.35 Whelen...any fans?

[greenejc]

Nosler makes loads in the 225gr. Accubond and partition, and the 250gr. Partition. They're rated at 2750fps and 2550fps, respectively. I handload mine with Sierra 225's and Speer 250's. I tried the Hornadays but they weren't very tight at 100yds. I'll work up loads for the spirepoint 250 when I get back from the 'Stan. Very good penetration on that Nosler. That's about what I get on large Whitetails with the Sierra. Exit wounds are around fist-sized and they go down right there. I shot my last deer with it at 385yds or so, and she dropped like a hot rock.

 

[greenejc]

Back from the Stan

Got back from the Stan and went elk hunting near Canon City, Colorado, 3rd season. I didn't see a single animal. Had lots of mule deer does around me, but no elk. The .35 Whelen shot great. I worked up some loads with the Sierra Gameking 225gr. bullet, which is a short bullet for caliber, but shoots very well in front of about 60.5 grains of RL 15 using a Remington 91/2 primer. The only problem is that I can't find the Sierras anywhere right now. I had them on order from Midway, and they cancelled it due to Remington telling them they wouldn't have the bullet available in the forseeable future. Well, maybe I'll get an elk next year.

 

[greenejc]

.35 Whelen

I finally found some Sierra 225 grain .358 bullets. They have gone up to about 24 dollars for 50, which is pricey, but I bought them because they work. I will load them for my Fall elk hunt in Colorado this year. I'm also thinking of getting my rifle reamed for the Ackley Improved 40degree shoulder chambering so I can raise the MV for the Sierra into the 2800fps range. That would really hit like a truck.

 

[da gimp]

howdy green, welcome back home hand & thank you for the service. I'm a big fan of the .358Win in our old browning BLR.......very fast handling for repeat shots & accuracy is sub 1" with Win factory loads & good handloads.

Browning has come out with a take down, pistol grip version of their BLR in .35 Whelan Improved, blued or stainless, that if my health was better, buying one of these would have me scheming on selling my lady's good wedding china........heck there's some years we don't even use it, she might not even notice if 5 or 10 place settings were gone...........

Given the results of either the original cartridge or the Improved (you can fire factory .35 Whelan through the .35 Whelan Improved)..... and with good dangerous game iron sights on it.........with the quick release lever mounts on a good Leupold 1.5X5 VXIII....... it'd make a dandy brown bear/big moose rifle...... and with a switch barrel set up..... get a 24" or 26" barrel set up, with a 18" barrel set up with dangerous game iron sights if you had to follow one into the willows/alders.............would make for a dern good all around set up. With practice.. a lever rifle is as fast or nearly as fast as a double rifle..........with 4 rounds on tap in the magazine............ give it a thought hand...... I understand that Browning made a dern few new BLR TD's in .375 H&H if you can find one.......... they are not catalogued.

 

[Kilo Sierra]

da gimp

"Browning has come out with a take down, pistol grip version of their BLR in .35 Whelan Improved, blued or stainless"

IF you could provide a source for this information I would be grateful.

I am unable to confirm this via local Browning sources...I would very much like a factory rig.

Thanks,
ks

 

[greenejc]

Browning BLR

I'd like to know who to contact for that BLR in .35 Whelen Improved too. I think that would be a great dangerous game rifle, and if accurate, a great rifle for pretty much any big game. Green

 

[Redhawk500]

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

The difference is mainly in the low pressures commonly used in difference to variations from older non-standard chambers and '03 Springfield rifles. A modern commercial action chambered in 35 Whelen is ready for modern non-magnum pressures. The 350 Rem Mag gets 2497 fps, 250 grain, 26 inch barrel, 53,200 cup. A 35 Whelen is rated at 2503 fps, 250 grain, 24 inch barrel, 48,900 cup, both from Hodgdon load data. The difference in barrel length and pressure both favor the 350 Rem Mag, which would make the gap even wider in favor of the 35 Whelen. The 35 Whelen holds 66.4 grain of water and the 350 Rem Mag holds 62.6 grains of water, using 225 grain Nosler spitzer bullets. The difference in case volume tells the story, if bullet diameter and pressure are equal.