Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 35 Whelen

I feel you should get whatever your heart desires, life is short.
The 35 Whelen is a fantastic choice. I have a 7600 and a Springfield 03a3. Absolutely love both. Great bullet choices at decent velocity that take game cleanly. Good luck and have fun!
Thanks, Tom

I like the Whelen a lot....I have had half a dozen over the years, M77's and No.1's... it is a good cartridge, but if I was doing one rifle for your purposes, it would be a .30 cal Mag... probably a .300 WSM... it will do everything the Whelen will do, and some things it won't.

Regarding .35 Whelen ammo availability, I used to put one box of ammo in my hunting box and another stashed behind the truck seat figuring I wouldn’t lose both on trips to Montana, Colorado, etc. I knew full well that I’d never find any if I lost it. I did see some at The Fort in Big Timber once.

A faster twist causes the bullet to spin tighter around its center line increasing BC

Good choice. I used a .35 Whelen as my " bigger than deer" rifle for many years. Shot a truckload of elk and moose and caribou with it. The only reason I don't use it much any more is that I'be discovered the 9.3x62 and 9.3x74R and they have taken over for that duty. But they're almost peas in a pod for difference.

what loads are you shooting in your 7600

what loads are you shooting in your 7600

what loads are you shooting in your 7600

I’m not Fotis, but my 7600 loves 4064 and 225g Game Kings at 2725fps. It is my “woods” whitetail thumper. It it shoots into 1.25”. I’ve never messed with different seating depths because it shoots well enough:). If I were chasing elk in the timber, I’d shoot 225g partitions or accubonds.

I have one in a 700 Classic. It is accurate. It has been my primary hunting rifle for years.
I have killed a pile of deer with it. It thumps deer and doesn't bruise up the meat like some of the faster lighter bullets. They do recoil more than a 30-06. More than some people like.

I had a whelen but wanted something stainless, lighter and different so I sold it and bought a Kimber montana. Sent it out to JES and he cut it down to 21 inches and punched it out to 338-06. 5 pounds 13 oz scoped with a leupold 2.5-8 it’s a dream to carry and hits hard. Far more accurate than it should be but I won’t complain

I built mine pretty light, lotta hammer in a nice package...

If it came down to having one gun. I’d keep my crack barrel encore in 35 wheeler.

It does everything i need to do. I’ve killed a pile of deer with it.

I shoot the vor-tx 180ttsx loaded ammo. It’s magical.

I had a Whelen built on a Weatherby Vanguard action. The '06 barrel was junk from the start so I just had a custom built on the action. 25" shilen barrel #4 contour, B&C stock, trigger job. Weighed 10 1/2 lbs with scope, ammo and sling. Killed a few animals with it. In a fit of foolishness I sold it after 18 years. Wish now I had it back. That gun really liked 60gr of RL15 under a 225 Nosler Ballistic Tip. Chrono said the ave was right at 2800fps. The gun also liked the Federal 225 TBBC and the chrono read right around 2690fps for an average. Both of those were under an inch at 100yd with the Ballistic Tips consistent at 5/8" three shot groups. Yea, wish I hadn't of sold that darn thing.

If you want a 35 Whelen, get one! I like the 35 Win, bet a 35 Whelen bolt gun would be great!

I have a 700 Classic 35 Whelen that I bought new in 1988. Mine has taken 18 WT bucks and a 250 lb Black Bear. I ran the 225 gr PT since 1990 but switched to the 250 gr PT last year when I blew off the cob webs and hunted with it. The 250 gr PT is running 2581 fps with RL15, sub MOA accuracy and an absolute hammer on deer.

JD338

I don't think the 220gr Speer Flat Point gets enough respect in the Whelen. I nice dose of IMR 4064 under that pill makes a fine whitetail load in my Remington 700 Classic.

Mine is similar. 7.5 pounds all up:

Under 200 yards the Whelen does not compare to any 300 mag. It just kills faster and better. Frontal area matters. Past 200 yards there probably isn't much difference.

2700 FPS should be very easy with any 225gr bullet, even with the older powders.

I've had good luck with several JES rebores he's done for me and I've bought several JES rebores that other people have had done and they were all great.