Brown Bear bullets for the 35 Whelen?

[35 Whelen]

Mike.
He told me that the whole guide comumity around there was dumb founded as this guy was a very experenced guide and had been though this drill many times before. So its living proof that anything can happen in those sitiutation and and thats exactly why we used to like to have two guns involved as it distracts them more when there is two guys going in on them. Plus one guy is almost always going to see the bear before the other and can start pouring it onto them while your pardner walks it onto them as well............................... it probably sounds strange to anyone that has shot a 250 lbs Black Bear with one clean shot from a deer rifle . But big bears are a proposition all of their own and more than once when we got into trouble with them Both of us would shoot them until they went down and keep right on shooting them until we were empty!!! I had one that I thought was dead as it was hit from memory 7 times with a 7mm Mag everwhere except where it counts . I had a Sako 375 H&H with a 21" barrel and walked up to it with the safety off and only holding the gun with my right hand and my finger on the trigger. I poked the bear in the side of the head and he instantly rolled towards me and snaped his teeth togeather to bite the barrel of the gun,he was hurt badly but NOT DEAD; it floored me that he wasnt dead . I hanked the gun back and fired at the side of his head with the gun still in my right hand. Not sure if you have ever fired a 375 H&H with one hand but that is an experence all in itself. We got him, but it could have been mess if he had yanked that gun outta my hand! Here is a picture I have posted before of a real honest 10fter sorry its got flash glare.

 

[Oldtrader3]

These .35 Whelen vs. .338-06 in the real world of shooting 60 moose with each a .338, 225 Partitions and a .35 Whelen with .358, 250 gr Partitions under 300 yards, would not prove a thing statistically. These are fireside chats not field records. Some folks like Coke and some like Pepsi!

I have noticed over the past 65+ years that people always seem to polarise to and endlessly defend their choices, especially when there is little difference. No disrespect intended 35 Whelen, you have been there and done that with the Whelan for a long time. I do not question your cred. Many others did it with the various .338's which happens to include me. Now mind you, I would survive perfectly well in this milllieu with either caliber and kill my animals just as dead. I will certainly defer to the .375 for close and personal bear hunting of the coastal kind.

 

[akhunter]

The 225gr Swift A-Frame bullet is all I use in my custom model 70 358 Norma Mag. That rifle and bullet have produced quite a few sub-moa 100yd groups for me, and velocity is right at 3000fps with a 26" shilen barrel. I've used it on brown bears and they don't like that combo at all. :mrgreen:

 

[SJB358]

The 225gr Swift A-Frame bullet is all I use in my custom model 70 358 Norma Mag. That rifle and bullet have produced quite a few sub-moa 100yd groups for me, and velocity is right at 3000fps with a 26" shilen barrel. I've used it on brown bears and they don't like that combo at all. :mrgreen:

Now we're talking!

 

[JD338]

The 225gr Swift A-Frame bullet is all I use in my custom model 70 358 Norma Mag. That rifle and bullet have produced quite a few sub-moa 100yd groups for me, and velocity is right at 3000fps with a 26" shilen barrel. I've used it on brown bears and they don't like that combo at all. :mrgreen:

That is some serious horse power, about 4500 FPE.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I can bet the brown bears don't like that 225 AF at 3000 fps. That is indeed some serious horsepower!

 

[Oldtrader3]

I am going to have to look at those .338 A-Frames again. I have not been able to get a consistant MOA group from them in the past but I have not bought any for a few years. They weren't bad though, they always shot at under 1-1/2 MOA which for a big game bullet is great.

 

[35 Whelen]

Akhunter, that is a indeed a real total caliber for Brownies and glad your having good luck with it. Sorta just like a big brother to the 35 Whelen but on steriods! I had a couple of hunters use them over the years and they both flattened their bears with one shot. The impact reminded me of my 375 H&H.

 

[Oldtrader3]

35 Whelan, I certainly agree with your assessment on Controlled Round Feeding. As I mentioned somewhere else, I have owned 28 Model 70 Winchesters over the past 50+ years and all were CRF except a couple in the 1970's that were varmit calibers. Out of that total were a couple or three each of .338 WM's and .300 H&H's and a .375 H&H.

I mostly mountain hunted elk in Washington at 4000-5000 feet and in Wyoming, Utah at 10,000-12,000 feet. It can get a little chilly up there in late October-December (back in the old days) and I always disassembled, cleaned and dry lubed anything that was going for elk or trophy mule deer so that it would fire, no matter what.

Being a Compulsive Obsessive Engineeer is like being a boy scout, be prepared is the motto and fie on me if I don't make the grade because I did not do the grind to get there. I guess that we are closer together on this than I thought at first.

 

[SJB358]

I know, blast from the past, but has anybody heard from old 35 Whelen in awhile?

 

[truck driver]

I've asked that several times and have sent him PMs with no response.

 

[DrMike]

He hasn't posted in about a year now, Scotty. I've wondered what happened.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Nope, not in a year or so?

 

[DrMike]

To be precise, Earl's last post was 15 February 2014. That is really off the grid. However, his user stats indicate that he visited today at 5:54 PM. Hey, Earl, we miss seeing your posts. Your knowledge of Alaska and Maine were greatly appreciated.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I hope that no one ran him off or that he is not sick or something?

 

[6mm Remington]

Roy Lindsley used a 30-06 in 1952 to shoot the largest brown bear on record!! 30-06

 

[SJB358]

Well, maybe he will see this...

David, I would love to see that bear.

 

[Thebear_78]

My buddy Brian killed a nice 7 1/2' grizzly with his whelen a couple years ago. Pretty sure it was with the 250gr hornady. Any of the 250s should work at whelen velosities. I really like the speer 250gr SP.

One of the great things about a whelen is no need for the super premium bullets. It kills great with standard cup/core bullets.

The 250 Partition would be just about ideal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SJB358]

I do like the 250 PT outta my Whelen and Newton. It is a TOUGH bullet, and very accurate out of both rifles as well.

 

[preacher]

I'm not scared of the devil himself, but those big, humped back bears give me "pause", ha. I've only seen them in zoos and OMG, I'm of the "we're gonna need a bigger boat" opinion! I made up my 310 Woodleigh/35 Whelen AI load for grins and used it on that hog awhile back. I get an honest 2400 with R15. It would be my pick. I've shot a lot of 300gr/375 H&H factory ammo that only went about 2400 or so. I've shot a few head of elk sized critters with the old 250X/2600fps from my 35 WAI and it was awesome. In fact, the 200X going 2970 did the same thing another hunt! From what I've read, I can understand most outfitters insisting clients using factory loads on bears. In that case, I'd have to go with the 375 H&H with a 270 gr and count on the guide to back me up ( the bigger boat theory!) I've never had FTF with factory 35 Whelen ammo, but I have , several times, had FTF in a custom 404 Jeffry and 2 9.3x62s; two of the very best mediums ever and using top of the line ammo (read expensive)! I also had a Ruger 77 MK2 338 winmag with FTF problems (headspace issue come to find out) I had a BAR 338WM that would jam if not kept spotless, so no autos for me for bear! In the alders, I would probably reach for a good 12ga rifled barrel pump and some 3" Dixie Terminator slugs ( 730gr!) and have on a pair of Depends!