After years of intriguing thought about a new medium bore, I've decided on a 35 Whelen. Now I need to decide which gun to buy. I'm usually a Rem 700 fan but am not sure I care for the 16 twist being offered in the 700 CDL. I'm also curious about your handloads.

So please tell me what gun you have chambered in 35 Whelen, do you like it, what do you load in it, how does it shoot, etc... etc...?

I have a 700 Classic in 35 Whelen. It is extremely accurate. I mainly run 200-225 gr bullets as I mostly hunt deer in mixed cover. The gun has the 16 twist, but has shot everything well that I have tried up to 250gr. Never tried anything heavier. Nothing not to like about this rifle.

Lou

I have one of the early 80's Remington 7600's in 35 whelen. It has a 3x9x40 sope and shoots very well with 180 grain Barnes X's over a healthy Charge of Varget. I have killed one10 point Kentucky buck with the rifle. I should really use it more---but I have to confess to being a rifle addict.

I have the Remington Classic 700 model. It has 1 in 16". I only use one load in it and that load has produced several 5/8" groups. It's accounted for 4 elk and 3 moose. The load is a 250 Grain Nosler Partition, Remington Brass, 58.5 grains of RL 15, and old WLR Primers. CCI 250 primers worked in place of the old WLRP's in an .06 when I substituted them. I still have a few of the Old WLRP's to keep using in the Whelen. Velocity averages 2,525fps out of the 22 inch barrel.
Rich Elliott

I kinda like em'. I have two, a Rem. 700 CDL with the 24" barrel and a Rem. 700 Classic with a 22" barrel. The CDL shoots 225 TSX's, 250 Grand Slams and 250 Hornady's very well. It just plain shoots good. I just got back from the range with my Classic for the first time and I'm happy with it and 250 gr hornadys. Thats all I tried this time with it being sooo hot here. Buy one you'll be happy. For my uses a remington with a 1-16 twist works great, after 250 gr bullets I just don't know how it will shoot. So if you plan on going heavier you may want a faster twist. Go out and get one.

BTW RE-15 would be a good place to start.

Raybass Give me a week or so and I'll show ya how a real gun shoots

There are several new Remington 700 CDL models on Gunbroker.com for $440 to $470. I bought one a couple months ago and am happy with it. I'm not sure why they are selling for so much less than all the other CDL models. I guess few people in the general public want a Whelen.

Mine was built on a VZ-24 action by Charley Coffen. I love it but if I were to buy one commercially made I'd choose the ruger #1. The problem with this is that it was a limited run and the're hard to find. It was walnut and stainless and I thought it was really a neat rifle. I've seen a couple in gunshows but they can be expensive.

I made my 35 Whelen at gunsmith school. It's on a Howa 1500 action and the barrel is a #4 Shilen with a 1 in 12" twist. The barrel is around 26" in length and the rifle is on the heavy side ~ 9 lbs. I actually don't mind the weight and kind of prefer it that way. I've always been enamoured with the 35 Whelen and it was a no-brainer for me when it came time to pick a chambering. It shoots well enough with 250-gr. or lighter bullets. I don't reload and the factory offering that I've found does best is the 225-gr. Trophy Bonded Bear Claw from Federal. I'd like to see how some of the "heavy-for-caliber" bullets would perform - 280-gr. Swift A-Frame or the 310-gr Woodleigh's.

I am currently waiting the finished project from my gunsmith. About three months ago I commissioned a 35 Whelen based off the Zastava action and putting a #5 countour Shilen barrel on it. If not mistaken it is a 1/14 twist. At present it is in 'the white' and stock is a silver laminate. The last I saw it (last week) he is finished up the stock work and will be ready for bluing. It should be done long before hunting season. I plan to top it with a Leupold. I am thinking 2.5-8 power.

All the posts by RayBass and others on the forum convinced me this was the rifle for me. I wanted another rifle that was larger than .30cal and was a step up handling heavier grained bullets. If nothing else 30-06 brass is cheap and plenty. It can do anything you want it to up to including larger species of bear? All my research shows that RL-15 is THE POWDER!!!

