Brown Bear bullets for the 35 Whelen?

[DrMike]

BG, A 35 Whelen would sure knock those Kentucky White tail down and you could be like Daniel Boone and kill a Bear if you wanted to. :roll: :mrgreen:

I have a Browning A-Bolt 25-06, a Cooper 257, a Sako 6.5 Swede and a Weatherby 270 that will knock the socks off any whitetail, so I am good there...

In all actually there is one scenario where I would possibly own a 35 Whelen...my son who is currently in Louisana with the Coast Guard spent his last tour in Ketchikan, AK where he took a really nice black bear...all he talks about is, hopefully, going back to Alaska his next tour and, if so, maybe getting a brown...if he does get assigned there I can see me going for a visit with a 35 Whelen or a 338 and forgetting to bring it back...if this does come to pass I can see the makings for a good thread...

Cheers/bg

Hey, we're all pulling for your son to get a duty station in AK.

 

[SJB358]

Heck yeah. That'd be a super gift to your son and a fun trip as well.

 

[sask boy]

bg, I would never have a concern taking up a 35 Whelen :wink:. If you were to load it with some 250gr. nosler partitions the Whelen would do a number on all the big game in AK.
If you do get to go we sure would not mind a good hunting story or two along with lots of photos.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[SJB358]

Anybody here ever run any Woodleighs besides the 310 in the Whelen?

I'd like to give one of them a try but I'm not sure which one. I've got a Newton and Whelen to push them. Seems like they'd be right in the wheelhouse for those two.

 

[Guy Miner]

Scotty - you think the big 310's would stabilize adequately with the relatively slow twist rifling found in many .35 Whelens?

Guy

 

[SJB358]

Scotty - you think the big 310's would stabilize adequately with the relatively slow twist rifling found in many .35 Whelens?

Guy

I'd have to measure them. Not sure they are any longer than 250 PTs which stabilize well in Mine. My Newton is a 1-12 so I'd feel confident they'd work fine there though.

 

[preacher]

I shot some 225 Woodleighs in that 358 BLR but never killed anything with them. I sent the remainder to a friend in Texas and he loaded them for hogs in his 35 Whelen. He said they were suh-weet! I would think the 250 Woodleigh would be the one to use for thumping heavy game in any standard 35 Whelen, heck, I'm sure the 225 would be too! I also have loaded and shot many Hawk bullets in 9.3, 35, 375 with great accuracy, just never killed anything with them. I like the Woodleighs a lot, especially the round nose, but that protected Point is fine too I hear. Doubletap ammo loads the 310 in their standard Whelen, but they push them fast. I really believe my 1/16 only works because I can push them to 2400 in my 35 WAI. I also think the 458 Socom in a dependable M4 clone may work too! Funny how an AR anything hardly is ever mentioned on dangerous game and yet they are used on the "most dangerous" game in combat for years, ha. Merry Christmas guys, going to work!

 

[gerry]

Anybody here ever run any Woodleighs besides the 310 in the Whelen?

I'd like to give one of them a try but I'm not sure which one. I've got a Newton and Whelen to push them. Seems like they'd be right in the wheelhouse for those two.

Tried the 275's but eventually decided that a 250 gr bullet would work just as well. Actually when the 250's are gone I'll likely just use the 225 gr AccuBond. Nothing wrong with the heavy bullets, just decided realistically the 225's will work fine.

 

[truck driver]

I went back and read the whole post from start to finish and would like to thank Earl for originally starting it which lead to me getting my 35 Whelen which I bought here from Lee and it also lead me to have my rebored M70 to be chambered in 35 Whelen AI. Though I haven't been able to harvest game with either yet I have high hopes that it will change in the near future.
Hoping to get some 225gr PT to try in it and use them for Elk next year if I don't get any then I'll use a 250gr PT.

 

[SJB358]

You just gotta love 35's. Don't care which one, they are all pretty awesome hunting rounds.

 

[DrMike]

You just gotta love 35's. Don't care which one, they are all pretty awesome hunting rounds.

Apparently this is the case for me. Four .356 Winchesters, two .358 Winchesters, a 35 Whelen and a .358 Norma Magnum should qualify for a long-term love affair with the thirty-five caliber. All work well in the field. I don't feel undergunned with any one of theme.

 

[truck driver]

GS Customs 180 grain HVs....

First time ever monkeying with them.

Did you ever get around to shooting these and how did they do?

 

[sask boy]

Man I like it when everyone is chatting about the 35 Whelen as I have stated many times before they are just plain Cool :mrgreen: !

Blessings,
Dan

 

[SJB358]

GS Customs 180 grain HVs....

First time ever monkeying with them.

Did you ever get around to shooting these and how did they do?

I sure haven't. Just got the rifle set back up. Once I get a range day I plan on trying them though.

 

[DrMike]

Just noticed that I erred when reporting the number of 35s that have passed through my hands. I totally forgot one other .358 Winchester. That is almost sacrilege. Will there be other 35s in the future? A distinct possibility.

 

[truck driver]

GS Customs 180 grain HVs....

First time ever monkeying with them.

Did you ever get around to shooting these and how did they do?

