Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles I Completed My 35 Whelen

Sorry but I must share the happiness... It started out as a factory Ruger M77 RS in 35 Whelen with sights missing and the "clubby" wood stock that did not balance very well with the lightweight barrel (.560" at the muzzle). So, the project began. Here it is completed with a Basner stock with shortened forearm, a #1 barrel band, S&K rings and a 2-7X VXII. It weighs 7# 4 oz as shown and 6 1/2# without scope and rear island and the NECG peep installed. It balances just behind the floorplate hinge as shown. I shot it over the weekend with the 225 gr TSX over 60 grs of RL-15 and it did very well.

Very Nice Rig

HBB

Very nice. Got to love the Whelen. How does it shoot in a such a light rifle? Mine weights in at 8Lbs 6oz, has a soft recoil pad and is a pleasure to shoot but with a 1-2 Lbs less....

Very nice! Real rifles do have barrel bands.

Nothing, IMHO, sets a Whelen off more than a nice barrel band.

I would like to hear more about your Basner stock. I am working on a very similar project with a "Liberty Model" of the same rifle in 7x57.

Russ...

Looking good. Had no idea SK made Ruger M77 rings.

Looks good.

Man, that's a tiny barrel for a .35!
The lightest I've had my .338-06 was 7.5 lbs, and it was as much fun as I wanted to shoot without being a PITA. It's now right at 8lbs., which is about perfect, IMO.



What velocities are you getting with this load?

Very very nice rifle. What is the metal finish?

I'm going to guess 225 TSX's over 60 gr RL 15 are running about 2650 fps, give or take. I run 58 gr behind various 250's for just over 2500, in my Remington. Nothing I've hit with it has lived to complain .

More details on the Bansner stock would be great. Did you shorten the forend yourself, or have them do it?

Great job on the build...

DN

You're ready!!

Why, oh why, must you post such photos here!?! You're making me very upset with myself for passing on the same base rifle a few years back! ;)Seriously, that is a fine looking rifle.

Very impressive!

WN

Very nice little thumper there.........

The S&K rings look real clean........

very nice looking rig.

Thanks for the kind words gents. I actually started this project many years ago (the rifle was bought in '96 in West Texas) with the thought of landing on the above. I have been side tracked with sixguns but the release of the Hawkeye got me off my tail to finish it. The rifle was matte blued by a 'smith nearby here in Alberta. I had the extractor done as well as I always liked that look on the M70's. The stock was found in a Houston gunshop junk bin for $30. It was in the ADL style and had been butchered by someone trying to fit it I guess. I called Mark up and asked about cutting it for the standard Ruger magazine/floor plate assembly. He told me to send it in and he would take care of and ship it back at no cost. A great guy for sure and he turned it around in a couple of weeks to boot. If you look behind the shiny thing in the picture below you can see some of my "bondo" work in progress trying to get all the butchering covered up and blended. I cut about a three quarters of an inch from the forend, then removed about an inch and a half more. I then glued the tip back on and acra-glassed the differences. I spent a lot of time and effort getting the entire stock smooth with clean running lines. I painted it with a finely textured matte black paint. The stock, bedded and painted with a "swiss cheesed" Decelerator weighed just at 23 oz IIRC. I did not chronograph the TSX load but do expect 2650 fps or so as suggested. To date I have used the same 58 gr load of RL-15 with the 250 gr Speer and it runs right at 2500 fps too and has proven quite deadly. The recoil is not bad at all due the well designed stock and nice pad I suppose. My 338-06 is lighter yet. I have ordered a fixed blade NECG rear sight that I will try to fit and zero. I called Ruger and they would not sell me one of the Hawkeye African sights suggesting I send my African in and they would fit a new one... Overall I am very pleased with it and it grouped very, very well with the TSX as I have come to expect. I am in the throws of planning a moose combo hunt for next year in BC and she will go along. Again thanks for the interest and kind words.

338-06 as well, you have all the goodies!

It'll be interesting comparing both, as I'm sure the 338-06 is one sweet rig.
Let us know your thought's on these two very practical cal's.