Any 35 Cal fans out there?

[Alibiiv]

I have a 35 Whelen, my son has a 35 Whelen and a .358 Winchester, and we have a friend who is going bear hunting with us this year and asked me to put together a Whelen for him. My Whelen, my son's Whelen and the friend's Whelen all started out as 30-06s and got rebored. I like the Ruger 77 tang safety rifles and finding a 35 Whelen in one is (1) like finding chicken's teeth, (2) will break the bank "if" you can find one ($1100-1400+). JES reboring did the work, my son's rifle and my rifle will do 3 inch groups at 300 yards as will the .358 Winchester. I don't consider the Whelen or the .358 to be long range rifles, but......for black bear hunting in Maine they only have to shoot accurately to 50-60 yards; and....those shots are less than MOA. The barrels are 1-14, the Whelen likes the 225gr Gamekings, but we hunt with Barnes 225gr TSX in the Whelen and Barnes 200 TTSX in the .358 Winchester. The .358 Winchester likes just about anything that we put through it for bullets. I've shot black bear with both the Whelen and the .358, the farthest a bear has gone was 25 yards and that bear was dead it just didn't know it. My son shot a 180lb. bore this past season, about 60 yard shot, bear went about 10 yards. The last bear that I shot with the Whelen went about 10 feet, it dropped in its tracks and slid down a hill. I don't understand what either of these two cartridges are not that popular, they are incredible cartridges, simple to reload for and drop game like the hammer of Thor, and....brass is easily made from 30-06 brass or .308 Winchester brass. I believe that the .358 has gotten some bad press because it was marketed as a short-range, brush busting cartridge that had a heavy recoil and that is not true at all. The attachments are from a 235lb black bear that I shot, again 50-60 yards, bullet entered center mass and exited just behind the left shoulder, 35 Whelen with Barnes 225gr TSX. This bear went 10 feet because is slid down a 10 foot hill.

 

[CHAGA50]

I have 3 35 cal rifles. 35 Whelen, 358 Winchester and 35 Remington. I'm shooting 225 gr Accubonds and 225 gr Barnes TSX in the Whelen and 358, and 200 gr Sierra game kings in the 35 Remington. I've killed about a dozen deer between the three rifles. And all deer either dropped on the spot, or never ran more than 20 yards. The round is very accurate, and is devastating on game.Ive only found 1 bullet from deer and it was from the 35 Remington, and it mushroomed perfectly, the rest were pass throughs, meat loss has been low. I've never taken the Whelen or the 358 for elk, I usually take a 300 Weatherby just because the shots can be long. I'm a big fan of the 35 calibers just due to the devastating effects it has on the game, and also the accuracy on all three rifles has been fantastic. What I like about the Whelen is that with 225 gr Accubonds, they are about as flat shooting as the 30-06 with 180 gr bullets but hits harder and penetrate deeper. I know they're not long range rounds, but anything under 400 yards is in trouble with the Whelen. When I final go to Africa, the 35 Whelen will be coming with me. Any other fans out there?

I like the 35 Newton , It hits harder than the 375 H&H and fits a standard length action

 

[Ardon]

I too love the 35 Rem. I have an older Glenfield/Marlin with 4x Glenfield scope that shoots fantastic with most of the powder/bullet combos I've tried. I've taken multiple deer with it here in south central PA.where most of my hunting is on a stand w 80-100 yds. being the max distance. My avatar picture is the last deer shot with 38.5 gr.H-4895 and Sierra 200 gr round-nose at about 60 yds.. Smashed rt. shoulder and passed out left side. He ran 30 yds and was done. This rifle also likes 38.5 gr 4064 and 180 gr Speer flat nose. Pleas use caution with these loads and work up to them with your rifle. Every season, I try to go to something else like my 30-30, or 300 Savage, but the 35 keeps me coming back. It's just a reliable,accurate, sweet shooter.

