Any fans of the .35 Whelen? This is a fairly new rifle to me. Remington made the 700 Classic rifles chambered in .35 Whelen in 1988. I've yet to take it to the woods but will in a few days.

I scoped it with a Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8 and Weaver Grand Slam detachables.

It's pictured with Nosler 225 grain Ballistic Tips...shoots those well as it does with Hornady 200 grain Interlocks.

After much effort and varying the powder charge and bullet seating depth, I've now got it shooting great groups (for me) of 1" c-c or less with the Barnes TSX 225 grain bullets.

One of the pre-fit Limbsaver recoil pads makes it easy on the shoulder.

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C & L

I am a fan of the .35 Whelen too, mine is a Randall Redman rebored/rechambered pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester. It wears a Leupold Vari-X II 2-7X in a Griffin & Howe Double Lever detachable mount. I handload exclusively using 200-225 gr. bullets and IMR 4064 powder. Last November I took a very nice 8 pt. Kentucky whitetail with this rifle/load combination.

The cartridge has a substantial reputation as being effective on larger animals, to moose, elk, bear, etc.

It's probably more than needed in the Carolinas, unless you shoot a really big boar, but the 200-225 grain bullets make it versatile. Many prefer the 250 grain bullets, but they aren't needed for lighter animnals. The .35 is said to kill effectively, and ruin less meat than, say, a .270.

I'd probably have chosen Nosler Partition bullets if they have what you want in .35. Barnes bullets have a nasty rep for copper- plating your bore.

The M-700 is a known quantity: simple, pretty reliable. Usually very accurate. If your bolt handle doesn't turn a plum shade due to bluing issues, it should please you.

T-Star

I bought one of the classics exactly like your when they first came out. I shot the snot out of it too. I killed a deer, and a 450 lb wild boar with it. I experimented with all kinds of bullets/powders. RL-15 is a very good powder, IMR 4895, both work great and give good velocity, but I had my best luck with AAC 2015BR. I could easily shove 225 Sierra's, or Nosler Partitions at over 2700 FPS with that powder, and 250's would go to 2600.
I sold that gun a few years later, since I also have a .340 Weatherby (my favorite round), and regretted it almost instantly. I looked for years for another one, and when I would find one in good shape we were either out on the road with no extra money, or it would be one that was beat to heck.

When the CDL 700 first came out we were in a Cabela's looking around, and I saw one sitting there, so I asked what caliber? The guy says to me, it's a .35 Whelen. I said I didn't know they were making them again. He said that because Cabela's was one of Remingtons largest retailers, they got in a few before they were even announced to anyone. I bought it right there. It was over a year before they were a regular production item, and I started seeing them anywhere. That was several years ago already.

I have shot it some, but not that much yet. I just have been involved with my handguns too much. I will say that the clean barrel profile made it a lot more appealing to me. This one has a 24 inch tube on it as well. The first three shot group with 250 factory round nose bullets was inside an inch! It kept right on doing that too, so this one won't ever get away.

I had a link to a great website for the .35, but when I tried to post it, I found that it is something different now.


The 225 Ballistic Tip has been replaced by the Accubond. Nosler says it has the same exact profile etc, and it can be used with data for the Ballistic Tip.
I have a box of the BT's I haven't tried yet, but Sierra's usually shoot great, and I have has excellent results with Nos. Part. in 225 gr.

BTW, it isn't fair to lump today's Barnes "X"'s in with the early ones. The Triple shock with the relief grooves generally don't leave anymore copper in your bore than any other gilding metal jackted bullet does now.

its done plum'd on me and it still pleases me!

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C & L

I have always been interested in the round, just can't justify it. My 35 Remington does what I need, and my 30-06 and 270 does what it can't. I'm not a handloader, either, so that makes it tough to jump in.
It is a great round and I'd love to have one, I just don't know what for.

IF you ever buy one, you won't go back to your other guns.
Recoil isn't much differrent from an '06 either.

