Hey Guys,

Anyone here like the .35 Whelen? I think it is one of the very best cartridges for use on N. American game. It is perfectly adequate for taking the largest, most dangerous game and yet can be loaded down to hunt deer and antelope.

You can shoot bullets from 180 to 310 grs. (It's a handloaders dream.)

If you would like to take it to any other continent, it will hold it own with most rifles. With the proper bullets it is suitable for most African game.

There is a very large selection of bullets and brass is very inexpensive. The cartridge requires a standard size action and can be made to be extremely accurate.

I see no down side to the Whelen (or one of it's variants.)

It's just a great round.
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Good Shooting,

Smoker

The only drawback to the Whelen is that in Africa it isn't legal for pachyderms or buffalo. Certainly it would do the job at least as well as the .338 WM (which isn't legal for that sort of stuff either) and almost as well as the 9.3x62 which is legal though considered marginal. For the Americas, on the other hand, bring it on! I have long thought that the Perfect American Pair would consist of a Whelen for larger game and a .257 Roberts for the light stuff. Great rounds, both of them.

Hey Sarge,

The .35 Whelen has been compaired to the 9.3x62 for many years and some people say that it isn't equal to the 9.3x6 because the 9.3 shoots a 286 gr. bullet. However, Swift makes a great 280 gr. bullet and North Fork the 270 gr. The small difference in the diameter shouldn't make a difference. In my long throated, custom Whelen I get 2,547 with the 280 gr. using RL-15 (standard version). That's real close to the .375 H&H.

I've never owned or used the .257 Roberts. I had a .25-06 made about 20 years ago and really like it - fine accuracy with outstanding velocity.

BTW, I understand that you are a teacher. What do you teach?

Good Shooting,

Smoker

The whelen is one of my favorite calibers,i've had 4 of them.I think it is one of the best all around calibers for the yukon and alaska.With more frontal ares it hits game as hard as the 338 win,and the whelen only needs a 22" barrel and will hold 4-5 rounds.Another plus to the whelen is it can be made light.I have a 61/2 lb 350 rem now which is identical in balistics,a 250 @ 2550fps.The whelen paired with the 7x57 or the 257 would be great especially in customised mausers.

Hey Griz,

I had my Whelen made to shoot heavy bullets. It is not only long throated but it has a 27 inch, #4 contour Shilen barre. Heavy sucker but is a real one holler with 280 gr. bullets.

Here's a couple pictures.

Good Shooting,

Smoker

http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php?photo=63937&thecat=544

http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php?photo=63941&thecat=500

http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php?photo=63940&thecat=544

http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php?photo=63942&thecat=

Though both the Whelen and the 9.3 are based on a standard "'06" case, the shoulder is moved forward on the 9.3 so it holds a bit more powder than the unimproved Whelen. I seriously doubt that any moose could tell the difference between them when hit in the boiler room. I'd really like to save my 9.3 for a future moose hunt but since my fifth and sixth graders occupy my full time and most of my thinking when other lucky souls are out moose hunting, for those who really believe that there is a difference between it and the Whelen (and I ain't convinced!) I've got it for sale. Smoker need not pay any attention to this since it would be redundant with his setup. Sounds like a veerrryyyy interesting piece. Nice pix! And I have to admire a man with the taste to hunt with a peep sight.

Yup, agreed!

Hey Sarge,

I had the pictures taken by a local man who does a lot of rifle photos. I have peep sights on most of my rifles. I really don't like taking shots longer than 200 yards at an animal. There is too much room for error past 200 yards. I don't need a scope for shots at 200 yards so a good peep sight is what I prefer.

Now...what do you teach?

Take care,

Smoker

Smoker.

I just ordered a special run rem 700 in 35 whelen. But I'll tell ya; after looking at yours...... Mine's a hunk a crap. Beautiful rifle; who did it.

turfman

turfman,

Thanks for the compliment.

Bill Moyer and Chad McCauslin in Carlisle, PA make my rifles. These guys are two of the finest gunsmith I've ever seen. Most of their custom rifles are for the 1,000 yard guys. They also made an 8mm-06 for me that is just as nice. In my opinion, they don't charge nearly enough for thier work. However, they are busy and their custom work takes a long time. They are finishing up a custom .405 Win.(caliber) on a Winchester P-14 action (almost 21/2 years). All that remains is the bluing on the .405. Bill said last week that it should be finished by the end of April. That will be equally as nice as the others. The wood on all three rifles is form Richards Microfit.

