Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Debating 35 Whelen or 338 Win Mag

I had a Winchester 70 in 338 Mag. and a CDL 35 Whelen.

Figured I'd never shoot over 300 yards, so the Winchester went down the road to fund some other project, and I kept the 35 Whelen.

Once owned a tang safety Ruger .338 and sold it to pay rent after my first wife left me.

Great rifle also. Most spectacular kill with it, was a grouse while elk hunting. (one VERY dead bird!)Looked like it ate a handgranade.

Virgil B.

I use a 338 almost exclusively. Never have had a 35 Whelen. I personally love the 338 WM. I'm different than most and use the 210 Nosler for everything. I've used the 338 and that bullet on Deer, Elk and Grizzley's and haven't seen the need to try anything else. It's killed all of them with one shot.

The Whelen has always interested me, but I know that both catridges are so similiar that I've never gotten one. Plus, I know that anything the Whelen can do, the 338 can do just a little bit better.

That would be the bullet I would like to use. Elk hunting would be the primary use, extending my range is one of the reasons I have been thinking of switching. Of course I think the whelen will be effective further but 400 yds would be the limit. The whelen has the power , just thinking about extending it.

If 300 yards is rea;;y max, id just keep the whelen. I like mine and it shoots well past 300 yards. If you want to shoot longer range for elk with reasonable recoil a .338 is good. .338 bullets really have the bc advantage.

A .358 barnes tsx at 2700 muzzle velocity is no slouch, and I cant think gives up a thing to a 338 under 300 yards.

I have on old 700 Remmy in .35-Whelen I have hung onto all these years but generally have stuck with one of my 4 other rifles chambered in the .338 caliber. Two of them are .338 win mags, one a .338/06 and a wildcat called the .338-Edge.

Aww the heck with it I'll just use my 30/06..

That will work. I would have no issue useing my .308.. I do have a .35 Whelen and a .375 H & H too.

Like others here, I don't see the .338 Win Mag and 35 Whelen as a good comparison. Better is 35 Whelen to 338/06.

I've had neither the 35 nor the 338/06, but have had many .338s (only one now) and love it. It is my favorite elk rifle, though it's not for the timid nor recoil shy.

.338/06 is faster and better trajectory than the .35-Whelen and most important their are many more bullets to select from than one can come up with for a 35-Whelen.

Both rounds are good for the bigger big game.For an on the ground rifle I would go with the 35 as it can be housed in a smaller package with reasonable recoil. For long range work the 338 in a suitable rifle would get the nod. power is not an issue with either but as mentioned the higher BC bullets of 338 are the ticket past 3-400yds and to get the most out of them the rifle should be on the heavy side with a bi-pod and a high end variable. the 35 with a 20-22" barrel and light weight is great combo to 300yds

Another reason for looking into this that I haven't mentioned is my rifle line up. I had to cut back so I kept the rifles that I really liked. That left alot of overlap. Right now I have these: Remington 700 Mountain rifle w/Ti stock in 270 win., Weatherby U/L in 30/06 and the Remington 700 CDL in 35 Whelen. In this area there isn't much need for a .223 or the like for predator hunting, a shotgun is the better choice here. A 375 H&H is a little large since my largest quarry will be elk, Alaska is an interest but light years away. Besides that my interest in Alaska is mainly moose, btw the bears you fellas up there would make me carry a 375 to the privy.

I handload but like rifles that you can buy factory ammo for fairly easy. Having one that is primarily a handload only rifle isn't really a problem though. I took some time the other night and studied factory ballistics on rifles in the category I am looking at, well I cheated some including my handloads for the whelen since factory loads for it are weak. The whelen and the 338 win mag are close. I also weighed the factor that the whelen is lighter and carries one more in the magazine but the 338 has more range. So I am still on the fence.

What are you fellas pushing those 210's and 225's at in the 338 win mags?

Here is the line up.

My 210's go about 2930 and the 225's go about 2820. Both could run hotter, but there plenty fast enough for me.

I'd go with the .338 Win Mag.

I would rather have the Whelen!

Make mine a Whelen, a "sexier" cartridge with a more colorful history.

Kills just as good as a 338.

RB

The 338 might give you a little more reach if you plan on shooting 400+yds but the Whelen gives you a lot more "cool factor"

WN

Yep its true, the whelen is just plain cool. I'll probably stick with it since it shoots better than anything else I have, so far anyway. I may look into the 200 gr TSX but not sure that would really extend range any, it'll probably lose velocity fast and energy. Of course the last group I shot at 200 yds was 4 shots in a inch! It was the last of some elk loads I had been carting around for a couple of years. No there was not a fifth shot, I only had four left...

From the one 35W, 9.3x62's(which is basically the same ) & three 338WM's I've owned. The 2 former certainly are tamer in recoil & sweeter to shoot.
Those 338's come back sharp. More so than my latest 375H&H in fact. Which is a big Ol push with 260's. But, I will always have a soft spot with the 338 Winchester Magnum & I will always have one in my safe!

That, right there, would make me choose the 35 Whelen without accord.