Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters New medium bore?

Hello, I've got a want for a new medium bore...for no real reason other than to have another. My only medium at the moment is a rem7600 in 35 whelen. Have plenty of small bores (243, 270, 7 rem, 30-30, 300 savage, 30-06, and a slew of ww2 cartridges original and sporter)so I want another medium. Do yinz guys think I should consider 338 win or 325 WSM? Another 35 whelen or any other .358? Or something different entirely? Thanks

Hate to be a buzzkill, but after a 35 Whelen, where ya gunna go?You done arrived.

JMO.

I know nothing else is needed in NA, especially PA where I hunt. It's definitely a want, not a need.

35 Whelen is easily my favorite too. Another but in a bolt gun is enticing but then I'd have to hear about how much better a 338 is for awhile longer

I'd be pulled in two directions, especially if I already had a .35 Whelen.

One woud be a 9.3x62, the other a 375 H&H.

338RCM

Aren't both of those the same direction? Just kidding. I'd lean 9.3 just to be a bit different maybe and to make brass from my -06 family if need be. Both great!

What can you make 338 rcm brass from?

375 Whelen

I considered sending an -06 of the JES to be rebored to one. Do you have one? I here problems with the tiny shoulder on it and especially the 40 whelen.

From experience seeing MANY cartridges used to kill game, I am of the opinion the 35 Whelen and the 9.3X62 and also the 338-06 are actually better options for 90% of the hues such a rifle will be used for when compared to the belted magnums with the possible exception of a 375H&H. But the 375 requires a magnum length action and hold less ammo (I am unsure if that is important either, but I throw it in here as an illustration.

I have owned and use many 300 Mags, and a few 338s in the last 50 years, but other then one classic Mauser in 300H&H, I have sold them all. But I cling to my 9.3s and I regret selling the last 338-06 I had.

It is true the belted mags and the super magnums (404 Jeffery and 416 Rigby bases shells) shoot flatter, but for 95% of the hunting of game over 250 pounds, long shots (over 400 yards) are not needed. They are commonly done these days and that is true, ---- but in 1/2 century of hunting elk and moose and with a handful of bears bison and caribou thrown in too, I have never, not even one time, had a need to fire at any big game over 400 yards as a hunter or as a guide. I have shot quite a few deer and some antelope "way out there" when I was younger, but I guess I grew out of it. There simply was no reason to do it other then to prove I could (To who I am not sure).

But coming back to the question:
I would say your choice of the 35 Whelen is excellent. So would be the 338-06 and the 9.3X62.

The 338-06 is ballisticly the same as the old 333 Jeffery or just a bit more.

The 35 Whelen ballisticly is the same as the the old 35 Rigby.

The 9.3X62 was the #1 most popular hunting arm for the residents of many African nations for about 50 years, and even today it is in the top 5.

If you look at the writings of many of the African Pro-hunters from the teens through the 60s you'll see what they thought of the 333 Jeffery, the 35 Rigby and the 9.3X62 Mauser
No further argument can be made against them!

Are they "best"? Well I don't think there is any such thing as "best".

Are they extremely good? YES!

The thing I like about all of these 3 is the fact that work from 30-06 length actions, can be made a lot less costly then the bigger brothers, kill everything they are asked to very well, kick less, hold more ammo, and are less expensive to fire so becoming a good marksman through practice is not something only the very wealthy can do.

The argument that the 338 mag or 8MM Mag or a 340 Weatherby mag shoot flatter and therefor make a better deer, antelope or sheep rifle is not an argument I put any stock in.
Why?
Because a 270 Winchester does that even better then a 340 Weatherby. It's easier to fire well, holds more, weights less and kicks less.

The idea of a medium bore with 270 or 7MM Mag range is good for mental stimulation, but 1/2 a century of hunting and guiding have shown me it's exactly that. In your mind. It doesn't happen in the field unless you are a very lazy hunter, or unless you are trying to make long shots to say you did. If that is your game, then so be it. But for that game a 338 Lapua, 416 Chytac, 378 Weatherby or even a 50 BMG beat all the others out anyway.

Overall I believe the average hunter would serve himself better with any one of the three I mentioned here then they would with most of the magnums available, for the usual game you would hunt with a mid-bore.

.348 Win




P

Very well put! Do you think 338-06 or 9.3x62 would give me much either way that the whelen doesn't? More than another whelen I guess... I think I want another .358 of some sort or maybe .375 whether it be h&h or ruger. Don't care for a magnum other than the 375's or maybe 350 rem. 338 Win Is still an option due to availability of factory stuff alone. 358 Norma is intriguing but at that point I'd just go 375 I think. Just too hard, if only I could have them all...

I would absolutely love to have a 348 win but the $ for a nicer one on gunbroker is a bit much and JES and others don't seem to offer it to rebore one of my 336's. Shame I say.

35 Norma!

Thanks for replies! I think I'm narrowed down to (top picks) 338-06, 358 win, 350 rem mag, 35 whelen in a bolt this time or 9.3x 62. (Still semi considering) 338 win mag, 375 h&h and 375 ruger.

As I said above.. 358 Norma is very intriguing but at that point I'd go to a 375. I'd imagine that recoil would be about the same so I'd rather send the bigger bullet. I may be very wrong? Haven't fired either.

I've fired 338 win loaded to max with 250 grain and that's about as much as I want to get behind for more than a few at a time. I'd just guess 358 Norma is a bit more and along the lines of the 375 h&h or ruger in recoil. But less available?

.375 H&H

Why h&h over ruger? Only ask cause I can probably have one of my -06 rebored to 375 ruger. Or buy a mossberg patriot 375 ruger for a fraction of the cost of an h&h. Though I'd need to add weight...they claim 7lbs which means ouch.