Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska .35 Whelen Rifle Question

Hard pressed …....

That, of course, is very true. It would be interesting to know just how often this happens. I have never had it happen to me, nor have any of my friends had it happen. I have also read where someone traveling to Africa gets separated from their ammo, but I know no one who has run into this problem. I am not discounting the possibility, but it seems remote to me. Also, TheKid had the great suggestion to scatter a few rounds in each bag, camp box or backpack. Taken a step further, you could also put a box of ammo in your buddy's pack and he in yours. I think such a tactic would go a long way to mitigating this problem should it ever happen. But maybe I am naive?

I've heard of it too, but I don't know anyone either.

Plus I take 2 rifles to any outing, one way or another...

The ammo thing is overated IMHO. If you can loose the ammo, you can loose the gun too...

That said I"ll probably loose my ammo in Sept... be about my luck anyway.

That being said, ATV is correct, the ideal situation, everyone shooting the same round. MOre ideal the same ammo.

I just do like others, keep a sleeve in the backpack, a sleeve in the clothes bag and so on. Plus keep 100 at the house if had to drive back, but on fly outs, the best suggestion, would be a checklist.

It would appear we have another Root sighting.

Not saying it couldn't happen but I've never run out of ammo on a hunt nor forgot to take my ammo on a hunt. I always have some extra in my day pack and more either in the truck, on the four wheeler or at camp. I have gotten to the range a time or two without ammo but that's usually because I got distracted by a phone call or a question from the wife while I was loading the truck. I have a checklist prior to leaving for my hunts. Probably should have one for the range.

I shoot some unusual rounds. The 35 Whelen and 300 H&H are not that odd but neither are likely to be in your hunting buddies pocket. I also go afield with a 400 Whelen, 6.5x53 Rimmed (256 Mannlicher), 10.75x57 and 6mmx222. I've never killed a head of big game with factory ammo.

The availability of factory ammo or the possibility of running out in the field has never been a factor in what I choose to carry afield. I think that argument is pretty much without grounds. Yes, airlines can loose bags, ammo can get lost, but split it up between a couple of bags and depending on your airline's rules, leave some in the case with the rifle. If your traveling with a friend or family member have them put a box in their baggage if it's that much of a concern. Two hunting buddies traveling together could each carry an extra box of the others ammo to minimize the chance of lost bags and ammo.

It was mentioned the 35 Whelen is inferior to the 9.3x62. That case could be easily made but in that same light it could be argued the 9.3x62 is inferior to the 375 H&H which is inferior to the 404 Jeffrey and right up the line. The notion that one round is inferior to another, while it may be true, does not mean the "inferior" round is inadequate for the job at hand. The 35 Whelen is more than adequate for all North American game. Inferior to the 9.3x62? Perhaps. Inadequate for Alaska? Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Exactly.

You could also say the the recoil of the .375 H&H is superior to that of the .35W or the 9.3x62. The point is, that an argument can be made for almost anything. 78.6% of people are aware of that fact.

Back to the original topic. I'd look for a M77 Hawkeye all-weather if I were you High_Noon. I went the semi-custom route using an M70 action, PacNor 1:12 #3 barrel and a McMillan New Hunter stock. Right at 7.5# with the 4x scope.

Now that is an extremely sexy rifle.

Very nice rifle. I'd like to go this route. When I get a chance, I'm gonna' run the numbers on how much it would cost me to get either a cheap CRF SS Ruger or M70 in .30-06, a Douglas (or other) barrel, Timney, McMillan w/ Decelerator, Talley QD rings & bases, NEGC Iron sights. I imagine I could do most of the work myself and have a gunsmith install the iron sights and maybe slick up the action, in needed. I can also probably glass bed the action myself. The advantage, of course, is that I'd get exactly what I wanted, but I guess the finished product meeting my expectations is a bit of a gamble.

If it was me I think I'd want a flatter shooting caliber.

I live on Kodiak and I remember reading a Craig Boddington article about when he visited Kodiak to hunt deer with a 35 Whelen. It turned out that all the shot opportunities were too long for the caliber (country too wide open) so he ended up using the guide's 300 WM with 150g bullets to shoot his deer.

In a light rifle to get a flat shooting round you either need to go for less powder or a smaller caliber (less lead). Personally I use a 260 remington (both less powder and less lead!) and it seems to do great in a light weight rifle - and I feel good out to 400 yards. But clearly there are lots of options out there!

It just seems to me that a 35 whelen would a little limiting in terms of longer range stuff.

Patrick

Agreed, which is why I also have a .270 and a 6.5x55 SE.

Craig wrote several versions of the same story, just not the true version...

You won't need to do this with the newer M70 actions (mine is a BACO made in S.C.) Pretty much why I didn't go the M77 route. They are a far stretch form what I'd call slick . . .

Yep. Even my 25 year old M77 MKII is still not what I would call slick. I like Ruger rifles and they are workhorses, but they are not refined at all, which is why I'd prefer a FN M70.

Is your PacNor barrel 22"?

That's a beautiful rifle, but there's a reason you went this route and not that of the Ruger Hawkeye. I've seen them for sale on Gunbroker many times: There's actually some there right now. It's the easy solution for a totally useable utilitarian rifle. I do like the Ruger, but it is not a Winchester. Plain and simple, the reason you are showing off your beauty of a 35 Whelen model 70 . I've had many Ruger 77's and hunted the hell out of them, but in the end now have no Rugers and mostly only Winchester model 70's. Who would have thunk??????

Your second sentence explains where your judgment got fu cked up or should I say it nicer: Skewed. The Col. has probably led many people astray with his magnumitus ideology... Just sayin...

That's what I'm leaning towards, fueled by 24hcampfire 9.3x62 mania. I'm keeping an eye out for a good deal on a M70 Classic in .270 Win to rebore to 9.3x62. I'll have a (I hope) great rifle, and I will have removed a .270 from the gene pool - it's a win/win. ;-)

Would love to hear the true version.....

But yet archery hunter after archery hunter continue to kill bucks, velvet and non velvet year after year.... I'm sorry if Dumbington couldn't get 300 yards from a Sitka dummy....