I have this thing for the look of rifles from the turn of the century (1900) from Germany and England that were made for hunting in Africa. Therefore, classic and Oberndorf stocks with very long barrels. My rifles are all built about the same. The Whelen has an Oberndorf stock with an oversized schnable, as can be seen in the photo. I wanted it left big so that it could be checkered -something different.

The 8mm has a classic stock and the .405 will have an Oberndorf stock - with a smaller schnable. BTW, that schnable on the Whelen took off a good chunk of my nuckle with the first 310 gr. Woodleigh I shot. Next shot I held my left hand back away from that monster.

Good Shooting,

Smoker

Sarge,

How about some info and a photo of your 9.3?

I have a self-contained class that combines 11 fifth graders with 21 sixth. Our elementary school is so small (500+/-) that we can't maintain all the kids in single grade classrooms. As the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator for the school, I get all the G.A.T.E. sixth graders, some surprises and a small bunch of independent-learner fifth graders. As you can imagine, I don't have much down time and that makes the weekends very welcome. It also makes it impossible for me to go hunting like normal people so I know a whole bunch more about Africa than I do about California deer. In fact, the only deer I've ever shot was a caribou in Canada! Pig, though, Ah kin do!

I tend to agree with your taste in firearms design. By the time WWII comes along, there is a lot of stupidity floating around. Most of it, I regret to say, came from California with the emphasis on South Gate! Ballistically unsound, noisy, vicious recoil, badly designed face-smacking cheekpieces . . . you know who I'm talking about.

I guess I can't find a fault with either the .35 Whelen or the 9.3x62, except the availability of more good factory ammo and rifles for each. I may be wrong in this soon, if the Federal 225 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw .35 Whelen and the Norma Orxy 286 grain 9.3x62mm turn out to be good rounds. At the price they are asking, I think I'll just buy the brass from Remington for the .35 Whelen and the 9.3x62 from Norma and roll my own "premium" ammo.
I especially like the efficiency of these great cartridges. The 250 grain .35 Whelen and the 286 grain 9.3x62mm from Barnes or Nosler, just to mention a couple, are excellent. The 270 grain Speer should be a good general purpose choice, right along with their 250 grain SP for the .35 Whelen. I shoot both at paper but the thought of bullet failure several thousand miles and dollars from home keeps me from using them for hunting, excellent though they may be.
Has anyone gotten a .35 Whelen from Remington's Custom Shop?

I could easily hunt from now on with a 257 Roberts, and a 35 Whelen. The Roberts would actually handle most of my hunting needs, varmit's to whitetails are it's specialty.

The 9.3x62 is not based on the '06 case. Both the 9.3 and the Whelen are excellent rounds, but I prefer the 9.3. Bob is one of my favorites too...



9.3

Hey Sarge,

Yeh, I know who you're talking about. After WWII everything had to be bigger, stronger, faster. They forgot about reliability, quality and usability. However, the 35 Whelen like the 9.3x62 have stood the test of time. The Whelen, with the right bullet is an excellent cartridge for most hunting. Not that other cartridges like the parent cartridge can't do most of what the Whelen can do but the Whelen, with the proper bullet, can handle such a large variety of game perfectly.

Is you position considered Sp. Ed.? If so, with all those kids, IEP time must be a real pain! My wife and I spend hours and hours on IEPs each semester. Need more time!!!

Carson,

Having been into reloading for many years I am not concerned with not having adequate factory ammo. I understand why the factory ammo has to be made the way it is and being a reloader, I am content with rolling my own. However, if more people were into reloading, more people would see the benefits of using the Whelen. From my own experience, reloading can offer benefits to other great cartridges like the '06, 25-06, .303 British and 8mm-06. (I mention these because I reload these cartridges for my rifles.) It's nice to be able to make a cartridge for specific purposes and have it function exactly according to its need.

