I'm planning on having JES rebore a 20" barrel to 35 Whelen for a black bear brush gun, I expect to be slinging 200-250 grains at em.
What are thoughts on the rifling and twist rate for my application?

Thanks for any input and education for me on the subject.

I have a Labounty rebore to 35 Whelen and had a JES rebore to 375 Whelen. I was very pleased with the 375 but sold it because I have a 35 and 400 Whelen. Wish I had kept it. JES does good work. Fast turn around.

My 35 is a 1/14 and we’re I to do it again I’d probably go 1/12 to shoot bullets heavier than 250 grains. Honestly though there isn’t much in this world that can stand up to a 35 Whelen and 250 grain bullets. And 1/14 shoots 250 grain bullets amazingly well.

IMR 4320 and Reloader 15 are your friends.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the beast mart.

Back at ya on the blessing!

You’re welcome. I’ve played with a lot of rifles and cartridges over the last 45 years of hunting and shooting. Not as many as a lot of guys here but a lot by most standards. I know I could be content with any number of them as an only rifle big game but the 35 Whelen is a top contender for the “if I could only have one big game rifle” category.

I had a 3 groove 1:14 twist 35 Whelen rebore Jesse did a while back, pretty sure that's what he seems to prefer to do. It shot into 1/2" or better with ammo it liked, from 200gr hornadys to 225 accubonds to various 250gr bullets. I ran it out to 400 yards with the 225 accubonds and they were still flying well at that distance.

In short, 1:14 or 1:12 would both work fine, though I'd lean toward the 1:12. I seriously doubt you will see a difference unless you end up running the heavier A-frames or heavier (310gr ) woodleighs. It's also possible that the 1:12 does a better job of stabilizing the 225 accubonds, which are pretty damn long. I have run those out to 750 yards from my 1:12. They make tiny groups at that distance as long as the wind is calm.

My thoughts on the
.35 Whelen....Cool name and history

In reality there is not much a 250 gr. .35 Whelen can do that a 220 grain 30.06 can't do equally well.

Theres lots of things a 30.06 can do better with lighter more streamlined bullets.

Yes, my 30-06's do a fine job and I am fond of them. I added a 25-06 that I love to the stable this spring so it's only fitting that I add the .35 to my grandson's inheritance right ?????
Adding the Whelen will also be a good excuse to get me off the fence and pick up a new hobby in reloading.... Just think of all the money I'll be saving!!!!!!

It seems like the 225 Accubond may be a sweet spot for the 35 Whelen. I don't see myself shooting lighter than 200. I will definitely get Jesse's input on the 1:14 vs 1:12 before I pull the trigger on this deal.

I had Randall Redman rebore a pre'64 M/70 to .35 Whelen more than 25yrs. ago, it's a 1:14" twist. I found IMR 4064 to produce best accuracy with 225gr. bullets and IMR 3031 with 200gr. bullets. I shoot cast bullets with 15gr. Unique for off season practice, also shoot jacketed pistol bullets, my rifle shoots them all accurately. I've taken several whitetail deer with my Whelen, it always gets the job done.

I use lots of 30 caliber rifles but one thing that 358 bores do much better than 308 bores is drop animals faster, quite noticeably faster, in fact.

A 200 grain 358 bullet at Whelen speeds puts down whitetail-sized animals right now. I have yet to find any .308 bullet, at any speed, of any construction, that reliably does that unless the nervous system is hit.

If you don't care about a 50-100 yard death run, then for deer, there is no difference. But if you shoot a lot of animals with medium bores, and also shoot a lot of them with 30 calibers, you will most certainly notice a difference. You pull the trigger, the gun recoils, the animal is right where it was before you pulled the trigger. Except that it is now laying down.

For some people, this may not matter at all and for most of the hunting I do, it probably doesn't matter. But once in a while it's nice not to crawl through a thicket to recover an animal.

The 225 accubond is a pretty great all around bullet (though it can be jump-sensitive) but the 200grainers of all flavors usually drop deer a bit faster. Your standard issue 200gr .358 Hornady spire point might be the best eastern hunting bullet there is.

Not true. The Whelen is a hammer with a big 250 grain bullet. It offers a 20% greater frontal area over a 30 caliber bullet. Using a bullet like a NP and launched around 2400 fps it is something to see on game.

A 12 twist .358 Win, not a Whelen.

But the idea of a .35 cal shooting so many different type bullets and doing it well is pretty amazing.

