Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 35 Whelen - What's the big deal?

I've noticed a few guys mentioning they are converting (or aspire to convert) their 30-06 rifles to 35 Whelens. What is the big incentive? This is an honest question. Please explain the pros and cons of 35 whelen over 30-06. I know nothing about the 35 Whelen round. All I can see is a disadvantage in there being limited factory ammo selection. Do people convert to 35 Whelen just because it is an easy way to tinker with a rifle and have the satisfaction of customizing? I am not being a smart *ss. This is a sincere question. Please educate me on the benefits over 30-06 such that it would justify the expense and trouble of swapping out barrels.

The .35 Whelen was developed by gunsmith James Howe in 1922 and named in honor of Col. Townsend Whelen ( One of the early giants in the gunwriting fraternity). [ Reference: See the cartridge introduction by Dr. Ken Howell for the .35 Whelen in Nosler Manual #5 p. 433]

The primary impetus for its development was the creation of a cartridge that provided more power for use on heavy game such as moose and grizzly bear that would function through a standard .30/06 length action (magnum length actions for rounds like the .375 H&H were more scarce and more expensive in the early 1920s, as were components and ammo).

Mr. Howe simply necked up the .30/06 case to .35 caliber and used heavy 250 and 275 grain bullets at moderate velocities (i.e. 2450-2500fps for the 250 and 2200-2300 fps for the 275). These long, heavy bullets had an increased effectiveness over the .30/06 on big critters.


More to your question of a rebarrel. If you have a .30/06 and need a new barrel or want more thump than the 06 provides the .35 Whelen is probably just about the quickest, most cost effective ( a simple rebarrel or rebore job) fix there is.

HBB

Southern boys know thier stuff <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Nah... a blind pig finding a truffle <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

HBB

And modest too........... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

A good big bullet is always better than a good small bullet <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

I've killed game with a .30-'06 (and lots of other cartridges) -- and I've killed game with a .35 Whelen. In my opinion, aand observation, the big, heavy bullet at moderate velocity penetrates more effectively and kills better than the lighter, faster bullet.

This disparity was much more significant 50 or 75 years ago, when bullets were pretty much all one design, than it is now. Today, with one of the host of high-quality bullets on the marketplace, a .30-'06 can be extremely effective on the largest of game.

That being said, the .35 Whelen is historic, nostalgic, and just cool. Most people, myself included, who hunt with the Whelen could give a ragfish about factory loads -- mine has never fired one in the 12+ years I've owned it. There is nothing on this continent I won't tackle with a 250 gr bullet at 2530 fps, and that load can reach out to any rational hunting range without holdover.

It works for me...your mileage may vary...until you try one in the field <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />.

As only a Southern boy can be <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

( By the way if you believe this drivel...I have a piece of beachfront property in Outer Mongolia I'll make you a deal in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />)

HBB

I rebarreled a Savage 110 30-06 with an Adams and Bennett .35 Whelen barrel, dropped it back in a non-bedded, nonpillar bedded stok and shot (afer zereoing) a 1 1/4 group at 100 yds. With bedding, free floating, etc it will probably shoot under MOA. Up here in the northeast the biggest we have is moose and black bear. I am confident the Whelen will plant them in thier tracks. And as a bonus, they are deadly on garden grizzlies. Just the muzzleblast will kill them. Jokes aside, that 225 gr. bullet at 2500 FPS has a built in confidence factor when after big stuff.

"Please explain the pros and cons of 35 whelen over 30-06."

having used both on deer and a few ELK, I think theres a very noticable differance that favors the whelen,
ONLY if youll use the 225-275 grain bullets in the 35 whelen,(I personally prefer the 250 speer and 250 hornady bullets in the whelen) if you use the 180 -200 grain bullets youll more than likely be far better served with the 30/06. now that being said, the 250 grain,35 caliber bullets pushed to 2450-2550 fps from a whelen do have a greater impact effect than the 180-200 grain loads a 30/06 throws at about 2650-2800 fps

if youll use those 250 grain bullet YOULL NOTICE the DIFFERANCE IN THE FIELD RESULTS

http://www.nosler.com/index.php?p=11&b=3&s=109

http://www.african-hunter.com/35_whelen_in_zim.htm

http://www.reloadammo.com/35whelenload.htm

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/35w.html

http://www.chuckhawks.com/35_caliber_family.htm

http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/35whel.php

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/resource/remington_charts/35whebal.htm

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/resource/federal_charts/35Whelen.html

For most hunting, the .35 Whelen would be inferior to the .30-06. There are few things roaming the earth that are not seriously and critically interrupted by a well placed 180 grain .30-06. When we're looking for more stopping power (vs. killing power), then the .35 Whelen begins to make sense.

