What's your minumum

[35 Whelen]

I am still using up some old 225 Nosler Ballistic Tips I had bought some years back; and they seam to work fine on Moose up to a thousand lbs . And 2-300 lb bears are totally devistated when I hit them thru both front shoulders........... lights out right now! We are just runing 59gr of RL 15, under the Noslers, but I could spice that up somewhat in my gun no problem; but found that load groups around 1.5"/1.75" for us; but I am not as good a Scotty, and I bet he could shoot this little Hawkeye even better than that!
If I am up in Alaska with it hunting Moose and Caribou, I have some regular old 250 Hornaday RN[old stuff I had for my 35 Winchester] that I have loaded right up there fairly stout; that I usually leave the gun loaded with, at nite; when we have a grizzlys, hanging around camp that thinks he is going to take charge of the meat pole; as soon as we go to sleep! If I was back guiding bear hunters in Alaska; I would simply buy some Premium Bonded Bullets in 250gr, but I dont really need those high grade bullets anymore[although if I see some at a gunshow reasonable I am sure I would weaken] but I used to use Bitteroots years ago, and Nosler PTs. I like the standard 225 BT just fine, for everything else but bears; and will more than likely replace those bullets with the new Accubonds in 225; when I run out here shortly. I just got a smokin deal on 10 boxes of Nosler Customs; in 06 with those Accubonds in 165gr; but have not shot anything with them yet, but all the reports I hear are great! And they had that 2/1 rebate that netted us 5 more boxes!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[onesonek]

Dr Mike, I think it is only fair for you to know right up front, that Scotty and I were put on this earth exclusively to promote the merits of owning one gun

Hoo, boy, that's not the Scotty I know! Only BK and Fotis seize more rifles than that boy!

Speaking of which,,,,
Those cast .45-70 there yet Scotty

 

[SJB358]

Speaking of which,,,,
Those cast .45-70 there yet Scotty

Nothin yet Dave. I will keep my eyes open though and let you know first thing.

As for hunting with one rifle, well, I couldn't ever let that happen, but IF I ever had to, the Whelen would surely be a frontrunner... Besides Mike, you can't be too hard on me, I am just trying to keep up with YOU! Scotty

 

[onesonek]

I don't know how it is possible, as I have always had sort of a fascination with the .35 Whelen for years, yet have not owned one. I may have to remedy that one of these next days, and get an Encore barrel built chambered in it. I too would not hesitate having it as my only rifle.

 

[35 Whelen]

the encore in the "colonel" would be a sweet set up...................

 

[JD338]

35 Whelen,

RL 15 is indeed an excellent powder in the Whelen. I have used the same load with the 225 gr AB with great sped and accuracy. I also have a couple boxes of the 225 gr BT squirreled away. I also shot a lot of 225 gr PT's when Nosler introduced this bullet in 1990 and its performance was excellent on WT deer and bear. I started playing with the 250 gr PT and ended up with 59.5 grs RL 15 getting sub MOA accuracy and just under 2600 fps. That is from a M700 Classic 22" barrel, performance that nips the heals of a 338 Win Mag.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Mike, you can't be too hard on me, I am just trying to keep up with YOU!

Moi? A rifle collector? How can that be, Scotty?

 

[SJB358]

Mike, you can't be too hard on me, I am just trying to keep up with YOU!

Moi? A rifle collector? How can that be, Scotty?

Yeap, your THAT guy buddy!

 

[35 Whelen]

