35 Whelen

[dakotasouth]

Been reading here for a long time and have never had much to say. Still true, but I have a question for the population.

I have a more than passing interest in 35 Whelen as it seems like an awful nice, heavier-than-30 caliber cartridge. Planned use would be elk and larger... I have 30-06 and 338 that suffice. As I said, seems like a nice cartridge.

What do you, the experienced members of this forum, think?

 

[Slamfire]

I have one, never shot anything with it other than paper targets. The bud I bought it from has hit creatures medium sized and up. He said it works fine, makes a big hole, the animals drop very dead with a properly placed bullet.

Is it "better than a 30-06 or 338?, I don't know, those are great cartridges in their own right. I think there is something to be said for bigger is better and the 35 Whelen shoots heavier bullets and you don't need to push pressures with them.

I will say my 35 Whelen kicks with 250 grain bullets.

 

[oldpapps]

dakotasouth,

Hypothetically, you have an old 1903 in 30.06 and have shot way too many corrosive rounds with out properly cleaning it. The bore looks like a mud filled culvert. But you realty like the rifle, what to do? Have it re-barrled in 30-06 or just have the bore reamed out to take a .358 bullet. It is cheaper to ream and you go with that. The chamber is the same except for the bore. Looks good, was cheap and you still have your favorite rifle. Golly! This is one potent round. Another big plus. Others see this and build 'NEW' weapons in the original configuration of the 35 Whelen.

What do I think of it? More potency than I would normally need (I live in the Missouri Amarugia Highland and they are not very high). Ammunition is very limited, not going to find any at the local hardware store. I have never seen one that wasn't a nice rifle. Never bought one.

Follow your own wants.

 

[dakotasouth]

Gentlemen

Thank you. My -06 is a fairly nice variety and not culvert-like in any way that I can discern. Same is true for the 338. I like both... a lot. Just wanting to add something new that isn't.

I am already down the path on purchasing a rifle in 35 Whelen. I am just curious what others think. Not that it will influence, in this case, my decision one bit.

 

[788Ham]

You certainly won't need to second guess when you smack an elk with that rifle, DRT !

 

[Boxhead]

I have been using the round for a number of years. Deer, hogs, elk, moose, black bears and nilgai have all dropped pretty darn quick every time. Bullets I have use include the 250 gr Partition and Speer Spitzer and the 225 gr Barnes TSX. With the latter loaded properly it shoots about as flat as the 30-06 with a 180. I have hunted fairly extensively with the 336-06 and 9.3x62 as well. If I had to choose one it would likely be the Whelen.

 

[StrawHat]

The 35 Whelen is a cast bullet reloaders dream. from lightweight handgun bullets up to heavy bruisers it can all be done with the 35 Whelen. And the rifles usually carry one or two more than a similar Magnum chambering. If I were looking for a medium bore rifle, it would be a Whelen.

 

[critter]

I have 2-both built on M98 actions. An easy rebarrel/build-no action, rail work needed. Functions perfectly. EASY to reload & can even use converted 30-06 brass. VERY versatile using everything from .357 mag pistol bullets for plinking & vermin up to 250 (even heavier when you can find them) or so heavies for thumping.

I've taken only deer with the .35, but it WORKS.

 

[Robert]

When I was looking to get a new hunting rifle I really, really wanted a 35 Whelen. My issue was, no one makes them and I did not have a donor rifle or the time and money to pay for a build. So I went with a Winchester in 375H&H. But I will have a 35 Whelen one day...

 

[highlander 5]

Doesn't Remington chamber the 700 in 35 Whelen? Many years ago I figured out that the need for some of the belted magnum calibers gave a small ballistic advantage for the larger powder increase as compared to the nearest non mag caliber so the 35 Whelen seems to be the ticket here.

 

[Robert]

They might, but I am no fan of Remington. Several of the gun makers have made them in the past or do special runs every now and then but finding one at a price I was willing to pay at the time was proving to be impossible.

