Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 35 Whelen or 9.3x62?

Gentlemen, I'm hankering for a medium bore, and have been considering both of these fine cartridges. I'd like to hear some opinions of preference based upon experience. There are a lot of plus-minus lists I could make comparing the two of them, but I've had no experience with either one. Please share!

The "What for?" would be elk, deer, and bear in mountainous areas. And I have a caliber gap there. And because I NEED it (the spouse doesn't believe that reasoning anymore, but she humors me, and I expect the same here).

I'm currently leaning toward the Whelen at the moment for the ease of brass acquisition (reforming '06) and the fact that I already have several bullet molds up to 230 gr in 35 cal for plinking and some hunting.

I have several of both, I prefer the 9,3x62.

A 250 9,3 Accubond has a much better BC than the 225 .35 Cal Accubond. In fact, so does the 286 Partition.

I shoot cast in both. I have a 285 .35 cal mold as well as a 285 9,3.

On game (pigs and Whitetail), they perform similarly at the distances I have shot game at; all under 200 yds to date. On paper though the 9,3 has the advantage and I'd choose it were I hunting Elk again since my last Elk was taken at 250 yards.

Had a Whelen and now a 9.3. The Whelen gives more load options from 250grs on down, the 9.3 from 250grs on up, can form brass from 30-06 Lapua for the Whelen and 9.3 brass is available from Lapua..... either killsas well as the other.

So it really depends on the species hunted.

This ^^^^

Side note: 9.3x62 PPU brass found in the Prvi Partisan ammo is pretty decent stuff as well. And less costly than Lapua. Heck, you can buy a box of loaded 9.3x62 Prvi for less than $25 most days.

To me for a handloader the 35 whelen is the hand downs choice due to the selection of component bullets, parent brass and volume of load data. If you're planning to shoot cast, the 35 bore is IMHO hands down the best caliber due to the huge availability of molds from 90-280 gr.

That said, if you're looking for factory rifles and are planning to hunt internationally where you might need a rifle chambered in a round that you can get factory fodder for in country, the 9.3X62 win's the race.

Either round is an excellent choice for the larger game species.

If you have any thoughts of hunting Africa and buffalo the 9,3 is your choice, hands down. It works and is recognized and allowed most places. Actually, for $50-$100 you could use your '06 most of the time.

If hunting here the 35 gets the nod, IMO. I've used both and like the extra oomph of the 9,3. It can be brewed up to close to the 375 H&H FM or shot at some distance with 232gr and 250gr bullets. There are plenty of great 9,3 bullets offered nowadays, so the 35 doesn't have that advantage cornered.

I can actually find 9,3X62 ammo cheaper and more readily than I can the Whelen.

I was in your shoes for about 2 years now. first it was 338-06, then the 35 and I just stepped up to the 9.3. If I Ever make it to Africa or up north for the big bears. I want to have enough gun.
Just ordered the Sauer 100 classic xt in 9.3.
buds had one for $644. I've been eyeing donors but after all said and done, this is going to be sweet.

+1 more. I poured myself into analyzing the 338's, 358's, 9.3, and 375's and I concluded that it came down to the bullet construction. Most of the 358 bullets have American game in mind (deer, elk, modest size bear) and suited extremely well to those sizes of game. They will dump most of their energy into a shorter amount of tissue than the 9.3 and 375 bullets. There are exceptions, but spend some time looking at the SD's of most bullets in the 358 and 9.3 calibers and it will be obvious.

Honestly, it wouldn't have been a decision until Barness put out some 9.3x62 data that I saw a few years ago. It seems a shorter step from H&H loads than I used to think, at least with careful handloading. I can't say I'll never go to Africa, because I wouldn't turn down the chance, but it's not in the financial plans currently.

Some years ago, I put together a plan to get a Savage action with a std length mag and .473" bolt fact and put into a good stock, then get barrels in 25-06, 30-06, and 35 Whelen. I already have a very accurate '06, and no longer have any desire to own a 25 cal anything, so I'm thinking just a medium bore in the right rifle now. The right rifle will be a lefty, with a Bell & Carlson stock that Remington has used on some of its rifles (if I can get it in LH). Maybe a re-barreled 700LH. Not sure yet. Was looking at CVA singleshots in 35 Whelen on Gunbroker last night. May have to snack on a cheaper single shot until I can find or put together what I'm looking for. Since I'm in my mid-40's, I struggle to be happy with factory guns anymore. Seems like there is always something I want in a different configuration. The LH thing doesn't help.

