About 20 years ago I wanted to build a specialty gun for carrying down on the coast of Alaska. No scope to fog, I wanted peep sites. Fiberglass stock, and a short barrel to get through the brush well, and Parkerized. I sent my Mauser action to Shaw, I had seen their advertisement in Shotgun News. I told them I wanted a .35 Whelen with an 18" barrel. The finished product was just what I wanted. I have shot it now off and on for 20 years and really like the gun. Granted it's not a long range shooter, but out to 250 yards, it's great. Without a scope I can't see farther than that.
Only one problem. My son took it to the range one day about five years ago, and let his mother shoot it. It now has a youth stock on it, and resides in her gun vault. She won't let me have it back. Her response:"I am your best hunting partner, I like it, I'm keeping it, Get over it".
But most important, I built this gun specifically for Bear Protection. About five years after I built it, I used it to kill a charging Grizzly. The gun and cartridge performed superbly, and I don't bad mouth Remington Core-lokt bullets either.