 

[Liberty1776]

all I can say is when I made the choice for a moose and elk rifle, I picked the 35 Whelen over the .338. Cheaper, easy to reload, darn hard-hitting. I've just always like the 35 calibers...

 

[dakotasouth]

Hadn't even thought about the reloading possibilities. I have a press in the box that I picked up a couple weeks ago. I have been scrounging bits and believe I may have assembled enough components to put together a few hundred rounds of 45 acp. Might give that a shot next weekend.

Interesting thoughts all... thank you gents.

 

[Elkins45]

One of the very nice attributes of the Whelen (and its younger brother the 358 Win) is the ability to load inexpensive practice rounds using lead pistol bullets. Or to cast 200+ grain gas checked bullets and shoot them at near full speed.

At the current prices of jacketed bullets, this is something to seriously consider.

 

[jmr40]

Which 338? I assume you mean 338 WM.

I've owned both 338-06 and 35 Whelen in the past. Still have the 338-06. Lots of guys buy them because they think they will get get improved perormance over a 30-06, with less recoil than magnum rounds. You don't. With modern 200 gr bullets loaded in a 30-06 it will outperform either. At ranges up to 100-150 yards the 35 whelen and 338-06 have slightly more energy if loaded with 225-275 gr bullets, but all 3 have more than enough to get the job done up close. The more aerodynamic 30-06 will pass both of them in trajectory and energy before the bullets get 200 yards from the muzzle.

Recoil, there is no free lunch. When firing 200gr+ bullets both the 35 Whelen and 338-06 generate far more recoil than a 30-06 firing a better performing 200 gr bullet. In fact they generate slightly more recoil than a typical 300 mag firing a 200 gr bullet.

There is a reason they never caught on. Both 338-06 and 35 Whelen have had short runs of factory rifles and ammo from time to time. Ruger and Remington have made 35 Whelen rifles in the past, but neither are currently. Weatherby made a short run of 338-06 rifles a few years ago, but both should be considered handloaders rounds.

That is not to say a 35 Whelen is a bad choice. For someone just wanting something different it is a good round. It will certainly take any animal in North America, trajectory is a minor handicap, but good enough for most shooters. I bought my 338-06 simply because I liked the rifle and the round. I like being able to hunt with something just a bit differernt than 99.9% of the other hunters are carrying. I bought the 35 Whelen for the same reason. Sold the 35 Whelen only because I liked the other rifle just a little better and could not justify keeping 2 odd ball chamberings.

Just about any round from 308 up to 338 WM has more than enough power to get the job done on all North American game. I believe in choosing chamberings because you like them. If you like the 35 Whelen, buy it. Just make sure you buy it for the right reasons.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

.35 Whelen

I've been fascinated by the .35 Whelen for several years and find the history of the cartridge to be interesting. Often I've thought the cartridge would have a bigger following if it had been named .358 Whelen. Folks seem fascinated by the large three-digit number calibers.

I bought a Remington 700 Classic version and worked up handloads with 200 grain Hornady, 225 grain Nosler, and 225 grain Barnes TSX bullets. I shot a few deer with the Barnes bullets and it hammeres them. Never hunted anything bigger with it.

I've lost interest in the rifle/cartridge and it just lives in the safe. I think of selling it, brass, dies, bullets, etc. often but as of yet can't bring myself to do it.

The rifle is light and kicks much harder than the .300 magnum pictured below it. I put a Limbsaver recoil pad on the Whelen and that tamed the beast.

.35 Whelen



.300 Winchester Magnum (lost interest and sold it too)

 

[dakotasouth]

Should have been more specific with which 338.

I have owned and sold a 338 Winchester mag... Browning BAR if I remember correctly. I now have an AR 30 in 338 Lapua mag... which is going away soon in favor of a Weatherby Accumark that I won't have until almost the end of this year.

My reason for 35 Whelen is ... well because. That and it is a bit of an oddball. I like that.