JD338 ,
That load of yours with the 250 PT and the 59 1/2grs is the same one an old friend of mine uses in his old pre 64 that he had old Will Fowler up in Anchorage build him back in 1981 . He tryed to tell me way back then that the Whelen was the only gun I needed . I had been brain washed by an old guide up there that to mess with anything but a 375 Ouch and Ouch was just a waste of time.
So it took me a while to get over that line of thinking.
I finally got a .338 and used that for years and sold the .375 that actually had NEVER let me down, but was just rigged up as a backup gun with 21" barrel and a reciever sight on it. I ran a 1.5/5 Leupold on the 338, and it worked supurb for me for many years . Eventually I bought a Whelen that was a "cheapie". My first experence with it that got my attention; was when a good friend came up for a moose hunt that fall. Now I would usually luged my 06 with just 165BT, over 52gr of 4064 [One of Jack O'Conners loads] in case I saw a Record Book Caribou while out not guiding but just hunting with a friend . And just to be different, I took the newly accquired Whelen on this trip. I had spotted one of the largest bulls I had ever seen while I was in Alaska that fall, and had been keeping an eye on him ....................[this guy was my best man when I got married in NZ to a kiwi girl and we are like brothers more than just friends] my buddy arrived from Oklahoma, and out we went, he was shooting a 300WM with 180s from memory . There was another huge bull there that we estimated around 65" holding about 20 cows and in full rut. The monster bull that had him beat was around a foot wider with much more palmation .............. just an outradous bull . He was laying off about a 1/4 mile away by himself and we suspected just waiting until the 65 was exhusted from fighting off all the 55" one lurking around and he was going to make his move????? Well we jumped after flying in just before dark [of course we looked old monster bull over from the Cub so he knew exactly what he was getting into] anyway the next morning our plan was to walk over there and make a stalk on the big one. Well this is how it turned out. Enroute we were trying to work our way to him and there were other moose we couldnt see in the timber and we wound up spooking the whole mess of them out into a bog and it alarmed the big one on the far side probably still 800 yds away to get up. A bull I had never seen replaced the 65" one and was out there in the bog now holding the 20 cows. We had to make a call to either shoot this big bull or try anthor day for the bigger one, the weather was forcast to be a huge storm by later that afternoon so he says to me "I know you want me to get that monster but I would be more than happy to shoot this one right here " So I told him to go ahead and he did the shot was around 150yds and he is an old coyote hunter from Ok so he can shoot his gun. He fired at it and I heard it hit but the Moose showed no sign of it, he cranked another one in and same thing no reaction at all ?????????? But at that point he turned to run for the green woods on the other side of the bog, Sam yollered to me, go ahead and shoot something is wrong with my gun???? The bull was just starting to run straight away and the cows were all scattering. I fired the Whelen at the ass of the bull with a 250gr bullet and he swerved around almost at a right angle and took one more jump and piled right up and floped around a few seconds and stoped moving. Sam hollered holly smokes did that ever knock him! He then asked me is that your .338 and I said no its that Whelen thing I showed you last summer. We strolled out to the bull and I had actually hit him across the top of the back and thru the "hump" and into the back of the neck. He inturn we found out had hit him twice with the 300 with two hole that looked like snakeyes in the very back of the lungs ????????? Somehow the guns point of impact had moved .
The point was that my very first experence with it proved to be the same as every other experence I ever had with it ....................... PERFECT performance from a non belted magnum................in summary the storm did arrive but we were back at the lodge with a hot butter rum, his Moose was a beautiful 66" with 28 points and big frontals, he was over the moon with it , but I can still clearly see that monster that made his look like a pup bolting away as he was firing those two shots,,,,,, A fellow guide from Illiama area that had killed many record book Moose over the years saw me at the trading post one day after the season closed and we were all out wolf hunting and he says "hey you cant imagine the monster I saw over your way in the Mucklung hills about a week ago and I said how big was it Larry and he says I think its the biggest moose I have ever looked over ???Cheers!
Ps I should have included that had that moose ever gotten killed I most certainly would have found out about it................................. he NEVER was but two Alaskan guides[me and Larry Bryant] from that era both agreed on one thing he was the biggest one either of us ever saw!