If I lived in Canada or Alaska and hunted nothing but Moose and Elk in Brown Bear country, then the .35 Whelen would be my first stop. Since I do very little hunting of such large game, I'm quite content with my .270 and wouldn't hesitate to chase after the occasional Moose, Elk or Brown Bear with it.

I had a 35 Wheelen and used it to kill my best black bear using 225gr Swift A frames. I think it is a great cartridge and a good killer. Having said all of that, I sold it. I'm becoming less of a rifle nut and more of a hunter as I grow old and a Wheelen id just too out of the mainstream for me when there are other 'regular' calibers out there that will get the job done and ammo is much easier to find. Ever try finding 35 Wheelen ammo in the US let alone Africa?

That's why I've settled on the 338 Win to cover that caliber niche instead of the Wheelen. It's really a good cartridge though, that should be a ot more popular than it is! jorge

It's a handloader's dream, cast small game loads, pistol bullet <esp Hornady single shot pistol 180 gr> varmint exploder loads, 225 and up big game loads. Mine also happens to be the most accurate rifle I've ever owned... it's an Ackley version that does and easy 2600 fps with a 250 gr load and recoil is not a problem... What's not to like?

Here's a thought -- the guy who was in charge of the Springfield Armory -- and the US Army's continuing experimentation with the .30-'06 -- and the guy who went on to become half of Griffin and Howe developed it because they were looking for a superior big game hunting cartridge.

They believed they had found it, and nothing in the intervening 84 years has particularly proven them wrong.

In more than 30 years of big game hunting travel, I've never had trouble finding ammunition for any of my rifles, because I carry it with me. On the other hand, .35 Whelen ammunition is readily available in Ketchikan, which is not the most urbane of locations.

While it may not be for everyone, to steal a phrase from current advertising:

The .35 Whelen is a .30-'06...and MORE!!!

But by all means don't buy one unless you really want one <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

The 35 Whelen is a real THUMPER! I have killed 8 elk with mine, and all have been one shot kills. I believe it is the PERFECT elk/moose cartridge. I shoot 250 grain Speer Hot Cores @ 2600fps, and 225 Nosler Ballistic Tips @ 2700 fps. Both bullets have performed exceptionally well on elk. I do shoot the Whelen on the bench, and the Ballistic Tip has the advantage, groups under 1" is the norm.

That said my group of friends has killed 5 elk with the 30-06 and 180 Nosler Partitions, and all have been one shot kills.

A kill is a kill, but for large game, I will go to the Whelen, as I really favor the round!

Jerry

Welllllll, its just cool. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I hava a 30-06 and 35 W. Love them both. The 35W is by far my favorite. It's a nostalgic thing. Mine was built on my dad's Rem. 721. We worked out the details together. He loves it even though he has never shot it. I'm waiting to do a Quigly on two hogs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

BP...

If you only shoot factory fodder, I can understand your confusion, you gotta handload the whelen to see it's true versatility.

I guess the real issue is, what do you hunt? If you only hunt whitetails, then an -06 is an outstanding choice.

If you hunt larger species, then you start looking at the larger bores. My way of thinking is 30 caliber is enough if things go right, 33 caliber and above is for when things go wrong.

The 35 bore provides consistant bloodtrails, which 30 and under don't. The 35 whelen spits 250 gr @ 2500 fps which is enough for any NA species inside 250 yds, and 225's @ 2700 make it a 300 yd option, and with a good 225 gr, ie partition or X bullet, I don't know that you give up anything over a 250 gr. Also important is that the whelen offers that performance in a reasonable level of recoil in a rifle of reasonable weight.

Bang-Flop. While I've only shot 2 whitetails with a 35, both dropped on the spot. One was walking and the other I jumped out of some brush and was going like a bat out of hell when I hit him.

In no way shape or form is the "06" superior to the Whelen, except in, perhaps, trajectory beyond 300 yards. I can't see that far, let alone shoot that far, so that single point is useless. Perhaps the recoil is a bit much for inexperienced shooters but I'd rather shoot my Whelen than my 7mag.

The Whelen is appropriate for any big game animal in the US, at normal hunting ranges, from any angle, without making a huge mess of things, using standard, "non-premium" bullets. The '06 comes close, but doesn't make quite as big a hole, nor quite as deep a hole because it less energy on impact (at normal ranges). FWIW, Dutch.

Dutch:

You hit the nail right on the head! The 30-06 is about as good as it gets, in most cases, and only people who "don't know who they are", will malign it. As I said before with a 180 Partition the 06 is formidable, but with heavier bullets the Whelen really outshines the 06 at, as you said, practicle hunting ranges.
Of course one needs to be a handloader, to wring out the best performance in the Whelen, but then, one needs to do the same for the 30-06.

Jerry