I'd go with my 35 Whelen, it shoots a lot flatter than most think with 400 to 500 yard shots very capable of being done with it. Big game bullets available from 180gr. to 310gr. With the right bullet any big game on the planet can successfully be taken, it's not the best chose for elephant but with a 310gr. Woodleigh full metal jacket it can be done (most of us, me included probably will never hunt elephant any way). You can all so load .357 hand gun bullets at light loads for plinking and small game hunting. There is a lot of cartridges that we could us very successfully us as a one gun do it all and I have a few of them but I'd have to go with my 35 Whelen.
If I had to focus on one rifle...
- Thread starter Gibbshooter43
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Rudolph Ferdinand
Well-Known Member
The 30-06 not bad on the recoil side of shooting with a very good 180/200 grains projectile, the Barnes X-Bullet.
Rock 29
Well-Known Member
35 Whelen AI, just started working with it again after 15 years and wonder why I stopped, going with me to Montana in November. 225 NAB @2800 in a scoped, loaded 7 1/2 pound rifle, why not.Just thinking about that could lead to brain vessel damage!
257RobertsMan
Well-Known Member
I love my 280 Rem dearly and it would be hard to part with it. However from an all game hunting rifle I'd have to pick the 300wm. If the question is about the unthinkable, then 308 for survival and protection. My 2nd choice would be 5.56, there will always be available components for both of the latter.
TX Badger
Well-Known Member
That's why I didn't just say 300 Mag. They cover evening in North America but aren't practical for shooting smaller stuff and higher volume. At least not for my shoulder.
Keep it coming guys. I'm thoroughly enjoying all of the comments, reasoning, variety, and humor related to the unthinkable. I'm constantly re-evaluating the collection that is mine as I get older. I can't shoot them all like I used to, so I'm into upgrading and fine tuning what I have using the wealth of information from so many of you. You're all amazing resources of knowledge.
That's very nearly 4000 foot-pounds of muzzle energy; you'd need 2830 fps to get to 4000. A 225-grainer at 2800 fps is 3918 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. How many grains of powder does your 35AI require to get to 2800 fps? My .358 mildcat has a case capacity of 89.0 grains of water and can hold around 65.0 grains of powder before pressures get too high.
Will post a picture of the forming sequence; hope it goes up as a thumbnail because it's a big picture and has text in it. With a 250-grain bullet, I get a five-round median of 2715 fps with 62.0 grains of IMR-4320; that's 4092 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. I designed this round as an exercise to get 4000, so I'm happy with it. 60.0 grains of IMR-4320 and a 250-grain bullet has produced a 3/4" group from 100 yards. I'd guess that's good enough to flatten a big elk from 250 to 300 yards...
Last edited:
Looks like a nice cartridge. Nosler has developed a 35 Nosler and has it approved with saami, I wish they would start offering brass for it. The Nosler and Ruger cases' are very close witch in 35 caliber could make a cartridge that would be very close to the old 35 Newton, a cartridge way a head of it's time.
I enjoy shooting mine. Kicks like an irritated mule. I don't hunt but I wanted to design, develop and build this cartridge & rifle for the educational experience.
I learned a ton with my first mildcat; took almost four years to do it. This second one took eleven months. I'm dam-ned proud of it. The rifle uses a stainless Lilja barrel of 24" in length, 1:12 twist and has 0.005 inches of total neck clearance. My goal, if I ever get around to it, is to have it hit a 6" steel plate at 300 yards. That's 2 MOA; good enough to drop an elk, moose or caribou at that distance.
Last edited:
aushunter1
Well-Known Member
I haven't done it yet but have always thought about doing it over the last 10 years & that is to turn one of my favourite rifles into a multi cartridge/calibre rifle by having a smith turning it into a switch barrel rifle preferably in the same bolt face & probably a Tikka as they are all the same action length.
Shoot varmints in the morning & larger game the arvo
I know their are switch barrels out there but just want to make one of my own.
Thinking .22-250 & .270.
Not a bad combo right?
Shoot varmints in the morning & larger game the arvo
I know their are switch barrels out there but just want to make one of my own.
Thinking .22-250 & .270.
Not a bad combo right?
Aussie Hunter Steve
Well-Known Member
If limited to 1, forget the 22-250 and just plaster them varmints with the 270...I haven't done it yet but have always thought about doing it over the last 10 years & that is to turn one of my favourite rifles into a multi cartridge/calibre rifle by having a smith turning it into a switch barrel rifle preferably in the same bolt face & probably a Tikka as they are all the same action length.
Shoot varmints in the morning & larger game the arvo
I know their are switch barrels out there but just want to make one of my own.
Thinking .22-250 & .270.
Not a bad combo right?
Alex Wheeler
Well-Known Member
I build rifles for a living and naturally I have had a lot of long range rifles. I only tune at 1000yds. I have found what a rifle (especially a hunting rifle) does at short or mid range, "most" of the time will not carry out to 1k. Of all the rifles and calibers I have owned, the one thats consistently shot the smallest groups at 1k is my 300 Norma improved. But it would be a toss up because nothing I have seen will hang with a .338 lapua improved for consistency at that distance. It wont group quite as small, but it never groups big, day after day its almost boring. I would include the edge in that category as well.
Rock 29
Well-Known Member
60.5 grains of reloader 15, I could go more but shoots sub 1" here