 

[SJB358]

JD338 ,
That load of yours with the 250 PT and the 59 1/2grs is the same one an old friend of mine uses in his old pre 64 that he had old Will Fowler up in Anchorage build him back in 1981 . He tryed to tell me way back then that the Whelen was the only gun I needed . I had been brain washed by an old guide up there that to mess with anything but a 375 Ouch and Ouch was just a waste of time.
So it took me a while to get over that line of thinking.
I finally got a .338 and used that for years and sold the .375 that actually had NEVER let me down, but was just rigged up as a backup gun with 21" barrel and a reciever sight on it. I ran a 1.5/5 Leupold on the 338, and it worked supurb for me for many years . Eventually I bought a Whelen that was a "cheapie". My first experence with it that got my attention; was when a good friend came up for a moose hunt that fall. Now I would usually luged my 06 with just 165BT, over 52gr of 4064 [One of Jack O'Conners loads] in case I saw a Record Book Caribou while out not guiding but just hunting with a friend . And just to be different, I took the newly accquired Whelen on this trip. I had spotted one of the largest bulls I had ever seen while I was in Alaska that fall, and had been keeping an eye on him ....................[this guy was my best man when I got married in NZ to a kiwi girl and we are like brothers more than just friends] my buddy arrived from Oklahoma, and out we went, he was shooting a 300WM with 180s from memory . There was another huge bull there that we estimated around 65" holding about 20 cows and in full rut. The monster bull that had him beat was around a foot wider with much more palmation .............. just an outradous bull . He was laying off about a 1/4 mile away by himself and we suspected just waiting until the 65 was exhusted from fighting off all the 55" one lurking around and he was going to make his move????? Well we jumped after flying in just before dark [of course we looked old monster bull over from the Cub so he knew exactly what he was getting into] anyway the next morning our plan was to walk over there and make a stalk on the big one. Well this is how it turned out. Enroute we were trying to work our way to him and there were other moose we couldnt see in the timber and we wound up spooking the whole mess of them out into a bog and it alarmed the big one on the far side probably still 800 yds away to get up. A bull I had never seen replaced the 65" one and was out there in the bog now holding the 20 cows. We had to make a call to either shoot this big bull or try anthor day for the bigger one, the weather was forcast to be a huge storm by later that afternoon so he says to me "I know you want me to get that monster but I would be more than happy to shoot this one right here " So I told him to go ahead and he did the shot was around 150yds and he is an old coyote hunter from Ok so he can shoot his gun. He fired at it and I heard it hit but the Moose showed no sign of it, he cranked another one in and same thing no reaction at all ?????????? But at that point he turned to run for the green woods on the other side of the bog, Sam yollered to me, go ahead and shoot something is wrong with my gun???? The bull was just starting to run straight away and the cows were all scattering. I fired the Whelen at the ass of the bull with a 250gr bullet and he swerved around almost at a right angle and took one more jump and piled right up and floped around a few seconds and stoped moving. Sam hollered holly smokes did that ever knock him! He then asked me is that your .338 and I said no its that Whelen thing I showed you last summer. We strolled out to the bull and I had actually hit him across the top of the back and thru the "hump" and into the back of the neck. He inturn we found out had hit him twice with the 300 with two hole that looked like snakeyes in the very back of the lungs ????????? Somehow the guns point of impact had moved .
The point was that my very first experence with it proved to be the same as every other experence I ever had with it ....................... PERFECT performance from a non belted magnum................in summary the storm did arrive but we were back at the lodge with a hot butter rum, his Moose was a beautiful 66" with 28 points and big frontals, he was over the moon with it , but I can still clearly see that monster that made his look like a pup bolting away as he was firing those two shots,,,,,, A fellow guide from Illiama area that had killed many record book Moose over the years saw me at the trading post one day after the season closed and we were all out wolf hunting and he says "hey you cant imagine the monster I saw over your way in the Mucklung hills about a week ago and I said how big was it Larry and he says I think its the biggest moose I have ever looked over ???Cheers!

Great hunting story buddy.. I almost felt like I was standing there! Jim and I are both running about the same loads in our Whelen's. I run 60gr's RL15, 250 PT or Speer 250, CCI250's and RP cases. These come out of my 35 Whelen at 2650. It is my favorite load I have ever ran through the Whelen. So far, I have cases that last forever and I have showed you the groups the rifle shoots with the load. From 0-400 yards, I feel very confident in this set up.

