Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Let's Talk 35 Whelen, Who Loves Them?

......and why?
Always been intrigued by this cartridge.
Who has one? What are your experiences?
I know it's a bit much, but seems like it would be an awesome whitetail hammer.

Just ordered one of the limited edition Ruger Hawkeyes from Grice Gun Shop and wondering what to expect.

Probably will be this fall's whitetail rifle.

Far better deer cartridges abound. I've shot plenty with it but none have been near as impressed as they have been with little bullets going really fast.

Great for bigger stuff, mine is one of the more accurate rifles I own.

I have been shooting it for years in various rifles. Moose, elk, black bear, nilgai, deer and hogs. I have used the 250 gr Speer, 250 gr Partiton and the 225 gr TSX (that I have now landed on) with complete satisfaction. Same can be said for my 338-06 and 9.3x62 but I do hold a special liking to the Whelen.

That said, I did hit a deer that was looking straight at me in the center of his chest at 125 yards. He went completely ass over teakettle.

Found the 225gr Partition against the hide in his ham.

I like it just because it doesn't blow the meat all to hell. Mine easily shoots sub- MOA. Plenty good on big game too. There are other cartridges I like better but there is plenty to like about the Whelen.

Enjoy!

As did this elk via 225 gr TSX at the same range. No bullet found, no bullet exited.

My Mauser Ackley version flat shoots bug eyes with 225 SGKs and either Re-12 or 15. I'm a fan.

I had a Browning 1895 rebored for the 35 Whelen. I live on the East coast and initially had it for guided bear hunts in Maine. I never saw a bear when I had it and I actually let deer walk by me because I just felt like I was hunting with field artillery.

I got rid of the 35 Whelen and replaced it with a BLR in 358 Winchester. I just like it better for my kind of hunting.

But I do respect the 35 Whelen and if I hunted heavier game out West I wouldn't hesitate to get another one.

Dan

The 260 Rem and 35 Whelen are my two favourite rounds. Mine has taken several moose, a bunch of black bears, a stone sheep and a blacktailed deer. Have used mostly 225 gr bullets but in recent years the 200 gr Accubond. Everything had died quickly so far. For deer and black bears it would be very hard to beat the 200 gr Accubond, it is built a bit lighter than the 225 gr version (have sectioned both) but is still plenty tough to handle heavy bone. The 225 gr Partition and Accubond are great choices too along with the 200 gr TTSX.

Shoot 250gr bullets--it should be required in a Whelen.

They were until I sorted that the 225 TSX would lay like a 180 gr 30-06.

Yes, I really like the chambering. I read a lot about it when I was a kid and bought a custom on a 98K action from a fellow who had gotten too old to hunt.I liked it well enough that I put some money in it after I shot it. Very accurate, especially with 225 grain bullets. I didn't get the velocity I expected out of the 200 grain bullets and i see no need for the 250 grain bullets for deer or elk.

I like it because of the accuracy, the ability to use cast bullets in it and so forth. The shot cartridges made with Speer capsules don't work well though.

I also like it for the amount of power I get in return for the recoil. It gets 2580-2640 or so depending on the 225 grain bullet. That is within 100-150 fps for the same weight out of my 23" barreled .338.

I haven't killed much with it, some pests and a deer at 240 yards or so. I found the 225 TBBC didn't expand as well as I hoped. The 225 gr Sierra seems the best deer bullet. All in all I agree with Steelhead, there are better whitetail rounds,

I've used the Whelen to kill many deer, a couple brown bears, moose and caribou. I'm with Steelhead in that there are better deer cartridges. No doubt that it will kill them, but I've had faster results with smaller, faster bullets. For the bigger stuff I can't find anything to complain about. I've used various 250 grain bullets (notably the A-Frame and Speer Hot-Cor) on game animals and won't do that again. Any of the 225s are better performers in my experience. I prefer the 200 TTSX to the 250s, but for bears and moose I'll take the 225 TSX or Partition for most situations. My Whelen has a 24 inch barrel and weighs within an ounce or two of 8 pounds scoped and loaded. I like that it provides great terminal performance on large game with a fairly light rifle and very manageable recoil. It's not a better killer than a host of other cartridges, but as an all-around package the Whelen makes a very efficient rifle for our biggest NA animals.