I got the idea of having more that one scope, each sighted for different classes of ammo. Don't have to be QD, just rings that can return to zero.

My last deer kill was with a 178 gr. Hammer at around 2,800-2,900 fps (Haven't yet clocked it). It really "hammered" that deer...

Check out Hammers and Cutting Edge Bullet's Raptor.

DF

My 14” twist 35 Whelen shoots 310gr Woodleigh’s just fine out to 200yards. No signs of tipping that I could see. I have a PO Ackley built 35 Whelen improved that has a 16” twist. It shoots 250gr Nosler Partitions and 250gr Speer grand slams like a champ.

All that said, I don’t see a reason not to go with a 12” twist.

I agree with tx35w. There's definitely something different about stepping up bore size. Results seem different.





Exit of a 225gr Accubond at about 70yds. Entrance was an inch higher and couple inches back. Not a CNS hit.



Straight down in a pile.

Made a lot of similar hits with 308s and 3006s and it always resulted in a death run. Not a huge deal. But there's in a lot of guys experiences there is something different when a 35+cal bullet hits.

I think JES only does one twist rate but it works

I'd ask JES. They have more experience with the 35 Whelen than pretty much anyone else.


Okie John

when talking twist rates, its not the bullet weight, its the length!!!!

He can and will do any twist rate you ask. I asked for a 10 twist in 35 Whelen and that is what I have. Mine is a Highwall that shoots 180 to 250 grain bullets 1/2 NOA or les

I agree bluefish. I killed qite a few critters up to bison with a 35Wh and it has a decisive Thump to it. I love my 6.5's and 7mm's and 30 cal.'s
but they don't kill like a Whelen.

My Whelen has a 14 inch twist. I wanted to shoot a lot of RN bullets and cast. Worked perfectly and it also shoots just fine with pointed 250 grain bullets. I will second that the Whelen seems to put animals down quicker with body hits than smaller cartridges and the blood trails are lovely if you need one.

My 35w is a 1-14 my 35winproved is a 1-10 they both work well

Most of my 35’s have had 1/14. I can only think of one that was 1/12. I see no advantage of faster than 1/14. 1/14 will be better for cast also - if you ever desire to do that. I sold the 1/12 but for other reasons.
My favorite powders are IMR4320 and 4895’s with the 250 grain bullets. Partitions, interlocks and hot cores are my favorite 250’s. I probably have shot more 250 grain interlocks with H4895, but the other combinations are likely just as good.

I use 1-10 Krieger barrels on all the Whelen I build. I figured if the 338 WM used 1-10 then should work very well. I have never heard a complaint.

Did you ever go through with this?

I have a 9.3x62 and find that those 286 grain bullet seem to have more DRT knockdown energy release on animals than most smaller bores.

JES did a 35-30 Wildcat rebore of a Marlin 336 for me. It has the 3 groove 1/14 twist, and shoots really well. One good thing is, It seems to be easier to clean due to the wider grooves. I don't know why you'd need anything else. Jesse knows his stuff.

Do you use 35-30 dies or some other combo? I thought about having a 35-30 done but can't find dies, CH4d said it would be a few years.

I thought about using 38/55 dies for the body and I can seat with most any of other 35 caliber dies.

Pretty much my approach. Two Leupold 4x33 scopes. One sighted for 250 gr Partitions at 2,600 + fps and one sighted for 158 gr XTPs at 1,200 fps for offhand plinking.

Classic campfire hypothetical thinking out loud and do nothing gibberish.

Jess goes with 1:14 twist on the 35's and its sufficient to stabilize even 275 grain woodleighs. Why inundate the guy with special requests, when yall know dmn well he twists em right?

275 grain .358 woodleigh/ 1:14 twist:



The original 9.3x62 from the oberndorf mauser plant has bout ah 1:14twist

Heck, even a cz 550 1:14 twist stabilized a 300 grain a-frame to 500 yards, and bullet expanded well:

I have never shot a 35 Whelen until today. I am reloading some Ammo for a friend who just bought a Remington 7600 pump. I shot some 200 grain Sierra's and some 225 Noslers. The only thing I didn't like about the gun was the trigger. The trigger was a bit long and creepy. Those Whelen's have a pretty hefty thump to them.

kwg

I bought my first, and only, Whelen in '89. You will notice a stout load.

Think about a 9.3x62.
JES did one for me "Hammer of Thor"