35 Whelen

I have used mine in Africa and find it up to the task for medium and large plains game out to 250 yards. It should be used with 250 grain bullets to get its true potential.

I have also used it a bit for deer in NW Montana. The 35 Whalen is a good old "cat" that Remington saw fit to domesticate. I wish they had used the Ackley version, however.

I must say that I feel the 338-06 is a better round than the 35. It would have been my choice for a factory caliber before the 35.

 

Re: re: 35 Whelen

I won't argue with you, as you obviously know from where you speak. However, your first statements seem like a pretty good testimonial to me.

I have never shot a 35 Whalen at game, just from the bench. Nor do I own one. But I like the charm of shooting old calibers. Sure it's silly, but so is this gun nut disease.

I'm a 270/06 guy. With the right bullet they are fine, I think, for most game. I wounldn't try to bag a buff with one though.

 

LJ,

I own one rifle 270 and 9 in 30-06...that says something about what I think of them. Both are great claibers and would stand any No. American hunter in good stead. While I find absolutely nothing wrong with the 270, I much prefer the '06. It will, for all practical purposes shoot as flat as a 270, given the same bullet weight, and can be used for larger and tougher animals with better outcomes, IMHO.

My 270 is on a 1903A3 action...it is a gun I built with parts from here and there. I used it for my antelope in 1990, and it was a great shooter. I scrounged a take off 270 barrel from a gunsmith friend (he was re-barreling a Springfield custom rifle for a client and this was the take-off...for free) I got the stock from a customer; it was cracked behind the tang, and he was replacing it...again, for free. I had a trigger of unknown origin for an 03 that I got as part of a trade years ago, and I bought the 03A3 barrelled action for $70.00. All in all, I am into my 270 around $95.00, not counting the scope & mounts...and about a zillion $$$ in my time.

 

All in all, I am into my 270 around $95.00, not counting the scope & mounts...and about a zillion $$$ in my time. [/quote]

My great uncle fought in the trenches in WWI. He saw my collection and asked me if I'd like his guns. I said yes. He said that he had a long barrelled lugar. I figured that he had a broom handle mauser.

Anyway, I had to drive half way across the nation to get to his house in Springfield Missouri.

He opend a box and gave me an absolutely mint Artillery Lugar, his 1911. 45 and all of his web gear. I've been to a lot of museums and I've never seen a better Artillery. When I was in the Army Reserve, and running the rifle/pistol range I carried his old 1911. I even qualified with it; even with those early fine sights.....Shot expert, of course. :roll:

 

LJ,

You have some very special things there. 8) 8)

Keep them and never let them get away from you...except if you think you might like to trade them off to ME! :wink: :wink:

 

Thanks, but better than the guns were the stories that my great uncle told me about his experiences in WWI.

He was an officer. He had to buy his own Colt 45 (the one that I have) and a Hamilton Standard watch. He said that during his time in the trenches that German aircraft would circle overhead and shoot at them. He said that they couldn't hit a barn door. His men knew that he was a good shot, so they'd goad him to get out of the trench and shoot at the aircraft. So he would. While he was telling me the story, he'd lean over to me, look at me with those old droopy but still clear eyes and say, "If the war had lasted any longer, I'd have got one." What a guy.

He's been gone for eleven years now, and the world's a worse place without him.

 

I Have two .35 Whelens. One is on a Mauser action, with an 18" barrel. Actually, I lost that one to the wife. If I'm good she will let me shoot it sometimes. The other one is an NEF Handi Rifle, it shoots very well. I shoot Nosler 250 gr partition bullets and have taken two Black Bears with it. My Dad used it to take a Moose a few years back. 40 yard one shot kill, bullet passed through the heart lung area taking out one rib. Moose took two steps and fell. Both Black Bears went down on the spot. One squalled a couple of times before he died, the other one grunted once when hit. Neither one went anywhere, they fell right where they were.

 

The only problem I have with that caliber is there are so few rifles chambered for it.

Johnny

 

Remington 7400, TC/Encore, those are the only ones I can think of. Guess you are right.

 

Grice had some special runs of the 7600 in Whelen and 35 Rem recently and I think there were/are some 700 Remys in the Whelen also there. Tempting, very tempting .....

 

I handled a Rem 700 in 35 Whelen here recently. It had the classic oiled stock and was a beauty. Too bad the checkbook was in a drought stage.

HWD

 

I fondled a rem 7600 pump with sythetic stock in 35 Whelan in a gun store a few years ago..if the wife hadn't been standing there I would have bought it. They were asking 350 bucks and it didn't even look like it had been shot. I went back a week later after dreaming about it but alas..it was gone.

 

:lol: Leroyha, I think an outfit in Clearfield, Pa. called Grices has a bunch of these pumps in 35 Whelen. I looked at quite a few guns while visiting there. You might check with these guys, but I also think they were new. :cry:

 

Sadly, I got hooked on waterfowl and haven't hunted fur in in a while. I have my 358Hawk,a 99 in 358W, 2 Ruger 77RSI's in 308 and 250 Savage,a 77mk2 in 7mag, Grampa's 30-30, Dad's 742 in 30-06,his M1 Garand...dang, I need to get rid of a few! I can't even use them for deer unless I dr.ive a couple hours north! I'm in a shotgun/pistol/muzzle loading only area....but...if I ran into a deal like I missed, I'd probably buy it.I can't believe the 35 Whelan isn't hugely popular