9.3x62,

Why do you prefer this cartridge over the Whelen? Is it because you live in an area where you don't have access to Whelen brass? I realize that if you live in the U.S. 9.3x62 brass can be easily made from '06 or Whelen brass but if you don't live here the Whelen could be quite expensive. Or is it that you just prefer the benefits of that great cartridge?

I've read some stories about what that cartridge is capable of and it is quite impressive. As a matter of fact, because of those stories and the similarities of the two cartridges, I became interested in the Whelen.

Thanks for the responses guys!

Take care,

Smoker

Sarge: Although I love my 35 Wheelen ( see my previous post), I'll take umbrage about your attacks on Weatherbys. Fact is, in terms of versatility and proven performance, the 35 Wheelen is a limited cartridge with a limited following when compared to a 300 Weatherby for example( or a 340 for that matter). If given only one choice, there's no doubt in my mind that I would much prefer my 300 Weatherby with premium bullets to take on any animal that I would consider using a 35 Wheelen.

I took the Wheelen bear hunting because the ranges were short, the rifle's 22" barrel is easier to wield around off a tree stand than a 26" 300, but as far as killing power, a 220gr Partiton out of a 300 Weatehrby would have done the job just as easy. Now if I was stalking bears out west, or on a plains game hunt, the Wheelen would have stayed home. There's no need to slam another product in order to make yours look better, especially with no facts to support it. While I do not care for a couple of the Weatherby calibers, most, 270, 257 and 300 to name a few, have set the standard that even today some still try to emulate. jorge

Jorge,

Well, since old Roy was a Southern Californian and so am I, native born, I feel perfectly o.k. about my lack of respect. It's a family fight, thanx. That being said, the .300 was his crowning achievement and the .257 was right behind. The others do not impress me. If I was accustomed to cross-canyon mule deer hunting, a la the coulees of Washington or the canyons of Idaho, the .300 would be on the wall. Since I don't hunt like that, being a chapparal sort, I don't need it. Mostly what I hate is those seriously ugly stocks that slam the cheekpiece up into your face, and the "decoration"? Just between me and him , BLEAGH!

Sarge: I must say I like your logo regarding the 375. I strongly agree, but since I have more than one rifle, my next trip to africa includes a 416 Rigby and a 300 H&H. I'm one of those wretched sould that LIKE the Weatherby look, very much, but I also have a 340 in an Accumark which is as you know, stailess steel and a synthetic stock. I've found that on average all of my Weatherby rifles are the most accurate. I also don't care much for their larer calibers ( above 340) but recognize the 375 Weatherby as a great all-purpose caliber.

THe wheelen is a great caliber also, but like I alluded to on my previous post, I consider it a "specialized" mid-bore and would have no qualms about taking it to africa, recognizing it's limitations, particularly in range. jorge

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Smoker,
Well, technically G.A.T.E. is Special Ed. Anyone who doesn't think so needs to try to really deal with a 12-year-old who is 4-5 standard deviations above the norm and can't find anyone his/her age to talk to. I could tell you stories that would bring tears . . . However, since I have 10-12 like that I can group them all into a single report at the end of the year. Also, I hold a seminar on Friday afternoon for the 4-6th graders in the program. Keeping them all interested can be . . . let us just say "challenging".

Hey 9.3,

You've taken the inexplicable and explained it quite well.

I've read stories about this cartridge regularly taking elephants by farmers in Africa. Although, not an ideal elephant gun, in the hands of a good shot (and the right bullet) it seem to have proven itself quite capable of handling any game on earth.

Stories such as this have convinced me that this rifle is perfect for any game on this continent within 200 yards. 200 yards is my personal max. = because I like peep sights.

Good Shooting,

Smoker

9.3 x 62 explained pretty succinctly why I opted for the 9.3 x 62 Mauser over the 35 or 375 Whelen. 5 rounds in the magazine in the CZ-550 seems more comforting than 3 338's in a Win or Ruger. The 9.3's twist rate (1-14") is a little better for the bullets up to 300 grains than the usual 1-16" the Whelen features. The rifle's bottom line usage was to stop bears--and Nosler 286 Partitions at 2450 FPS will do that right well. The rifle's superb accuracy with cast bullets at middling velocities is another endearing feature.

Isn't it ironic that only Weatherby makes a 338/06?

Okie John