Re-Boring 30-06 to 35 Whelen

[iunderpressure]

I had a barrel rebored by JES. Maybe my standards are different than some, but I would never do it again. I wasn't expecting perfect, but the bore was really really rough. The finish on my barrel was scrapped off where a wrench or vise slipped. I started cutting it down myself trying to cut off the worst of the barrel, but there was no fixing it. The rifle now is at a barrel maker waiting to get rebarreled.

 

[tedscouton]

Based on the advice I received in my other thread (thank you), I've decided to have my Howa 1500 30-06 re-bored to .35 Whelen by JES. Any advice on how I should have this done? Twist rate, etc.? I spoke briefly to Jesse a while back and it sounded like he was planning to use a slower twist rate than what some folks on here were suggesting.

I had JES rebore a Tikka T3 270win to 35 Whelen, it is one of my most accurate guns I every owned, I also had him rebore a Kimber 308 to .358 WIN with a 19 inch barrel it ended up being under 4 lbs without scope. Great backpacking gun!

 

[Tim Sharp]

My thought is absolutely try it. Should the rifle not shoot to your expectations, then swap with a new barrel. The original barrel would have likely never been used again, anyway.

 

[Sconnie42]

WOW thanks for the information. I know a friend that wanted me to re-chamber a rifle. This may be the ticket!

I had JES rebore a savage 308 to 358 win a few years ago. It's a tack driver. Very fast turnaround and much much cheaper than rebarrel. Not sure how it would compare to rechambering.

 

[baldhunter]

I had JES do a 30-06 to a 338-06.It didn't shoot worth a **** as a 30-06.I figured what do I have to loose.I could have it rebarreled for about $700.00 or rebored for $250.00.I went with the rebore and in two weeks I had my rifle back to me.I had read that often times,if a rifle barrel is stressed,reboring the barrel helps relieves the stress and makes them shoot better.I know my rifle really shoots well and is not too picky about the loads either.Groups like this are very common.




Every once in a while even like this.

 

[Lefty G-gear]

Based on the advice I received in my other thread (thank you), I've decided to have my Howa 1500 30-06 re-bored to .35 Whelen by JES. Any advice on how I should have this done? Twist rate, etc.? I spoke briefly to Jesse a while back and it sounded like he was planning to use a slower twist rate than what some folks on here were suggesting.

HOWA PRE-FIT CUSTOM CONFIGURATION - Criterion Barrels

Criterion manufactured Howa pre-fit barrels are directly cross compatible with the Howa 1500 action. Each barrel is held to match grade tolerances.

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OR

https://mcgowenbarrel.com/shop/full-custom-barrel/

 

[sawzall]

I'd listen to JES. Jesse knows his stuff. 14 twist is great. My factory CVA scout is a 14 twist and it shoots everything I've put through it. You're gonna find all the advice on this forum is going to be fast twist for heavies or mono bullets for "long range" … after all, this is a long range forum. However, 35 Whelen isn't a long range round. 14 twist is what all the factory ammo you're going to find is optimized for.

 

[TRexF16]

Concur with the 14" twist. It's plenty. Remington used 16" for the M700 Classics, which is IMO a bit slow. I used 14" on my custom 35 Whelen AI when I built it in the early 90's. Shoots 250 Partitions great, and I have no need to load heavier/longer bullets.
I had JES do a 9.3x62 on my shot-out and pitted 1932 vintage '03 Springfield. Super happy. Sub MOA from day one. Four groups getting sighted in with the old Leupold 4X Compact with the friction dials being turned between each group averaged under 0.7 MOA.
Good luck with the rebore, and please report back with how it turns out.
Rex

 

[TRexF16]

I had a barrel rebored by JES. Maybe my standards are different than some, but I would never do it again. I wasn't expecting perfect, but the bore was really really rough. The finish on my barrel was scrapped off where a wrench or vise slipped. I started cutting it down myself trying to cut off the worst of the barrel, but there was no fixing it. The rifle now is at a barrel maker waiting to get rebarreled.

I don't think your standards are different, sounds like you were just very unlucky with the outcome of your rebore. I did a ton of research before sending JES the three rifles that he has done for me, and I can assure you your outcome is not representative.
I agree the bores are rough, but pretty is as pretty does, as shown by the pics above from my JES-rebored 9.3x62. I also had him do two .338-06s, and one of them is not that great a shooter, but the other is. Fortunately the not-that-great one is a 19" carbine intended for close work and it puts the 210 Partition under 1.5 MOA - close enough! And for what it's worth, that worst shooter of the bunch has the prettiest bore through the borescope.
Sorry yours didn't turn out well for you. At $250 it's sure worth a try though, given the majority experience.

Rex

 

[iunderpressure]

I kept hearing these great stories about JES' rebores. That's why I did it. Maybe it was just my rifle or the metal. I sent in a Nosler M48 that started life as a .308 win to make it a .358 win.

 

[Alibiiv]

Based on the advice I received in my other thread (thank you), I've decided to have my Howa 1500 30-06 re-bored to .35 Whelen by JES. Any advice on how I should have this done? Twist rate, etc.? I spoke briefly to Jesse a while back and it sounded like he was planning to use a slower twist rate than what some folks on here were suggesting.

I went with what Jesse recommended on 4 rebores, and the all shoot well. I did go with a 4 groins barrel, and for some reason I "think" it's a 1:14 twist???? He did three Ruger 77s from 30-06 to 35 Whelen, they shoot MOA WITH 225gr Gamekings all day long, 8 inch steel plates at 300 yards. The only suggestion that I "do" have, is that if you're going to refinish the rifle ask Jesse not to stamp 35 Whelen over the existing factory 30-06 and have your gun smith restamp it

 

[bengineer]

You would inly need 12 twist for silly-heavy bullets, like 300 and up. The 35 isnt optimal at these weights. That said, my rem is 16 twist and shoots 310 cast ok; they are stable.

 

[manitouhunter]

This is what I have done and it works very well for me. After a lengthy debate with my smith he relented and gave me a 10" twist in my .35 Whelen. My experience is the much faster spin helps a lot with expansion on mono bullets. My thoughts are that the much greater centrifugal force is what helps them to expand better.

 

[bmicek]

It's amazing how affordable a rebore. Every time I mention it in a group, people say how it'd be so much cheaper to have a new barrel put on, but this isn't the case. And I read glowing remarks about JES's work. I plan to use them very soon for a project.