Now, of course, I realize "Need" may not be the proper term, but bear with me

I have a pre-64 .35 Whelan AI in a Mannlicher stock. It shoots great. However, I'm not really in love with it. So I've been thinking about a .338Win mag. As I've mentioned before, I have a M70 Classic Super rebarreled in .300 H&H and a M70 Classic Safari in .375 H&H.

Do I stand pat with what I have, or does it make any sense to replace my .35 with a .338? For the time being, the biggest animals I'll probably be hunting are Arizona elk and black bear. And, some day, a trip to Alaska (although my dream trip is to Africa of course ). One major advantage of the .338 I can think of is ammo is easy to find if needed. But, do I really need a rifle to fit between my .300 and .375 and would the .338 be a better choice than my .35 WAI? BTW, I've been shooting 200grn Noslers in my .300 with .75 MOA accuracy and am working up some loads for 270grn. Barnes X's for my .375.

Thanks for the replies!

Any excuse for a new gun is better than no excuse I have a 338 and have used it for African plains game,Elk,Moose,and Grizzly. Its an excellent medium bore and as you mentioned ammo is readily available. Not so with the 35 Whelan.

JL you have a great set of rifles, 300 and 375 H&H, excellent choices, I like a 35 Whelen and 338 also, but you do not "need" the overlap. Get a 40+ cal rifle. I would recommend a double of course. This would give you time to let your big bore become second nature to you.

Is it the cartriage or the rifle you not satisfied with ? It seems to me you have a nice, handy powerful rifle for heavy cover work that the others can't match. Perhaps you don't hunt like that, or plan to ? E

Everyone needs a .338 Win. Mag. as far as I'm concerned. With the most practical bullet weights being between 200 and 250 grs., trajectories approximating the .30-06, and power approaching the .375 H&H (but in a lighter, easier-to-carry package, plus lighter ammo), it's easy to see that the .338 Win. Mag. is a great middle-ground cartridge of great versatility. In fact, except for rhino, elephant, hippo, and cape buffalo, you can hunt ALL of the world's big game with a .338 Winchester comfortably and not look back.

AD

Let me get this right.

You've got a pre '64 Mdl 70 .35 Whelen AI that you don't love anymore?

Sounds like my dream date!

How much $ for the girl???????

Elmo

JL:

The 35 Whelen is a fantastic cartridge. The 35 Whelen Ackley Improved is even better! What I like about the 35 WAI is that it takes a true rifleman and serious sportsman to own one. It is an interesting cartridge and not seen everywhere. I don't have a reloading manual at the moment, but I doubt the 338 Win Mag gains a lot on it, if any. I would stick with the 35WAI if it were mine.

With that said, I don't own a 35 Whelen, I own a 338 Win Mag(I have a friend that owns a 35 Whelen). But, I love the rifle my 338 Win is chambered in. I tend to select the rifle first and go with the calber. But I have a preference for older rifles as opposed to buying new.

The 35 Whelen Ackley Improved is pure Class Act!

Buliwyf

J Heard. Your question is basically: How many rifles does a fellow need? And the answer is quite simple: He needs one more. Unless you're sending your kids to school in rags, you DESERVE another rifle. Get the .338.

JL,
When you see what that 270 X can do you'll begin to question the need for any of the others.

Hell yes you need an "in between". In fact you you also need and "over" and an "under".

A 338 has more punch and better components selection than a 35 Whelen by far. You also get a better selection of
rifles to choose from as opposed to the 375 which is limited. I've been told that the 338 isn't legal in Africa for buff and the like, but I know several people that have taken buff with the 338 and swear by it.

Thanks for all the replies! After much discussion with my father and our gunsmith, I've reached a decision!

I'm going to take the pre-64 action and set it up as a .270 Win. I'm hoping to get a .5MOA rifle to use for pronghorn and desert mulies.

Eventually I'll get the .338, but it's not what I really need right now with the .300H&H and .375H&H.

JL:

I knew you had a heap of sense!

Your pal,

Buliwyf