Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 375 Whelen -- Colonoscopy Dreams

Years ago, I used to represent a turkey call company. The proprietor had some of the most ingenious designs I have ever seen. He said he'd had esophageal cancer and frequently had to go in and have his esophagus stretched. While he was under the anesthetic, these designs would come to him, and he had based his company on them.

I was always amazed by this tale. As a shaman, I do my best work when I'm asleep, but very little actual physical reality creeps in. I'm probably like the rest of you guys, when I dream the rational reality-based part of me is turned off. The plot may be golden, but the physics is usually rubbish.

Yesterday, I had to go in for a colonoscopy. Don't worry, nothing is wrong. They didn't find anything. This is just part of the regular preventive maintenance schedule. I've had 3 before, so I was not at all worried. The prep is a bear-- we won't go into that. However, the procedure itself is just a matter of rolling over on a table in front of a room full of people and then waking up later in another room. They make you wait around until you let out the biggest fart of your life and then let you go home.

So this was SOP. I got wheeled in, and a pretty anesthesiologist came over with a syringe full of what looked like non-dairy creamer, and hooked it up to my IV. I looked over at the big monitor next to the table and saw what the TV camera saw, which at that moment was nothing.

For those of you reality-oriented folk, this is the end of the story. As a coda, I went to my favorite Chili parlor and ordered two meals, and then came home and watched the NFL Playoffs I'd recorded. All's well.

For those of you who, like me, want to see open an $80 Heirloom Turkey Call and what's inside, the next bit is up your alley. As I looked up into the monitor, the scene dissolved into a well-made YouTube on reloading for the 375 Whelen. Mind you, I don't own a 375 Whelen. I don't even know what I'd do with one if I had it. However, there I was, watching an elaborate video on reloading for this ancient wildcat. '4895 was mentioned (I forget H or IMR). I do know that because it is one of my favorite powders. The other powders were ones I'd never heard of, but they sounded fascinating. Of the bullets, I remember something compared to the Speer, and there was a Woodleigh. Weight and construction were probably discussed, but I was too busy admiring the bench. There was an RCBS RockChucker and another O-Type press that was red.

I remember the test rifle. It was a 98 Mauser action, and it had an old-looking walnut stock with a massive Monte Carlo cheekpiece. Right about the time the chronograph results were being shown and I was struggling to make sense of them, I woke up and found myself looking at the nurse.

I wish I could give you more. Of course, none of us can be trusted. I know better than to think I could dream a load for a rifle. It's all just mental wallpaper, but it was immensely fascinating, certainly on par with the best of Ken Waters Pet Loads material. '4895 did give the best SD.

I've hs two of the 375 Whelan's built The first wa on a Mark X action and ge second was built on a Winchester Mod 95. I've had a couple 300 grain cast bullet molds made made. IMR 4064 Win primers work best in bst in best in both.;

Shaman,

First, glad the test results came back clear. Good for you! Second, a .375 Whelen will work just fine on KY Whitetails. I should have all the fixin's if you would like to try a 249-250gr cast pill in your new .375 Whelen rifle...

Thanks.

My big question ( outside of general WTF?) is of what use would a 375 Whelen be? I knew it existed, but I'd never thought of it as being anything I'd ever need. What is is good for? Certainly something larger than whitetail.

Hunting NA Big Game inside 200-250 yards.

Anything you want to hunt.

Well, I"ve shot whitetails with a bow. Even tried stone heads a time but missed the one shot I got. Shot em with handguns. 380 acp and up. Would shoot em with a 22lr if legal. And gone all the way up to 50 bmg.

I suspect the 375 would do fine on Whitetails. Probably damage less meat than folks running 06 and 150s too.

Might be a scoot on the low side for the biggest bears for my tastes but is what it is.

This would seem a likely dream:

OK. I'll bite. Let's say I build this thing. I think we'll call it the Shamanic GoLytely (named for the prep they gave me). Let me tell you the first round out of the cannon rattled the flange bolts! We'll make the stock out of Lemonwood in a nod to the vaguely citrusy flavor. I'll finish it with a dark brown stain with hints of ochre. Of course, we'll want a clear finish. The forend will sport a comfortably tapered ebony endcap for sliding easily into the case.

I'm going to start off hunting whitetail. I have a $hit-ton of H4895. However, my dream was filled with much more exotic stuff. I'm open to suggestions. What would you suggest for a bullet? I look through the offerings and besides a Sierra 200 grain FN, meant for the 375 Winchester, what I see is generally stuff made for the 375 H&H and thick hides.

Am I wrong, but feel like I'd be getting about 90% of the performance of the 375 H&H out of a standard action.

If buying new, why not just get a 9.3x62. Ammo is available and if you can hunt big game in Africa, you can hunt anything in North America.

Build or buy a 9.3x62 and enjoy.

Factory ammo and brass are available.
No fire forming
And better performance

235 grain Speer or Barnes X, 250 grain Sierra, Swift A-Frame or North Fork, 260 grain Nosler Accubond or Partition, 270 grain Hornady, Swift A-Frame, Speer or North Fork.

Just a bit of a suggestion if you're serious about building that rifle- - - -the small (almost nonexistent) shoulder of the -06 case necked up to .375 makes headspace somewhat problematic. It's sort of like what happens with a .35 Remington, where even a slightly short case head to shoulder dimension can result in a cushioned firing pin blow and a FTF. Consider using only fireformed and neck sized brass in your new toy. Don't bump the shoulder back when reloading.

Unlike the 300 Blackout, or even the 7.62x39, neither of which suffer from what you claim.

Well yeah but the 9.3X62 didn't come to him in a dream..... Check out his screen name and the path becomes even more clear

[quote=Hotrod_Lincoln]Just a bit of a suggestion if you're serious about building that rifle- - -/quote]

I am really not all that serious. However, this thread kind of took that turn, and I am willing to play along.

To my tastes, the parent 30-06 chambering seems to do it all. I have a 35 Whelen, and I have determined that this is medicine way beyond the needs of a whitetail, and quite a few other animals to either side of it. I just find it interesting that the inside of my head would conjur up such a thing. It must work much like Youtube. You never know what's going to pop up in the list of Recommended Videos. Some of them can be most entertaining despite being wholly irrelevant.

BTW: Did you know that a Leviathan, believed to be a Sperm Whale, ravaged mariners in the reign of Justinian? The animal, named Prophyrios, attacked boats and ate sailors and fishermen during a reign of terror that lasted 50 years in the area of the Bosphorus. The Emporer put a bounty on it. It is believed to have beached itself while trying to attack dolphins, and the locals pulled it out and butchered it with axes. That was in my Recommended queue this AM, next to a video on how to load .69 caliber Punkin Ball loads for 12 GA. Go figure.

The latter is quite relevant. I have a .69 cal mold for my Brown Bess and I have a double SXS that would be ideal whitetail medicine.