Author Topic: .35 Whelen (Read 2035 times)

Cajun911 · « **on:** October 07, 2012, 05:47:54 PM »

Anybody have any experience with one of these in a Handi Rifle.? I just bought one for our Primitive Weapon season here in Louisiana and was wondering if anybody has shot theirs how is the recoil? What kind of Accuracy can I expect out of it? I'm shooting the 180 grain Barnes Vortex TSL bullet!!!Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!

scratchmark · « **Reply #1 on:** October 07, 2012, 11:28:12 PM »

Ive been making some brass for mine but have not shot it yet. I think the recoil will be less with the 180gr. bullet than it would be with the 250. Some people here have had a couple issues with this caliber, but again, i think that goes with all calibers. Theres always gonna be that one that is finicky. thats the fun part for tinkerin'!

Rocken · « **Reply #2 on:** October 08, 2012, 12:10:42 AM »

Same boat as you. It's my first handi rifle. It's trigger sucked, so I started searching the internet and ended up here. Read the FAQs, the non intrusive trigger work (GI trigger job) helped me alot, went from a 12+ lb pull to ~4 now. I also added 2 lbs of decoy weights in the stock all taped up with duck tape and jammed in so it doesn't rattle. I haven't shot it since I added the weights. The recoil calc says that should bring the recoil down about 25~ 30%. I need it. It is a stout recoiling round. I wouldn't expect it to give trouble on game, but I was having a problem getting it zeroed in and I shot it 30+ times from a bench. My shoulder hurt and I started to flinch. I'm going back to the range tomorrow and will post my findings.

Dinny · « **Reply #3 on:** October 08, 2012, 01:14:35 AM »

I had one over a year ago. It's recoil was stout and I found it unnecessary. The Whelen is a great round, don't get me wrong, but somewhat overkill for Southern deer. I bet H&R would sell a bunch more rifles chambered in .356Win or 358 Win. hint hint...

Thanks, Dinny

bucmeister · « **Reply #4 on:** October 08, 2012, 08:58:42 AM »

Quote from: -Dinny on October 08, 2012, 01:14:35 AM

I had one over a year ago. It's recoil was stout and I found it unnecessary. The Whelen is a great round, don't get me wrong, but somewhat overkill for Southern deer. I bet H&R would sell a bunch more rifles chambered in .356Win or 358 Win. hint hint...

Thanks, Dinny

Dinny, I'm with you on your point about H&R selling more guns in that particular round. This is why I am glad I found a 35 Remington Handi which will be reamed to a 356/358 chamber in the near future. I suspect the 356/358 level round would give the sweet spot between performance and recoil that many seek. More punch and a bit flatter trajectory than the 35 Rem at 200 yds but without the outright punishment delivered by the 35 Whelen that many report.

gendoc · « **Reply #5 on:** October 08, 2012, 10:09:36 AM »

its your $$$, the whelen can always be downloaded to your shoulders ability.
as far as southern deers are concerned, why wound one witha foul poi,
throw sumthin that, if you did screw up.....

it would still be within flop distance.

i'm in tha deepest most parta bama and it don't get no better fora 45/70 or tha whelen.
we don't like wound'n our plantation whitetails

cwlongshot · « **Reply #6 on:** October 08, 2012, 10:16:16 AM »

Quote from: bucmeister on October 08, 2012, 08:58:42 AM

Quote from: -Dinny on October 08, 2012, 01:14:35 AM
I had one over a year ago. It's recoil was stout and I found it unnecessary. The Whelen is a great round, don't get me wrong, but somewhat overkill for Southern deer. I bet H&R would sell a bunch more rifles chambered in .356Win or 358 Win. hint hint...

Thanks, Dinny

Dinny, I'm with you on your point about H&R selling more guns in that particular round. This is why I am glad I find a 35 Remington Handi which will be reamed to a 356/358 chamber in the near future. I suspect the 356/358 level round would give the sweet spot between performance and recoil that many seek. More punch and a bit flatter trajectory than the 35 Rem at 200 yds but without the outright punishment delivered by the 35 Whelen that many report.

Just a word about these calibers... In a handi and a good strong action the 35Rem is able to be loaded safely into the 356/358 territory at least with the 200/225g bullets... If you cannot re chamber to 356, (Just now) this may be an option to get its preformance outta what you have.

Its called Super 35 data and I believe its in the FAQ's!