That moose story just sounds awesome. I can't wait to get another chance to hunt moose. Like I said, the 45-70 and Whelen are the two rifles I would really love to hunt moose with. Scotty

 

[wvchevy3]

I loved the story, and love my whelen too.No matter what you feed it , it shoots great. Just like a Freight Train (not the fastest but its hard to stop).My whelen is my favorite gun that i own,it will throw 250's with RL-15 all day long at 2600fps and moa accuracy.It does not matter what bullet i use , i get moa results (as long as i use RL-15).I cant wait to get some 225AB seconds to stock up on,and want to try the new 200AB's. Lee

 

[onesonek]

Great story 35!
It has been and still is a dream of mine to hunt in AK. A brownie would be great, but a moose would be just as rewarding, and probably more to my wallets liking. With my current selection, it would most likely be the 9.3x74R, with the .45-70 Marlin for a second.

This OTT built Douglas blanked Encore barrel, will run the 250 or 286 gr. Nosler about 300 fps faster than manual, with good brass life.
But then too, I am looking to do a .359, 265 gr. cast, paper patched .to .367" for it as well. Beings cast and paper patch due to less friction, generate more velocity at same or less pressure, I'm kind of thinking that this will run at 26-2700 fps range ratherr easily. Hopefully I will get some time in with experimenting this spring. I would have been working with it now, if it wasn't for this medical issue. But I will get it done soon regardless.
Not a Whelen, but would suffice!
And if my ballistic program is correct, even with the flatpoint, this bullet is fairly efficient with a BC right at .400. Just need time to figure out the alloy for best terminal performance. Although if going to AK., I would hard pressed, not to just load up the 286gr NPT's at 2500 fps.

AM .359-265PP

 

[SJB358]

I loved the story, and love my whelen too.No matter what you feed it , it shoots great. Just like a Freight Train (not the fastest but its hard to stop).My whelen is my favorite gun that i own,it will throw 250's with RL-15 all day long at 2600fps and moa accuracy.It does not matter what bullet i use , i get moa results (as long as i use RL-15).I cant wait to get some 225AB seconds to stock up on,and want to try the new 200AB's. Lee

I'm glad your getting such good results out of your Whelen Lee. I seem to find it hard to do any better than RL15 with the Whelen. As much as I wanna try some other bullets in the rifle, I do find it difficult to mess with it and the 250 PT's. They are just so darned accurate and run so quick out of my rifle. It is a solid combo.

Dave, that big 9.3 would be a moose thumper, and 1st class at that. Your kinda on to my thinking though, the 286 PT would be a no brainer and then maybe carry some of your awesome Hardcast bullets in the 45-70. That would be a power house combo for sure. Scotty

 

[35 Whelen]

Hey guys thanks for all the compilments ............... and I will see if I can find a picture of Sam and his bull and post it on here .......... we are alot younger in that picture as I think that all took place about 1985 or soish................
You wont have any trouble deciding if you would have shot the bull either as I think he gave me a photo I took of him laying down inside the rack and he is 6'1 and 220 same as me.........[I told him mine is more muscle though]
Anyway the rack has been displayed in some restraunt in Ok City for all this time as he moves around all the time but I had him and his dad here this spring for Smallmouth fishing and I sorta said if he was never going to do anything with it why not display it at my lodge here in Maine and he thought that was a good idea so I am going to see if I can get it boxed up and pay to ship it up so maybe we will have it for old memorys in the end??????
Dave ditto on the 9.3 same deal different package, very nice outfit!

 

[DrMike]

35 Whelen,

I enjoyed the moose story. Moose are such incredible creatures. I haven't used my 35 Whelen, yet. I've tagged some big game with my 358 (moose and bison), and it does a good job when loaded with either 250 grain Hornadys or with 225 grain Partitions. I have been waiting to get my Whelen back for some months after screwing on a new barrel. I may even pick it up this week. I was having limited success with 225 grain TSX and A2520 powder. Undoubtedly, the 35 calibre bullets will put a hurt on big game right now.

Scotty,

I'll post some results next year when I tote my 9.3 X 64 into the mountains. If I can get on game, I have no doubt that it will perform.