I love the cartridge. It is very efficient in short barrels, throws a heavy bullet at moderate speeds with very reasonable recoil, can take any game in North America, has great barrel life, etc., etc. My current one has proven to be extremely accurate for a medium bore hunting rifle consistently putting five shots under 0.7 moa with 250 grain Partitions.

It is a great round and here is a rather rare factory Ruger No 1 in 35 Whelen with no quarter rib and iron sights

I love mine. It is a tang safety 77UL that was a 30/06. I tossed the factory barrel and rebarreled with one of the Montana Rifleman tubes they were blowing out for $40 back 5 or 7 years ago. It wears a Leupold 2.5UL in factory Ruger rings as well as an island rear sight, banded swivel, and ramp front. Barrel is 20" SS with a 16 twist. I put a steel guard and floor plate on it and a red Decelerator on the factory stock that is full length bedded.

I shoot 250s pretty much exclusively now. I've shot critters with 180, 200, and 250 grain bullets and like the 250s best for my style of hunting and shooting distances. I agree with others that it doesn't tend to produce the lightning like kills that higher speed cartridges do but I've never not had a blood trail and a short one at that.


Single 250gr Barnes at 200 yards let the steam out of this guy a couple years back, he never took a step. It's the only pic I have with my rifle in it.

I got mine after nudging from several threads like this one. The clincher was when they were footballing out the 700 CDL's for < $500.

I got mine before I had fully come to grips with how vulnerable I am to most things nostalgic. Like most of the others here, I have been very impressed with the accuracy of my rifle, and maybe even the cartridge: I briefly owned a 2nd Whelen, and it was also a sub-MOA shooter.

I diverge from the pack when it comes to recoil. I found 250 Interlocks to shoot the best for me, so I've stayed with them, but they do push me around a good bit. That cartridge is at the upper limit of what I personally want to press the trigger on. That also explains the "briefly" part of the 2nd Whelen.

But the CDL isn't going anywhere. It's a tad under 8#, carries well, points like lightning, and has taken down hogs to a moose with great reliability. If there's ever a bear or another moose in my future, that's the rifle that'll be in my hands.

FC

I have a M700 Classic in .35 Whelen and I have taken 3 bears with 225 gr Accubonds. It's accurate, and puts the bears down quickly.

I forgot to answer part of the question earlier as a young guy I read a lot of Craig Boddington and at the time he recommended using heavy 220 gr bullets in my 30-06 for moose and bears. I remember the day going into a sporting goods store and seeing the advertisement showing the then new 35 Whelen with some heavy RN 250 gr bullets at the same speed as the 30-06 220 gr. I was hooked at that very moment and ordered a 7600 in the Whelen. It has worked very well for me since although the 7600 is long gone......

I like the Whelen, admitting upfront that it's not the best fit for an all around deer rifle, it will certainly kill them. Not much it won't kill. It seems 35's are just easy to please accuracy wise even with factory ammo. Plain jane bullets perform well. The buck below took a 200 grain cup/core to the neck from straight ahead and I found it in the opposite side rear hock. Posted these too many times....