I sure haven't. Just got the rifle set back up. Once I get a range day I plan on trying them though.

When I finish the M70 7RM bedding job I'll be breaking my M70 35 Whelen AI down to pillar bed it.
Looking forward to hearing how they shoot.

 

[SJB358]

I'm always on the look out for my next 35 to be honest. Just can't have enough around.

 

[35 Whelen]

Truckdriver,
You are most certainly welcome, the 35 Whelen, is certainly a "sleeper" cartridge. Those of us that know it, are amazed by it, loaded with RL 15 powder is sorta like "waking a sleeping giant" it basically becomes a box of factory loaded 338WM.......
I used the 338WM for almost 20 years in Alaska, so am relatively aware of its ability to dispatch large animals, but with that said
It is not a gun for everyone, the recoil from a 338 is behond many peoples level......... my Super Grade weighed 8.5 lbs striped, with Leupold VxIII 1.5/5 and Tilley mounts 9.5lbs , loaded 10lbs. Magnum rifles are big , long , heavy guns.......... Lightened up they will kick your brains out, shortened up they really are not a magnum anymore, so even though I have seen more game shot (and wounded ) with magnum calibers , over the years I decided to just get 50 yds closer and lug a standard caliber...
The 35 Whelen was popular in Alaska,because folks that used them, just knew they worked! I bought a doner model 70 just to build one but sadly never did........... When Ruger announced they were going to have a limited run of them, I got into the front of the line for a SS Hawkeye! For me it is the perfect "Guides Gun" for hunting Alaska!
A gunsmith named Will Fowler, in Anchorage, was probably responsible for more 35 Whelen conversations and barrels than anyone else up there in 1970/80/90s. He did quality work, guides raved about him. When I go back up nowadays on Moose hunts I just take my 35 Whelen loaded with 250gr bullets n RL15 at 2600fps , where we are hunting there are plenty of 8/9 ft Grizzlys , we see them daily, sometimes on the way to the outhouse! But I sleep like a log at nite, knowing I have my 35 Whelen, right there beside my Woods sleeping bag, just incase brother bruin, decides to crash the party!

 

[truck driver]

Truckdriver,
You are most certainly welcome, the 35 Whelen, is certainly a "sleeper" cartridge. Those of us that know it, are amazed by it, loaded with RL 15 powder is sorta like "waking a sleeping giant" it basically becomes a box of factory loaded 338WM.......
I used the 338WM for almost 20 years in Alaska, so am relatively aware of its ability to dispatch large animals, but with that said
It is not a gun for everyone, the recoil from a 338 is behond many peoples level......... my Super Grade weighed 8.5 lbs striped, with Leupold VxIII 1.5/5 and Tilley mounts 9.5lbs , loaded 10lbs. Magnum rifles are big , long , heavy guns.......... Lightened up they will kick your brains out, shortened up they really are not a magnum anymore, so even though I have seen more game shot (and wounded ) with magnum calibers , over the years I decided to just get 50 yds closer and lug a standard caliber...
The 35 Whelen was popular in Alaska,because folks that used them, just knew they worked! I bought a doner model 70 just to build one but sadly never did........... When Ruger announced they were going to have a limited run of them, I got into the front of the line for a SS Hawkeye! For me it is the perfect "Guides Gun" for hunting Alaska!
A gunsmith named Will Fowler, in Anchorage, was probably responsible for more 35 Whelen conversations and barrels than anyone else up there in 1970/80/90s. He did quality work, guides raved about him. When I go back up nowadays on Moose hunts I just take my 35 Whelen loaded with 250gr bullets n RL15 at 2600fps , where we are hunting there are plenty of 8/9 ft Grizzlys , we see them daily, sometimes on the way to the outhouse! But I sleep like a log at nite, knowing I have my 35 Whelen, right there beside my Woods sleeping bag, just incase brother bruin, decides to crash the party!

Earle, since I first read about the 35 Whelen I was a teenager back in the 60's I have always wanted one but life passed it by till I became a member here and started reading about it again and the desire to own one got strong again. I bought a M70 CRPF off GB and the plans were laid to rebarrel it with a Douglas barrel. Before I could pull the string on the work a member here posted a M700 Classic for sale with goods also so I picked it up. Still having the M70 which was in 30 Whelen I still had an itch to turn it into a 35 Whelen and read about the AI version. A couple of the guys here had sent rifles off to JES and had very good luck with him boring out the barrels to larger calibers so I sent it off for him to bore and chamber for the 35 Whelen AI. Since getting done that rifle is always on my mind almost like a sickness, I just can't get enough of shooting it and experimenting with different powders and loads.
I can easily get 2950fps with a 200gr AB with it and could probably get 3000fps if I push it. But that's not why I built it. I was tired of trimming brass and wanted something that would require less work when reloading and that is what I got with the AI version. Oh it is tempting to hot rod it but looking for the most accurate load since the big bullet will do the job at standard velocities.

 

[5shot]

Not that I'll ever have the chance to test it on a Brownie, but I think this one would be downright deadly. This is "Thumper" - it is a 300grn HP with a gas check. Once it sheds the nose, the remaining base should be about 230grns. I will be doing a penetration test on it this weekend from my 35 Whelen AI.