CW

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** October 08, 2012, 11:25:54 AM »

I don't think the Super 35 Rem loads are in the FAQs, but here tis and my range report on em.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,207090.msg1099089833.html#msg1099089833

gendoc · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2012, 11:36:54 AM »

thanks tim .........

and anuther good reason to go with 58K pressures with the 35 whelen, piezo that is

you can download til yur hearts content. and still hava fine parent cartridge.
hey, i'm jus refer'n common knowledge.

bucmeister · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2012, 12:11:16 PM »

Thanks cwlongshot and quickdtoo for the super 35 Rem loads, had already found them and have a fresh pound RL7 to get me through this fall if I decide not to ream till later. I'm interested in the conversion mostly because it is something I have never done before, secondly because of the rimmed case head on the 356 cartridge, and thirdly because the velocities I want to play with are less than max loading for the 356 whereas it takes the Super 35 Rem loads to get those velocities from the regular 35 rem cartridge so there should be less stress on the brass.

But mostly I am wanting to do it just because it is an easy first time conversion that I can then tinker around with if the urge hits such as expanding some 308 into 358 for example.

bm330 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2012, 02:15:02 PM »

i have a handi in 35whelen, we sighted the scope in a couple of weeks ago. we only shoot 16 times form a lead sled and i was very pleased with the results. i like my rifles to shoot around 1 inch high at 100. 5 shoot groups were around 2 inches, we were shooting in a very strong cross wind. moved the target back to 225 and 3 shoots all on paper, again we were in a strong cross wind.

Spanky · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2012, 03:19:59 PM »

Recoil is gonna be pretty stiff if you can get it fire every time. They have a nasty habit of going "click" instead of "bang" when you pull the trigger. Good luck with it.

Spanky

kmbrown · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2012, 03:39:02 PM »

I bought one a few years ago for PW hunting here in Ms. I don't find the recoil to be all that bad. I'm shooting 200gr bullets at about 2650fps in handloads and the recoil is less than my 405gr handloads in my 45-70 Handi and considerably less than my Ruger No1 in .375 H&H. If you can handle 3" 12ga loads, you can handle the Whelen. If you talk to people who shoot this cartridge here in Ms, you'd think it kicked like a .460 Wby!! Accuracy is good in all the loads I've tried and I haven't had any misfires with mine. That being said, I still prefer the 45-70 for my PW hunting. My shots are rarely over 75yds and the 45-70 just puts em down every time.

Crow Juice · « **Reply #13 on:** October 09, 2012, 12:30:24 AM »

My son has a 35w and my son in law has a 45-70 . I find the recoil of the 35w to be stout but not near as bad as the 45-70. I am loading 56 grains of h4895 with a 200gr hornaday bullet for the 35w and 51 grs of h4198 with a 300 gr Rem. bullet for the 45-70. The 35 will give a consistant 1 1/2" group while about 2 1/2 " is the best I can get out of the 45 .

petemi · « **Reply #14 on:** October 09, 2012, 02:56:06 AM »

Crow Juice, bump up to the 405 Gr. Remington and IMR4198 in that .45-70 and I'm willing to wager your groups are gonna tighten up.

Pete

Rocken · « **Reply #15 on:** October 09, 2012, 06:09:57 AM »

Well I said I would report when I went to the range today. I didn't make the range. All the big sporting goods stores Academy and such in the Metairie area didn't have any ammo. I had to wait until today to find some at Puglia's. They didn't have core locs either. I hope to try again next week. I did buy me 3 boxes ofufsion. I hope I can get it shooting those about 120 after taxes.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #16 on:** October 09, 2012, 06:20:04 AM »

OUCH..
$120 would make about 350 of my hand loads!

Wanna friendly wager which would shoot better...

Sorry man, Im a bad man, fun at your $$ is not cool. My apologies...

I have had a 35Whelen since 1987. I have yet to experience a single FTF. BUT mine is a M98 bolt gun with a Shilen barrel and a tight chamber.bn

Its large claw extractor, handily (Pun intended

) holds, the rimless case head against the bolt, in case the shoulder is imperfect.

CW

Rocken · « **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2012, 08:27:54 AM »

I pack my own pistol rounds. Never had a reason to try rifle. I figure once this thing is sighted in I will use 3 to 6 rounds a year. 3 to check zero, 3 to fill the freezer. Kinda sorry I know, but I'm a realist. I would love to shoot all my rifles more, but its pistols than I tend to shoot the most, followed by shotgun and finally rifles. Besides I need the brass just in case I do start.

poncaguy · « **Reply #18 on:** October 09, 2012, 10:59:22 AM »

I'm 71, my 35 Whelen is a MOA Handi, knocked a doe flat at 100 yards several years ago...........as far as recoil goes, usually here in Oklahoma deer season, it's cold and I have insulated coveralls on, so, I don't hardly notice any recoil.

geezer56 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 09, 2012, 12:08:39 PM »

