New gun! 35 whelan

[MountainWalk]

Just scored an awesome rifle from a pal of mine. He retired from the US geological services, and his whole career was way up north to AK. Way out in the bush.
 Its based on a pre 64 m70,  year 58 to be exact. It was an 06.  Rhen in 66, he had a long since dead local smith rebarrel it to 35 whelan, put on a finely adjustable redfield peep on it, trigger job, slimmed the stock down and then parkerized the whole works.
It was Jim s working rifle and has slain browns, grizz, moose, wolf, even a native used it to settle a polar bears hash.

The old man thre in a newish rcbs press, fl dies, cases, and a hundred each of barnes 225"s an hot cor 250"s.  All that for five hundred and a cord of wood!!! Im so happy and blessed. Never thoight id ever be able to own a pre six fo.....

[headshot5]

Nice the 35 Whelen is a great gun.     It'll do the trick on anything in North America.  I am pretty fond of them myself.  They make a heck of an elk gun.     

[MountainWalk]

One more pic(hard time loading)

[CP]

Nice rifle!

I love my .35 Whelen.

[Fl0und3rz]

Beauty!  It's nice to see these old rifles in old reliable cartridges still out working the fields. I've wanted to get a woods rifle in .35 Whelen for some time now.  That'll certainly fill the bill.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Awesome Cal ... 

[JimmyHoffa]

What a great set up.  The action/cartridge/etc mentioned are so proven, so you should get plenty more blood on it.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Good lookin rifle if I do say so.

[MountainWalk]

Thanks Will!

  Got home from work, and just looked at the thing leaning up in the corner and figured id crank a few loose. I wasnt going to shoot it til I had time to really wring it out.  Went to the deep freeze to grab some jugs of htwo o jugs.  Grabbed four and started for the range/pasture.  Using my marked t post/yardage markers, I dropped the jugs off at roughly 100, 200, and285, which is all I got.  Leaned er up against a creosote post, controlled the breathing(was pretty excited) and squeezed er off. 100 yd jug vaporized!  Feeling good, I swing er ever so slightly I aim dead center on 209 yd jug. Boom! Its blown in half. By now, whats left of jug one hit the ground.  Jugs 285 yds seem a bit challenging. I hold a lil high, and then let out a bad shot that im sure was high. Cycle the butter smooth action, concentrate, boom! There she blows and the last one dies in similar fashion.  So stked!!


Well, she shoots flatter than I had imagined the ol Whelan capable. Without pouring over charts or really screwing down in a serious sessio, my first impression is that it shoots much like a 180 grn 30"06. If so, im pleased.  For some reason, it had more shove than either 338 WM ive owned

Playing with it, ive unscrewed the appurture, giving me a bigger hole. I like it.  Any fave loads, powders?  Ive read that most all 35"s are accurate.

[RadSav]

Any fave loads, powders?  Ive read that most all 35"s are accurate.

Funny, I was just looking over the load data for the Whelan just a few days ago.  I remember being fascinated that in the Nosler Reloading Guide 7 it states, "The 35 Whelan is a well-behaved cartridge, and it is at it's best with medium burning powders like IMR4350"  Funny thing is there is not one single 4350 load listed for the 35 Whelan anywhere in the handbook

I've only shot the Whelan a few times and have never loaded for it either.  I do have a good friend who has the Remington M7600 pump chambered for it.  Heck of a shooter!  He swears by the 225 Partition pushed along by 748 ball powder.  As far as charge weight I have no help for you there.  I do see a load listed in the Nosler manual for that powder though.

Congratulations on the gun.  Really sounds like something special

[CP]

  Any fave loads, powders? 

Reloader 15 - excellent powder for the Whelen

[yorketransport]

The Whelen is a great round and that rifle is the perfect platform for it!

Varget, IMR 4060, H4895, and IMR 4895 were my favorite powders with the 225 grain bullets. All of these powders run pretty much the same charges. Start at about 50 grains and work up to 55. I used 54.3 grains of H4895 and a 225 grain Nosler Partition. Never shot anything with it, but I imagine that it would have worked just fine!

Andrew

[Trapmark]

What a great rifle in a very classic and useful caliber.  Those old gunsmiths had a talent for doing everything you need and nothing you don't.  I hope you can withstand any urge to "improve" on it.   

[pcal]

Thanks Will!

  Got home from work, and just looked at the thing leaning up in the corner and figured id crank a few loose. I wasnt going to shoot it til I had time to really wring it out.  Went to the deep freeze to grab some jugs of htwo o jugs.  Grabbed four and started for the range/pasture.  Using my marked t post/yardage markers, I dropped the jugs off at roughly 100, 200, and285, which is all I got.  Leaned er up against a creosote post, controlled the breathing(was pretty excited) and squeezed er off. 100 yd jug vaporized!  Feeling good, I swing er ever so slightly I aim dead center on 209 yd jug. Boom! Its blown in half. By now, whats left of jug one hit the ground.  Jugs 285 yds seem a bit challenging. I hold a lil high, and then let out a bad shot that im sure was high. Cycle the butter smooth action, concentrate, boom! There she blows and the last one dies in similar fashion.  So stked!!


Well, she shoots flatter than I had imagined the ol Whelan capable. Without pouring over charts or really screwing down in a serious sessio, my first impression is that it shoots much like a 180 grn 30"06. If so, im pleased.  For some reason, it had more shove than either 338 WM ive owned

Playing with it, ive unscrewed the appurture, giving me a bigger hole. I like it.  Any fave loads, powders?  Ive read that most all 35"s are accurate.

  I used to unscrew my aperture when hunting heavy cover for whitetails because they are quick as a flushing grouse. Don't change a thing on that rig as the peep is tougher and more reliable than any scope and isn't effected by knocks or weather like scopes are. I am seriously considering putting some peeps on my older rifles because of scope problems keep cropping up that I never had with those old peeps.

[pd]

That's a nice looking gun there, Mr. D.  Don't tell me: This is going to be your new go-to rifle for the wet side elks, in the thick brush?  And bear too, I suppose.  For $500 and a cord of wood to boot--you did very well!