Just wondering what you folks think of these two cartridges?

I am wondering if I am duplicating myself between these two?

I have a 338 mag I intend to take to Africa for plains game. I am thinking that the 35 Wheelen would be good elk medicine without the extra recoil, or am I overlapping?

There's a lot of overlap but, so what? If it makes you happy then go for it! I seem to recall reading where Finn Aagaard stated that he couldn't tell much difference in game taking ability between the .338 WM and the .35 Whelen out to around 200 yards or so. Probably a lot of truth in that. I have a CZ 550 in 9.3x62 (very similar to the .35 Whelen) and I'm currently having my gunsmith tune up a new Ruger M77 MkII in .338 Win Mag for me. I like both cartridges. Heck, I've got a .375 H&H too. The .338 WM will reach out a little farther but the .35 Whelen is a sweet shootin' cartridge (I used to have one). If you want a .35 Whelen, then get one (if you don't have it already). Don't worry about justifying it. Life is too short....

My two cents....
-Bob F.

BF,

did yougo for ablued Ruger .338 or a stainless ??

I just bought a stainless laminate .338 but Rugers are that cheap at the moment I want a blued Ruger .338 as well, there good value.

I prefer the .338 to the .35 whelen I just feel it's a better round.

The Whelen will handle the plains game just fine. Can't guess how many have been taken with the 9.3x62 over the years. The 338 will give just a touch more range and hitting power. The trade off is that it hits harder on both ends.

The 338 would be easier to find factory ammo in a pinch.

PC,

I bought one of the stainless Ruger M77 rifles. It came with the new style "plastic" synthetic Ruger stock. However, my gunsmith is going to put it in a standard Ruger walnut stock for me. Along with a glass bedding job, add a cross bolt, Timney trigger, lap lugs, tune extractor, smooth and polish the action, etc. I happened to have a spare Ruger walnut stock from a few years ago so we decided to use it for the new Ruger in .338 WM. It's not finished yet so I haven't shot it.

-Bob F.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ramrod340:
The Whelen will handle the plains game just fine. Can't guess how many have been taken with the 9.3x62 over the years. The 338 will give just a touch more range and hitting power. The trade off is that it hits harder on both ends.

The 338 would be easier to find factory ammo in a pinch./QUOTE]

If you HAD to choose between the two, that would be one of the main reasons. Ammo and rifles are everywhere. Both are fine cartridges although I agree with Bob, the 338 outshines the Whelen beyond 200 yards. I don't find the recoil objectionable in the 338, a little sharper than the Whelen which seems more of a stout push than a sharp recoil. The key to either cartridge is to have enough gun weight. Neither one is suitable for a six pound gun for the average shooter.

If all your shots will be in the 200-250yard range I like the Whelen. I have both because I also like the versatility the 338 gives me.

I'm not very big on belted magnums since I handload every caliber I own (except the .22 LR ). With that said, I LOVE the 35 Whelen!!! It is one slaying machine, even out to 250 yards, which is the distance that my dad dropped an Elk cow in her tracks with a 225 gr. Barnes X from my rifle (I was using the Rigby).

BTW, Remington is currently making the >>>CDL<<< in 35 Whelen. I built my Whelen from a VZ-24 Mauser, but may buy one of the CDLs as well! Personally, I prefer the Remington, over the Ruger since the magazine is longer and you can seat the bullets longer if you prefer.

I'd have to say that if you have the .338 then the 35 Whelen is redundant.

quote:

Originally posted by z1r:
I'd have to say that if you have the .338 then the 35 Whelen is redundant.

Somehow, I missed that part. I agree, if you ALREADY have a .338, just keep it and forget the Whelen.

As much as I'm a fan of the 35 whelen, and 35's in general, I'd take a 338 win mag as the most practical medium bore. You can load the win mag down if you wish, and you can find factory ammo anywhere big critters are hunted. The only thing you loose is the selection of cheap pistol bullets for plinking, but you can buy alot of .338 componet bullets for the price of a second rifle, or a good 22 rf for that matter.

If you want to make your 338 milder, load 210 gr nosler partitions to about 2700 fps, it'll be a puddy tat.

I have absolutely no use for the 35 Whelen. The 338 Win. Mag. does all that it'll do plus more, and 338 ammo is available world-wide.....

AD

You guys are just too practical and serious!!! What's wrong with owning both a .35 Whelen and a .338 Win Mag? It's fun to just fool around with different cartridges and own different rifles. Heck, I own a .338 Win Mag, a 9.3x62, and a .375 H&H. I don't really NEED all three but I ENJOY owning them. I even have three rifles in .30-06 and also one in 8x57JS!!

-Bob F.

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
I have absolutely no use for the 35 Whelen.

AD

IMO they're almost duplicates of each other.....That said I'd get the .338 over the .35 Whelen and forget the Whelen.

If you have one the other is redundant.....pick one...

Well, I have both the .338 mag. and the .35 Whelen. I just take whichever one happens to strike my fancy at the time. Looking over past hunts with them, it seems to just about even out. Lot's of times the Whelen is the back up for the .338 and other times the .338 is the back up for the Whelen. Works for me.
Paul B.

BF, the milk jug stocks just don't feel that great do they ??

Thats is why I sprung for the laminate, Rugers wood and laminate stocks fit me very well to.