I have a Remington 700 Classic with 22" barrel.
I had an instructor in Gunsmithing school that had an old Springfield bored out and he shot lead bullets in the basement with it.
He also loaded pistol bullets in it and shot woodchucks at a farm I was renting.
That was so impressive I had to have one.
I took it to Alaska on my 10 year anniversary and shot caribou with it.
I loaded the 225 gr. Nosler Partitions at 2700 fps using IMR 4320.
I killed one bear that acted like I hit it with a piano.
It is my favorite deer rifle.
I have tried a lot of bullets and last year used the 250 gr. Speer with Varget.
It is very effective on deer leaving a big, short, blood trail.
225 seems to be much more accurate than 200 grain
but they all kill well.
It throws the 225 as fast as a 30-06 throws a 180 gr. What more could you want?
I have only recovered one bullet and that was on a huge buck quartering away it was a 200 gr perfectly mushroomed.
whelennut

Not quite. It'll shoot 225's about the same speed at the muzzle as a 30-06 will shoot 200's, about 100-150 fps slower than 180's. And with 225 gr .358 bullets having a BC of around .430 vs about .588 for 200 gr 30-06 bullets ( comparing Nosler Accubonds) the 30-06 has the edge at around 100 yards. The gap widens as range increases.

I had one of the Rugers in 35 Whelen for while and my brother had the 7600. There is no doubt it will kill stuff and is a fun round for those who just want to be different. But there is a reason it never has, and never will become mainstream.

I came to the conclusion that the recoil was just out of proportion to the performance. Both 35 Whelen and 300 WM shoot comparable weight bullets to about the same speeds, and with comparable recoil.

If I'm getting 300 WM recoil, I'll shoot the better bullets available in .308 caliber. Or drop down one bullet weight in 30-06 and get about the same performance with a lot less recoil.

Ruger 77 w 225gr Swift AFrames. 352lb 18 1/4" skull.

Is this a pig thread? (What a hog! Nice.)

Here's a real Whelen dink

......buzzkill

If left with only one choice for an all around big game rifle it would be the 35 Whelen. I love my 300 H&H and my 400 Whelen but would choose the 35 if I could only have one.

I've taken three caribou with mine and 250 grain Partitions. Only recovered one bullet that traversed the full length of a caribou and came to rest in the right ham. Two dropped at the shot and one was a broadside 250 yard shot. That one went weakly, about 100 yards in a half circle, painting a blood trail that looked like it was made with a paint roller.

The 35 Whelen has a lot going for it as an all around big game round. Recoil is modest, some great bullets available and it pegs out the coolometer.

I have one in a 700 KS and a 7600.

I've killed a couple deer with various Whelens over the years but I'm pretty much over that. And I much prefer the 225s to keep things light on the back end.

Mine flings the 225 TTSX, 225 Northfork and 225 Accubond all pretty much the same.

Gee, boys, thanks SO MUCH for the left-handed compliments...

I have shot my 700 classic a lot. Not killed anything with it. It shoots ANY bullet about an inch and a half...every pistol, lead, fancy pants and pulled 35 Remington RNs...(except some nice looking 286 RNs that shoot patterns and Sierra 225s that go bug hole). I suppose that kind of user-friendlyness is a good thing!

If one is just going to use 225gr bullets I see no reason to pick this over the .30-06.

I ignored the 35 Whelen for many years, just chalked it up as some old outdated cartridge that was only good for "brush busting." Then in a just a couple days I talked with Matt Bettersworth at Hill Country Rifles about a build and he suggested the 35 Whelen. He mentioned that he had hunted extensively with it and I should look into it. A few days later I called Nosler customer service about something and somehow got on the subject of a 35 Whelen. The gentleman on the line stated that it is very popular with the crew at Nosler and that many of them hunt with it as one of their main rounds. Both parties suggested that it was not just a short range round and with modern bullets like the Accubond and TTSX it was 400 yard elk rifle.

So I got curious and did some research and played with some ballistic calculators. I was surprised to see that it stacked up very well against a 30-06 with a 180 grain bullet. Here are a couple screenshots I took of a online calculator I just found just to give you a idea of the ballistics. This is with a 200 yard zero and each bullet leaving at 2700 fps.




So I said what the hell and bought a used 700 CDL in 35 Whelen, picked up a box of 250 grain Core Lokts and a box of Nosler Trophy Grade ammo with 225 Accubonds. Got on paper with the Remingtons and then zero'd with the Noslers shooting right around 1" at 100 yards and left for Montana for a Elk/Mule deer hunt outside of Butte, MT. Ended up getting a small bull that literally dropped in his tracks when hit. My dad used my rifle on a cow with the same results. We both were pretty impressed. Also recoil doesn't seem any worse than a 30-06 with 180 grain bullets.