 

[wkdwdg66]

I have 3 35 cal rifles. 35 Whelen, 358 Winchester and 35 Remington. I'm shooting 225 gr Accubonds and 225 gr Barnes TSX in the Whelen and 358, and 200 gr Sierra game kings in the 35 Remington. I've killed about a dozen deer between the three rifles. And all deer either dropped on the spot, or never ran more than 20 yards. The round is very accurate, and is devastating on game.Ive only found 1 bullet from deer and it was from the 35 Remington, and it mushroomed perfectly, the rest were pass throughs, meat loss has been low. I've never taken the Whelen or the 358 for elk, I usually take a 300 Weatherby just because the shots can be long. I'm a big fan of the 35 calibers just due to the devastating effects it has on the game, and also the accuracy on all three rifles has been fantastic. What I like about the Whelen is that with 225 gr Accubonds, they are about as flat shooting as the 30-06 with 180 gr bullets but hits harder and penetrate deeper. I know they're not long range rounds, but anything under 400 yards is in trouble with the Whelen. When I final go to Africa, the 35 Whelen will be coming with me. Any other fans out there?

I built a 35 Whelen AI for a friend that needed a good bear gun. He loves it. He rolls his own and uses the 225s on white tail and mulies. He also used it on idaho elk the last two years. I've been wanting a 35 for a while. Just picked up another 98 mauser and the Whelen is at the top of my list!!

 

[cajun]

I have been working up loads for my 35 Whelen using 225 Sierra Game Kings and the new 223 CFE powder. Some fantastic velocity numbers from that powder and 2000 MR. Turns the Whelen into a 21th century superb hunting rifle.

I would be careful with the game kings. I found it to be a very frangible bullet. I was pushing it 2700 fps and the bullets would not stay together inside 200 yds. I'm talking multiple exit wounds on deer shot at 100 yds. I would avoid any hard bone contact. In 35 years of deer hunting I lost 2 deer shot with a high powered rifle. Both with with those bullets.

 

[Monteria]

I prefer 35s for my pig hunting. As you, I've found the bigger bullet to have more authority than skinnier bullets at higher velocity, at least within reasonable range. It's also a big benefit to have two holes in case it's not a DRT. Bigger pigs dont like to bleed out little holes. I just pick one dependent on the range and type of hunting I'm doing.

357 max with 180gr XTPs over N120 (really a kids gun and I dont shoot it much)

357 Herrett with 200gr FTX over H322

35rem with 220 speer fp and 200 ABs over AR Comp

A home grown 35 wildcat with 200 ttsx over IMR3031 that matches whelen velocities.

These are all strong single shot actions, not levers, so I am able to load the SAAMI rounds above pressure. The bullet selections are well balanced with the velocities each attains and perform quite well. Unless shooting long range, I almost always select a 35.

Steve

 

[Mrkdiver]

I have 3 35 cal rifles. 35 Whelen, 358 Winchester and 35 Remington. I'm shooting 225 gr Accubonds and 225 gr Barnes TSX in the Whelen and 358, and 200 gr Sierra game kings in the 35 Remington. I've killed about a dozen deer between the three rifles. And all deer either dropped on the spot, or never ran more than 20 yards. The round is very accurate, and is devastating on game.Ive only found 1 bullet from deer and it was from the 35 Remington, and it mushroomed perfectly, the rest were pass throughs, meat loss has been low. I've never taken the Whelen or the 358 for elk, I usually take a 300 Weatherby just because the shots can be long. I'm a big fan of the 35 calibers just due to the devastating effects it has on the game, and also the accuracy on all three rifles has been fantastic. What I like about the Whelen is that with 225 gr Accubonds, they are about as flat shooting as the 30-06 with 180 gr bullets but hits harder and penetrate deeper. I know they're not long range rounds, but anything under 400 yards is in trouble with the Whelen. When I final go to Africa, the 35 Whelen will be coming with me. Any other fans out there?

