Any 35 Whelen shooters out there?

[animal]

I am about interested in the 35 Whelen and was wondering if any of you Encore shooters have experience with that barrel.
                                                 Thanks for your time.

[geezer56]

I have a lot of experience with the caliber, but not in an Encore, in other single shot break open configurations.  It is the Hammer of God on whitetails.  I have killed 5 or 6 with the caliber, all bang flop but one.  It ran about 60 yds.  It is as flat shooting as a 30-06, with heavier bullets.  If you reload, anything from mild to wild.  It can push the power levels of the 375 H&H with heavy bullets, or you can use 38 Sp. cast bullets over 2 or 3 gr. Unique or other pistol powder, and the 5 yr old grandkids can shoot it.  It is one of the most useful calibers out there, I love it.

[336SC]

No experience with the .35 Whelen in an Encore but got two bolt guns and love them.  One of the easiest cartridges to work with.  Shoots anything you put thru it with great accuracy.  No freaky pressure spikes as you work up a load.  Like my old Rambler cars used
to do their job with no muss or fuss at moderate speeds.  Yea, I'm old enough to have owned Ramblers!  Seriously, it's a great cartridge.
Deer just collapse at the shot.  My 18.5" re-barreled Savage 110 is still able to send the Speer 220gr flat nosed Hot Core bullet out @ 2588fps.  The 200gr bullets start out @ 2670fps.  That's a lot of bone crunching power!
336SC

[Austin from NC]

I have a 24inch custom shop barrel and it kicks like a mule broke 2 or 3 sets of bases and a forend screw. Have switched to 180 grain bullets and it still kicks but not like them 250's. Haven't got a chance to kill anything but at the range people turn their head when it goes off. Haven't got to test for accuracy since I discovered broken forend screw but it was shooting around 2 inches with 1 screw and tape holding other end. The screw that broke was too hard to drill so I shot it for a while before finally getting broken screw out. I expect accuracy to tighten up with both screws. Good cartridge for anything from mice to mammoths. Good Luck

[abolt-fan]

animal,
Don't buy one.  I say this in all honesty because I don't want you to be disappointed.  I pass this warning on to you out of personal experience because you will be disappointed if you buy one.  Disappointed that is in whatever other calibers you may have for your Encore.  I had custom shop barrels in 25-06, 6.5x55, .270 and 300 H&H that I used on my two Encore frames.  Then several years ago Midway had T/C 24 in. factory barrels on sale so I bought two of them so I could use my Encores for Mississippi primitive deer season.  With those two barrels on my Encores I've taken deer and hogs in the states and moose and black bear in Canada.  Since then I've sold all the other barrels and don't miss them.  I then decided I only needed one Encore in 35 Whelen so I gave one of them to my brother.  Unfortunately I found myself at a gun shop in Miss. that had just got in some Encore blue pro-hunter rifles with Mossy Oak treestand camo special ordered from T/C buy a Miss. distributor.  And you've guessed it already, yep, a 35 Whelen with a 26 in. fluted barrel was one of the calibers available.  Buying one was the only thing I could do to cure the fever that over came me.  So now I'm back up to two of them again and will not be getting rid of them.

As another poster stated they do hit like a sledge hammer.  Every thing I've shot with them has dropped on the spot or stumbled a few yards before going down.  No blood trailing has been needed.  I load 200 gr. Hornday Sp and Barnes 225 gr. TSX bullets for mine.  In all three I've gotten sub inch groups using RL 15 powder.

So now I'll end this long spiel by telling you the short answer.  Buy one and enjoy it.  Later, Robert.

[Buck-Ridge]

I have one in a Rem. 700. I call it thumper. It kicks like a 150 gns of blackpowder behind a heavy bullet or a 300 magnum. It is a great woods rifle. It is accurate. I'll never willingly get rid of mine. It is powerful but it doesn't seem to destroy meat like smaller fast rounds do.

[MS10point]

I have a 26" prohunter ss. I have a sims recoil pad and recoil is not bad at all. Headspacing on these barrels is a little tricky but with a little tweaking it is good. Mine is very picky about ammo. It will shoot the Nosler Custom 225 accubonds into about 1.5" @100 yds and Remington 250 cor-locs into 1". Other than that, I haven't had good luck with any other ammo. I had to put a heavier hammer spring and a new extractor to get it to quit misfiring. I love it and hunt just about fulltime with it but would probably recomend an MGM barrel if you want a whelen. Everyone that I know that has the MGM .35 whelen loves it.

[chevy]

I have one and really like it! Only got to shoot one deer with it as I got it late in the season last year. I am hoping to shoot a few does with it as soon as our season opens in a few days!

I know I posted this pic last year but here it is again! Will try to post some new ones when our season opens!

[Lost Oki]

Animal,
I have a 35 Whelen Improved, but not in a TC, its a 1917 action.  Accuracy at 100 yrds with 250grain is excellent, if I do my part I can get them to cloverleaf.  Kick, not a sharp kick like a 300 mag, more like a 12 ga shove.  I do have one of the soft recoil pads and its in a ploymer stock.  The Improved version helps provides a sharper shoulder and longer neck.  I am used to a rem 700 in 06 and I will take the Whelen over the 06 with 200 grain any day.  Keep in mind, my 1917 action is heavy, last time I put rifle and scope on a scale it came in at 7.5 lbs.  Performance, I think you will love it.  Kick, that seems to be a what you have been used to.  From 270 to 35 Whelen, you will notice it.  From 06 to Whelen, not so much....I say go for it.

[Bonestock GT]

I have a pro hunter and love it. I have not had any misfires or stuck cases.

[sswingshooter]

I purchased a 35 Whelen last year in the 28" fluted for the Pro Hunter for MS primitive weapon.  No issues at all and would recommend it to anyone interested.  I shoot the 200 gr Hornady.  However, I would suggest the 28" fluted barrel bc I have also shot a 24" in an Encore and it kicked much harder.   

[poncaguy]

I have a Handi 35 Whelen, shot a doe at 100 yards 2 years ago, knocked her flat, 200 grain Remmys. Recoil not bad at all..........

[animal]

Thank you all for the great replies. I am planning on elk or mule deer hunt next year and am up in the air between the Whelen and a 26" standard contour 30-06. I do reload for about everything I have and as you guys love my encore.
                                                                 Thanks again,  Pat

[chevy]

I REALLY like my 35 Whelen, affectionately known as "Black Betty!

Center deer was the only one that took a step, she ran about 15 yards and died. The blood spot is the exit wound.

[animal]

Good job, I tried to add a pic of an 8 point I nailed w my .260 rem barrel but it is 2.58 megabytes which I guess is too large for this web site. I don't know how to resize the pic.

[chevy]

Try using imageshack or photobucket to upload the pics!

[animal]

Here is a pict of rifle from photo bucket

[HandiAndy]

  Like abolt-fan said, one is not enough in 35 Whelen.  Absolutely love my two and they certainly will take anything on the North American Continent.  Shot two 5 shot groups out of one of mine the other day and had one ragged whole on each target.  I did  pull one round but that was me, not the rifle.  The rifle will shoot sub MOA all day.  Sometimes I can and other times I can't.