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riflecrankdotcom

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  1. I rebarreled a vz24 to .22-250 with no modifications to the magazine, and it feeds fine. So check it before you start modifying; you may not have to do anything!
  2. I've never owned a factory .35 Whelen case, in the 10 years or so that I have had my Whelen. I formed my first batch of cases from milsurp .30/06 brass, and every batch since from .270 Winchester brass picked up at the range (I don't have a .270, but I have some .30/06s). I always anneal before AND after forming. I simply have a bucket of water handy, and pick up each case in turn by the head, and hold it in my hand while heating the neck area with a propane blowtorch. When it gets too hot to hold, I drop it in the bucket of water. The reason I started re-annealing after forming was, when necking down to make 7x57 brass from .270, I was losing a lot of brass to neck splits on the first firing. Once I started re-annealing to relieve stress, my success rate went way up. Since then, I always anneal twice when case-forming.
  3. In my experience, with the slow rifling twist of 1:12 to 1:14, the right cast bullet can be driven to 2500 fps without a problem.
  4. My favorites are the octagonal receiver 91s. I just love the lines of them. My Tula doesn't have an octagonal receiver, but it is a joy to shoot with a Lyman #311041 (flatnose cast 180 grain .30/30 bullet) over 22 grains of 2400.
  5. I've pulled one using my Midway action wrench for Mauser/Springy. It came off easily, but it was a low-mileage M44.
  6. riflecrankdotcom

    Vz-24

    You could get one of those $40 19" 7x57 barrels from Numrich. 7x57 is one of the greatest deer cartridges of all time, and you would have the basis of a really nice little carbine. Maybe put a full-length Mannilicher style stock on it.
  7. They are indeed small-ring, model 93 actions. They were originally 7x57 before being rebarreled to 7.62x51. At one time, those things were everywhere for well under $100. They have been tested by several different entities in the States to determine if they are safe to fire with factory .308 loads, and the general consensus was that they are safe for limited use with such loads for sighting in, hunting, etc. but for extensive shooting, one should use the published starting handloads as a maximum. I have fired them in both the 7.62 and the original 7mm chamberings; and I have seen one that was wrecked by a "case full of Bullseye" type load. Incredibly, the bolt held and protected the shooter on that one. YMMV.
  8. If I were to build a 9.3x62, I would get a good bullet mould or two, and cast my own bullets, as the cartridge is well suited for it, even with full-power loads. I would also form my own brass from .30/06 or .270 Winchester brass. In fact, a few years ago I built a Mauser 98 in .35 Whelen; it was to be either .35 Whelen or 9.3x62 and I chose the Whelen because it would also accept pistol bullets, and because Whelen barrels were cheaper. Lyman occasionally produces a mould #358009 which is a 280+ grain, extremely blunt (single radius) round nose bullet. I bought one of those and use it for my full-power load. I also form my own brass as if the Whelen were still a wildcat, because it's cheaper that way. Paco Kelly, when he was in Africa, built a '98 in 9.3x62; actually I think he had an Arab gunsmith build it for him, and he also had a bullet mould that he told me was almost exactly like the #358009 .35 caliber bullet. He pulled the bullets from military .30/06 ammo, expanded the necks, and seated those cast bullets over the original charge. He used one of those loads to kill a rampaging elephant with a frontal brain shot. When Paco returned to the States sans rifle, he built another very similar rifle to replace it, only this time in .35 Whelen because he considered them to be ballistic twins, but he also wanyed to make use of the .35 bullets that are common here. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sway you from the 9.3 to the .35; I'm just pointing out their similarities. Tracy
  9. .550 Express. 700 grain bullet at 2200 fps. The .585 Nyati can be made to work too, but according to what I have read, it is not in any way practical. I think the .550 Express would be considered a DD in the US, so it would probably have to be necked to no larger than .510 to avoid class 3 registration issues. You can find lots more info here: http://www.470mbogo.com/BigBoreCompendium/
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