There's just something about the round that is appealing. It has a big bullet at good speed, and kills like a sledgehammer to the forehead, without knocking you out from under your hat. What's not to love?

Yup!
Bought mine as a "Classic", found the stock to be a little short, put the barreled action into a 700 BDL stock, topped it with a Leupold Vari-x II 3x9 and it was good. I will not take a shot on game at much beyond 100 yards and within that range, for me, the .35 Whelen has enough snot to take down anything I'd be hunting - elk, deer, bear. A 225 gr. Sierra boat-tail over an adequate portion of 3031 will make quarter sized groups at 100 yrds all day long, when I do my part. The .35 Whelen is a very usable cartridge for a lot of applications but it does have limitations. It's been my favorite for a looong time.

… but your QD levers are on the wrong side of the gun!

I’ll let you know how big of a fan I am after I shoot something other than paper with mine.

I put together a similar rig and figured it would make a good black bear gun if I ever go black bear hunting.
I may be using it one month from today for the opener of deer season here in Michigan. My regular deer rifle (a 700 in .270 Win) has been acting up and throwing fliers and I don't trust it anymore. The Whelen (bottom) may get to go.

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"I also cook."

I also bought one of the 35 Whelen 700 Classics back in 1988. It was my favorite hunting rifle for many years until it was stolen while I was on a hunting trip in 1999. A few years ago, I got a 700 CDL in 35 Whelen. The grand old Whelen is a fine hunting cartridge.

Someday I hope to have myself a nice .35 Whelen built on a Springfield 03 Action. I think it is about the ideal North American game round. But right now that is in the same holding pattern with the Lee-Speed replica I would like to have built.

Please start another topic, and tell us about the Lee-Speed replica that you envision. I've wanted one since I read about early African hunters using them, years ago.

Who do you plan to have build the stock(s)? (They're two-piece, of course.)

T-Star

Here's my 35 whelen. It's a Mannlicher 'New Model' originally in 9x57 that was rechamber to Whelen at some time.
Kind of an rarely seen rifle. The original design was for the Chinese military around 1902 or so but they rejected it. The remaining rifles/actions were sold and made into sporters in Europe. Usually when you do see them they are in 9x57, but they are cataloged in 7 & 8x57 also and most are marked 'Haenal'.
Variations in barrels, sights, mag release, bolt handle ect. Custom made versions in other calibers too.

Anyway, standard European sporter type with DST, lgt wt sporter 1/2 stock rifle, case colored action and bottom metal, 1/2 oct barrel, full length rib, day/nite front site. Note Mannlicher split bridge/bolt but 98 Mauser style magazine and bolt shroud. Unique magazine follower & spring set up. Lots of machine work in there!
No 'bobble head' Z spring and follower dangling from the floor plate when opened.

I questioned the conversion to 35 Whelen as the mag box is set up for the shorter 57mm case. It limits bullet selection but the 200/220gr fit ok in the box. I was told the rifle came from Canada many years ago so perhaps the need for more power in the North Country was the reason. It's well used so I think it's seen it's share of game.

Don't have any useful powder on hand to select from that is listed for this caliber so for now I've been shooting cast lead pistol 158grSWC-GC & 12gr RDot with good results at 25 & 40 yrds.

Also have some 210gr cast FN-GC (have no idea what they are intended for!) that I'd like to load up to better potential than plinking rounds and see what they'll do.

I just make cases out of my pile of 30-06 brass that the M1 leaves behind. One pass through the LEE dies and a quick trim to even them all out. I realize the necks are a bit short by the new Remington standard for the cartridge but if it started out that way, seems like it should be OK to continue that way.

.....If you start a Lee Speed thread,,I'll throw a couple on the pile....

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I'm liking this thread

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C & L

Me too, but then I liked the .35 Whelen to begin with.

