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RE-BORED .338 INTO 35 WHELEN??

REDREDBONEREDREDBONE Member Posts: 94 ✭✭
edited May 2006 in Ask the Experts
I HAVE A RUGER MKII M77 IN .338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM. CAN THIS BE DRILLED OUT TO BECOME A 35 WHELEN? (NOT REBARRELED!)
IF SO, ANY BALLPARK FIGURE AS TO WHAT IT MIGHT RUN ME??
THANKS IN ADVANCE FOLKS.
RED IN N.H.

Comments

  • Bert H.Bert H. Member Posts: 11,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No, it can not be simply rebored. The 338 Winchester Magnum cartridge case is much larger than the 35 Whelen cartridge case. The 338 is a true belted magnum case, whereas the 35 Whelen is just a 30-06 case necked up to .35 caliber. In order to convert a 338 Win Mag to 35 Whelen, you would have to either sleeve the chamber, or set the barrel back.
  • ern98ern98 Member Posts: 1,725 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The case size isn't the only problem, the bolt face and feed rails of the receiver are dimensioned for belted magnum sized cartridges as well. While it is practical to convert a -06 type action to a magnum configuration it is unfortunetly not practical to convert back the other way. I personally like my 338WinMag, but if you want to go to something larger then you need to think along the lines of: 358Norm, 375Taylor, 416Taylor and 458WinMag. If you are willing to rebarrel then any standard magnum can be made to work. The range of these cartridges starts with the 257Wby and runs the gambit on up. These days rebarreling is just about the same cost as boring to a larger caliber. After market barrels are also the best they have ever been, due to CNC machining and the available metals. As I understand it the big difference between the average aftermarket barrel and the top end stuff is the amount of final finish work done in lapping the bore. Larger caliber magnums can be effective long range cartridges ane will benifit from top grade barrel. But, short range heavy stopping setups work ok with more modest barreles as there isn't as much being asked of them.
  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Just say it would be cheaper to buy a whole new rifle in .35whelen...
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,733 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you want a .35 you can rebore to 358 Norma Mag. Basically the 338 win mag with a 358 bullet. Everything should work fine. I don't know if .020 will clean the grooves from the 338 so you might need to maintain the same rate of rifling twist in the 35 caliber.
  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Actually, it's only 0.012" that has to be removed because you're going from the 0.338" groove depth of the original barrel to the 0.350" bore diameter (top of the lands) required for the new barrel. It's accomplished with a pull reamer since there isn't much material to be removed. Then the grooves are cut into the bore to the final depth of 0.358" at the bottom of the groove diameter.

    Best.
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