.35 Whelen...any fans?

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.

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.

If your bolt handle doesn't turn a plum shade due to bluing issues, it should please you.

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

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.

You have good taste in rifles and scopes!

… 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.

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.

Horseless Trooper said:

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.

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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....

I'm liking this thread

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.

It's probably more than needed in the Carolinas...

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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!

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

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

You have good taste in rifles and scopes!
… but your QD levers are on the wrong side of the gun!

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

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

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