Thinking to take the whelen to Camerone with 310 woodleigh rn bullets. I have bigger guns, just haven't got to hunt with this one yet. Yea or Nay?
I would appreciate any opinions. I read they weigh 700lbs max. Also, I already have the outfitters opinion

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
Thinking to take the whelen to Camerone with 310 woodleigh rn bullets. I have bigger guns, just haven't got to hunt with this one yet. Yea or Nay?
I would appreciate any opinions. I read they weigh 700lbs max. Also, I already have the outfitters opinion

i used 9.3x62 and rws fmj for the same kind on the other side of the border in CAR and i do not see how it will not work if your guide as a good back up caliber just in case. we used 460 wea mag for that task as in the forest it can be tricky.

do not be fooled by the size they can carry a lot of anger not related to their size and can be way more dangerous that their bigger cousins like the western savannah ones or even the capes. but i did not hunt enough the cape to have good comparizon.

All guns are basically rock throwers.

The .35 has enough velocity and mass that it certainly can handle the quarry.

If there isn’t a legal minimum prohibiting it, go right ahead.

I don’t see where a 9.3 with .008 more diameter and less mass is good on essentially the same case is good and the .35 isn’t.

Hit it right with the first shot and pretty much anything will work. Your choice has adequate penetration and energy. It isn’t like you will be shooting at 600 yards…

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
All guns are basically rock throwers.

The .35 has enough velocity and mass that it certainly can handle the quarry.

If there isn’t a legal minimum prohibiting it, go right ahead.

I don’t see where a 9.3 with .008 more diameter and less mass is good on essentially the same case is good and the .35 isn’t.

Hit it right with the first shot and pretty much anything will work. Your choice has adequate penetration and energy. It isn’t like you will be shooting at 600 yards…

35 whelen is legal in cameroon.

I shot a 46” Buffalo last year in Zambia hunting with Andrew Baldry. (1) shot in the heart with a 286 gr. NP from my 9.3x66 going 2,596 fps.

I think a 35 Whelen with 280 gr. SAF going about the same speed should produce a similar result. Good luck!

Hi,
I've shot buffalos in Cameroon and Westafrica with a .338Win Mag, 458Win Mag, .416RemMag and 9.3x62. Never saw a big difference. I would think your 35 whelen will work fine.

They do take a lot of lead if the first bullet is not places perfectly but even then they can do funny things.

Legal requirements aside, the 35 Whelen works just fine on Buffalo, as does a 7 Rem Mag.

I would use it on a full-size buffalo!

Look up the 360 No. 2 Nitro Express. Featured a 320gr .366 bullet at 2150fps. You'll be right there, bit less frontal area but bit more velocity. Woodleigh manual says: "Much overlooked cartridge... Eventually overshadowed by the 375 H&H... Gives nothing away to the 375 and is equally effective..."

We shot a few Aussie Buff with my buddy's 350 Rem Mag and 310gr Woodleighs. Essentially a Whelen & worked just fine.

Woodleigh manual says you can get 2200fps, maybe a bit more, with 310's in the Whelen. With a SD of .346, penetration should be excellent. I'd bring along some solids for a going-away shot.

I've often thought of having a light 35 Whelen Safari rifle built, with express sights. Would be a pleasure to carry all day.

eny,

When I hunted Cameroon the PH told me one of the Cabelas shot buffalo with a 7MM Remington mag and it worked fine. Your whelen will be more than adequate.

Mark

Fulvio,

I was about to say that I wouldn't have any qualms about shooting a full sized cape buffalo with a 300 Win. Mag. if it were legal, which it is not. Would just have to be a bit selective on shots.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Fulvio,

I was about to say that I wouldn't have any qualms about shooting a full sized cape buffalo with a 300 Win. Mag. if it were legal, which it is not. Would just have to be a bit selective on shots.

Other than the Customs guy at the airport who only confirms that the declared firearms and ammunition corresponds to what has been listed on the Import License, does anyone else check which rifle you use on which animal when you decide to shoot one?