I shoot a 35 Whelen, I knock the snot out of pigs and occasionally a deer with 225 Sierras, they are extremely accurate for me with Blc2. I think mine is pretty fast, long throat, 25"shilen barrel, Mauser 98 action, timney trigger.

 

[pig ranch deadeye]

I have 3 35 cal rifles. 35 Whelen, 358 Winchester and 35 Remington. I'm shooting 225 gr Accubonds and 225 gr Barnes TSX in the Whelen and 358, and 200 gr Sierra game kings in the 35 Remington. I've killed about a dozen deer between the three rifles. And all deer either dropped on the spot, or never ran more than 20 yards. The round is very accurate, and is devastating on game.Ive only found 1 bullet from deer and it was from the 35 Remington, and it mushroomed perfectly, the rest were pass throughs, meat loss has been low. I've never taken the Whelen or the 358 for elk, I usually take a 300 Weatherby just because the shots can be long. I'm a big fan of the 35 calibers just due to the devastating effects it has on the game, and also the accuracy on all three rifles has been fantastic. What I like about the Whelen is that with 225 gr Accubonds, they are about as flat shooting as the 30-06 with 180 gr bullets but hits harder and penetrate deeper. I know they're not long range rounds, but anything under 400 yards is in trouble with the Whelen. When I final go to Africa, the 35 Whelen will be coming with me. Any other fans out there?

I had a .35 Whelen Ackley Improved that shot great and dumped pigs like lightening. I have been thinking how cool it would be to make the .358 Norma case out of .300win brass and leave the neck long. Give it some Reloader 17 and the 250 grain bullet. How does that sound?

 

[zb338]

No question about it the .35 calibers are good guns. The .35 Remington is very popular here in Pa..
Hunters use the lever action Marlin and the Remington pump in .35 and are very fond of that caliber.
The only trouble is that it's not very exciting it just kills things.

Zeke

 

[trackhoehunter]

"Poor man's magnum"!
I shoot a whelen in my Encore. I haven't ever been overjoyed with the accuracy, but I drool over and long to build a semi custom whelen or sambar. That winchester model 70 in the classifieds a few weeks ago has been haunting me! The deer in my avatar was also killed with it. Seems like the accuracy node in my Encore is extremely slow, but want to try the cfe 223. I would not hesitate out to 600yds by the ballsistics With an accurate rifle .

 

[Jasper2017]

I shoot a Rem 141 in 35 cal, I have used both rem 180 core lokt and Speer 180 hot core with pretty good success with deer and bear in the thick brush in Pa.

 

[huntinfish]

358 Norma mag with 225 TSX FB Barnes. End to end on a coyote, a couple deer, 2 cow elk, and a 9' bear. It's one and done. Only recovered 1 bullet and it went through the bear diagonally and stopped under the hide on the far side. It was a perfect Barnes mushroom. Step a 300 win mag case through a 338 sizing die and then your 358 and you've got the right case. The elk and deer folded up like a card table. The bear didn't go 3' It's a wonderfully effective cartridge. Easy to load, it thumps, mine's accurate and the recoil isn't punishing.

 

[bengineer]

I shoot 35 Whelen in a factory 700, 358JDJ in a 14" Contender and 357 Herrett and 357 mag in a 10" Contender. I use an NOE 360-232 FP cast in the larger two and 200 or 180 LBT FN in the smaller two. 35s kill disproportionate to diameter, even comparing to the equivalent .338s, in my experiences. Bullet selection can be scant at times, but with a mould and a few different alloy options, a guy can tailor a cast bullet to most any speed a Whelen or smaller will give you and the performance can match most any conventional bullet. I cant make my cast do what a Triple Shock does, but i can match or beat the penetration OR the expansion, just not both at the same time. Usually.

 

[338Rules]

Do any of you load pistol bullets for plinking or small game in your 35s ?
I like the BLR in .358 Win for bush hunting, need a grouse load for fools hen.