The 35 Whelen has since become my primary round. It gives me warm and fuzzies and that is important. It is a round I just want to shoot. For me, hunting it more than just pulling the trigger. I love all aspects of it including the research, load development, range work, history of the round, etc. Is it better than a 30-06? Who knows and I don't really care. For me, it is the round I prefer. There is just something about that big .35 caliber bullet that holds my interest. Life is too short to hunt with boring calibers!

Run the 250's in a 7.2# rifle (with scope) and get back to me on the reasoning.

Just joined the club myself.

M70 Classic SS (BACO/S.C.)
Micky Edge Win M70 New Hunter pattern speckletone
PacNor SS #3 1:12" 3 groove @ 22"
Timney MOA trigger
7# 9 oz scoped

Still breaking the barrel in while working up loads. Focusing on 200 TTSX and 250 Horny/Partition for now.

I have hunted with the .35 Whelen and 225 gr. bullets for the last 20 yrs. with complete satisfaction. I also shoot cast bullets and .357 jacketed pistol bullets, it shoots them all very accurately. My powders of choice in the Whelen are IMR 4064 and RL-15.

I've owned two, still have one. I've never connected with one I kept, I put a couple of deep gouges in it one hunting trip when I took a spill. I never really liked the stock so I sanded it down to remove the gouges, and worked on the stock a bit. Opened the grip a bit, but I'd like to do more and think it's beyond my limited skill. One of these days I'll put it back together and actually hunt with it.







[img]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r155/taylorce1/35%20Whelen/P1000449.jpg[/img]

I am a fan of the 35 Whelen cartridge. I used one exclusively for hunting whitetail for several years with excellent results. The accuracy from the rifle, a Remington 700 Classic, was quite good with 250 grain bullets.

I hunt with a Ruger K1-A, 35 Whelen. I use it for mid-range elk hunting. Knocked the heck out of a cow elk at 135 yards a couple of years ago.
I tend to gravitate to nostalgia chamberings that still do the job and the 35 Whelen is one of them along with 300 H&H, 348 Win, and 444 Marlin. All used for elk at varying ranges.

Dave

With heavier bullets it is good choice for: elk, moose, brown bear, bison,.....for smaller game there are better choices. I bought .300H&H on the only hunting rifle. While there is nothing wrong with that for smaller deer species and game calibers like: 7x57, 6.5x55, .308, .270 would be better choices. Thinking little deeper best choices would be: .308, .270Win and .30-06. My friend went hunting in "Tinyville" Colorado and tiny supply store that only had: .223,.308, .270, .30-06 and ,300WinMag in stock.

Weight doesn't make a bullet good or bad. I'd like to know how many brown bears you've killed with a Whelen using 200 grain bullets versus 250 grain bullets and describe your results.

I'd take a 180gr Barnes TTSX all day long and twice on Sunday over a 250gr Cor-lokt

theres about 16 solid and consistent long term members and an additional 6-10 guys that seem to come and go, as members in my elk hunt club.
two of the most popular cartridges in my hunting club are the 358 win (mostly in browning BLRs) and the 35 whelen in remington 7600 and several bolt actions) by far the 250 grain speer
the 358 win in the blr pushes that 250 grain speer bullet to about 2300fps
the whelen pushes that 250 grain speer bullet to about 2500fps





either and both have an enviable record of a long list of very dead elk and mule deer, so much in fact that several of each rifle in those calibers have been purchased due too the consistent successful results.
I purchased both my 7600 remington and my browning BLR after years of watching both convincingly fill tags.
those two are almost the standard most of the guys use to judge other rifles.

Had a Ruger No. 1A in the Whelen. Quite accurate but I never warmed up to that particular rifle (and I really like No.1s).

