Most powerfull cartridge option.

[BOWHUNTER45]

The 35 Whelen is the 30-06 case necked up to a 35 caliper the only real benefit would be you being able to shoot a 250 gr bullet . The case length and the case diameter are exactly the same in an 06 and 35 whelen .. other than the neck size of course 

[yorketransport]

In factory cartridges the 9.3x62 would be the most powerful, if you could find brass the 11.2x72 Schuler/Mauser at 5300 fp of energy would be tops it is a magnum case with a rebated rim so feed rails and everything but the bolt face would have to be openned.

Wildcats a 375 Whelen Improved or something like it on the 9.3x62 case would be about tops.

This is what I'm thinking. For the combination of velocity, bullet weight, and bore diameter off of a standard .473" bolt face, the 9.3x62 will be hard to beat.

Now, does factory ammo need to be readily available, or is buying online an option?

Andrew

[700xcr]

Was a huge 338 WM fan for the longest time, still am. How does the Whelen stack up to it? I think the local gun store only has 200 grain bullets for it. Would like 250's. There such a thing as 250 gr. factory loads?

Remington Core-lokts 250gr. in the 35 Whelen. I handloaded for my TC Encore 15" handgun using 49.0grs, of IMR 3031 and a Hornady 250gr. round nose. Chronographed it at 2100fps. out of a 15" barrel. Very accurate load out of that gun but recoil was brutal!

[Biggerhammer]

It's only 40.00 bucks or so to open the bolt face, if one does so. There is vast selection of chamberings to choose from.

[MountainWalk]

Didn't realize it was that cheap.

[Biggerhammer]

Didn't realize it was that cheap.

I have had several Smith just toss it in with no charge on a full build.

[MountainWalk]

Ok, since it is so cheap to open up the bolt, whats the biggest you could go to,  while still being able to fit in a standard long action. Thinking 375 Ruger.

[Biggerhammer]

Ok, since it is so cheap to open up the bolt, whats the biggest you could go to,  while still being able to fit in a standard long action. Thinking 375 Ruger.

Oh it can get bigger than that! If your talking lets say a Remington 700 long action. The largest I have gone on a Rem700 long action is the 450 Remington Ultra Magnum. Shooting the 370gr Cutting Edge BBW#13 Non Cons with the polymere tip. Had to have the feed rails opened up and a Wyatt's center feed extended mag box installed but it feeds like glass from the mag box.







450 Ultra left/ .500 Jeffery right.

[yorketransport]

If you're willing to open up the bolt face, that changes everything!

If you still want to avoid wildcats, I think the 375 Ultra will be near the upper limits of what will fit. If you're willing to play with a wildcat I think that Biggerhammer's 450 will be pretty tough to beat. That's only because I don't think the 460 Weatherby will fit.

Andrew

[JimmyHoffa]

If you're willing to open up the bolt face, that changes everything!

The action lengths are the same and the bolt diameters are mostly the same.

In the first pic, the bolts.  The far right is a bolt from a standard long action 30-06.  Middle is magnum action for RUM series.  They have the same outside diameter on the bolts.  You can see (maybe) how much extra material they leave on 06 bolt faces.   The far left is for the weatherby mags (just for comparison, but it didn't mic out much larger).
For the lower picture, the left action is the standard long action 30-06, middle is for the RUM rifles and right is for the bigger Weatherby mags.  All are the same length.  The weatherby action has a groove (I put a red arrow) to allow for the .460 length cases--just a small adjustment to the receiver.  So you can see, that the cartridge choices open up quite a bit.

[mountainman]

Since the OP asked standard boltface, I would have to choose the .411 Hawk. 300 gr. at over 2600 fps for almost 4200' #'S. All bases off the old '06 case! Cant get any more efficient with that cases powder volume versus the smack!

[Biggerhammer]

Wouldn't bother with the standard bolt face if power is what your looking for, open it up and do it right.

[mountainman]

"Let's say you have a long action bolt rifle. Standard bolt face of a 30'06. What is the most powerful cartridge you could rebarrel to without altering the bolt face?"

[Biggerhammer]

All depends on the definition of "Powerfull" Muzzle energy powerfull or 100? 300? Yard powerfull?

Like when it comes to my 450 Ultra, it's hard to beat its energy at point blank with a 500gr bullet but a 300 Win Mag and a 180gr bullet will beat it when it comes to energy at 300 yards.

[mountainman]

My standard 300 Win loads 180 at 3000fps have 2600 ft/pnds at 200 yrds. My 10.57 Meteor has a 400 gr bullet at 2850 fps with a ft/pnd just under 5000 at 200. Bigger bullets at fast velocity carry the momentum better 100% of the time. But this is at the cost of a whole lot of powder burned. Most of your standard bolt face wildcats (Ackley, Scovill, Z-hat etc) are definetly more efficient for powder burned, and are just as capable to put large critters down as are our big magnums. But, then again, big guns are sooo much more fun!