Your mindset is what's doing the hinting, the .35 Whelen is perfectly capable of what it was designed for without 28" barrels or your kind of velocities. I've been shooting, hunting with and reloading for a Whelen for more than 35 years, have lots of practical field experience with the cartridge.
The 1885 is sold with 28" barrel, New powders are changing the rules.
I can kill deer with a 45 ACP, I know I've down it. No down side to more speed to flatten trajectory. None