 

[SJB358]

Hey guys thanks for all the compilments ............... and I will see if I can find a picture of Sam and his bull and post it on here .......... we are alot younger in that picture as I think that all took place about 1985 or soish................
You wont have any trouble deciding if you would have shot the bull either as I think he gave me a photo I took of him laying down inside the rack and he is 6'1 and 220 same as me.........[I told him mine is more muscle though]
Anyway the rack has been displayed in some restraunt in Ok City for all this time as he moves around all the time but I had him and his dad here this spring for Smallmouth fishing and I sorta said if he was never going to do anything with it why not display it at my lodge here in Maine and he thought that was a good idea so I am going to see if I can get it boxed up and pay to ship it up so maybe we will have it for old memorys in the end??????
Dave ditto on the 9.3 same deal different package, very nice outfit!

Man, a 60+" moose in your lodge in Maine should get a few looks! Hunting the big moose of AK or Canada again, is a pretty big goal of mine. The moose I took was 46" and I thought it was a dinosaur. I cannot imagine a 60"er! Scotty

 

[Elkman]

A great story, I could see them there standing in the bog, watching for you!!!

 

[35 Whelen]

Scotty, we already have a 63" Maine moose in there now, that my Dad got, that is 5X6 on the frontals with real wide palms and is way up in the Maine book that was killed right behind the lodge, and 55" ones are still fairly common, in this area . But Sams 66" moose is much taller the "lenght of palms" on his Alaskan Moose is probably almost a foot taller than our Maine moose................. again I will post a picture of the one over the bar in our lodge on here someday and you can comment on him! It is no problem here to shoot 50" Moose all the time , but its a REAL PROBLEM to ever get drawn, I have two dozen hunters still trying to draw here that either hunt or fish with us but just never get a tag.............. I saw a Moose this fall three different times that is 60" and has 23 points but he is still running around today as no one got him either. One of my Vermont hunters saw him during Black Powder season, and he has hunted Newfoundland since the late 60's and came back to camp going on and on; about a moose he had just seen, that was bigger than anything he EVER saw up there??? I have photo albums full of pictures of 65-70 inch moose that we took in Alaska back in the days they all wanted a>>> 70" Moose a 40" ram and a 10ft bear!<<<< Someday I will share some of that with you..................

 

[onesonek]

"I'll post some results next year when I tote my 9.3 X 64 into the mountains. If I can get on game, I have no doubt that it will perform."

I have one customer in AK., out of prudence when guiding carries a .416. But for personal hunting of moose and bears, he carries the 9.3x64. Says it has yet to fail him, and loves the round.
When having that Encore barrel built, I seriously looked at the 64. However, I was having difficulty finding a source for brass at the time. Looking at the case capacities of it and the 74 being close,,,and knowing the 74 was loaded to modest pressures for drillings, I figured I could get close to 64 performance in the Encore. Either way, the 9.3 is a good caliber. If I knew all my needs in that caliber were going somewhat shorter range,,,even the 9.3x57 would be good one.
Still not quite the nostalgia of the Whelen however.

 

[SJB358]

Scotty, we already have a 63" Maine moose in there now, that my Dad got, that is 5X6 on the frontals with real wide palms and is way up in the Maine book that was killed right behind the lodge, and 55" ones are still fairly common, in this area . But Sams 66" moose is much taller the "lenght of palms" on his Alaskan Moose is probably almost a foot taller than our Maine moose................. again I will post a picture of the one over the bar in our lodge on here someday and you can comment on him! It is no problem here to shoot 50" Moose all the time , but its a REAL PROBLEM to ever get drawn, I have two dozen hunters still trying to draw here that either hunt or fish with us but just never get a tag.............. I saw a Moose this fall three different times that is 60" and has 23 points but he is still running around today as no one got him either. One of my Vermont hunters saw him during Black Powder season, and he has hunted Newfoundland since the late 60's and came back to camp going on and on; about a moose he had just seen, that was bigger than anything he EVER saw up there??? I have photo albums full of pictures of 65-70 inch moose that we took in Alaska back in the days they all wanted a>>> 70" Moose a 40" ram and a 10ft bear!<<<< Someday I will share some of that with you..................

Looking forward to the pictures... Matter of fact, I can't wait! Scotty