Author Topic: Winchester 70-35 Bore size? (Read 6611 times))

VaporTrail · « **on:** August 28, 2019, 03:16:46 AM »

Looking to order some slugs/boowits to hunt some wabbits...but I'd like to know what size to get. .356? .359? .358? My search-fu has been weak lately; I did use the search function up top, but I didn't come up with anything.

Anyone?

Loren · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2019, 05:52:37 PM »

I tried a number of different cast bullets in my 70-35 and never found one that performed well. I tried sizing up and down from .357 with no great success that was worth writing home about it. It does shoot .357 cast diabolo pellets with great accuracy though!!

VaporTrail · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2019, 09:16:22 PM »

Hmm...that's a little disconcerting. I found a seller on ebay (I coulda swore that I heard his name here) that has a bunch of .357 slugs, so I was going to order 3 different weights.

I guess I could try them out anyways and see if I get lucky.

Knowing the bore size would be a little helpful, though...for future reference.

Loren · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2019, 11:10:26 PM »

I found .358 gave me the best accuracy with the bullets I cast.

I bought some of these and I hand my best results with this bullet
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AIR-RIFLE-PELLETS-90-GRAIN-EPP-UG-357-9-MM-BUY-3-GET-1-FREE/163745552308?hash=item261ffed7b4:g:9o0AAOSw8SNakH8A

I almost bought a mold for it then chickened out and bought a 84gr .357 pellet mold instead, which the rifle does very well shooting them. It also does very well with the JSB .357 pellets. I bought some of them to just sanity check the rifle and my shooting.

VaporTrail · « **Reply #4 on:** August 28, 2019, 11:20:03 PM »

Yes! Those are exactly the bullets I was looking at!

Well, those and I think the 84gr. I'm also going to be ordering some NSA slugs. I'll ask Mr. Niel for some in the .358 flavor.

Thanks a bunch, Loren!

And yes, the JSB 81gr shoot very well out of the rifle.

Loren · « **Reply #5 on:** August 28, 2019, 11:24:16 PM »

Keeps us posted on your results if you find something magical for the gun!!

VaporTrail · « **Reply #6 on:** August 28, 2019, 11:31:42 PM »

Will do!

Nomadic Pirate · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2019, 12:59:18 AM »

I would stick with the JSB pellet, for a change I would look into the NOE mold of the pellet that has a Meplat

VaporTrail · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2019, 03:09:20 AM »

Quote from: Nomadic Pirate on August 29, 2019, 12:59:18 AM

I would stick with the JSB pellet, for a change I would look into the NOE mold of the pellet that has a Meplat

My man! The JSBs shoot like a dream...and they thump pretty hard. I have a target box with a phone book in it and about 3 pairs of jeans stuffed in there. It doesn't usually penetrate through (well, one made it through), but it'll knock that box right over if there's nothing behind it. Good thing I have two target boxes set up to catch any pass-throughs.

I've been reading up on the Meplat stuff, and I want to try it out. There's a bunch of them, but the heaviest I want to go is about 95gr. A lot of them are 100+, but I'd like to keep the speeds in the upper half of 800 as much as possible.

Speaking of trying stuff out, I'm also curious about trying out this casting thing. If it's feasible, then I may be able to save myself some money by casting my own .22, .25 and .35 pellets/slugs. I saw that maraudinglizard casts her (?) own diabolo HP pellets. I'm thinking that would be nice to try out too.

Loren · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2019, 08:10:22 AM »

Cast your own.

A little over 22lbs this evening making over 1800 rounds of .357 85gr pellets from one casting session. It is a fun part of the hobby for me.

Nomadic Pirate · « **Reply #10 on:** August 29, 2019, 01:35:07 PM »

Quote from: Loren on August 29, 2019, 08:10:22 AM

Cast your own.

A little over 22lbs this evening making over 1800 rounds of .357 85gr pellets from one casting session. It is a fun part of the hobby for me.