I went to Midway USA and counted the number of jacketed .358s and the number of jacketed .366s
The 9.3s actually outnumber the .358 now.
But as was said above, many if not most of the 35s were designed with thinner jackets then the 36s so they would probably work a bit better on deer, but on elk and up the .366 seems to get the nod. That's an overview, not "thus saith the LORD". A Nosler Partition or a Barnes X is going to be about the same from either bore size if weight is close. The 9.3 is a bit faster in most cases for the same weight of bullet, or the same speed with more bullet weight and a bit more diameter.

Bullets go from 232gr to 320gr in .366"
They go from about 200 to 250 in .358"

You won't go wrong with either one.
Me personally, I like the 9.3 a bit more.

I was reading some reviews and guys are pushing 9.3, 250 accubonds ad 2700.
I also looked into the 35 reloading with RL15 and guys are getting close to that with 250gr.
But the 9.3 has More options to go heavy

I have both too, for your intended purposes I'd go with the Whelen, but, 320 grains at 2400 or 250 grains at 2600, boom, dead, boom, dead, they both work exceedingly well at everything I've pointed either at, and both provide equal accuracy.

Actually 35 cal bullets go from 180 - 310gr and if you include Cutting edge bullets both the Whelen and 9.3x62 have even lighter bullets available.

I have said it before that it is a lot like comparing a 270 Win to 280 Rem there really isn't much difference between them. If you are a heavy bullet kind of guy then the 9.3x62 might be the best, if you like bullets in the 200-250 gr range than maybe the Whelen is the one for you. Of course you could load a 275 gr Woodleigh in your 35 Whelen or a 232 gr Norma Oryx in your 9.3x62

I only have a 35 Whelen right now but would love to add the right 9.3x62 just because one day, they are both cool rounds.........

35 Whelen A.I.! Conundrum solved!

I used one for 20yrs, never had an issue with brass even though my loads, as it turned out later, were really up there! I could get 2414fps witht he 310 Woodleigh and R15; and 2750 with 250PT/R15/215M. My basic load was H322/200X/TSX/TTSX for 2950fps. I used 2015br/250X my first plains game hunt in south Africa and only recovered two- lengthwise shots on zebra and kudu. Next time I took the 35 WAI (3rd trip) I used the 200X, it did the same thing on game as the 250x! Its a good one, but I used new, fireformed brass for all my hunting loads and never had any issues. I also played witht he 9.3x62 and 286gr bullets. I never killed anything with it, but the 250gr seems to me to be more useful in the elk mountains. I was not as confident on longer ranges witht he 9.3 as I was the Whelen AI. Now, I know several guys who use 24" standard Whelens with newer powders and 180-225 and get wonderful speeds. So, if one isn't into the Ackley thing, that's a good choice. I did killa nice Eurasian hog with that 310 WAI load, at 30yds it made a 40cal entrance and a 75 cal exit hole, mush in between! I was impressed. I was also with my SIL when he used his 9.3x62 CZ carbine and the 286TSX on a 300+ pound hog at 20 steps that went between the eyes, through spine and stopped in shoulder (slight angle) recovered the bullet and it was textbook. It also "stopped" that hog right there! However, right next to it, a friend used his 30-30 Ackley and the Speer 170HC to do the same thing! So...have a ball!

I like Lapua and Norma brass.....

And if you include the .357 pistol bullets, you can go down to 110 and less. Swift makes a 158 A-frame which loaded over a case of Trail Boss will make a relatively quiet, short range deer load. At those speeds, a plain XTP would work, too.

Seems to me that as so often in a hobby there are logical rationalizations but emotional reasons actually settle the issue.

Logically, if you have molds and actually do shoot a lot of cast bullets that's an unmet argument for the Whelen. Even there I would, all else equal which it never is, prefer the 9.3x62 for hunting traditional game with cast bullets.

On the other hand there isn't that much to choose on the brass issue. .30-'06 can be readily fire formed, even indoors at least in the garage, to a perfectly workable 9.3x62 to take all the book loads.

I suppose like 6.5x55 there are differences between the inch and metric brass that may well matter at the margin but for all practical purposes and certainly in several CZ chambers the .30-'06 case does just as well in the 9.3x62 as in the Whelen.

I'm a Whelen guy, with a 700 CDL and 7600. Ain't nothing I'd hunt with a Whelen I wouldn't with the x62 and vice versa. Both very versatile cartridges.

I'm drifting to the Whelen today, because I already have molds, and because I'm quite happy with the slew of jacketed bullets out there in 35 cal.

I appreciate the continuing input, however. I likely won't drop any cash until the end of October anyway, so no decisions will be final until then.