Mine is a stock out of the box 700KS. I have had it about 5 years & it's normally my opening day gun. All I have ever shot in it are 225 Sierra's. It's a sub 1" rifle that kills pigs & deer right there.

Ruger M77 MKII, canoe paddle stock, 22" Shilen barrel 1/14 twist, topped with Nikon Monarc 1,5-6x42. Prints 225 Sierra Game Kings within 1 " all day long. Ugly as a sin, but my favorite big game rifle

I love my 700 Classic in 35 Whelen, I have a VX III 2.5 X 8 on mine and she shoots like a dream. She has taken everything from White tails to Kudu without any problems. Her preferred diet is 225gr bullets in the TSX design, but will shoot other just as well.

Craven

You guys are a great bunch of enablers. Based upon your feedback, I just purchased a 700 CDL in 35 Whelen.

Sounds like everyone who has one likes the way they shoots. It also sounds like I need to stock up on RL-15!

Thanks again....

Slatts?
In my excitement, after commissioning my .35 Whelen, I went home and promptly ordered the largest commercial container of RL15 Midway carried! LOL!

After ordering that much powder it dawned on me I didn't use RL15 in any other caliber! ARGGH! So I went back to the drawing board and found that my .308 might just like it. I am not sure what other cals like the diet of RL15, but this now gives me an excuse to go shooting more! Oh well...I now have a lifetime supply of powder, brass and bullets for it.

What I love about the 'enablers' as you call them....the forum taught me that since 30-06 brass is in plentiful supply I will never run out...albiet they are just a tad shorter after running them through the sizing die with neck expander!!! So good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by Akshooter:
Mine was built on a VZ-24 action by Charley Coffen. I love it but if I were to buy one commercially made I'd choose the ruger #1. The problem with this is that it was a limited run and the're hard to find. It was walnut and stainless and I thought it was really a neat rifle. I've seen a couple in gunshows but they can be expensive.

I figure that if I want a Ruger #1 in .35 Whelen, and I do, I'll just have to find a donor and have one made up. I found a beat up #1B (gun looked like hell) on the cheap in 25-06. I didn't pay attention about not shooting the donor, so I had to go out and find another. it too turned out to be a #1B in 25-06 and does not outshoot the beater so it may be sacrificed at the alter of Whelen. I love Ruger #1s.
Paul B.

Just recently, I was able to acquire a 35 Whelen from a friend. It's based on a commercial FN action, Timney trigger, mat finished Douglas airgauged barrel with 12" twist, Bell & Carlson stock, and topped with a 4X Leupold. He included the dies, some old 275 gr. Hornadys and some very old 300 Gr. Barnes originals. The Barnes box is plain brown cardboard, rubber stamped and handwritten as to caliber and weight. These might be collectors items.

The justification for the 35 Whelen was not only did I not have one, but it will be used to whack pigs primarily and occasionally used as back up for eland and wild cattle with the heavier bullets. Carrying a few extra cartridges with heavier bullets beats bringing an extra heavy rifle, just in case it may be needed.

Geoff

Savage 110L douglas 22 inch CM barrel 1:12 twist shots well with every thing from 180 partitions through the discontinued Barnes 250 X.

I have had and since sold a M700 Classic and a BDL. I still own a factory Ruger M77 that I have tweaked to suit me.



And a pre-war J.P. Sauer Mauser.

Well since I don't see one above, mine is the Ruger tang safety and has been accurized by HCR. Will shoot 250's(Partitions and A Frames) with full load of H4350 and 225 TSX's with overload of RL 15.

What scopes do you guys have on your 35 Whelens??? I think I consider it about a 250-yard gun with my capabilities and am considering a VX3 2.5 X 8.

What is your Whelen wearing?

