, or use a 225 Sierra for the shots over 200 yards, since they are cheaper and you will need to do a lot of practice and at 200 to 300 yard velocities the Sierra should be ok even on elk, and have a 223 Nosler partition load that hits the same place sa the Sierra for the up close shots.

Max velocity of the 225 Partition [from Nosler] is 2525fps. Velocity at 300 yards 1934fps.
With a 200 yard zero drop is -10.2" at 300 yards.

If you want a project go to the .338-06. Faster than the 35 and better bullet selection too.

you whelen is good to 300 yards. loaded properly it will do what you ask.
if you just want something different build a nice 284 on your action. you should be able to seat the big bullets way out and it would be fun. very accurate to. you could use a standard taper 24" tube. sounds like fun.
enjoy......
woofer

.30-06 with 26 inch tube, 2900fps with 180s

9.3X64 with a 26" tube?

I'd like to keep the Whelen, but it has a shortish barrel, plus my 9.3x62 covers all the same ground. I just don't reach for the Whelen anymore. Plus, I felt silly hunting whitetails with it.

I'd prefer a nice long barrel, say 25 to 26" - most of my other rifles are 23" or less.

I've had any number of rounds floating round in my brain, including 7x57, 284 (w/ a long throat), 7x64, 280, 30-06, 8mm-06, 338-06.

Anyone have any accuracy experience with the 7x64 or 8mm-06?

For opening day or stand hunting where little walking is done almost any rifle will do if the bullet is big and fast enough but sure enough you will be walking with it during the day.

So consider a Ruger #1 or some other single shot since stand hunting produces the most easy shots.

I use my old #1A in 30-06 most of all for this. It has a 22" barrel however and is an ok woods rifle as well. I do know it will reach to 300 yds or more just fine. There are plenty of other cartridges of course.

How about a 280 AI? With a longer tube (24-26) would give you great speed out of a standard case. Fine for elk with a quality 160 gr. bullet.

This in 308 Winchester:

IMHO,
Burropacker hit the nail on the head. 280AI with a 24" medium weight about .620 at the muzzle. With selected bullets for the different game you will be hunting---it will do it all. And it will fit nicely in that 721 action.

Since you get to make the final decision in this matter, whatever floats your boat.

Ol' John

9.3 x 62.

Since we are both lovers of the older European stuff, if you don't want the 35 Whelan, why not just do a 7 x 57 or 6.5 x 55 ( or 57) with a longer and heavier barrel.

That is sort of what I did when I went the 6.5 route. I rebarreled one 30/06 on a Win featherweight laminated stock to 6.5 x 55 and a 27 inch barrel for open country with a lot of walking.

I rebarreled another 30/06 in the regular Model 70 arrangement to a 6.5 x 57 with a 28 inch heavy sporter barrel. Since I have a lot of faith in the 140 grain 6.5 mm bullets, especially say the Partition, I would not hesitate to use this combo on any stand, at some fairly long ranges ( I use it in casual competitions up to 600 yds.) With the weight of the gun and the barrel length, a stout 140 grain load shoots out the muzzle at 264 Win Mag velocities and has the recoil of a Varmint weight 22/250.

That was my solution when I was pondering the same question.

9.3X62,

My Rem M721 started life as a .30-'06, but I re-barrelled it to .280 Remington. I think that caliber or the Ackley version would do fine for what you want to do.

So would the .30-'06 for that matter.

jim dodd

Thanks for all the input and ideas. I can honestly say I've gone back and forth on this many times.

However, I think I've finally narrowed it down to a 7x57, 7x64, 280, or a 280 AI. I've got tons of 7mm bullets, which has helped me zero-in on the 284 bore. I am having a real hard time narrowing the field further.

From a 26" barrel (w/ 175 gr bullet) I expect

2700 fps from the 7x57
2800 fps from the 7x64 and 280
2875 fps from the 280 AI

I can't imagine that a game animal would ever be able to tell the difference. I have experience with the 7x57 and 280, but not the other two.

I am looking for a compelling argument to choose one of these; thoughts, experiences? Thanks.

9.3

I'd rather use the 9.3x62 than anything mentioned especially on elk...but the old 30-06 is about as good a choice as any if you don't like magnums...110, 150, 180, 200 and 220 gr. bullets and it covers the whole gammit of non magnum rifles and competes with the magnums, its just that many of the new generation havn't discovered its virtures as yet, they are too caught up in hype....

The 7x64 is a excellent cartridge. This one has a 24" barrel and still shoots around MOA after nearly 60 years.

My vote would go for an obscure, ancient cartridge called the ".30 U.S. of 1906" with at least a 26-inch premium barrel. With that rig, I'd opt for a single load for everything. My instinct these days would be to go with the new Barnes TripleX 168-grain bullet, pushed by the most accurate charge of IMR 4350, H4831 or Reloder 22. Put a decent bipod on that rig, and you'll have a rifle that is arguably better than the one used by America's greatest sniper in Vietnam, Carlos Hathcock -- and that's saying a great deal.

A .35 Newton would be sweet. Try finding that reamer! Not to mention boxer primed cases.

No belt, no magnum? Ream it to one of the short magnums, keep the .358 bore and call it a non-magnum.

I don't see anything else on the /06 case as being anything but a perfectly lateral move.
Any ballistic gain will be negligible on elk at any range.

[ 07-26-2003, 00:18: Message edited by: steve y ]