One problem was the skinny barrel. When I put irons on it with full bore 250 br loads that thing kicked! Off the bench it was absolutely no fun and probably the 'fastest' recoiling rifle I ever shot. Ended up selling it on here.

If they had spec'd it with the 'S' medium contour I probably would've kept it. My 1-S in 9.3 balances and feels much better...

Took the Whelen on a combo hunt one year but got zip so I only killed paper and steel with mine.

Nevertheless, a cool cartridge if you dig it...

Been carrying one in cdl for a few years now and is very accurate with very reasonable recoil. Some posted that faster killed better and several other cartridges were better for deer such as the the 30-06. Although I would never discount the '06, a Whelen pushing the same bullet faster certainly wouldn't bounce off game.

I must have missed the memo.

225's:

Nice bear, sir

+1, great post. I found it also stacks up pretty closely to a 165gr 308.

Now that's a nice bear! Care to share details?

Here's a little bear that tangled with a 200 grain bullet from a Whelen.

That is a beauty!

He's been whelen'd!

I'd probably love the Whelen, if I hadn't discovered the .358 first.

For deer, having used a host of other bullets in the past, that's undoubtedly the bullet I'd select.

Compare and contrast the terminal performance of a .30-06 vs. 35 whelen, both equipped with a 180 gr. TTSX. Would it be equal?
Same bullet weight, different caliber.
Basically the same cartridge, I guess.
Someone enlighten me please.

The whelen (or338-06) should start any 180 faster than the '06 can, just due to larger bores being more efficient on the same case. How that translates at 3-400, with bc disparity, I dont know....probably not much. I know the .358 w/180s, can be right there with the '06 180 loads I've known.

I shot a cow caribou at 325yds with a 180 Speer semispitzer started at 2800fps. Bullet completely went to pieces, never found a fragment bigger than a pencil lead, but the cow went down like I'd jerked the rug out from under her. The 200 TSX works great for caribou and I'm sure it would work just fine for anything else in North America, my rifle launches them at 2700fps and I haven't caught one yet.

I save the 180s for using in my 35 rem super14 TC barrel these days and haven't used a 200 in a while. My gun shoots about 6 different 250s into small groups with no POI shift so I use them. I like the way the 250s perform and I have 7 30/06s for launching 180s YMMV.

I would not try to quantify the terminal differences between a 30/06 and a 35 Whelen on deer. As was said in the beginning, there are better choices for deer than the 35 Whelen. However, if I was going to pursue deer with a Whelen the 180 TTSX would be tops in my opinion/experience. The Whelen is a "big" game cartridge and deer are not "big" game.....

I have two rifles chambered in the Colonel's 35...and I have found I get better (smaller) groups with the 225gr pills.
I have taken it on 3 bear hunts,,,but so far the bears heard I was carrying the Whelen and stayed away from the bait.
However, on paper the rifles shoot great.

Don't leave me hanging! Tell us why? I was just at Sportsman's Warehouse and they had two box of Hornady brass in 358 Winchester for $30 each. I couldn't in good conscious just leave them on the shelf. So now I am eyeballing a rifle in 358 Winchester too. It really is a sickness these damn .35's.

If you own a Whelen, I think it's required by law to own a .358 too.

I loved my old 350 Rem Mag.
Would love to have a 358 STA

Or 358 Norma....

Wow. Damn good looking rifle. What are the build specs so I can shamelessly copy it?

Over the years I've owned several different rifles in various calibers, 6.5x55 to 375. I bought a cdl in 35 whelen when they first came out and it quickly became my favorite. It's been used on several hunting trips with shots from 30 yards to a measured 272 yards. For the hunting I've done, about the only situation my whelen would not be my first choice would be antelope out west.

Hill Country builds an excellent Whelen.

LOL. Nothing too fancy - .308 screwed out to .35.
Brown Pounder stock / cerakote.

It's a puddytat as long as I keep bullet weight to 225gr and under.

I've owned several Whelens.



