Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles No difference between 35 Whelen, 375 Ruger and 376 Steyer?

Who did you screw over for this rifle?

It's a damned shame a kidney donation is going to a thief like you.

If we are to believe that rate of spin of a bullet affects killing power, the Whelen with it's typical 1/16 twist doesn't look good. I am beginning to believe that, because in the short while I owned two different Whelens, I was pretty underwhelmed by it's terminal effect. I suspect from what I saw that the case does not have enough oomph to push an expanded 35 caliber bullet deep. Personal opinion, but if I had to kill ANYTHING with hair on it at ranges past 100 yards, I'd prefer a 7/08 to a 35 Whelen.

You would take a 7/08 over a 35 Whelen after a brown bear or 2,000lb Alaskan moose? A most surprising answer to me, if that be the case. On smaller, lighter animals (deer, antelope and similar) a small but fast bullet would be the quicker killer. But on the bigs? I think I like more bullet. On larger game like Elk and above is where I see the 35 Whelen's niche'.

I would- A 30/06 would be my first choice, but I would take the 7/08 over the 35 Whelen. In the short time I was around one, the thing that surprised me the most was how little those 35 caliber bullets penetrated. One stopped on a the neck vertebrae of a cow moose. The big blood trails that the 35 caliber bullet was supposed to produce never happened, either. One little black took a round through the chest and there were only a few small drops of blood where he was standing.
All told, there were three or four elk, a moose and a bear shot with the 35 Whelen and I was not impressed at all with terminal performance. It took a lot of swallowing my pride because that rifle was to have been my "dream rifle" that I would use the rest of my life.
Please bear in mind, all I am saying is that I have no confidence in the 35 Whelen based on a very small number of experiences with it. It might be the world's best cartridge, but based on my limited experience, I lost faith in it.

www.gublast.com/Ruger-Hawkeye375.htm

Ballistically, the 375 Ruger clearly edges out both the Whelen and the Steyer.

Try it again;

www.gunblast.com/Ruger-Hawkeye375.htm

Forgot a letter...lol

Fair enough! Thank you for being honest and forthright. THIS is what helps this board and people who are learning and making decisions.

I am brand spankin new to the Whelen fold or club, and have used it on exactly squat so your experience is greater than mine. I do plan to try mine out when I get well enough to hunt again but will do so with some good, heavy bullets. 225gr TSX Barnes and 250gr Hornaday Interlocks. Has to be SOME reason I have been reading about how awesome it is for all these decades. Hopefully we shall soon find out.

Better read your signature line again, lol. You might a done it all wrong.

I also would take a 7/08 over the 35 whelen any day of the week. And for hunting in Africa I would much prefer the 30/06 with 120 gr pills. ( SPEED KILLS )

Shod

ITS THE BULLET THAT DOES THE WORK, not the cartridge or head stamp and and what most guys seem to ignore is the fact that, youll get a great deal different results from the same cartridge when swapping bullets between different bullet weights and brands.
as an example I have used the 250 speer in the 35 whelen and the 225 barnes, theres a huge difference in results, both work, but they don,t work in a similar manor, the speer opens much faster and if your taking lung/heart shots Id prefer it. the BARNES holds together and penetrates deeply, but does not expand as rapidly, if I was dead set on busting a shoulder Id go that route
Ive had zero problem killing elk with my 35 whelen using either bullet

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...at-base-lead-free-box-of-50#ReviewHeader

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/65...n-spitzer-box-of-50?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Seems there's a lot of things not quite adding up!

Shod

Fascinating stuff there Royce. Most .35 Whelen owners I know are fanatical about their rifles. Which bullet were you using?

I went with the .375 H&H for my "big" rifle, figuring that I could load it to Whelen, or slightly more than Whelen power levels, should I so desire. Have done so, and used it on several black bears. Haven't had a shot at an elk with it yet. Someday!

Regards, Guy

It's hard to believe that a properly constructed 250gn bullet at 2600 would fail to penetrate.

340Mag
I don't doubt that you have had zero problems killing elk with the 35 Whelen, People have had zero problems killing elk with the 30-30, 303 British, 22/250. I prefer to choose a cartridge that I think will work the best in my hands and the conditions I hunt in, and I think there are several better cartridges than the 35 Whelen for me and my hunting conditions.

I was WONDERING when someone was going to catch me on that and make mention. Congrats on being the first.

Yes, this gun is an anomoly for me but even a pretty rifles + speed kills snob like myself occasionally needs something a little more specialized. The Whelen pump with some extra magazines in my jacket or vest pockets will be a great set up for hunting Roosevelt Elk in the reprod and other thickly forested rainy country of far North Western Wa when I am again healthy enough to hunt those creatures in such country. This one, probably due to the great cut rifleing job in part, is a terrific shooter, too. I have a Burris 30mm tube 1-6x40mm scope atop it in Nightforce 8 screw 'tactical' (I am SO weary of that title being given to so much stuff, but that is what they are called) steel rings. I screwed down, loc tighted AND Gorrilla Glued my steel picatinny scope base to the reciever. It is never coming off without a lot of effort and a bit of judicious use of a heat gun or torch

This rifle is my poor mans replacement for the various model 71's in 348 and lever action 358's that I have had to sell off since becoming a Kidney Failure patient.

Royce. I'm not doubting your experience and can only state my own. I have to ask, what bullet (S) were you using?
Elk #1, 150 yards running full tilt. Bullet hit just behind the short ribs, exited between the right shoulder and neck. Vedry hard bang flop.
Elk #2, 350 yards, bullet broke neck, bang flop. I held for the chest but bullet hit neck due to scope that that failed. Neck bone totally shattered.
Elk #3, bullet hit a bit too far back. Elk anchored, requited a finisher. Shot at 180 yards.
Rifle a custom on a Mauser action, 1 in 14" 24" twist barrel. Load a stiff charge of Re15, RP brass and the Barnes 225 gr. TSX for all three elk. Accuracy .50" to .75" depending on how well I'm shooting on any particular day.

PJGunner
The bullets used in the my 35 Whelen were the 225 Partition and the Ballistic Tip. Actually, there were two, a Mauser action with a Douglas barrel (shot consistently 4 to 5 inch groups with a variety of loads,) same rifle rebarrelled with a Shilen barrel (shot consistently 4 to 5 inch groups $500 later), and then a Remington Classic in 35 Whelen. The Classic shot pretty well. I believe they all had 1/16 twist.
I honestly don't know what to blame the difference on. Bullets? Twist? Higher velocity? I didn't load the Whelen hot, my notes are buried somewhere out back in a storage bin.

Fred

I wonder, would the .338-06 be a more viable round choice as opposed to the 35 Whelen? Terminal balistics, etc......

My guess would be yes.

My Whelen did the job for me last year. 250 PT through the ribs, bisected heart, broke front shoulder on exit. No tracking required.