Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles ruger 35 whelen bolt action

a buddy has a ruger 35 whelen bolt action,blue steel, wood stock, looks like an older m77, with factory iron sites that he bought to use for his first elk hunt, he got surplussed, so the elk hunts off, due to reduced cash flow, and he wants to sell it, any idea what its worth,I want to give him what its worth but I don,t want to pay well over the going price and I know hes put less than 20 shots thru it so its basically new.?

The old Ruger 35 Whelens used to draw a real premium price. I saw them go for $700-$900 dollars. Then Remington started making Whelens again, in both the CDL and the Woodsmaster. Ruger followed suit by chambering the Hawkeye in 35 Whelen for a time (not sure if they still do). Ruger also produced their #1 in 35 Whelen as well.

So the market went from virtually no Whelens available, to Whelens everywhere! Naturally, this new supply meant less demand for the old Rugers, which meant lower prices.

That said, I wouldn't pay any more for an older Ruger Whelen than I would for a used Remington or Hawkeye. There's a like-new CDL on Gunbroker right now that has 0 bids on a $550 asking price (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=241268930 ). That should tell you something...

Tang safety model ? Does it have the rings ? Is the wood highly figured as were quiye a few early 77s ?

This my tang safe 35 W and there is really no comparison to a 700 or Hawkeye.

Are we talking looks or accuracy?

Both of course.

Laffin'

Nice stock grain. I've got a Remington 700 CDL in 35 Whelen, but it is straight grain walnut with little figure or contrast.

Mine was just a synthetic stocked boat paddle (replaced!) but it was a sub MOA shooter with 225gr A Frames. Worked for me. 18 1/2" skull and 352 pounds. We sold the business about three years ago. Beautiful place. jorge

he brought it down to a local gun shop, and asked the owner what he would pay him for it, it looks brand new, almost never fired, the guy behind the counter offered him $330 I told him thats really a low ball offer, too shop it around and if he really wants to unload it Ill give him $400,without the scope and $500 with it, and he can keep the scope,if he wants too, but if he finds the right guy he really should get more for it if he can. Im hardly rich, but I know thats about what I can afford to pay, I hope he finds someone who appreciates the rifles value and he gets more for it, even $450 IS A BARGAIN ON JUST THE RIFLE IF YOU PRICE OUT WHAT MOST SHOPS WANT FOR SIMILAR RIFLES

A bit of a non sequitur here, but I think the 35 Whelen is the most loved rifle that people won't buy. Everybody bemoaned the lack of Whelens for years and then when Remington started making them again, hardly anybody bought them.

.........I don`t recall you accepting any shoot-off challenges with Ruger owners here when challenged to do so there Swampy. Why is that?

I`m laffin too.

To the OP!.....What Swampy fails to tell or to ever disclose during all the Ruger subject threads, is that he owned a few Ruger rifles long ago and long before Ruger started making their own barrels. Back then Ruger had some accuracy/quality issues.

Therefore to him, all Ruger rifles manufactured over more recent years even including the new ones, are for the most part in-accurate from the box. Swampy has a tendancy to ignore "very accurate" target results when Ruger owners do post their pics.

Ya gotta kinda ignore `ol Swampy. He`s the entertainment troll that keeps on entertaining.

Interestingly, it seems as though that there are more postings these days regarding Remy problems.

thats a shame, the caliber does just about anything well that most hunters could want at the ranges easily 90% of games taken at, I used to carry my 340wby on most elk hunts but for the last couple a Remington 7600 slide action 35 whelen or a 358 in BLR seem to be getting more field time, the wbys great but the elk and mule deer don,t seem to know the smaller cartridge calibers, don,t pack the same punch, they fall over just about the same, and the rifles are shorter, lighter and kicks less, load a 250 speer in either caliber and you have a good elk hunting rifle for the thicker timber slopes where its been many years since Ive seen any elk at over 250 yards

actual picture of canyon I elk hunt most years

christ! you gotta be a side hill gouger to hunt that crevace

I bought a blued action boat paddle MKII for $400 3-4 years ago, iron sites, shoots 250gr just fine. Since I bought it, I've seen them for more, but $400 seems about right. I love mine.

I don't know what it would be worth in the States but my Ruger 77 cost $650.00 here in Alberta a few years ago.(Purchased used but in excellent condition.) Tang safety, open sights, nice wood, shoulders like a dream, local deer, elk and moose don't much care for it, it has quickly beome my first out the door rifle.
I wouldn't sell mine for twice what I paid!
Recently I looked at a 35 Whelen Remington 700 in an Southern AB shop, POS comes to mind. Poor workmanship, particularly the wood to metal fit, but what really grabbed my attention was the freakin butt pad was loose on a NIB rifle, guy in the store said most Remingtons they had received lately were like that!