35 whelen

[Fowlow]

Wondering about real life experience with a 35 whelen on big game specifically elk and grain of bullet used

[fps plus]

In 1986 I built a 35 Whelen . I shot deer with it , I hunted elk but was never successful . A gentlemen wanted it more than I did and now he owns it. I used Hornady 250 gr spire pts. It was very accurate . I now have an old Ruger m-77 in 350 mag which is ballistic twin . Again I use 250 hornady in it. I recently tried 180 Barnes x and it's stupid accurate with those. I have again hunted elk with it but again unsuccessful. . I did shoot gophers with both using 158 gr pistol bullets. That's one advantage it has over 338-06 .

I think it's a nice elk cartridge as that's what I built mine for . Good luck with yours if you have one .

[buckbrushoutdoors]

I’m a big fan of the 35 Whelen have shot a half a dozen animals with my custom m70 stainless. It’s twice the hunting cartridge the 3006 (inside 300y) in my mind. It will move a 225gr bullet just as fast as a 3006 will move 180s at using the same case. I’ve shot 250gr Speer hotcores, 225gr accubonds, and 200gr ttsx. My go to load is the ttsx now as it’s crazy accurate and I can push the bullet to almost 3000fps from a 24” barrel (handloads)

[Ranch11]

I have used mine in whitetail. It is a phenomenal round that absolutely drops deer. I've taken it on elk and moose hunts but no shot with it.
I lent it out to a friend who took it on a northern Saskatchewan moose hunt with great success. One shot and moose down using factory 250 soft points. He likes it better than his 375.

[Hawkeye]

Using some 225 grain accubonds in a .35 Whelen, my son flattened a mule deer doe. His buddy shot a small white tail doe with it too. I was told that the doe was facing him and he shot her in the chest--apparently the bullet went through her end to end and she dropped on her shadow.

I have a Ron Smith barrel with a .358 bore that is getting chambered in 35 Whelen and put on to a pre-64 model 70 Winchester action. Really looking forward to it!
Hawkeye

[spyguy 0-0-7]

I have the Remington Classic 700 35 Whelen that came out in 1988, I purchased it that year.(Still have the box and paperwork)
Its my moose rifle. All I shoot is 250gr Hornady bullets with IMR 3031 powder. I've never had to hit the moose a second time. I love the round.

[Salavee]

The .35 Whelen is a very capable cartridge for any large game at ranges to 300 yds. At ranges of 200 yds or less with a 250 gr bullet it would be hard to distinguish the difference in terminal performance on large ungulates from that of a 9.3x62 or even a .375.
I took a 5x5 Elk this year at just under 70 yds with a .35 Whelen Ai /250 Woodleigh Weldcore and it dropped on the spot and stayed there. My 9.3x62 would not have performed any better. The .35 Whelen is truly a great cartridge, more than suitable for any critter I wish to hunt. Easy to load for and easy to shoot as well.

[Big Thumper]

a 1-S in 35 Wh is one of my favorite rifles to hunt with. Too bad they are over 2k now.

[Hawkeye]

Prophet River just posted a Ruger Liquidation and they are listing a Ruger 1 in 35 Whelen (walnut stock, 24 inch barrel) for $1700 (plus taxes). Might only have one……..

[Homesteader]

Took my first elk with a Whelen. They aren’t magic, but getting that bull was

My load was a hot one, max in older Lyman. Heavy dose of RL-15, topped with 250g Speer Hotcor. Clocked mid 2600’s. Pretty consistent moa to 300yds in my 7600.

Distance was later ranged at 240yds. Found the jacket on far side, but no lead. When we skinned him out, looked like 2” hole saw had gone through both lungs, was like looking through a pipe. I believe I clipped a small poplar before the elk, but not sure. He went about 90yds, tracking was a non issue. Nice size 5pt.

[Big Thumper]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

Prophet River just posted a Ruger Liquidation and they are listing a Ruger 1 in 35 Whelen (walnut stock, 24 inch barrel) for $1700 (plus taxes). Might only have one……..

As cheap as I've seen one in a long time . No idea if they still have one:

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...77#post3707177

[CantThinkOfAName]

There's a R700 35 whelen in the buy/sell right now even.
Wish that would have shown up before I started buying parts for a savage conversion.

[Dean2]

Great round and lots of quality used ones for dale these days. A little hard to resell because factory ammo is hard to come by but if you reload they are hard to beat.

[Altaboy]

I had a Ruger M77 for a while. I shot a moose, a couple of Whitetails and a wolf. I used 225 grain Sierra’s and all died promptly, but then again so has everything else since then with the old 06. The Whelen had merit back in the day when we did not have premium bullets. Now we have all kinds of wonderful super bullets so we don’t have to rely on bullet weight to assure penetration. As for the cool factor the Whelen still has that in spades

[raised by wolves]

I had one. Sold it after buying a 375H&H and kicking myself ever since.

I had a Rem CDL that I dropped into an HS Precision stock. I was hesitant about Remington's rate of twist but found amazing accuracy with a wide range of bullet weights. 30-06 recoil with a big knockdown power. I only ever used it to take an elk and a couple gophers. The elk dropped to a single shot from a 200 grain Rem shelf load. Took the gophers at around 200 metres with 250 grain Rem soft points.

The fellow I sold it to developed his own load and took a beauty goat at around 450 metres.

The 35 Whelen is a great cartridge. I plan to build another. Might go with a Winchester CRF or Browning lever.

[pvh]

My go-to gun from deer to moose for many years has been my Ruger 77RS using a 200gr bullet, easy to reload and brass not a problem.

[35 whelen]

HAD one in a t.c. encore ,like the cartridge ,not the gun sold it .