But this one is one my kids will have to decide whether to part with.


Don't always use it, but when I do............




the results are usually consistent.





JAPPFT

GWB

No. There are not!

NICE! Wheelen, sir!

Son got a Whitworth Express in 30/06 and sent it to JES and had it rebored to .35 Whelen. Sharp looking rifle. Wish I had a photo. Sure knocks the snot outta hogs! Hopefully we'll get to go after elk in October. Bet it will do the same to them!

My experience is the opposite. For the deer hunting I do, the Whelen has done as well or better than anything else. Some calibers have worked as well as the Whelen for me, but not better. I use the 225gr Partition.

Another thing to love about the Whelen - shooting plinking loads with pistol bullets. Just try that with a 9,3x62 or .338-06

Agreed! I'm not a fan of playing find the Easter Egg after the shot and with the whelen I generally don't have to.

I'd sooner have a 223 than a Whelen for deer.

When it comes to hunting deer, what is the advantage of a 223 over a Whelen?
It seems like the smaller 223 round would be affected more by wind drift, and downrange energy would be diminished quicker when compared to a 35 caliber bullet.

With no disrespect intended - that sounds a little obtuse. You may have had a bad experience with the Whelen, but it would be really hard to make a logical argument for the 223 being a "better" deer round, unless recoil and cost are at the top of your list.

There are definitely Whelen bullets I would not use for deer, the 225gr Sierra GK being at the top of that list, but with the right bullet, the Whelen is as good as anything else out there. Not to mention, if it's important to you, with the right bullet choice the big slow bullets can do less meat damage than the lightweight zippy calibers.

Just my 2 cents.

I might agree with this if I was hunting back east, but out west there is no way I'd take a 223 over a Whelen.

Me too, but I like'em both about equal. Currently owning a 358Win.

It's not obtuse, it's for the sake of argument.

I have hunted with 270's for about 40 years, and 35 Whelens since Remington made the legitimate, coming onto 30 years. I go back and forth between between them, as I have never been disappointed by either. Both calibers have proven to be harder to find a bad load than good, they just don't seem to be picky.
My grandsons seem to be finding the same thing.
The 270 with a 130 gr Partition or Etip, and the Whelen with just about any 250 gr bullet are just deadly on game, all of them. Both calibers have produce a bunch of DRT kills for us.
When in doubt, overkill is just right.

BTW, great string guys. Enjoyed reading all of it. Congratulations on the lack of juvenile commentary.

35 Whelen bull 250 Speer

It's far from either. I've never needed to put a second slug from a 223 into a deer. I've shot several deer, several times with a Whelen and you'd never know they were hit.

Furthest I've ever had to chase a deer was shot with a Whelen. I've never had a deer take more than a couple of steps when shot with a 223.


Little and fast is much better on deer, can't fathom a reason in the world for picking a Whelen over say a 243. Nothing wrong with using one if that's what tickles you, but it ain't a better deer mousetrap.

That and some of the 'wind' drift comments. I'm curious as to how many of you are shooting at deer at 400 yards with your Whelen? Show of hands


I can't comment about out west, but I know a 223 works just fine for deer in Alaska.


Again, lots of folks make decisions based on romance, Elmer Keith or Taylor KO values. All of which mean not a damn thing, most especially where deer are concerned.

I've seen more than a few deer get 'thumbed' by 250 grains for friendliness from a Whelen, only to trot off as if untouched.

I'd take the Whelen any day of the week for bigger stuff, but I've no desire to use it again for deer.

And again, bullets matter. I've slung enough little Barnes bullets at things that 'meat' damage ain't a concern.

Nice moose ... I shot my first moose with the same rifle and bullet.

With a sobriquet such as Steelhead,



makes one wonder if you ever do any fishing/trolling/chumming.

Just Sayin'


BTW,

why "overgun" with a 22 cal.



when you can dink around with 20 Cal, 40 gr. @ 3,850 FPS.

