I have a half dozen friends here in Alaska that make gut piles every year with a .35 Whelen. They are mostly moose, caribou and occasionally bear hunters and most of the shots are one shot kills. Their bullet of choice is the 225 grain Accubond and they all load their own ammo. They are good hunters and most that hunt Alaska know the caribou normally offers a longer shot then moose do, but not always.
Last fall one of them took a very respectable caribou at about 450 yards with one shot. This same guy has a video on his phone where he is hitting the nose on the ram at the local range, the distance is 800 yards. He has a tricked out Rem. 700 with a Lilja barrel and a large Burris Eliminator scope. His longest shot on a caribou is about 800 yards and he has shot more caribou then any one I know, mainly because of his remote job and access to a herd with a liberal season and bag limit and an on sight freezer and being allowed to fly meat out when rotating off shift.
Any one that thinks the Whelen can not reach out and touch a critter past 400 yards needs to spend some time with my friends. I am a user and fan of the .338 Winny and 338-06, but I also believe the .35 bore is right there at the diameter that makes and impression on big game, more so then the 30-06 and possibly my beloved .338 bore.
The .35 Whelen is what made me desire and old style lever action rifle offering .35 Whelen ballistics. So I now have a .348 Ackley Improved being made up on a Mirkoru Win. Mod. 71. It and H4350 hopefully will push the 250 grain bonded Alaska Bullet Works bullets close to 2,500 fps mv.
The .35 Whelen is one of the best caliber choices one could make for Alaska's big game. At my age I will continue with my custom Mod. 70 "Classic Stainless .338, but if I was starting over and younger, it might be a .35 Whelen.
