Looks like i am finally going to be able to start my Whelen. I have been doing a lot of research on barrels and smiths but can't seem to make up my mind where or who to send it to. Here is a list of what i'm thinking so far.

Pre 64 Mod.70 FWT Action
PacNor or Douglas Barrel
.625-.650 Muz Dia.
1in12" Twist
22"-24" Length

So what i would like to Know is Who would ya'll recomend to me to send it too. This will be the first rebarrel job for me so i would really like your recomendations and opinions.
Thanks Karry

I would find a good local or close by smith to do the work. It can save a lot of headaches down the road. Word of mouth should help find one and then talk to him about your project. If not that I'd send it to Douglas and let them do it.

KLM:
Send your action up to Pac-Nor. Have them put a 24" barrel, the contour to fit your stock, and finish of your choice, on it and go shoot. They'll true up the action, and do what ever else you want, and they are reasonable! I have 2 more projects, I am getting ready to send them. They are very high quality, and I don't have to worry about the "ding bat" local guy taking a year to get it done, or even worse losing my stuff.

Jerry

Oh the story I could tell about ding bats and pac nor

Thanks for the replies. Actually i would like to hear about them good or bad. Thanks Karry

What, a Whelen without iron sights? That takes away 1/2 the looks and versatility from the gun. I have an older Ruger M77RS that I had customized by Mark Bansner back around 1992. What a fine gun it is too. One of the things I like best is the Metalife Hard Chrome finish, plus the Hi-Tech specialties fiberglass stock made by Mark in his shop. Trim, light, looks and shoots great and its a wonderful medium range hammer. Enjoy your new project and finished rifle.

Karry, I did have a bad experience with Pac Nor but they have very good customer service so if you want to go there I wouldn't worry about it. I think it's a bit ridiculous to say the local guys are "ding bats". Some are for sure, but Pac Nor sure had a ding bat that did my rifle, just pointing that out. I think finding a good nearby Smith has many benefits. For one you're not dealing with shipping issues and that's a big thing for me having had a rifle trashed by Fed Ex. I also like being able to talk with the guy doing the work, it makes it easier if things come up in the future. The key is picking a good one.

I would find a good loacal smith.
Find onw who has custom rifles on the wall he built ! Consider that his resume,
I would go with a 24 inch barrel and get your self a williams hinged floor plate. The featherweight one is darn tuff to reblue worth a damn.
If you happen to be anywhere near where I live, Portland oregon I can give you the number of an excelent smith or two.
Personaly I would stick with a wood stock for a whelen. As for sights its a prety good Idea. A good ghost ring is quite easy to use if you have decent eyes. NEGC has a gost ring that fits a weaver style base and you can get say a 1X4 Leupold scope in QD rings, along with the NEGC site and you could switch them out in a hurry. Great round and a great action. I would use a decent douglas barrel. A Whelen is a 300 yard rifle tops , so a lilga or somthing is a needles expence in my mind...tj3006

Woodrow, irons are on my list but at a latter time. To start it will have a Leupold 2.5x8 in Talley Light weights but will talk to whom ever gets my buisness about it. Thanks Karry

quote:

Originally posted by KLM300:
Looks like i am finally going to be able to start my Whelen. I have been doing a lot of research on barrels and smiths but can't seem to make up my mind where or who to send it to. Here is a list of what i'm thinking so far.

Pre 64 Mod.70 FWT Action
PacNor or Douglas Barrel
.625-.650 Muz Dia.
1in12" Twist
22"-24" Length

So what i would like to Know is Who would ya'll recomend to me to send it too. This will be the first rebarrel job for me so i would really like your recomendations and opinions.
Thanks Karry

TRY:

Mill Creek Shooter Supply
3520 Old Seguin Rd.
Seguin, TX 78155

PH# (830) 372-1417 Ask for Jim Hillin, he has done some work for me in the past and all of them were shooters!

PS. This may be OLD contact info so you may need to do just a bit of searching. ALSO, congrats on going with the 1/12" twist barrel!!! With my 1/14", I'm having TWIST envy.

I have a 1:14 twist Shilen barrel on my 35 Whelen. It will shoot 310 grain bullets at 100 yards without any problems. But it really prefers 225 grain bullets for best accuracy.

Demsey, I like your signature.. my wife always laughs when she sees the sign "slow children playing", are the children slow?