JAPPFT,

GWB

It's not though. Had I said a 257 Roberts it likely would have been like a bobble head contingent behind the computer screens nodding in agreement.

I would take a 223 over a 35 Whelen any day of the week and twice on Sunday for deer, period.

I liked to kill deer with my 35 Whelen just to agitate my in laws.
I envisioned it as an elk, moose, and bear rifle. I would much prefer it to a 338 Winchester Magnum.
I prefer overkill to wounding animals and not recovering them. Jmho
Bob Hagel wrote that it is better to hunt with something that will do the job when everything goes wrong rather than something that will do the job when conditions are ideal.
whelennut

Head bobbing now.

I'd prefer not to shoot at a deer at 400 yards period and rarely do if I can help it. Honestly I wouldn't shoot at a deer with either of those rounds at 400 yards. I'd gladly use a 223 at my buddies farm in Missouri. I'll be in a blind, the shots will be slow and controlled at known ranges, with the longest being about 150 yards. I would choose a Whelen shooting 180 or 225 grain Accubonds hunting mule deer here in wide open Nevada any day of the week over a 223.

That's a really nice setup!!

Thanks. I'm liking it as well. Bevan King in BC made and installed the bbl with a McMillan and FXII 4x. Weighs 7.5# as shown.

Has shown vg accuracy with 200 and 250gr Hornadys. Hope to get some 250gr Speers to shoot in it tomorrow.

I don't usually hunt deer with my Whelen but my experience with the 200 gr Accubond @ 2840 fps on black bears has been excellent. Have no doubts it would work equally well on deer. Of course I usually use my 260 Rem and will use the new 270 Win a lot too on deer but the Whelen will deliver if needed. I shot one black tailed doe and a stone sheep with the discontinued 225 gr Ballistic Tip and they both went down fast.

Steelhead, it's pretty easy to imagine that had someone else said that, you would reply with a sarcastic comment about not being able to place a shot with a bigger bore rifle.

Haven't ever shot anything with mine that wasn't already dead so can't comment on that I will state that it's a push of recoil way different than any .300 mag I've fired and that is a huge factor in the enjoyment of it.

I am using 250gr Partitions and 250 Hornady Interlocks.

I've posted the pics in the past but it's a Karnis reshaped Boyd's nutmeg JRS stock on a VZ-24 action with Talley Ruger style bases and Ruger rings Pac-Nor SS Super Match #3 12" twist 22" long teflon coated black.

Mike

My Whelens and I have killed somewhere around 15 elk, a few moose, and one big mountain caribou with 250 grain bullets, mostly Speer Grand slams but also the Hornady and Remington standard bullets. A couple more elk with the 225 TBBC and one with the 225 X, and a few whitetail deer with the 250 GS and 225 Sierra.

The elk were all killed very decisively and I was really impressed how the big bullets can break shoulder bones and continue in a straight line to the vitals, unlike my experience with a few 30 caliber bullets which did not do so well against shoulder bones.

I hunt during mixed game seasons, so carry stout elk or moose loads and not deer specific loads. In my opinion the Whelen with stout bullets is not a quick deer killer compared to almost any lighter, faster cartridge. Two of the longest tracking jobs I ever had on deer, and one deer hit and not recovered were shot with the .35 Whelen. Even a .243 with a standard 100 grain would have worked better!

I bet the Whelen would be an excellent quick killer of deer with 200 grain bullets of light construction. I may have avoided the deer troubles by using Nosler partitions, they open quick and penetrate too. But I kinda agree with a previous poster, there are many better deer cartridges out there. And few if any better really big game cartridges.

I don't love my Whelens ( I've had three) but we're good friends and I like them a lot.

I am puzzled by the people who don't like the 35 Whelen as a deer rifle. It has been my favorite deer rifle since I bought it.
Try some Hornady 200 gr. Interlocks and get back to me.
Another possibility is that mine are normally shot in the woods at close range. Maybe at long range when the velocity has dropped of and bullet placement is less than ideal.......