I am in the process of trading off my Remington Classic 35 Whelen on a .257 Roberts. I have been out to the range a couple of times this week to burn off some ammo for the Whelen, mostly 225 TSXs, 250 Speers, and 250 Hornady RN bullets. It seems like I have had my Whelen forever but it has been sitting in the back of the gun safe for awhile. It wears a Redfield Widefield 4X scope. I had forgotten what an old friend this rifle had become. It's light and handy, deadly accurate with almost any bullet and points and handles like a fine shotgun. I am really going to miss her. The Whelen guys already know this but anyone who doubts the Whelen's ability in Africa on cats and cape buffalo just doesn't understand.

If your going to really miss her, don't trade her off! I used to do a lot of trading or selling of various guns, but always had remorse after the sale. Now I just buy. Since funds are limited my want list remains long and not selling off some of my safe queens does not help matters.

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If your going to really miss her, don't trade her off!

I'll second that motion. My .35 Whelen is one of the very last ones, if not the very last ones I'd ever get rid of. I'd be willing to bet you'd have serious seller's remorse shortly after trading it off. Find another way to finance that .257 Bob.
Paul B.

Hey, a 9.3x62 is basically a 36 Whelen so ya I can feel your pain for sure.
A 257 Roberts is a fine cartridge with a lot of history. My 6.5x55 would fall into the same group, but if I had to choose between the two I'd have to keep Big Sister.
I just have much greater confidence with the bigger rifle.

Go with what your gut tells you.
Cheers, John

In all practical issues the .257 Roberts is more useful than the .35 Whelen.....but when the .35 Whelen is needed it's a tough one to be without.

Only the 9.3 X 62 or .375 H&H makes a good substitute....(well, maybe a couple more) but the .35 Whelen is one great round to have in the safe.....Elk hunting and moose hunting are among the times!

I wish my Ruger 77 was accurate. I'm about to send it back to Ruger to see if they can find out what is wrong with it. Fortunately, African game is large and distances on my hunt were short.

I just was re-reading Taylor and although he had no experience with the Whelen, he praised at length the Rigby .350 Magnum with 225 grain bullet, which ballistically is the same as the Whelen. He used this for everything from elephant on down with success. He also liked the original version of the .350 Rigby, the 400/.350, which propelled a 310 grain bullet (softpoints or solids) at about 2150 fps -- again a result that can be duplicated in the Whelen using Woodleighs.

PM me about your Remington, I may be interested.

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Originally posted by vapodog:
In all practical issues the .257 Roberts is more useful than the .35 Whelen.....but when the .35 Whelen is needed it's a tough one to be without.

Only the 9.3 X 62 or .375 H&H makes a good substitute....(well, maybe a couple more) but the .35 Whelen is one great round to have in the safe.....Elk hunting and moose hunting are among the times!

A 257 is a nice little round but if you hunt big feral hogs and bears the Whelen does it better. If you do a lot of coyote and deer hunting the 257 is good as are a lot of other rounds. My Whelen is a good coyote rifle and loaded down a bit (2500 fps, 200 gr. RNCL) makes a great deer rifle. In truth I would just build a 257 if I had to have one but I have a 6MM Remington so I don't. 35 caliber bullets are the problem, a little costly in general.