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35whelen in Africa?
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I'm getting my 35whelen ready for my Oct. Musk Ox hunt, 225gr TSX at 2575fps and was wondering how it would work for Africa. Say plains game in Namibia with Eland on the wish list. Anyone used the whelen in Africa?


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Posts: 1739 | Location: alabama | Registered: 13 November 2001Reply With Quote
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The 35 Whelen has almost identical balistics to the 350 Rigby Magnum. The 350 Rigby has a wonderful reputation in Africa and you will not want for better.

465H&H
 
Posts: 5686 | Location: Nampa, Idaho | Registered: 10 February 2005Reply With Quote
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Mark,

Don't need any specific experience with the Whelen...look at the ballitics...35 cal projectile,,,SD right around .25, moderate velocity...Voila

Dead plains game...I shot a bunch with my 358 Win with great results...

If I had a Whelen I would go up to a 250 gr though


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10169 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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I took all of my plains game up to and including a massive Eland with my Whelen. I was shooting Federal 225 TBBC's. You won't find any shortcomings with the combo you are using, IMHO.


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Posts: 3512 | Location: Denton, TX | Registered: 01 June 2001Reply With Quote
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Don't think twice about using the .35 Whelen in Africa. I took mine to Namibia this past May and it performed great. I used a 250 grain Hornady bullet and took Blue Wildebeest, Kudu, Eland, Zebra and Warthog with it. All were one shot kills, except for the Kudu, running shots.
 
Posts: 158 | Location: Satsuma, Alabama | Registered: 11 February 2004Reply With Quote
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Great caliber and a great bullet, very similar to the 9.3X62. The only drawback is the ammo. Recommend you split your ammo up, half in the rifle case and the other half in your suitcase or duffel. jorge


USN (ret)
DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE
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Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001Reply With Quote
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I personally prefer the .338-06 to the .35 Whelen but the difference is purely acedemic. Both are excellent cartridges for eland, Kudu, Zebra, Wildebeest Gemsbok and other such game.

The TBBCs previously mentioned sounds like a great bullet as well.


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Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003Reply With Quote
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From African Hunter Magazine:

The .35 Whelen in Zimbabwe
http://www.african-hunter.com/35_whelen_in_zim.htm

And, just for reference and comparison, another article on a classic .35 caliber:

The 9x57 Mauser
http://www.african-hunter.com/9x57_mauser.htm

-Bob F.
 
Posts: 3485 | Location: Houston, Texas | Registered: 22 February 2001Reply With Quote
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I have often said that if I knew for sure I was going back to Africa multiple times I would find a 700 Classic and add a Sako extractor or have one custom built. Ballistics are about ideal for most plains game animals.


DC300
 
Posts: 334 | Location: Houston, Texas | Registered: 12 September 2004Reply With Quote
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Hey Bearhunter,

My wifes mom and dad live in Axis, Alabama, one of my sister-in-laws live in Satsuma. We where just down there Wednesday and Thursday for a funeral. Small world aint it? Maybe we can get together some time. Is Qunits Hardware still open? I was going to try to go by there but didn't have time.


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Posts: 1739 | Location: alabama | Registered: 13 November 2001Reply With Quote
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Thanks for the replys guys. I don't have any big plans of taking the whelen to Africa any time soon. I had wanted one for some time, now that I have it I really like it a lot and was just wondering how it measure up.


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Posts: 1739 | Location: alabama | Registered: 13 November 2001Reply With Quote
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Inasmuch as the 270 and 30-06 are proven plainsgame rounds the 35 Whelen is way up on the good caliber list!! thumb


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 42226 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Mark I believe you will find the Whelen a crusher with the 35 caliber bullet...


Mike


Michael Podwika... DRSS bigbores and hunting www.pvt.co.za " MAKE THE SHOT " 450#2 Famars
 
Posts: 6768 | Location: Wyoming, Pa. USA | Registered: 17 April 2003Reply With Quote
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Used my 35 Whelen last year on Giraffe, Eland, Kudu and others. Will leave in 10 days with it again for Kudu, Oyx, Wildebeest, Zebra and others. Worked just great.
 
Posts: 2121 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 08 May 2002Reply With Quote
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Should be just fine. I took a .350 Rem Mag on my first trip with 225-grain Nosler Partitions at 2500 fps and if I did my job the animal went down quickly.


---
Eric Ching
"The pen is mightier than the sword...except in a swordfight."
 
Posts: 1079 | Location: San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 26 May 2002Reply With Quote
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I used my 338/06 on two safaris and took nine of the large African antelope with it using 200 gr Barnes X bullets and it worked great. I also have shot two elk, three reindeer, a moose and a gemsbok in NM with it. A great caliber for the US or Africa. Should have the same results with the Whelen
 
Posts: 472 | Location: Bothell WA | Registered: 31 July 2003Reply With Quote
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The diameter is greater and the sectional density a bit less than the classic old .318 Westley Richards but the same weight at the same velocity will make awesome exit holes on plainsgame. Personally, I prefer an over .30 caliber for eland and giraffe and either .33 or .35 at around 2500 fps make for a mild shooting but utterly deadly round. Good choice.


Sarge

Holland's .375: One Planet, One Rifle . . . for one hundred years!
 
Posts: 2690 | Location: Lakewood, CA. USA | Registered: 07 January 2001Reply With Quote
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I used a Whelen last year with 250 grain NorthFork bullets. After 3 one shot drops in one morning on impala, zebra and a straight on shot on a blue wildebeest my PH offered a quiet comment that "that hits them hard" almost under his breath, I considered it a big compliment to the whelen as he had never seen one before.

I also took gemsbok, warthog and eland with it. It's going back with me next time.
 
Posts: 1542 | Location: NC | Registered: 10 June 2002Reply With Quote
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