The whelen is the hammer of god on a whitetail. I have had 3 of the newer Handis, all problem children with FTF. Chaamber casts show all were too deep, 008 to 017 too deep. I love the caliber, finally built a bolt gun to use it in. I wish the new handi's were right. The old RMEF guns with the 26 in barrels were the stuff, wish I'd hung on to the one I had.

gendoc · « **Reply #20 on:** October 09, 2012, 12:33:56 PM »

i have purchased several whelen barrels jus to experiance tha FTF.
even bought 2 from unhappy owners with FTF's...
guess what !! notta one dida FTF after my son and i's research and handloading of
several hundred rounds each. i even sold one back to its original owner with tha
formula and prep it required to bea mitey fine, non "click" shooter.
and he is proud to own it today.

then we both bought a new whelen with syn camo's... and there perfect !!!!!!!!!!!
tha rest of tha story is slowly fade'n away in tha freezer...................

not nock'n yall's process, but sumthin ain't quite right here..........

BTW.... i have several 35 whelens in other custom shooters too
and are aware of tha problem yall speak of and it can be corrected.

brother cajun....i sent youa pm witha load from j2's book for whitetail .

quickdtoo · « **Reply #21 on:** October 09, 2012, 12:52:24 PM »

What Doc said, I have an RMEF Whelen as well as a 2006 35 Whelen Handi, the 2006 Handi worked just fine with factory Rem ammo, so they don't all have bad chambers, and as Doc said, a good handloader can make em work just fine even if they have out of spec chambers, and there's always the option of returning them to H&R for repair/replacement.

Tim

Spanky · « **Reply #22 on:** October 09, 2012, 12:57:30 PM »

It shouldn't take a good handloader to make them work... they should be right when you buy them.

Spanky

quickdtoo · « **Reply #23 on:** October 09, 2012, 12:59:53 PM »

Quote from: Spanky on October 09, 2012, 12:57:30 PM

It shouldn't take a good handloader to make them work... they should be right when you buy them.

Spanky

Quote from: quickdtoo on October 09, 2012, 12:52:24 PM

....there's always the option of returning them to H&R for repair/replacement.

Tim

Spanky · « **Reply #24 on:** October 09, 2012, 01:05:51 PM »

You shouldn't have to return them either... they should be right when you buy them.

Just my .02

Spanky

quickdtoo · « **Reply #25 on:** October 09, 2012, 01:08:35 PM »

So should all new products, but unfortunately in the real world they aren't always.

Tim

Spanky · « **Reply #26 on:** October 09, 2012, 01:13:00 PM »

You're right about that. I guess sometimes things just slip through the cracks. At least customer service is taking good care of people. I haven't heard anything bad about them in quite a while.

Spanky

Rocken · « **Reply #27 on:** October 10, 2012, 06:45:10 AM »

OK I got my 35 Whelen sighted in and it is hitting right. The trigger work and the wieght in the stock did the trick. Over 60 shots on it now, not 1 click, all booms. My dealer said they had all the bugs out on the 2012 models. He told me no returns on them since 2010. I will believe him so far. I think getting the trigger lighter and the gun heavier is the key to accuracy. But then I'm a newby with the HR, I came here to learn. This is a great site.

Wagguy80 · « **Reply #28 on:** October 11, 2012, 04:38:00 AM »

From my research all single shot rifles in .35 Whelen can have FTF problems. It has more to do with the actual cartridge than the rifle or chamber. Basically the case has such a small shoulder they will slide forward in the chamber. CVA's, APEX's, Encore, and H&R's have all randomly experienced this problem.

In short you could fire one box and have 50% or more FTF, and another box of the same ammo and be 100%. Those who sent their's back to CVA received a stouter firing pin to compensate for any possible slip in the chamber.

I went the road less travelled and got a H&R .444 marlin flatter than a 45-70 however realistically it's all up to the shooter. My father dropped a doe last year at 220 yards with a CVA Stalker in .45-70 they're all capable of killing whitetail's at 300 yards, more if you know your range, and load.

abolt-fan · « **Reply #29 on:** October 11, 2012, 06:33:57 PM »

In my family we're shooting five different 35 Whelens. Two Handis and three Encores. I handload for all of them using 200gr. Hornady SPs. I'm running these bullets at approx. 2700 fps. They are shooting well in all five guns and hammer the snot out of deer and hogs. Last year my brother shot an 8 pt. at just over 300 yards with his. For a deer bullet I'm satisfied. I also have a 225gr. Barnes TSX load that I've used with success on black bears in Canada.

I've had one Handi and one Encore with FTF problems. The Encore was fixed with a heavier hammer spring and the Handi by changing to a different frame. If forced to choose I would be just as happy with the Handis as I am with the Encore.

Not trying to make light of how people handle recoil but I will point out my brother and I have daughters shooting these guns with success.