Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What 35 whelen would you go after?

Great looking Whelen Bugger!

I have a friend who has a classic or two in 35 whelen One well cared for One new in the box He and I will be working a trade on a marlin 375 Winchester and some ammo I have on a trade on one of them in the next week or so

This a project I’ve thought about in the past. I like the idea of a JES rebore if I want to save some money but I would probably get a Winchester 70 or a 700 and have it rebarreled. I would probably go the customized route and rebarrel one of those models.

I’d probably get rid of a few of mine if I had that one.

I can't fault my JES rebore from 30/06 to 35 Whelen. Very accurate rifle

That's a great looking rifle that I'd happily take hunting.

I have a 700 Classic that now wears a BDL stock that survived the Wreck of the Hesperus but fits me better than the original stock, which I still have in 99% condition. When I first acquired it in 1989, it didn’t shoot well with 200 gr Core Lokts but really shined with 225 gr TBBC loads after a couple hundred rounds of Core Lokts. It shoots the 225 Partitions and TBBC into bug hole groups so I’m not concerned about the 16:1 twist rate. I have no idea how it would shoot the current variety of 200 gr factory loads from Rem, Winchester, or Hornady. Not going to piss away money to find out.

When I decided to build a .35 Whelen nearly 35 yrs. ago I sent a pre'64 M/70 to Randall Redman to rebore. It has been my whitetail rifle ever since, 225gr. Sierra Game King over IMR 4064 was the load it shot best after extensive research and range testing. Last several years I've been hunting with 200gr. Hornady Inter-lok over IMR 3031, a Ken Waters Pet Load that is incredibly accurate. It will put three shots into a tight cluster off the bench @ 100yds. The last bullet I recovered from a whitetail buck taken @ 100yds. was perfectly mushroomed and retained 66% of its original weight. BTW my rifle's barrel has 1-14" twist which was Redman's standard offering when reboring. It performs well with whatever I'm shooting, jacketed bullets, cast or pistol bullets.

I like my Whelen so much (Ruger #1) my pre 64 FWT M70 358 hasn't seen a deer season in quite a while. Both rifles thrive on the SGK 225

Have 2. Remy 750 carbine and 7600. The carbine is my river bottom jungle gun jump shooting bedded bucks. The 7600 has a vortex 1.76x5 on it. Blind sitting with that one

Custom Pre-64 Model 70. Shilen Match barrel, McMillan edge stock, cerekoted, bedded, etc. super accurate with 200gr TTSX and 200Gr Hndy IL. I haven’t shot any 225s yet, really no need.

I still prefer the 338-06 just for its versatility, but the 35 whelen is a great round no doubt.

A couple of my Ruger RS results with the 225 gr TSX.

Shaw Custom Rifles may be the least expensive path into a 35 Whelen and it'll shoot too.

Very nice rifle! I'd be interested to hear about the 338-06 versatility vs a 35 whelen, still sorting through which to go with myself!

this Ruger #1 i had Jess Rebore do the rebore to a 35 Whelen shoots very nice will bear hunt with this Ruger #1 if i get drawn this year for a bear tag ? but will also be used some during the rifle 2024 deer season in Minnesota too . as GSPfan has posted there is something unique to use a 35 Whelen and chambered in a Ruger #1 is kinda special for some of us. i have also read the book and own this book called Mister Rifleman on Colonel Townsend Whelen the book is a very good read , Colonel Whelen in his life time has done some very interesting things . enjoy your 35 Whelen,Pete53

I like the ability to load cheap pistol bullets in the 35 Whelen for plinking. And factory ammo for the Whelen is widely available now, since it is legal for hunting in some (formerly) shotgun only states.

But if only shooting 200's, the 30-06 makes a lot of sense.

Here is a LINK to a good thread on the 338RPM, which is the equal of the 338WM. It's a good read, and quoted below are a couple posts from the thread:

For the money the current Whelen's are going for, I would build one.

My preference would be a Model 70 Pre, or classic action, or a 700.

I had a 700 Classic that was brutal to shoot. I also had a Rem 673 in 350 Rem Mag I probably should have kept, but I am not in the business of gun selling regrets. Played with a BLR in 358 Win for a while too.

I am now firmly in the 338-06 camp. But do not let that stop you (LIve2Hunt941 or anyone) from getting what you want. If you have a Whelen itch, you should scratch it. I certainly did that with 35's.

If I need something bigger than the 338-06, I have a 416 Rem Mag and a 45-70.

I just sold my as new 700 classic 350 RM for about $1,500 on Guns International. I threw in about 80 empty brass and a hard rifle case.

The Remington M700 Classic, CDL or BDL rifles are available as well as the Ruger M77RS & Hawkeye models.

I have a Ruger M77RS and recent Lipsey's Ruger Hawkeye "African" that will certainly meet my needs.

To get into a 35 Whelen reasonable I'd have a 30-06 or 270 sent to JES for the rebore.

StarchedCover

Man that's a nice rifle!