Another reason that I like the .35 Whelen so well is the loading flxibility, I load mine with cast bullets and .357 pistol bullets for off-season practice. It's a lot of fun to shoot with the pistol bullet rounds, several years ago I bought bulk packs of blemished .357 bullets from Midway for very little cost. My practice shooting costs me very little, easy on the gun and the shoulder too.

Probably so. I shot a mature whitetail doe with it Saturday evening (75-80 yards) with the 225 grain Barnes TSX bullet. Devastating, but I like it!

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C & L

Mine is a rebarreled mauser that has taken a back row in the safe to my 358 BLR.

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Front sight and squeeze

i have its little bro, a .358 win
~250 yard stomper of anything on this continent

you rifle is cool . i like the QD rings and rifle sights

Hey thanks! Maybe so on the levers, but on that side they don't gouge the grips on my handgun or my fat roll!

Thanks...I've got the iron sights set for point of aim at 50 yards.

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C & L

I am not a rifle shooter, but how does a .35 Whelen compare too a .350 Rem. Mag.

Tim,

Me too and I have been playing with the concept of getting a 35 Whelen for a long time and so far I haven't pulled the trigger on getting one. I reload so that would make it fun to have and go through the load developement. I have pretty much stuck to the mainstream calibers like 243, 25-06, 270 , 30-06, 7mm Mag, 300 Win Mag. and 338 Win Mag.

I'll keep my eye open for a shooter grade 35 Whelen and pick one up after the first of the year

I don't have one, but it's an interesting caliber to me.

I've got a minimally sporterized M1917 that I used for a few years as a 600 and 1,000 yard gun. I stopped using it when the stock cracked at the tang (as they do). I've considered having it rebuilt into a .35 Whelen sporter. No job, no money right now.

I've also got a P-14 action. Anybody know if these can be chambered (and feed) for .30-06 length rounds? I know a lot of them were converted to .308 in the UK and Australia. I suppose I could always have it barreled for .358 if I wanted it as a .35 of some sort.

For those considering acquiring a .35 Whelen, watch the auction sites as they show up from time to time based on various bolt actions. If your heart is not set on a bolt action watch the Remington 760 section, they show up there too and can be had for a reasonable price. If you're considering having a rifle you already own rebored/rechambered, Randall Redman does the best job. Randall has been doing this kind of work for years, he did my pre-64 Winchester M/70 and I can recommend him without reservation.

a 9.3X62 Mauser CZ w/mannlicher stock fell into my lap and while I think it is a bit overkill for southern white tails, it will do everything the 35 Whelen will do and a bit more .. BTW, even with a recoil pad, it kicks the snot out of you.

Practically the same ballistics. I have both calibers so speak from some personal experience.

My Whelen is a Remington 7600 pump rifle, my Rem Mag is a Remington Model Seven CDL. I like them both very much.

Well I went an did it this morning as I bought a Remington 700 CDL in 35 Whelen off of GB. I've wanted a rifle in 35 whelen for some time and this tread got me fired up enough to seriously go after one. I faxed off the FFL copy and paid for it so next week it should be here.

I ordered Leupold scope rings and bases for it as well as 100 rounds of brass, 100 Nosler Accubond 225 grain bullets, and reloading dies so the games shall begin when it arrives. I had an extra Leupold Vari X II 3x9X40mm in the safe so that's what's going on it.

You're gonna like it...big time. Be sure to show us some pics when you get it put together.

The Nosler Accubond bullets replaced their Ballistic Tip ones in the .358 caliber and are supposed to load/shoot the same. I don't have any Accubonds, just some of the discontinued Ballistic Tips. The BT's and Accubond have the same white plastic tip (looks good.)

Hornady Interlocks and Barnes TSX's work well too.

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C & L

Congrats on purchasing the .35 Whelen, when you get everything all together be sure to post a range report on how it shoots. The 225 grain bullet is my choice also, a few years ago in preparation for a deer hunt I tried many load combinations and found that the 225 grain shot the best in my M/70 .35 Whelen. Last fall I took a very nice Kentucky 8 pt. buck with a Sierra 225 gr. load.