That is the direction I would go rather then bullets

BigBird · « **Reply #11 on:** August 29, 2019, 02:03:50 PM »

There is a sample pack from that ebay seller.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AIR-RIFLE-PELLETS-357-9MM-SAMPLE-PACK/163745552296?hash=item261ffed7a8:g:TN0AAOSwUPVcERKV

But if the rifling twist is too slow for bullets then it is a waste of time. Just use pellets.
Does anyone know the twist rate for these barrels. It might be good to know that spec. Just wondering about another factor. Does the velocity that your getting with pellets even lend itself to rebarreling to a different twist barrel?

VaporTrail · « **Reply #12 on:** August 29, 2019, 10:26:22 PM »

Quote from: Loren on August 29, 2019, 08:10:22 AM

Cast your own.

A little over 22lbs this evening making over 1800 rounds of .357 85gr pellets from one casting session. It is a fun part of the hobby for me.

Oooh...those look nice! How do they shoot?

I tried looking into the casting thing several times...and I still have trouble understanding it. I'd love to get into it, but I'm concerned that the pellets that come from the mold won't perform accurately.

That, and how would I get lead out here? I imagine the shipping would be downright obscene because of how much it weighs. I guess I can go diving (plenty of lost sinkers in the popular fishing spots) to get some? Raid the tire shops?

VaporTrail · « **Reply #13 on:** August 29, 2019, 10:27:59 PM »

Quote from: Nomadic Pirate on August 29, 2019, 01:35:07 PM

Quote from: Loren on August 29, 2019, 08:10:22 AM
Cast your own.

A little over 22lbs this evening making over 1800 rounds of .357 85gr pellets from one casting session. It is a fun part of the hobby for me.

That is the direction I would go rather then bullets

and I imagine they might even be more accurate. Has that meplat, though...and a hollow point! So possibly a good compromise?

Horatio · « **Reply #14 on:** August 30, 2019, 01:22:05 AM »

If you shoot into a target box. Eventually you’ll have some lead.

Nomadic Pirate · « **Reply #15 on:** August 30, 2019, 02:23:00 AM »

Dive weights,

gotta have plenty there

K.O. · « **Reply #16 on:** August 30, 2019, 02:20:49 PM »

Also might want to check salvage sailboats some of the keel weights are lead... you do need to worry about hardness of your lead tho...some alloys are way to hard...

VaporTrail · « **Reply #17 on:** August 30, 2019, 08:27:50 PM »

Quote from: Horatio on August 30, 2019, 01:22:05 AM

If you shoot into a target box. Eventually you’ll have some lead.

I'm kicking myself in the rear right now because I think I threw away all the pellets that were in my first target box. There had to have been about 1500 in there.

VaporTrail · « **Reply #18 on:** August 30, 2019, 08:30:03 PM »

Quote from: Nomadic Pirate on August 30, 2019, 02:23:00 AM

Dive weights,

gotta have plenty there

oh yeah, bruddah...tons! I have a couple too, from my freediving days. And I have a ton of sinkers. Now all I need to do is get one of those underwater metal detectors and hit the river at my ranch. We've been fishing there for years and we've lost our fair share of sinkers. After that will be some of the boat docks. I know there's gonna be tons there as well.

VaporTrail · « **Reply #19 on:** August 30, 2019, 08:32:17 PM »

Quote from: K.O. on August 30, 2019, 02:20:49 PM

Also might want to check salvage sailboats some of the keel weights are lead... you do need to worry about hardness of your lead tho...some alloys are way to hard...

I haven't seen too many sailboats here, but thanks for the tip! I never knew about that. Also a good tip about the alloys. I guess I can do the fingernail test, yeah?

I'm trying to think of other areas where I can scrounge for lead.

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Winchester 70-35 Bore size?

Author Topic: Winchester 70-35 Bore size? (Read 6611 times))

Nomadic Pirate

Nomadic Pirate

Nomadic Pirate