.35 Whelen

whitecoyote

whitecoyote

New member
I recently acquired a Remington 700 Mountain rifle in .35 Whelen. This rifle will mainly be used for deer, bear, & hog hunting.
I'm interested in your opinions, and stories regarding the .35 Whelen.
Thanks,
WC
 
I bought a 700C with the first production run in the 80s. The intent was to use it for moose but it became my go to gun for whitetails replacing a .25-06. Running 225 grain Sierras behind IMR 4064. I know that's overkill but as I have gotten older I have matriculated from small and fast to bigger and slower (kinda like me). We don't have hogs up here but I have no doubt it will be a real thumper.
 
I bought a used '88 700 Classic in 35 Whelen back in '95. I had it reamed out to the 35 Whelen Ackley Improved. I took that rifle in '96 to South Africa for plains game, using the older Barnes 250X at 2600fps. I killed Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Zebra, Kudu and Gemsbok with it. I only recovered two bullets ( lengthwise shots on the zebra and Kudu) I later foolishly rebarrelled/converted that rifle to a 416 Taylor and promptly sold it, too brutal in recoil, wow!) In '99 I found another pristine 700 Classic, also an '88 model and had it reamed out also to the Ackley Improved with the same reamer. This time I worked up the 200X ( the one with the secant ogive) to 2970fps! I took it back to South Africa in 2002, and shot another Zebra ( at 250yds) and a Black Wildebeest ( 347yds) no bullets recovered. I used the same rifle and the Woodleigh 310 soft nose going 2400fps on a Eurasian hog up on the Michigan UP a couple years ago. Big hole, no bloodshot meat! I have a load with the 250 Nosler partition and the Speer 250 going over 2700fps and the newer Barnes 200 TTSX going 2950fps...but no kills yet with either.
I have been impressed by the milder recoil, yet tremendous killing power of the Whelen ( a standard Whelen like yours loaded properly does everything my Improved does on game, no biggy) In fact, I no longer use any magnum cartridge, and I have used the 300's, 338's and 375 H&H! Up to 350yds, I could never tell any difference on elk size game and down between them and my Whelen! As far as I have been able to prove, by using it, it is indeed an "all around" cartridge! I use a Leupold 1.5x5 and a Bushnell 3200 2x7, both with Leupold QD rings. I like the 1.5x5 overall but the 2x7 has the Rainguard coating which I pair with my Brown Precision synthetic stock in early elk season ( rain/snow) I use a CDL wood stock in really cold weather, lots warmer to hold! ha R15 with the heavies and H322 with the 200s work best in my rifle. I only use a magnum primer with the Nosler 250 PT load, the rest get a CCI BR2, all in Remington cases. I love my 30-06 Mountain Rifle, have a strong sentimental attachment to an older Belgium BAR .270 and a soft spot for my gee-wiz custom Model 7 in 22-250 Ackley...but this 35 Whelen Ackley is the one that just "might" get put in my coffin with me, lol! Good luck to you!
 
Great post James
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I also have a 700 Classic that I restocked. And another Classic my bud now owns that I load for.

Like you, I prefer the Leupold 1.5-5x20 and R-15 with heavy bullets, which are all I load. 250gr Hot-Cors, Barnes Originals, and Partitions.

The 35 Colonel is a great cartridge.............

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I'm another fan of the Whelen. Mine's a 98 Mauser with a Shilen barrel in a B&C stock. Mine likes the 225's over the 250's with a heathy dose of 4064.
 

I too purchased a Rem. classic several years ago, the year it became available. Like Tom, I have been shooting the Sierra 225 gr. I took one deer with it in all these years, mainly because I don't hunt with it much. I love the cartridge. It's very accurate.

2muchgun, nice stock. Which one is that?
 
I have a Rem. cdl 35W that I won from a local gun club. It is my favorite big game rifle, and I will never part with it. it is accurate and deadly, don't need to say much more.
Barry
 
A truly outstanding cartridge, that kills all out of proportion to the case size. I have a Whitworth Mark X Mauser action with a Shilen barrel at 24" that I call my 'bang-plop' rifle. Everything that I've shot with it promptly falls down dead (DRT). I would hunt anything in the Lower 48 with it, even though it isn't exactly a long range proposition. With premium bullets, it would be suitable as a medium-bore rifle in South Africa, as mentioned earlier in this thread. I sold my .300 Win Mag after I built my Whelen, because there's simply no need for it any more.
 
I have a lefty 35 Whelen that I built from a Ruger model 77 . Wears a Shilen barrel,and just drives tacks. It loves hornady 250 grains. My son shot his first elk with last year,no tracking dropped right there.
 
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