Is it hard to find .35 Whelen ammo in Finland?

T-Star

Never seen any. And no 350 Rem Mag either. And no 375 Ruger. And never seen any 458 Lott or 500 Wyoming Express, either. I am a sucker for exotic calibers, but no worries as I load my own ammo. Maybe some shop sells ammo for these calibers, but I have not bothered to search.

Somebody say .35 Whelen?
Here's mine in a XCR stock.
I haven't decided on a scope yet. I have a Leupold 3X that Marksaman sold me, a Vari-X III 1.5-5X20 or I may just go with the VXII 2-7X33.
I love the caliber and sold my '06 once I got this. Between the .280 and this one I can do about 95% of the hunting I'll do in my lifetime.

The Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5x20 gets my vote for your .35 Whelen...nice!

The two rifles I hunted with the most (both Remington 700's) were a .270 and a .300 Win. Mag. I decided I could sell both of those and replace with one .30-06 and still take care of my bolt action hunting needs.

In the search for a nice .30-06, I found the .35 Whelen. You can guess the rest of the story...I still have the .270, a .30-40 Krag, the .300, and the .35 Whelen and no .30-06. Plus too many more lever action rifles of course ranging from .243 thru .45-70.

.270


.30-40 Krag


.300 Win. Mag.


.35 Whelen

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C & L

i was so turned on by your set up that today when i was at my local shop, there was a used Rem 700 in 30-06 with gloss blue and gloss wood stock and rifle sights ( BDL ?) but no scope. i jumped on it for the $300 asking price.
i have a VXII 3-9 laying around waiting for a rifle
i think i will try those QD rings like yours.

thanks for making me buy another rifle.

WFR- how do you like the XCR stock ?

The older BDL's had a hinged release magazine floor plate...the ADL's had a blind box magazine without the floor plate (solid wood on the bottom.)

You're going to like that '06 !

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C & L

I found a barely used 9.3X62 CZ Mannlicher stock for ~$600. with QR mounts and a cheesy 1-6 scope. Later found out the scope mounts were $115 on the 'net.

Added a new 3-10 scope..

It is now zeroed in 2.5" high at 100 yds and that should make the 0 at 200 with S&B 285 gr sp's. 1" groups.

While a bit much for Bambi, supposedly the slower bullets do not damage as much tissue around the track. Time will tell.

Wierd cal to find in MS. I think I have seen one 35 Whelan in 20 years.

C&L, that krag is a beautiful rifle!
Nice pictures all around.

I bought a used Model 700 Classic and topped it with a used Leupold Fixed 4X (M8) scope. I really like the looks of this rifle/scope combo. The bell on the scope is only 33mm so it was set in low mounts.

The set up is a tad lighter than my BDL 30/06 with a Redfield Widefield 2-7 Scope. I can't really tell any difference in "kick" between the rifles (the Classic does have a pad). It is very accurate with factory 200 grainers, I haven't shot anything else yet. Can't wait to try it out next hunting season.

Big fan hear. I have owned a couple of M700's and still own a prewar J.P. Sauer Sporting Rifle that I rebored to the Whelen. This one below is my favorite though. An original Ruger M77RS Whelen that I have tweaked into a fairly lightweight piece.



Here it is in action in 2008.





Here's the recovered bullet from the moose. In one shoulder and behind the hide on the off shoulder. A 225 gr Barnes TSX at a MV of 2700 fps. Both animals were bang flops.

It is great to see so many forum members using the great old .35 Whelen. It has been around for a very long time and is named after one of America's truly great gun writers and firearms developers, Colonel Townsend Whelen. Oddly enough he had little to do with developing the cartridge that carries his name, but the fact that somebody added his name gives you an idea of the esteem in which he was held.

