Wonderful rifle and caliber! I bought my first one back in late '94 used for $500, a consignment rifle. I had it reamed to the Ackley Improved and took it to south Africa in '95. I used the old 250X at 2600 and killed zebra, hartebeest, Wildebeast, Gemsbuck and Kudu with it. I later ruined that rifle messing around with it. then I played with other mediums; .375 H&H, 9.3x62., several kinds of 338s. I enjoyed them all but kept wanting another Classic in 35 Whelen. I bought another used one in '99 for $600. I had this one blueprinted, reamed to the Ackley ( love it, love it!) and took it back to South Africa in 2002 but used the 200X at 2970fps. I got the same results as I did with the 250X! I killed a Black Wildebeast at 347yds with, and a zebra at 250yds. I still have it. I killed a Eurasian sow with it in MI and the 310 Woodleigh. It is my all time favorite rifle. I no longer own a 300 mag, 338 mag, nor 375 or 9.3x62. I found that out to 200-250yds I could not tell the difference between my Whelen and any of those other magnums! I kid you not. If you are not as handloader looney as I am, don't get it reamed to the Ackley, its fine as is. If you want a bit more oomph, Ackley is the one. Mine now sits in a Brown Precision High Country synthetic, I always use a Leupold 1.5x5 on it. Good luck to you Pard!