I have the Ruger M77. I switched out the boat paddle stock and topped her with a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40

250 Partitions 1.5" groups

Leupold VXIII 1.75x6

I have an identical scope on my 338-06

I have a New Model Mannlicher (1902 Mannlicher) that was originally in 9x57 that at somepoint was stretched out to 35 Whelen. I've only started to play with the rifle and so far have only shot it with light cast bullet loads but it shows promise. I don't hunt anymore so it's just a range toy anyway. Iron sighted, 1/2 octagon barrel, DST, ect. All the standard pre WW1 Euro sporter specs,,but I like it that way!
It looks alot like the JP Sauer M98 in Boxheads pic, but it has the Mannlicher split bridge receiver of course. However it has a 98 style box magazine and hinged floor plate, 98 style bolt shroud , ejector and controlled feed bolt head unlike the other Mannlicher series rifles of the time.

barstooler, mine both have the same scope except one is regular duplex and the other heavy. Like the heavy much better.

I have a 2.5-8X36 on my CDL and a 2-7X33 on my classic. It works out great with Talley lightweights on the CDl and weaver QD's on the classic to get to the irons.

I have a Leupold Euro 2-7x33 30 mm scope on my custom Winchester Model 70 Whelen. It seems to be a very good scope for the Whelen.

I just received my 35 Whelen in Rem 700 CDL. It's a very nicely put together firearm and I'm quite pleased.

I'm thinking of putting a Leupold fixed 6x on it. Does anyone have the same setup and how does it look?

I just bought a used Whelen advertised as a 1988 Classic but I found out immediately that it was really a BDL that someone put a classic stock on.
I have sent Remington an email to try to confirm the actual date of manufacture.

It does seem like a nice rifle.

She was built with a Shilen barrel on an 1903A3 action by the skilled Jim Kobe in MN.

Timney trigger.

The stock is a Richards Microfit cutom rollover with grade AA fency walnut. The wood is hand finished with danish oil finish.

She sports a Leupold VX3 2.5-8X36 scope.

I finished the steel with matte black duracoat.

quote:

Originally posted by Susquash:
I have a Leupold Euro 2-7x33 30 mm scope on my custom Winchester Model 70 Whelen. It seems to be a very good scope for the Whelen.

Nice rifle. I'd like to have a rifle similar to that one.

If I didn't have a CZ in 9.3 X 62, I'd have a .35 Whelen, too. Just to have a hand in the .35 game, I recently acquired a nice old Marlin in .35 Remington for closer range work.

Slatts

I have a Savage 110, that used to be a 30-06, i bought a cheap 24" magnum contour, 1-14" twist, Adams and Bennett barrel from midway and installed it myself.

Funny thing is that the Zeiss classic 1.1-4X #4a German scope is worth twice as much as the rifle. It shoots real well so far, but i havent really tweaked a great load out of it, about 1-1/2 groups but i only have about 150 rounds thruogh it so far. The rifle has a Timney trigger, Boyds grey laminated stock and i coated the action in black gun-kote.

Yeah those Savage's are ugly but the action is long so i can really seat em out. I also want to try some heavy weights like 270gr North Fork, 275gr Hawk, 280gr Swift, 300gr Hawk, or the 310gr Woodleigh. These would make some great moose or eland bullets.

CDL restocked with TI takeoff. Wart removed and Callahan shroud, pin and spring instaled. Scope is VXIII, 2.5x8x36 in talley lightweights. 60 grains of RL 15 behind any 225 or 250 grain bullet shoots very well indeed.

Stoneybroke

You can use 60grs with a 225gr bullet but 57grs is listed for 250gr bullets in Barnes #3 manual. 3 grs over max is really pushin it....

fgulla, Alliants website lists 59.5 grs. as max with 250 gr bullets and RL-15. I have to admit that at 59 gr of RE-15 in both my rifles I had flat primers so I backed down to 58.5 grs.

I don't normally load over book max. However, at 60 grs, extraction is easy, primer pockets stay tight and the speeds seem reasoable given the 24" tube. Mostly, I use the 225s for hunting. My rifle is light and the 250s will get your attention.