The last post on this subject was five months ago, and I don't think it should terminate with a statement that, in effect, doesn't acknowledge the superiority of a .358-caliber over a .308-caliber based on the same case. I would never own a .35 Whelen if I thought for one moment it had little to nothing to offer over its parent case, the .30-06!
Agreed, under a majority of hunting circumstances for a majority of North American hunters, nothing more than a .243 Win is necessary. The .30-06 adds nothing! But under other circumstances (including the game, range and physical conditions, a .30-06 is a better choice. I don't think any knowledgeable and experienced hunter would argue that! Same for the .35 Whelen over its parent... if it had, or has, nothing to offer over it's parent for particular game under ALL conditions (DG, size, range, angle, etc), it would have been aborted from the start.
To claim that a very substantial increase in bullet mass at the same impact velocity is meaningless is - in a sense - like claiming that there's little meaningful distinction in potential harm to be inflicted in an auto accident of two equal weight mid-size SUVs of about 3500 lbs, or one of the two being a 6000 lb pickup is a denial of reality! If a 1200 lb moose needs to be stopped right there when headed on the run for a lake 50 yards distant, I'd much ranther have the punch of a 250gr Partition from my .35 Whelen impacting the off shoulder in a 1/4 away shot at 2000 fps than a 180gr- .30-cal at the same 2000 fps impact from a .30-06. Neither are the heaviest bullets for each, but they represent common loads for such a task when each is started at ~2700 fps. A .358" has 36% greater frontal area than a .308" and 39% greater momentum at impact, or 1598 ft-lbs vs 2220 ft-lbs from the Whelen.
Choose your medicine, but mine will always be a .35 Whelen over a .30-06 when there are several unknowns and variables.
Bob
www.bigbores.ca
