Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 35 Rem to 358 ??

Got a 760 Rem pump and read here someplace where someone converted their 35 Rem to a 358 win. Is it just a matter of reaming the chamber or does it just need to be rebarreled. What about the bolt face and magazine. Anybody know what might be involved in doing this?? Thanks.

Whelen Nut has done it- I'm sure he'll chime in shortly. Simple rechamber with no other mods IIRC.

Just a rechambering job and use the same clips/magazines.

While you are at it, you might think about making it a carbine, too.

WN

That will work... IF you can live with the 1~16" twist. I once owned a Rem M-600 that some previous owner had done so. It shot 200 gr. bullets OK, but I absolutely NO luck with the 250 gr. Ditto my Ruger M-77 w/ 1~16" Twist. I also have a Ruger #3 in .356 Win w/ 1~16" twist.

If it were me; I'd either buy a Rem M-7600 in .35 Whelen, or get a .308 and have it rebored to .35 cal. with either a 1~12" or 1~14" if I were intending to shoot cast bullets.

I figure when Winchester designed the .358 with a 1~12" twist, they did so for a reason. If 1~16" would have been preferred they'd have designed it that way...

GH

What Grasshopper said.

Many Remington 760s have been rechambered from 35 Rem to 358 Win, so it is doable, but will always be handicapped by the slow ROT. That said, it would probably shoot 180 grain Speers nicely and that is a good deer killer.

Jeff

I must be doing something wrong cause I've had no trouble getting the 250 Speers to shoot well in 1/16" 358Win, 35W, and 350Rem Mag. But then I'm not going to shoot prairie dogs at 300yds with those rifles, either.

That said, I generally use the 220 Speer FT, 225 Sierra GK, or 225NP in the 358Win in both a rebored M700 1/12" and rechambered M760 1/16".

I agree the 180 Speer FT is an outstanding deer bullet in both 35Rem and 358/356Win and cast bullets over 250gr need the slower 1/12" twist.

Just my $.02 worth.

WN

35 Rem pumps seem to be quite sellable, you might want to consider finding a used 308 or 243 pump for this project.

My 7600 358 carbine started life as a 243 full length barrel.

Did you have it rebored?

Thanks. I got a whelen, and was wondering how hard it would be to do to give this one a little more punch. Hadn't considered the twist. I may just leave well enough alone since this is a short-range-thick-stuff-open-sight gun for me. On the other hand......

yup, I have several 358s bored out by J.E.S.
Doing another one this year too.

dogs

Well, if you've got a Whelen then why bother? Unless you have an itch that really needs to be scratched...like I did!

If you just want a little more reach/punch from your M760 35R you might want to try the Speer 180's or some of the +P loadings Layne Simpson developed for strong actions like bolt guns, single shots and the 760/7600's. PM me if you want the data to do a little tinkering.

That said, the 35Rem seems to do just fine with standard loadings.

WN

This gun and caliber is new to me and I haven't loaded for it yet but I have a 356Win and I know the dies will work for 358. I like the 35s and considered buying a 358, but then read the conversion is a possibility. As a side note I think I need to get the gun checked out. I fired some hornady leverevolution loads and when I went back to the range the 2nd time I got light primer strikes on the first few rounds I tried to fire (same box of factory loads) so I didn't hunt with it this year. It was a little colder day the 2nd time but only in the 30s. I bought the gun in new condition/unfired and I think maybe sitting all those years (it's a 760)with the firing pin cocked the spring may need replacing, or I possibly broke a pin. Just getting small primer dimple. So gotta resolve that issue first. PM sent just for my info I'd like to see that data. Thanks in advance WN.

If you are not yet loading for your .35R, Buffalo Bore makes a higher performance load using the very good Speer 220 grain at an advertized 2200fps for an easy way to try higher performance .35Rs. May be enough to make you happy.

The .358 is at its best with less than 250 grain bullets, thus I would not let the twist issue deter you from what you want. Let the Whelen handle the 250 and up bullets. Good 200-225s can do all that is needed.

Thanks, I'll check them out also.

I had my 35 Remington 7600 carbine rechambered to .358 Winchester and it really likes 225g Nosler Partitions - shoots them around and inch or less (three shot groups) @ 100 yards and I can't imagine ever needing a heavier bullet - for anything in NA.....so don't let the ROT deter you. This, as others have indicated, is a simple conversion.

PennDog

FWIW, my experience shooting 220 grain Speers in a 356, a rechambered Marlin 336, is that they will stabilize, but they are so tough that they just punch through a sub-150 lbs. whitetail with little or no expansion. That is why I went to the 180 grain Speer for shooting deer with the 356.

Jeff

260Remguy,

From what I have seen with the partitions I will not use them on whitetails for the same reason (performance has been OK - deer all died but the expansion was not great on lung shots)...I went to 200 grain Hornady and results have been much better.

PennDog

I'm not sure where in PA you are located, but there is a gunsmith in northeastern PA that has the model 760 .35 Rem to .358 Win/.35 Whelen conversion listed on his website for $175.

I don't know anything about him or his work, but I remember seeing this on his website a few years ago when I was looking for a 'smith to do some work for me.

Here is a link. This service is listed about three-quarters of the way down the page:

Wells Custom Gunmakers, LLC

Thanks CC. I was aware of this smith through his website, he's in my town!! Haven't been to the website in a long time or aware that he did these conversions. Never did any work for me or anyone I know, but I might have to have him look at my gun for the firing pin issue and talk with him about the conversion. I might just want to leave it alone though.

Update. Took the gun to Wells (see above)for the firing pin issue, turns out, just needed the old grease cleaned out of the firing pin mechanism and ejector. In the meantime found a mint savage 99 in 358 that followed me home so the 35 rem will stay as is.