[Whelenman]

I have taken several moose and elk with my 35 Whelen. It's a Rem 700 Classic that I have upgraded with B&C stock and muzzle brake. I have used 225 gr. Accubonds and 250 gr Speer spitzers which have a muzzle velocity of 2570 fps. The Accubonds were traveling at 2650. I have never had an exit on close shots (within 35 yards) but always get exits after that. Doesn't matter though, as both bullets simply crush elk and moose up to 250 yards. The muzzle brake was installed after I started shooting the 250s... they tend to be harsh.

[raised by wolves]

There are a few threads on gunnutz that you might want to read.

[sarahfaye]

7x7 elk at 29 yards this season with a Whelen, slight down hill and quartering too me. 225 gr SGK at 2725fps. 1st shot just behind the front leg bone. Dead, but still standing, adreneline and the fact he was standing in a great spot , he got one more 6" forward of the first.
No exits. Top of the heart missing and 5 gallons of blood-lung soup, not one part that looked like lungs, just soup. No recovered bullet pieces. Absolute devastation.
Pencil entrance wounds, would have been no blood trail.

Having mixed thoughts on using the SGK next year. Results were text book on this elk and 5 black bears but an exit/more penetration may someday be helpfull.

[Whelenman]

Originally Posted by sarahfaye

7x7 elk at 29 yards this season with a Whelen, slight down hill and quartering too me. 225 gr SGK at 2725fps. 1st shot just behind the front leg bone. Dead, but still standing, adreneline and the fact he was standing in a great spot , he got one more 6" forward of the first.
No exits. Top of the heart missing and 5 gallons of blood-lung soup, not one part that looked like lungs, just soup. No recovered bullet pieces. Absolute devastation.
Pencil entrance wounds, would have been no blood trail.

Having mixed thoughts on using the SGK next year. Results were text book on this elk and 5 black bears but an exit/more penetration may someday be helpfull.

I have never had an exit on moose or elk inside 35 yards using standard lead based bullets... they devastate critters up close, but don't exit until fps is slowed a bit... after that I always get pass-throughs. If you want an exit on those close shots maybe try 225 grain Barnes tsx boolets.I don't use them only because my rifle doesn't shoot them well.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by sarahfaye

7x7 elk at 29 yards this season with a Whelen, slight down hill and quartering too me. 225 gr SGK at 2725fps. 1st shot just behind the front leg bone. Dead, but still standing, adreneline and the fact he was standing in a great spot , he got one more 6" forward of the first.
No exits. Top of the heart missing and 5 gallons of blood-lung soup, not one part that looked like lungs, just soup. No recovered bullet pieces. Absolute devastation.
Pencil entrance wounds, would have been no blood trail.

Having mixed thoughts on using the SGK next year. Results were text book on this elk and 5 black bears but an exit/more penetration may someday be helpfull.

A bow would would have killed that

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by Whelenman

I have never had an exit on moose or elk inside 35 yards using standard lead based bullets... they devastate critters up close, but don't exit until fps is slowed a bit... after that I always get pass-throughs. If you want an exit on those close shots maybe try 225 grain Barnes tsx boolets.I don't use them only because my rifle doesn't shoot them well.

Another bow kill

[sarahfaye]

Bow can kill an elk a 29 yards sure. But, best case I would have been recovering it from down a 200 yard bank in nasty grizzly country one hour before dark.
Not one chance I would have considered that shot with a bow, or most any other shot in the country I hunt.
Also pretty hard to draw when 8 cows are 10 yards away and have been for minutes. Bull was in the back, cows walked right up to me and past I was crouched against the rock bank on an old narrow logging road.
Sold the bows, kept the Whelen.
Happy hunting.

[kaleh01]

Love the idea of a whelen if you want a great all around cartridge. I personally went 338-06 because of better bullet selection and B.C. just gives me a little more confidence to make a longer shot. Both are phenomenal cartridges, and my 338-06 has quickly become my go to rifle.

[Homesteader]

Originally Posted by kaleh01

Love the idea of a whelen if you want a great all around cartridge. I personally went 338-06 because of better bullet selection and B.C. just gives me a little more confidence to make a longer shot. Both are phenomenal cartridges, and my 338-06 has quickly become my go to rifle.

Kinda like my 06, with 200g partitions

These cartridge discussions are fun, but I here the Creedmoor will be putting an end to them

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by Homesteader

Kinda like my 06, with 200g partitions

These cartridge discussions are fun, but I here the Creedmoor will be putting an end to them

Your such a **** disturber. Everyone knows a Creedmoor is way flatter shooting than a whelen or 338-06.

[Homesteader]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Your such a **** disturber. Everyone knows a Creedmoor is way flatter shooting than a whelen or 338-06.

Me, a **** disturber? No way!

If I threw a Creedmoor and a Whelen off a cliff together, they’d both hit the ground at the same time, the Whelen would just have more energy

[Whelenman]

Originally Posted by Homesteader

Me, a **** disturber? No way!

If I threw a Creedmoor and a Whelen off a cliff together, they’d both hit the ground at the same time, the Whelen would just have more energy

Just a tad more haha... my Whelen exits at 3680 foot pounds of energy all wrapped up in a .358 250 grain missile of destruction.

I have killed a lot of critters in my 45 years of hunting, and owned a good many rifles. There is a reason my go to is now the Whelen. Watching first hand what it does to moose and elk is amazing... it's an entirely different type of wounding... broad wound channel, less hydrostatic damage... yet incredibly quick and ethical kills. I love it. I now limit my ranges on moose and elk to 300 yards, so it's perfect for me.

Want to buy a sweet, used, 300 Win Weatherby Mark V haha.

[Whelenman]

Originally Posted by Xbolt7mm

Another bow kill

I used to bow hunt. Most of my close Whelen kills would never have presented a bow shot. Bad angles, too much brush.