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35 whelen

6K views 41 replies 25 participants last post by  Der_verrückte_Steppenwolf 
#1 ·
The gun shop I hang out at has a interarms 35 Whelen, I know it's a necked up 30/06 but I've never owned one. Anybody shoot a 35 whelen and how u like it
 
#4 ·
I've got a Remington 700 in 350 Rem Mag, which is the same thing as a 35 Whelen in a different shape. I bought the rifle because it was in nearly mint condition at a very good price, and have come to love it. The 200 gr. Hornady SP I've used on black bear would be a good deer bullet, but I'm now trying the 225 gr. Sierra on the bears. I haven't got to shoot one with the Sierras yet. If the price is right and the rifle fits you jump on it.
 
#5 ·
It shoots a 38 cal bullet---I have one I built using a Mauser K98 receiver. We call it a "Poor man's 375" . It packs a good recoil with 220 -250 grn jacketed bullets. It will take down anything in North America. A Marlin 336 in 35 Rem will do the same job.
 
#6 ·
It shoots a 38 cal bullet---I have one I built using a Mauser K98 receiver. We call it a "Poor man's 375" . It packs a good recoil with 220 -250 grn jacketed bullets. It will take down anything in North America. A Marlin 336 in 35 Rem will do the same job.
Nonsense. A 35 Whelen with a 225 gr. Spitzer boat tail will do 2600 fps, easily out classing a 35 Remington.
 
#9 · (Edited)
It does have more energy, so it has the potential to do more work.


I’ve never understood what knockdown power is. If a round could blow a deer off it’s feet it would also blow you off the ground when you pulled the trigger.


the whelen is a classic round that has good manners and is easy to find accuracy with. Kind of like the 45/70, you can load it up or down. Pistol bullets to heavy rifle bullets.
 
#12 ·
Unless the bears a Brown or Grizzly would you need that much. No too many lever action rifle calibers that won't take a black bear in Mo. It's a phenomenal round and I would love it or a 9.3x62. Used to have a Sauer 200 with interchangeable barrels one of which was the 9.3 x 62. The difference in projectile is about .366 vs .358. The 9.3 was the popular turn of the century safari round and is also based on the .06 case. Practically identical in application. If it's selling for slightly less a non-altered rifle in 30.06 I would go for it. The original owner who pays for the rechambering rarely gets his invest back.
 
#13 ·
We don't have a bear season in Missouri.
 
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#19 ·
I'd take the 35 Whelen over the featherweight model 70.

The last "lightweight" rifle I owned was a Remington 700 mountain rifle in 308 Winchester. That was around 1992, and it kicked like a mule with 180gr factory loads. I'm not recoil shy at all, but that was a lot more recoil than my Savage 30-06.
 
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#20 · (Edited)
That rifle should be a rebore/rechamber. I did two interarms long action 30-06 and 270 over to a rechamber/rebore to 35 Whelen. Both manlicher style factory rifles, not that that maters. Think I could load 5 in the rifle, but would only feed the first two out of the mag. Something was up with shape of the magazine follower, which a good gunsmith could probably fix. Check that mag feed, before buying. Sold those down the river.

Both rifles shot well with that 20 inch barrel, was getting around 2500 fps with a Hawk 225 gr pointed with accuracy. Still have group of big 35s, one a Remington 7400 carbine 35 Whelen which I will probably sell, a 356 Win and a 348. the 225 gr Hawk was general choice for that caliber, but if hunting stuff that could kill you, would move to the 225 gr Swift A frame, a no non-sense bullet. Have a Browning 1895 carbine 30-06, that is due a rebore/rechamber to 35 Whelen. Like powerful lever 35s.
 
#21 ·
I have the Remington 700 Classic that came out in 1988. I have never taken game with it and I shoot it very little. That 250gr. Rem will set your shoulder back a little. I bought it in hopes that I would eventually draw a Maine moose tag. After 15 or so years, I gave up. Never had a desire to shoot a deer with it. With less than a hundred rounds through it, it has basically been a safe queen for over thirty years.
 
#22 ·
I was reading storied written by African Professional Hunters. Kevin Robertson, a veternarian and PM commented that he 35 Whelen was the most under rated caliber he had seen. He preferred rifles of that nature over the 300 magnums tha tmade a lot of noise but did not always perform as well on game. Ballistic statistics have a proper anagram, BS.

DEP
 
#24 ·
Reloading and Hawk bullets go together well in the 35 Whelen, 350 Rem Mag. Own both, but the 350 has been with a friend for a few years (Ruger Stainless All Weather). About the same ballisticaly, the 350 seems to be harder on the cases. Can get the 35 Hawks with a standard pure soft copper jacket/ soft lead core that is absolutely DRT on lighter game like deer and hold together well indicating should work for much larger game. Most common commercial 35 bullets designed for something other than the 35 Remington, are harder to much harder and somewhat brittle.

These bullet test I did here, confirm the effect I was seeing on deer. Not the best bullets for those who like to eat up to the bullet hole, but great for folks who want the deer down now, even with marginal hits.

https://www.marlinowners.com/forum/...ullet-tests-focus-30-cal-190-hawk-35-rem.html
 
#26 ·
Probably one of the reasons the 35 Whelen is not as popular is eihter the desire for magums or the fact taht it is really more gun than many of us need. In most white tail situations many of us are shooting at under 100 yards and at that range the old 35 Remington is pretty effective. Go above it and you blow up meat. It has also been proven on black bear. If one lives in an area where bigger game is around then a more potent rifle like the Whelen is handy. I ahve always thought when you look at the down range performance it is a better choice than the 444. Most hunters I know who won the bigger magnums are also using rifles that are unnecessary. I go rid of my 270 because it wasted too much meat, and at most I shot up to about 250 yards. The 6.5CM I have now is good enough as is the 35 for closer range stands. Owning a big rifle is good for day dreaming but one can be over gunned.

DEP
 
#27 ·
The 9.3×62mm (also known as 9.3×62mm Mauser) is a rifle cartridge suitable for hunting larger species of animals in Africa, Europe, and North America. It was introduced by Otto Bock in 1905. The cartridge has a slight power edge over the popular .35 Whelen cartridge. Both these cartridges are real world stoppers and are greatly underrated because the word MAGNUM is missing. There really is little to chose between them, I use a 9.3x62mm on deer with the 230gr Lapua capped hollow point they really do tend to be DRT. Buy the 35 Whelen it too is a very fine cartridge and will stop most things that walk the earth. And cause less damage to a deer than you would think.GH
 
#31 ·
Just for kicks I went on Midway USA and priced ammo for both cartridges. The 35 Whelen is loaded for North American use and as such the bullet weights are 200 and 250 grain for longer range shooting. The 9.3 was generally loaded with heavier bullets for shooting bigger game like it was designed to do. If you reload the 35W has bullets like A Square and Woodleigh available for larger game but the factory loads were generally for elk and moose. Surprisingly the cost for ammo was not all that much different but the 9.3 was a little higher. Some of it was due to the bullet selections and loadings. 9.3X62 is a fascinating cartridge but my 6.5 Creedmoor seems to do all I need on them, as does my 35 Remington, 8mm Mauser, 30-30 etc. Dead is dead and as Gareth pointed out some of the big game bullets really don't do that much extra as they are designed to penetrate. These big rifles are fascinating though.

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