I hunted with a Remington 742 in 30-06 for about 25 five years until the rail inside the receiver wore out. I shot about 35-40 deer with the 742. Remington had a trade in program so I got a new 7400 also in 30-06 for about 300 bucks and the 742.
About this same time I hit a terible dry spell. I did not kill a buck for about 6-8 years! Killed several does with the 7400 but was buckless!
In the fall of 2003 I read on this site about the Grices special run of the 7600 in 35 Whelen. Boy that got me going! I called Grices but the Whelens were all gone. The told me about the 7600 carbine in 35 Remington so I bough one. Did not get a chance to buy a scope that year so I hunted with the 7400. In January I called Grices again and they had a Whelen that someone did not pick up! Had it shipped to my FFL who did a layaway with it.
Fall of 2004 came around and I hunted with the carbine with a Nikon 2X7 prostaff. Don't know why but I used a O/U scope mount on the carbine. Just looked right. Killed a doe with the 7400 again. Had not made friends with the 7600's yet.
Fall of 2005 came and I was armed with the 35 Rem carbine and the 35 Whelen now scopped with a 3X9 Nikon Pro Staff with Warne return to zero scope mounts. I had sighted in both guns and spent several hours with both guns shooting offhand, sitting, kneeling, leaning against a tree, ect...so I now felt good with both guns. Both guns were sighted in with Remington 200 grain bullets.
I elected to use the 35 Whelen on opening day. Killed a small spike on opening day with the Whelen. One shot to the neck at 60 yards. No great feat of marksmanship nor much of a challenge for the Whelen but the dry spell was over at least!
Two weeks later killed the bigest buck I ever saw in the woods with the 35 Rem carbine. I very good eight pointer. One shot to the heart at 80 yards. Never so much as flinched.
2006 came and there were no doe tags in my area, buck tag only, never saw a buck.
2007 came, doe tags were back, so were the deer. Killed a good six pointed on opening day with the 35 Rem carbine. Shot him in the neck at 60 yards. He fell down but when he tried to get up I shot him in the same whole in the neck. This time he stayed down. He dressed out at 165 lbs, good size for my area. Three weeks later I killed a doe with the carbine.
Boy do I love that 35 carbine. Carries well and hits hard. It is my go to rifle.
I have since bought 7600's in 25-06, 257 Roberts, 30-06 carbine for my son, 7mm-08, and this year 6mm Remington. I traded the 25-06 with cash for the 257 Roberts so I don't have that rifle any more.
The 257 Roberts and the 7mm-08 Remington are all ready to go this year. Both carry 3X9 Nikon Pro Staff scopes with Warne return to zero scope mounts. Had trouble with the Federal 120 grain in the 257, too long for the magazine, sheared the nose of the bullet off. The 257 is sighted in with the Remington 117 grain bullets and the 7mm-08 with the Remington 140 grain bullets. I shot both rifles several times over the summer so I feel good with both.
Last year I set my sons 30-06 up with a Nikon 2X7 Pro Staff, Warne return to zero mounts and sighted it in with 180 grain Remington bullets. He was away at school so he only hunted Thanksgiving weekend and did not even shoot the gun.
This summer when he was home we spent two days at the range and he shot the 30-06 with both standard 180 grain loads and the managed recoil 125 grain loads. He is not a big guy so I thought it wise to start with the managed recoil loads first. Turned out to be a good idea. He enjoyed the mild recoil and worked his way up to the standard loads.
My younger son is a big guy and he has adopted the 35 Whelen. Has no trouble shooting it but has yet to kill anything with it.
So I'm all 7600's now. Only question is which rifle for opening day. I'm leaning towards the Roberts but it is going to be hard to leave the carbine home.
MIKE.
