HI,

I have to many rifles I want and not enough green,every ones problem. Anyway I have a browning 95,3006, that I would like to convert to either a 375 hawk or a 411 hawk or a 9.3 x62. I am leaning toward a 9.3 as I can buy brass without having to fire form brass or anything. My question is if anyone has a 375 hawk how is the reliablity and what do you think of the round? The 411 hawk, I do not see any advantage over a 405 and brass for the 405 is easier to get?,Kev

I have wanted one of those Brownings for a long time, I have a lot of very fine rifles, but, there are a few more I "need".........

Anyway, why not a .35 Whelen, using a 270 gr. Northfork???
It's an American caliber which seems to me to somehow fit better than the 9.3 in the '95. Another one that really appeals to me is the original .35 Winchester, I am not too sure of the ballistics, but, I think it's about the same as the .348, a pretty good Moose gun at close range.

I guess I'm too traditional, somehow, I can't see wildcats in classic lever actions.......but, each to his own!

Kev, I would go 9.3x62 or 35 Whelen, or maybe 338-06. I know Fred builds great guns but, just don't like the look of the Hawk rounds.

Kutenay,35 Winchester is a good round, I bought a Browning 1895 in 30-40 to have converted to either it or the 405 Win. To replace an old shot out one.

Just have never got around to it, nice guns though

HI,
The 35 Whelen is another good idea,I am leaning toward the 9.3 as I to think the hawk rounds may have a few problems with them as far as fire forming althought I may be wrong. I feel it maybe easier to buy 9.3 brass and be done with it,I will now look at thw 35 also,Kev

You can make 9.3 brass from 30-06 or possibly .35 Whelen brass if you have to. That's the nicest part about the .35 Whelen though. You just run 30-06 brass through the die and you have Whelen brass. I'm not sure if it's possible to do it that simply with a 9.3.
I have one of those Brownings in 30-06 and it is destined to become a .35 Whelen sometime down the road. When I do, I will have a 1 in 12" twist to the barrel. It's my personal opinion that Remington and Ruger screwed up when they used a 1 in 16" twist. If you want to use bullets heavier than 250 gr., they may not stabilize in a 1 in 16" twist.
Another point in favor of the Whelen is ammo will probably be a lot easier to find.
I have friends in canada who use the Whelen almost exclusively. Using the 250 gr. Speer Hot-core bullet, they say they have shot through both shoulders of moose. Last year, one drew a tag for grizzly bear and was perfectly confident in using the Speer bullet.
Currently, I have both the Remington Classic and a tang safety Ruger in the Whelen, plus a custom Mauser that has a 1 in 14" twist barrel. Accuracy is good in all three rifles with bullets up to 250 gr., but groups open up significantly with bullets heavier than 250 gr., thus my thoughts on the 1 in 12' twist.
As you probably have guessed by now, my choice would definitely be the .35 Whelen.
Paul B.

I looked at converting a 1895 earlier this year to a 9.3x62. The cost was so high I just couldn't make sense of it. Keep the 30-06 and buy a 375 H&H or what ever trips your trigger. It will probably be less costly, just as good of a shooter and you'll still have a origional 1895 in a great caliber. Heck you could even buy another 1895 in 405 Winchester and still have saved several C notes.

That, IMO, is probably the best piece of advice that any of us have given yet.

I know that Dave Scovill of "Rifle" magazine and other guys like that get these reworks done, but, they can afford to do it as, I will bet, the magazine pays for it as a method of generating material for articles other then the " The .270 vs. the .280, which one really works????..., you know, the usual b.s.

I have an extremely high opinion of the limited edition rifles put out by Browning and made by Miroku, I have one and it is as fine a firearm as my rather expensive Dakota; I would love to have more and would shoot them in their original calibers.

Kutenay,

I've got to agree with you, the conversions done in the rags are fine and dandy but when it comes down to the nut cuttin' the standard rounds do just fine. JMO the 35 Whelen would handle anything in N. America.

Yeah I'd love to have one of those custom lever guns as well. I personally think the 9.3x62 would be very slick in a 1895. It would present a chambering in a lever gun that would be legal to hunt with in some African countries. But theres that peskey price tag. I think the 30-06 is one of the greatest rounds you could probably have in a 1895. It might not be sexy but it will damn sure get the job done !

Kev,

Since you have a 50-110, adding a 411 Hawk would seem to close to what you already have. Personally I would opt for a 9.3 x 62 because you can make 300 yard shots with it, and factory ammo is available (even if it is not exactly common).

HI,

500grains,I agree with you that is why I think I will get my 85 in a 9.3 down the road and it is still a very good hitter,Kev

Kev
I have a Mauser Mark X that was converted to 375 Whelen a number of years ago, for shooting cast bullets only. The making of the case is really simple with Redding dies. I just run the case into the die to open the mouth and I'm ready to load the case. Before the second loading the case mouth gets trimmed.
I was lucky to spot a Browning 95, 30-06, in the local trading post, when I had the urge to buy one. Then a friend found Winchester 95s in 405 caliber, and he just had to show me. With the 405 the pressure to convert the Browning 95 to 375 Whelen is lessened, but the urge to do it is there. I've got the loading dies, the case making die, the bullet molds, sizing dies etc., so I would be foolish to convert this Browning 95 to anything but.
Jim

Kev,
As you and I have discussed, I have a 1895 Winchester in 411 Hawk. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the rifle, but like 500Grains pointed out, it would be duplicative of purpose between the 50-110 and the 411 Hawk. Not that they are the same cartridge, but would be a hard choice to decide which to use since they are for practically the same purpose. Also, the 411 Hawk does add some velocity over the 405 Winchester, but I don't think it actually improves the performance that much at the ranges those two are likely to be used. The Hawk costs a bit more than a factory chambered 405 for like performance.

The 375 Whelen, Brown-Whelen or Scovill-Hawk and the 9.3x62 are similar to the 411 Hawk and 405 Winchester debate. The 9.3 has the luxury of not having to form cases or buying from a custom case manufacturer.

It's a toss up between any of these cartridges to be honest with you. The rifle is limiting you on the ranges to shoot at game. The 1895 isn't scope friendly and, at least for me, irons or peep sights aren't for shooting 300 yards at live game. At closer ranges on deer I don't think you'll notice any difference. On moose and bears, I like the idea of the 40 cal's, but then agan, you already have the 50.

My Hawk weighs in at roughly 8.5 pounds and is fairly short and handy rifle. I think it's a great rifle for coastal Alaska or the thick puckerbrush in the interior.

Your call.

HI,

RR,the 6.5x55 is that on the light side?,I really do not know alot on this round how heavy can one go up to ,I think maybe 160 grains or so?,Kev