Thanks everyone. Outfitter said it was minimal, but if shots placed good it would be ok. Velocity is around 2220-30. Not sure what solids to pair with the woodleigh bullets. Was told it could be wet/damp so I started gouging and scraping on a piece of laminate. Still over a year out so I should have a stock built by then

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
Thanks everyone. Outfitter said it was minimal, but if shots placed good it would be ok. Velocity is around 2220-30. Not sure what solids to pair with the woodleigh bullets. Was told it could be wet/damp so I started gouging and scraping on a piece of laminate. Still over a year out so I should have a stock built by then

Outfitters and professional hunters are a bit funny.

Been hunting with a professional hunter who thought the 460 Weatherby is not big enough as a back up rifle.

He got himself a 585 Nyati!

Always having a go at me using my 375/404 as being the “minimum” caliber.

Always tried to get as close to buffalo as we could.

Always advising “wait till he gives you a good angle!”

That started over 40 years ago.

It took me a few years to convince him of simple facts.

Now he doesn’t care what I use.

He does care where I hit them.

Doesn’t care how far I shoot them

Now all he says is “they all die!”

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
Thanks everyone. Outfitter said it was minimal, but if shots placed good it would be ok. Velocity is around 2220-30. Not sure what solids to pair with the woodleigh bullets. Was told it could be wet/damp so I started gouging and scraping on a piece of laminate. Still over a year out so I should have a stock built by then

Woodleighs are all but gone. I have emails from the owner stating he is not able to produce the 35 caliber bullets post fire because of demand. Woodleigh also has no US distribution at this time.

I would have look for North Forks. The 270 Grain cup souls and their excellent bonded soft.

I am a ham and egger of reloading. I never could get to 2200 gps w 275 Woodleighs and the Whelen. 2150 was as fast as I got.

The most important thing is good shot placement, followed by a good bullet. If it were me, I would not take the frontal or much of a quartering shot w the Whelen and any soft.

On quartering away shots on buffalo, right side is fine, you'll get liver and the guys will give you a hard time (and I love grilled buffalo liver too), but watch a quartering away shot from the left side that is anything but very slight. You'll have to go through the rumen. And that's true regardless of caliber. Picture trying to shoot through a hefty garbage sack stuffed tightly with wet grass.

I almost screwed up with that shot with a .416, but it worked out ok. The 400 grain AFrame made it through the rumen and the bullet actually lodged in the heart, but there was no blood other than asperated blood through the nostrils.
He was down when we got there, but I learned a lesson.

When I think of quarrying away, I think of hard quarrying. One lung or just the liver w a 35 Whelen is going to end in either anger or despair. Slight wuaryer where you just rip out heart, lungs, and go out the throat or neck at chest is debating in my limited experience on Kessler game. I would love that shot on a buff.

One does not have a lot of steam to get through on hard, sharp angles with a 35 Whelen and a 275 plus grain bullet. Those hard, thick jacketed bullets are not going to want to expand at 2100-2200 fps to destroy tissue.

To paraphrase my Savior:

Do what thou wants to do and do quickly. It will work, but I would not try to reach the vitals on hard angles. The lack of blood spore is also an issue as you identify. In addition, with two holes you nit only get better blood spore but help w pneumothorax.

That good broadside shot or slightly, very slightly, quartering to gives you the next odds of putting two holes in the lungs, top of the heart. You have Some margin for error, but still killing.

This plan seems logical to me when using a cartridge and bullet/velo coni that is suspect when trying to go straight through it through heavy bone.


The question becomes, assuming one accepts this limitation, is the hunter disciplined enough on day 8 when the Hunter finally gets a frontal in heavy cover at 25-75 yards pass that shot. My mind, the better play is to take a step up in cartridge, not necessarily caliber, and take any reasonable shot angle.

If I wanted to use a 35. I would be running a 358 STA 270-280 grain heavy jacket, bonded bullet at 2700-2800 fps. The other option would be a 350 Norma w the same bullet at 2400-2500 fps. These are everything the 375 HH Belted Rimless, Flanged Magnum, 9.3x64/66 are.

The other option is to step in cartridge and caliber class, as you did, to a 40/416.

Would I go on this hunt with the stipulation being I have to use my very much loved Winchester Custom Shop 35 Whelen? Yes, but I would stay away from frontals and questing to shots. I would be tempted to use a 250 grain Swift Aframe or 250 Northfork just to make sure I get some velo to get some bullet upset and more tissue damage over a thick, bonded 270 plus grain bullet at 2150. I can be talked out of that.