Darn I missed the part of alreading owning a 338. If I wanted something else I would jump past the 35 to the 9.3-62. You have practical. Go with some history.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Darn I missed the part of alreading owning a 338. If I wanted something else I would jump past the 35 to the 9.3-62. You have practical. Go with some history.

I actually missed that part to.............need to concentrate more (one of my problems)

if you have a .338 already I would jump to something different completely.......................probably a .416 cal in either rem or rigby versions.

I would think there is a fair bit of over lap with the .338 and .35. and I do not think the recoil would be that much different between the .35 whelen and .338 mag, the .338 will kick more but in the field you would notice the difference I reckon. and with a .416 and .338 pair it would be a good combo.

Just so you know......... there is a perfect number of guns to own no matter who you are and where you live.

That Number is........................................



ONE.....................................................................More!!!!!!!


Own them both and enjoy.

I bought a Whelen this summer and shortly there after sold my 338.

quote:

Originally posted by mark65x55:
I bought a Whelen this summer and shortly there after sold my 338.

quote:

Why is one mans heritage another mans hate? If you can be an African-American, why is me being a Confederate-American hate?

AMEN, BROTHER!!! I'm a life member of Sons of Confederate Veterans and don't have an ounce of "hate" in me. If anything, I am the one that is hated. BTW, check out my signature!

quote:

Originally posted by BFaucett:
You guys are just too practical and serious!!! What's wrong with owning both a .35 Whelen and a .338 Win Mag? It's fun to just fool around with different cartridges and own different rifles. Heck, I own a .338 Win Mag, a 9.3x62, and a .375 H&H. I don't really NEED all three but I ENJOY owning them. I even have three rifles in .30-06 and also one in 8x57JS!!

-Bob F.

I own an 8x57, 8x68S .338-06, 9.3x57, 9.3x63 and am in the process building a .338 Win Mag as well as an 8x60. So there is nothing wrong with owning a couple of redundant cartridges. It's just that practically speaking, the .338 Win Mag is the most practical of the bunch especially if you use factory loads. Most folks have more sense than I and usually want to avoid cartridges that will do the same thing.

Yeah I shouldn't talk either as I own a 9.3x62 a .338 winnie and .375 H&H, one of these guns pretty well does the job of any of the others but hey........................if I could only have one of the above it would be the .375 H&H.

quote:

Originally posted by BFaucett:
There's a lot of overlap but, so

If you want a .35 Whelen, then get one (if you don't have it already). Don't worry about justifying it. Life is too short....

My two cents....
-Bob F.

I agree, go for it.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Terry Blauwkamp:
Don't worry about justifying it. Life is too short....

My two cents....[QUOTE]



Terry it's not that life is short but rather "That your dead for a very long Time"

A quote from a friend of my late fathers, interesting take on the theory I thought !!

Well, since I do have the 338 Mag I will stick with that for the most "reasonable."

That being said, I have recently become afflicted with a Remington CDL in 35 Wheelen at the local firearm emporium.

As I will be traveling to Africa in six years can anyone tell me from experience how available 338 Mag ammo is available in Africa?

FWIW I handload everything and I thought about toning down a 250 grain load to duplicate the 35 Wheelen.

Not that I find the 338 particularly unpleasant, especially since I replaced the tupperware stock with a nice HS Precision one.

Redundent or not I have both. Love the whelen , like the .338 win mag. Only cause my whelen is more accurate than my .338 I use the 250 grain speer in my whelen and with RL-15 I get 2600 Fps. and with the .338 i get 2800 fPs with 225grain Hornadys. Franlky inside 300 yards I am confident in both cartridges. I plan to glass bed the .338 in the next couple months.
If that makes her shoot a little straiter I might like it better. Its a real prety model 70 classic...tj3006

Do what ever makes you happy.

The 35 is a far superior performer in the the field despite what the once in a lifefetime magazine readers say. The 225gr is a 300yd deal and with 280 or 300gr bullets it's equal to the 375 which is saying alot. This is my option from being in the demise of about 125 moose and 80 or so bears. A 250 Nosler from a 338 doesn't always seem to kill as fast. JT

reverenddan,

"That being said, I have recently become afflicted with a Remington CDL in 35 Wheelen at the local firearm emporium."

A perfectly good reason to buy a new rifle!!!

"As I will be traveling to Africa in six years can anyone tell me from experience how available 338 Mag ammo is available in Africa?"

I'm far from an expert on this but I'll give my two cents.... I've made 3 trips to South Africa in the last few years. I've been to exactly ONE gun store in South Africa. (VLT in Pretoria) That said, I think cartridges such as the .30-06, .300 Win Mag, .338 Win Mag and, of course, the .375 H&H are available without any problems. I base my opinion on seeing items that were in stock at the gun store (although I didn't purchase any ammo) and speaking with the various PHs on my three trips. The more experienced posters here can probably give you better info. Remember, I'm only talking about South Africa. Ammo availability will vary in other countries.

BTW: here's an article you may enjoy from African Hunter magazine:
The .35 Whelen in Zimbabwe

The .338 Win Mag is a great choice for plains game in Africa. The .35 Whelen will also work well if you're hunting in bushveld (brush) country where the shots are not too long. In more open terrain the .338 Win Mag will reach out a little better. Either would be a good choice but don't expect to find .35 Whelen ammo in African gun stores.

-Bob F.