Living in Mississippi, the 35 Whelen, in a single shot break action, exposed hammer (T/C Pro Encore) is classified as a Primative Weapon and gets a much longer deer season. Nosler Accubonds shoot great (225gr @2800fps) and Hornady Light Magnum kick a 200 gr Interbond out at 2850fps. I prefer the lighter recoil of the Hornady and I am getting about 3/4" groups at 100 yds - good enough for Stimey.
Barrel is off the shelf T/C, stainless 28" factory ported. I Love This Gun, put my trusty '06 in the closet for this season.
Anyone have a recommendation if it would be better to just buy a bolt action 7mm/08 or get another barrel for the T/C frame?

Well, this thread deserves a revival. After all my mule deer season opens October 1 and elk begins October 15. That gives me time to limber up my 1988 Remington 700 Classic.

I bought it six or seven years ago. In the meantime it has accounted for antelope, whitetail and mule deer, elk and one mountain lion. In the last few years I have gone through Marlin 444 phase and a 6.5X55 SE phase (also a Rem. 700 classic).

I am thinking this is the year to go back to the Whelen for all species. A Whelen trifecta would be nice: antelope, mule deer, elk. I managed that last year with the Swede.

My Whelen wears an older, "El Paso" Weaver K2.5 scope in Redfield mounts with an auxilliary, flip-up peep sight on the back of the scope base. Maybe I will take off the scope and just use the peep sight for elk.

So many choices, so little time!

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WyoStillhunter

What's the twist rate on the Whelen? I have a 35X300 Winchester Magnum, one of the last built by Ackley, with a 1-10" twist. It loves the old, now out of production, 275 grain Barnes bullets but doesn't seem to care for the lighter stuff too much.

The factory Ruger and Remington rifles are 1:16's and shoot everything fine up to 250 grs and start having problems when you go much bigger. If I built a custom it would likely be a 1:12.

Flyfisher,

I also have a TC Encore in 35 Whelen. I bought the barrel on GunBroker from a guy in Mississippi! He had it for the same reason you have yours - the primitive hunting season.

I love my TC 35 Whelen. I believe the barrel is 26 inches long. Part of the reason I went with the TC was to get other barrels for it in other calibers. It keeps the wife happy too!

I will see if I can post some of the loads I have worked up for it. 180 and 200 grain bullets are very nice to shoot -- not a lot of recoil. My daughters enjoy shooting the Whelen with those light loads. But being a light rifle it will kick when you shoot loads with authority!

TC makes the barrel in a 1:14 twist rate. It seems to like everything I have shot through it from 180 up to 250 grain bullets.

I topped mine with a Leupold VariX III 1.5 - 5.

My # 1 favorite. Just shot my bosses custom Mauser in 35 Whelen today. As a lefty, I think I am going to have to go the custom route to get what I want. I would love it if Ruger would make its international in the COL Townsend Whelen's famous cartridge. TD

.35 Whelan is a great cartridge. It's amazing what the .30-06 can do when necked up. I've got a .25-06 Ruger #1 that I would like to change to .338-06 but Speer doesn't make their 275 gr. bullet any more, so the .35 Whelan looks better all the time.

I have one of those limited Classics, too, but in .257 Roberts. Maybe that's the gun I ought to rebarrel, but it's the only unfired gun in my possession. I bought two of them and sold one to a friend who has killed probably 30 or 40 deer with his. He even took it to Africa.

I built a 35 Whelen on a beater 30/06 Savage 110 with an Adams and Bennett barrel. At 100 yards off the bench it puts 3 rounds in one hole with Remington factory 220 gr. ammo. I shot a 7 point 165 lb whitetail in the heart last fall with a Savage 30/30. The bullet didn't exit and I had to track it 75 yards. This year I don't think I'll have that problem.

You won't!

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C & L

Double Tap Ammunition has a load for the Whelen with a 310 gr Woodleigh Weldcore. Talk about sectional density, almost as much as the old .333 Jeffery.