I am primarily a paper puncher, but I do ask those who hunt their experiences with cartridges I own. The 35 Whelen performs well on game, the guy from whom I purchased my first 35 Whelen, shot Elk and Moose and said it did what he wanted to do.
If you are game hunting, then what you are doing with a firearm, is poking holes in creatures. I am of the opinion that the largest through hole is the most desirable, as that encourages fast blood loss. If the bullet hits the central nervous system, the paralysis induced with depend on location. A neck shot will stop body function, a low spine shot, and the animal can still crawl with its fore limbs. Blood loss is inevitably lethal. If it lives and breathes, make it bleed enough, and it will stop breathing. Loss of oxygen, from loss of blood, will kill the brain. Blood loss is a very positive means of killing the brain. A big bullet will make a big hole, and that is all to the good. Penetration is great, very desirable, but up to a point: once a bullet exits, it cannot inflict more damage on the animal.
I believe the shooting community has been indoctrinated to evaluate firearms and cartridges just as Gunwriters do, but they are shills, pushing product for the industry. They have had a century to perfect "a narcissism of small differences", when it comes to selling cartridges. They teach us to evaluate cartridges in ways that have very little to do with the practical limits of hitting an animal, or, the lethality of the bullet on target. Gunwriters are always touting high ballistic coefficients and high velocity, because these are easy to change, and the further the bullet travels, the greater the differences in bullet drop. This makes for great advertising copy. But, how many people can actually hit their target, first time, every time at 600, 700, 800, or 1000 yards? There is a reason the Range Masters at CMP Talladega make shooters start at 200 yards, because, very few can actually stay on the target at 300 yards, fewer still at 600 yards. They banned lever actions at 600 yards, and you can't shoot your lever action at 300 yards if you can't keep all your rounds in the black at 200 yards.
The Bullseye Pistol range, they make you qualify before you shoot at their $15,000 pistol targets at 25 and 50 yards. You have to keep ten shots on the standard full sized Bullseye pistol target (about 48 inch square) at each distance, before they they will let you shoot at the electronic targets. I was surprised the Range Master knew me by name, and I found out, it was because so few people had qualified. Last I asked, around 50 shooters have qualified. That is appalling, from what I read in magazines, and on the web, everyone is keeping all their pistol shots inside the hole of a donut at 50 yards.But in real life, not so.
Based on the number of times I have taken hunting rifles to the CMP Range, I am going to say, that 300 yards is a long way out there. I wish they had a 400 yard target because I would like to compare bullet drop. I do know, from decades of XTC shooting, it is 8 MOA up from 300 to 500 yards (with my 308 Win or 30-06) and 12 MOA from 300 yards to 600 yards. Someone can calculate mid range trajectory and plunging trajectory, and estimate the hit probability on an animal with a heart lung area about the size of a dinner plate. I am certain, the further the distance, the lower the hit probability, and it is probably not linear, might be an exponential reduction. One thousand yards, I would have to look up the amount of MOA from 100 to 1000 yards. It is a boat load of MOA. Accurate range estimates have improved with range finders, but you know, you still have to hit your target. And based what I have seen, regardless of caliber, most shooters will be all over the place at 300 yards, and most can't stay on an eight foot by eight foot target at 600 yards. Therefore, making comparisons between cartridges at 600, 700, 800, and 1000 yards, where the high ballistic bullets really shine, is just a meaningless paper exercise.
Out to 300 yards, with my 35 Whelens, with those poor ballistic coefficient 200 grain Federal fusion RN bullets, going at 2576 feet per second, with a 100 yard zero, it took 2 1/2 MOA up from 100 yards to be in the middle at 200 yards, and 6 3/4 MOA up from 100 yards, to be in the middle at 300 yards. I did get on target at 600 yards with those RN bullets, and it was around 30 MOA up from 100 yards, which is just awful. Out to 300 yards though, the difference in elevation between my 30-06's and this 35 Whelen is going to be within my hold, especially in field positions. My hunting rifles, off a bench, generally will hold 2 MOA for ten shot groups at 300 yards, which means all shots are within 6 inches at 300 yards. That is very adequate for hunting, but, I have never carried a 400 lb concrete bench into the woods for shooting support.
So my basic conclusion, out to 300 yards the trajectory of the 35 Whelen is in the same class at my 6.5 Swede, 270 Win, 308 Win, and 30-06 rifles. If the bullet expands, makes a big hole, it will be very lethal on whatever it hits. The extra mass of the bullet should make it penetrate well on big animals, even if it hits bone.