35 Whelen or 9.3x62 and why?

[Lou270]

I prefer the Whelen for the option to shoot 200-225 bullets. Have a 700 classic 35 Whelen and love it. Dumped a big bull Nilgai couple years ago. Had a cz550 9.3x62 but it was a boat anchor in comparison to the 700 classic/35 Whelen so sold
It. If hunt dangerous game in Africa the edge is clearly with the 9.3 and heavier bullets and the fact it is legal. However, I consider the 35 Whelen better with slighly flatter trajectory and plenty of power for any other scenario

Lou

 

[Blkram]

If comparing apples to apples...using my local data of 2200' asl elevation, 50 degrees F and 70% humidity (fall hunting conditions), using a 200 yard zero and 400 yard distance for legal ballistic performance required for hunting bison in BC (retained energy of 2000 ft.lbs of energy at the target with a minimum of a 175 gr bullet):

• 9.3x62 w/ 250 gr AccuBond: BC of 0.494 and SD of 0.267 and up to 2584 fps in a 26" barrel (Nosler data) and 3706 ft. lbs of energy
  • retained velocity of 1961 fps, and 2134 ft. lbs of retained energy, with 25.9" of drop
• 35 Whelen w/ 250 gr AccuBond: BC of 0.446 and SD of 0.279 and up to 2643 fps in a 26" barrel (Nosler data) and 3878 ft. lbs of energy
  • retained velocity of 1949 fps, and 2109 ft. lbs of retained energy, with 25.5" of drop
  • If we use the same velocity of 2584 fps, (it has 3706 ft.lbs of energy) to evenly match the two for a closer comparison
    • retained velocity of 1900 fps, and 2003 ft. lbs of retained energy, with 26.8" of drop

The 9.3x62 has a slight advantage in:

• BC for more retained velocity at 400 yards by 61 fps, and more retained energy by 131 ft.lbs, with less bullet drop by 0.9"
• The slightly higher retained velocity and energy will provide a little extra expansion and penetration potential
• Bullet diameter by 0.008" and frontal area for just a little more "smack" on game

The 35 Whelen has a slight advantage in:

• SD for penetration potential
• Maximum velocity by 59 fps

By using matching velocity, the Whelen's slight velocity advantage is almost completely negated by its lower BC at 400 yards where it only has a 12 fps advantage, but its slight advantage in SD will provide a little more penetration potential.

At the end of the day, the differences are so light as to render the difference almost imperceptible in on-game performance (the buffalo will never know the difference as to which cartridge propelled that 250 gr AccuBond that ended its life) that can be readily quantified without more sophisticated equipment, and ballistic gelatin for penetration tests at various distances out to 400 yards to determine actual penetration and bullet expansion and weight retention results between the two cartridges.
They are both good cartridges with good histories of great on-game performance since they were first introduced.

Perhaps more knowledgeable people on here can provide a better assessment and data, as I have taken only one bull moose with the 9.3, and one cow elk with the 35 Whelen, to date, but I believe that these two cartridges are very close performance wise, and suggest one use whichever they prefer and are more comfortable in shooting and hunting with!

 

[truck driver]

My main reason for having a 35 Whelen Ackley Improved built was to have something different with a little more punch but got a whole lot more of everything.

 

[longrangehunter]

I remember that day when I walked into the LGS that had both the 700, and 7600 in 35 Whelen and walked out with the pump gun version. Not long after that I regretted not getting the 700 bolt gun since the pump gun I had wasn’t as accurate as I thought it might be…..

I eventually sold it and got a hold of one my brother had that was a Custom Shop Remington 700 Mountain Rifle in 35 Whelen. He had Mag-Na-Port International install one of their full radial port design muzzle brakes and as much as I loved that gun I hated having a brake on it!

It too got sold when I found a FN M98 at Big Bear in Billings Montana in a fairly nice piece of walnut that shot the TBBC really well in Factory ammo. My own best load was the 225 Barnes TSX that shot lights out as well as a few others, but that made it really shine.

That said if I was to go back to something along those lines I’d go do another 338/06 A-Square just for the high SD and same bullet weight range as the .358/35’s. Plus the excellent verity of bullets to keep it fed for the dead for futures to come.

I’d be fine with that choice only because if I want a dangerous game rifle I have a CZ 602 Brno in .458 Lott by Lon Paul that really puts the hurt on big animals that could potentially kill you for your stupidity if you’re not a good shot.

Frankly it really is placing the bullet that does the most damage! I dropped a buff hit numerous times by the client with his 375 H&H and a 416 Rigby from his PH, only to drop dead from a single 220 FMJ from my 30’06 to the head right over the bridge of his nose after those two put like 7-9 rounds in him!

Which later led me to second guess the next time I happen to shoot another one would I go for the high shoulder, the crease of the shoulder, or shoot them in the head again?

They’re huge and most people should be able to get a bullet into the boiler room of a Cape Buffalo. That said a lot of people have scoped big bores and they get talked into shooting them over sticks further away than what I was comfortable with which I considered part of the problem, sometimes.

But yes, it is true that sometimes a client shows up scared shitless with what’s going to happen next, and not completely confident in his ability with his brand new rifle he brought. He ends up with a scope ring scar to his eyebrow and then the shocking reality that he’s actually afraid of the wicked recoil punishing him with each trigger pull and maybe his 460 Weatherby wasn’t going to make up for poor performance using it!

Nope.

 

[wildcatter]

since I have the 338/06 AI, which I believe will do anything the 35 Whelen will, I'd go with the 9x62. If I was building either for Africa, the only option would be 9x62, simply because it would not limit where in Africa I could use it.

If I was not worried about caliber limitations anywhere I hunt, I'd have neither, the 338/06 is exactly what I was hoping for. It is accurate to a fault, not picky at all, and has a better bullet selection than either. But between the two, 35 Whelen if not worrying about caliber restrictions. I believe the 338/06 AI and the Whelen are equally capable of taking any game anywhere when fed the proper bullets and loaded correctly. Both are reported to be quite accurate as well.