Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Re-bore question for Mule Deer and other JES customers

I just shot my shortened Marlin 336CS that JES re-bored to 35-30, for the fist time with a scope, yesterday. It has 3 grooves, and I can't tell the difference as far as accuracy. I'm still working up loads, but so-far, I'm convinced I did the right thing listening to his suggestion. I could easily hit a squirrel in the head at 50 yards, so I can't ask much more from a lever action 17" barreled Marlin. Since I'm hunting deer with it in dense woods, my confidence has gone pretty high, and I'm not even through developing a load for it at this point.

Thanks so much! This and the previous reply from MooseMike were exactly the answers to my original question about the choice of barrel grooves I was hoping for.
I am psyched to get these two rebores back and kind of casting about amongst my collection for other potential rebore candidates.
Thanks again friends,
Rex

[EDIT: That said, I am still very interested if anyone can provide good reasons to choose 4 or 5 grooves over the standard 3]

One more thing to note.....it seems easier to clean , too, in case you wondered....

A previous respondent mentioned that his tended not to foul much at all too. Good to hear.
Cheers,
Rex

Very happy with my rebore 270 to 338.06 3 groove, Good workmanship and excellent service.

I sent my 2nd 30-06 off to JES yesterday. The first one was a matte finish Remington 7600, and he rebored it into a 3 groove, 1:10" twist, 35 Whelen. All loads in this rifle shoot a skinny inch at 100 yards.

The one I sent yesterday is a Ruger stainless 77 mark II, boat paddle, with factory sights. It too will be a 3 groove, 1:10" twist, 35 Whelen. I have a Leupold 2.5x8 b&c that I mounted in Warne QR rings. The scope will be sighted in with 225 grain TBBC loads, and the iron sights will sighted with 310 grain Woodleighs, probably 1" high at 50 yards.

This may be the ultimate OTC Idaho elk rifle? I bet it will be fun finding out, if it is!

Andy3

Now you guys have me looking for a appropriate '06 to send off. I've been a lurking 35 Whelen fanboy for a while, and now I'm in the looking stage. I'm tempted to have my m1917 sporter sent to JES, but I'm torn because it has the original 5 groove 30-06 barrel that has been turned down.

I think you’re going to really dig that Ruger!

Wish they would mill old caliber stamp and restamp caliber to make it look professional. IMHO

JES does restamp caliber

I have an outfit here in Tucson that will engrave the caliber on the barrel, and since neither of the Springfields I am sending Jess have any markings on the barrel, I asked him if he'd just leave off the caliber markings so I can have them nicely engraved. He said no problem. There is apparently no legal requirement to "X" out the previous caliber and stamp the new one. And at $250, I don't expect them to do a lot of fancy stuff on the outside of the barrel.
So if you want to do something on your own to "pretty up" the marking of your new caliber just let Jess know and he will leave it alone.
I still haven't mailed him the rifles because I am trying to find some 286 grain 9.3 partitions to make up a dummy round at 3.70" for throating. Anybody got one they would send me? I can trade about 6 other types of 9.3 bullets for a couple 286 Partitions.

Cheers,
Rex

How do you mail him the bolt guns? Do you take the stock off, or does he want the entire rifle? I've only sent him one gun, and it was the Marlin 336 I posted about. Just wondering for future projects.

I sent JES a Tikka T3 30-06 for reboring to 35 Whelen. I went with a 3 groove 1/14. It has shot well with loads from 200 gr. Hornadys to 250 gr. Coreloks. I would do that set up again.

I asked him if he needed the rifle with the stock and for the Tikka he said yes.

I have asked Jess a number of questions, but one I still need to is do they test fire the rifles after the rebore. He already told me he just needs the barreled action on my Springfields, but if they don't test fire then all I would have to send him is the stripped bolt and barreled action. So I'll ask that tomorrow and post back.

Too late to edit that but I meant 3.370" for my loaded round length, not 3.70" Sorry for the typo and probably looking like a moron. Looking to use all of the 3.4" magazine on my Springfield rather than be constrained to the 3.3" magazine of the military '98 Mauser the round was designed for.

Yesterday I sent Jes a Ruger SS Hawkeye '06 that will be re-bored to 9.3x62. I went with the 4 groove 1-10 twist.

Someone wanna buy a 700 CDL SF 6mm Rem. before I send it to JES?

I have a 03 30-06 Springfield converted, fajen stock, Timney trigger, Leupold 2x7 scope. Shoots good, had it for 60 yrs. Be idea rifle for someone to rebore. Would sell for best offer. Anyone interested pm me and I’ll send some pictures.

He tests fires. He told me what 35 Whelen load shot well in my rebore. It was Hornady Superformance.

He just wants the barreled action. At least that's all he wanted from me. Yet he still test fired it. Probably because I sent him a Win model 70 and he already had a stock lying around.