That is what the latest gun rags and recent loading manuals are telling me, and I am surprised. I am certain that with heavier bullets (not needed in the Whelen) the 375 Ruger would pull away some, but according to the articles I have just read and what I see in load data, all three push a 250gr bullet to 2500-2600fps.

NOW I am seeing why the old timers loved or at least revered elthis round so much! This Whelen cartridge is a powerful workhorse of a cartridge.

I just managed to wiggle my way into my very first ever 35 Whelen, and got it pretty cheap because it is a re bored from 30/06 model 7600. I put a Burris 30mm tube 1x-5x33 scope atop it and so far I like it a lot. Going to run 250gr Interlocks and / or 225gr TSX's through it and try to smack and elk with it post Kidney transplant and recovery. Maybe a black bear, too.

I think you need to recheck the 375 Ruger load data. It looks like you are selling it a bit short. Hodgdon lists loads getting over 2900fps for a 250gr bullet.

Yeah. The 375 Ruger l had did over 2800 fps with 270 gr factory loads. 2900 with a 250 in the Ruger should be easy.

Best of luck on your transplant surgery!

I'm only loading my .375 H&H Number one to 2620 fps with the 260 gr Nosler Accubond. Load from John Barsness, and doggone it's accurate. Have been using it for black bear, and it's working like a champ. Not much different from a warm .35 Whelen 250 gr load.

I kind of like those medium bore rifles, with bullets sort of loping along nice and easy like.

Regards, Guy

Nosler says a max velocity of 2941 with a 260 grain and 2715 with a 300 grain for the 375 Ruger. Might want to check your data again....

Does it really matter? What in North American is going to walk away from a well-placed shot from either?

A 250 grain .35 Whelen bullet at 2500 FPS would work on blue whales.

Recheck your data. Barnes shows 3000+ with 235s and 2800+ with 270s in the 375 Ruger.

I would worry more about shot placement than what goes what speed.

Correct me if wrong...

doesn't the 375 Ruger case have a 308 diameter head ?

Appealing for re barrel projects...

375 Ruger is a .532 case head I'm pretty sure

yept...you're right...must be thinking another cartridge

http://www.nosler.com/375-ruger

Whelen is great, but it's got nowhere near 375 ballistics. Check your data.

I have both and the .375 Ruger has way more jam. My 22" Whelen throws a 225gr TSX at 2700fps. 250gr will do 2500-2550fps.

My 20" .375 Ruger Alaskan throws a 250gr TTSX at 2750fps.

So just with this basic real world comparison, the .375 Ruger throws the same 250gr bullet 200-250fps faster with a 2" shorter barrel. This means that its probably more like 250-300 fps with same barrel length. I'm sure the difference will grow bigger with heavier 270gr and 300gr bullets.

Fits in '06 length action I believe is what you are remembering!

Mike

I'm getting 2510 with a 270 and 62 grains of IMR4895 from a 3.11" OAL and a 20" carbine.

From your Steyer?

My 375 Ruger data came from the latest issue of Rifleshooter magazine. None of my manuals are new enough for 375 Ruger data to be in. I did have data for the Steyer round.

I stand corrected! and that 375 Ruger data did look pretty sad and weak to me. Once again we see to NOT trust the gun rags.

With a 416 Rigby in the stable, as well as a superfast 33, I am thinking I have the bases covered for all of the big stuff going forward. The Whelen is my short, fast, lightweight for situations where that is a better fit than a 10.5LB, long barreled 338 super.

My .375 Ruger African does 2880 fps MV with Barnes TTSX 250 grainers and 2800 fps MV with Barnes TSX 270 gr. bullets, both very accurate and at less than max. velocities. Don't know what or where you read it, but the data in the gun rags is simply wrong.
The .375 Steyr is an anemic excuse for a .375, which probably accounts for it being nearly extinct.

Can't wait for this train wreck..

"wiggled my way" means somebody took one in the ass.....

this from a 2-7 VX-R.

Great shooting there, and obviously a good shooting rifle, too.

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.

I have both a 358 Winchester and a 375-350 Rem Mag - essentially the same stuff as the 376 Steyr. Both kill moose (or caribou) just fine. Neither, however, has the same juice as the 375 H&H�and the Ruger is a jacked variation of what the H&H does.

Really?
In what category?
I run a shorter action in the
Steyr, thus shorter bolt throw and stiffer action. Also I'm burning 62 grains of powder...efficiency.
Less recoil...
So maybe speed is higher but I wouldn't say it wins all category.

...........You seemed to have overlooked one word in my above post or overlooked my meaning of the word,,,,,"ballistically"..........

Meaning for the most part, what occurs "beyond" the muzzle.

Not talking about a shorter actioned Steyr. Not talking about powder efficiency. And not talking about any reduced recoil.

In terms of power, the 375 Ruger tops the 376 Steyr and the 35 Whelen.

The two are so close that there's almost no difference. Both are good rounds. On paper the 338-06 has a slight advantage at long range, but on meat I still prefer the bigger bore.

You really ought to consider putting your illness and all things associated with it in your signature line - it'd save you a lot of keystrokes in nearly every post.

As well, in the off-chance there is a single person here that has not yet been made aware of your situation or perhaps we have a new member, you're covered should you somehow fail to mention it.

Agree. The only advantage of the .338-06 is the availability of higher BC bullets. The .35 Whelen shoots heavier larger diameter bullets.

My Whelen out penetrates my .338-06 AI. The .338 is faster and flatter, though. The differences are not huge. I would take the .338-06 over the Whelen but that is just personal preference. It would be hard to make a case proving the superiority of either over the other.

A 210 Partition at 2850 fps sure does give me the warm fuzzies, though.

I agree. I have .350 RM, .350 WSM, .375 Steyr, and while they certainly not lacking, the .375 Magnums are a step up in horsepower.

With that dia bullet speed is not as important. Never hear nothing but raves from 35 cal shooters. Did a 35/375 ruger for a guy one time.. Even the 35 rem gets it done within its limits.
I want to build a 375 hawk someday on a model 70. Have the action and reamer...just need some time..

I can't see how a flatter trajectory beyond 200_250 meters is in any way an advantage.precisely at what point does one round become superior to any other round firing the same weight and caliber projectile.
the note 1thing superior to another more than one factor must be weighed.
even a game of 10 percentin velocitywould only equate do it advantage in trajectorysmaller than the actual group size at maximum point blank range. I fail to understand how that can be in any way superior to a shorter,lower recoiling, more efficient calibre when all is said and done the impact velocity difference would cause a negligible increase in damage to any animal.

Fairly meaningless discussion. I have had elk drop in there tracks with .308,44 mg,7 mag,50 cal ML, 30-30,30-06 and a few I can't remember. Distances were anywhere from 50 ft to 400 yards. AND I have had elk run 30-100 yards hit with the same cartridges .I have a half a baby food jar of 220 gr and 180 gr 30 cal. bullets( all C&C ) dug out of dead elk.

All these totaling in the 4 dozen dead elk realm. It is not what you hit them with, but where you hit them.

The growing chant that rifling twist rate is an important factor in killing power is starting to get silly.

Dunno how the old 45-70 ever killed anything with a 1-20 twist!

the .45-70 was the standard rifle cartridge for the U.S. Army. that same job is now filled with a much faster twisted 5.56mm.

coincidence?

I don't see your point toad.

The 5.56 needs a faster twist to stabilise its longish (compared to the 45-70, for calibre) bullets enough to shoot them accurately. They didn't go with a faster rifling rate for any other reason.