Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber 35 Whelen never being made

Given that the same amount of material is removed from the barrel from stem to stern, I fail to see how balance is grossly affected. And, as EdM says, balance can be restored. Holes in the buttstock under the pad, or adding a little material to the fore arm. However, I doubt balance will be effected enough to notice.

Where people get these ideas that muzzle wall thickness should be .150" is beyond me??? Lothar Walther's Art. 718 barrel has a muzzle diameter of .591" and is offered in 9,3x62.
While a Ruger may be less expensive, is it really what you want?

Very good price.

Ok, glad it will work. The Kimber's balance isn't great in smaller calibers....it will only be made worse by removing metal. Not sure how to punch a few holes in the butt of a Montana.

The barrels on your rifles run clear to the buttpad?

I've already had a few PM's asking the location! It is a good deal. They had 3-4 in stainless last year for the same price. I bought one and they dissapeared fast.

Don't yours?

If the rifle balances well to begin with a rebore is unlikely to affect it by much if any. If it didn't balance well, then I'd expect that to remain the same after a rebore. Unless it was butt heavy. Seriously, how much weight to you honestly think is removed in the process?

I've done more than a few and haven't found one yet where balance was affected detrimentally. If it were, it is easy enough to add back a bit of weight to compensate.

You're right, the effect on a rifle with decent balance shouldn't be great. My issue is that the Kimbers, especially the Classics, don't have a high % of weight out front. So removing metal will only make it worse. Personally, I would rather have a rifle be a bit barrel heavy than butt heavy. Balancing over the lug seems about perfect.

I'm with you, I prefer a slight weight forward bias, it really helps settle things down when shooting offhand. And, if as you say, the Kimber has a weight rearward bias, it ain't gonna get better. You can replace some of the weight lost via the rebore and place it towards the tip of the fore end.

The rifles I have had rebored all had proper balance to begin with. That would be a good starting point to be sure.

at this point rebarrel do it once

Snake

They are certainly not as light as a Kimber, but the older Ruger 77RS with the tang safety in .35 Whelen is nice. I picked up one several years ago in original mint condition. The nice thing about it, is you can buy a trigger spring, and a sear from Ernie, and have one of the finest triggers around. I never put the new sear in, as the new lighter trigger spring did the trick. Good luck in finding a nice Whelen.

G2

Though no expert, I was under the impression the OP was with regard to the 84L and it was a wood stocked rifle and not a Montana. Help me out here as I am not a Kimber buff?

Exactly. Also, when someone posts that they want a specific model, the assumption is that they actually like that model, are comfortable with it, and therefore want it. thus, the response to buy the '06 and have it rebored. All told, you add under $250 to the acquisition price.

Other folks may not feel the rifle balances well, but since the OP expressed a desire to own one, I assume (I know, dangerous word) that he is ok with it. I don't know about you but I rarely, ok never, buy a rifle that doesn't fit me well, points like crap, or balances poorly.

I'm assuming the user is bright enough to figure out he might be able to rebore a 30/06. Guessing if that's what he wanted he would have done so 18 months ago.

Seriously, many shooters have no idea you can rebore a barrel.

Is there even enough metal in an 84L barrel to rebore safely to .35 Whelen? Hell, if it me, I'd opt to rebarrel and go 9.3x62mm

Have 2 projects going now. Have a 84L in 06 that could become a 9.3 x 62 in a heartbeat. Kimber classic select. Anyone suggest barrel conture, needs more chicken no doubt. Also who to do the rebarrel.

So if I were to get a 30/06 rebored to Whelen how do they mark the new caliber on the barrel? Will it just be another stamp or do they take the old caliber markings off some how? I have a P64 M70 that was rechambered from 358 to 350 Rem Mag and the smith never marked it in any way.

Mine have a nice, smooth ground flat over the original and a proper, engraved remark of the new though with my pre-war JP Sauer I requested no change in markings as I wanted the fine octagon to round finely cross filed integrally ribbed with finely engraved marking left untouched. My son's now what to shoot out of it.