I bought a TC Encore in 35 Whelen for Louisiana's primitive weapon season as well. I got the 28 inch heavy fluted because it was the only one I could find at the time. I topped it with a Burris Fullfield E1 3x9x50 scope. I tried Remington, Fusion, and Hornady Superperformance loads. The load that it liked the best was the 200gr Hornady. It has a bit more recoil than the others but is manageable. I decided to put it on the chronograph and was quite surprised. I was getting between 2970 - 2980 fps from the Hornady's with great accuracy. Not only is this going to be my "not so primitive" primitive weapon, but it may well become my primary rifle. The 35 Whelen is a great caliber. The more I shoot it and read about it, the more I like it. Best of luck to everyone this upcoming season.