Southpaws rejoice! The left-handed Lipsey's Ruger Hawkey Alaskan might be available soon...

odonata

odonata

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For many years now, if a lefty wanted a CRF bolt action Ruger with iron sights or a barrel band, they really needed to love the 375 Ruger cartridge or a Guide Gun in 308 Win because otherwise, the choices were often anemic. So it's interesting that the Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan in 35 Whelen & 9.3x62 has appeared on the Ruger website. The two rifles look to be identical except the Whelen has a 1:12 twist and the 9.3 has a faster 1:10 twist. They don't appear to be on the Lipsey's site yet.

So the obvious question is "Which one do I buy?". I already have a Ruger No. 1S in 9.3x74r so do I need the 9.3x62? I don't "need" a lot of the stuff I own so that's never been a criteria in the past. I love my 30-06's (plural!) so having an upsized version can't be a bad thing if I decide to get the Whelen. As far as I know this is the first left-handed factory 35 Whelen ever produced. I can get a left-handed 9.3x62 from Sako, Steyr & Anschutz so I have options there. Buying both is the obvious solution.

But if I only bought one, which one should it be... :unsure:
AH_Lipsey_LH.jpg
 
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I love the look of these things, I would have said go with the 9.3x62, but given you have a 9.3x74r, perhaps the 35 Whelen is the way to go, either way, you can't go wrong. Or buy both, that's always an option!!
 
While I'm personally more of a blued-steel-and-walnut-kind-of-guy, I do see the utilitarian beauty of the stainless/laminate setup. Should the gun laws around here be more permissive, I'd probably have a large medium bore in a more of a rugged fashion.

As for the calibre/cartridge between the 9.3x62 and the 35 Whelen - they are as close to each other as the 280 Rem is to the 7x64, and from a practical point of view it doesn't matter what you choose. (@Bob Nelson 35Whelen might be of a different optinion :) ). I'd say that ammo/component availability should dictate the choice.

"AR-VA" does not sound like saltwater/volcano/acid bath type of areas - what do you plan to hunt with it, and where?

At any rate, it's nice to see that there are options for us lefties.
 
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cmk said:
"AR-VA" does not sound like a saltwater/volcano/acid bath type of areas - what do you plan to hunt with it, and where?
Click to expand...

If I need to have a logical reason for buying a new rifle, I may have been acquiring them incorrectly in the past... ;) :D

Getting one of these is more of a indication of excitement about a new left-handed rifle in a long-action classic chambering than actual need. I want this run to be a success so they'll consider doing more of them. A lot of new left-handed rifles are chambered for modern cartridges that while technically capable (or even superior) simply don't appeal to my particular sense of nostalgia.

If it had been up to me, I would have released one (probably the 35 Whelen) as an Alaskan model and I would have released the left-handed 9.3x62 as an African model with a walnut stock, longer barrel and an ebony foreend.

But Ruger never asked for my input.
 
cmk said:
Totally agree with your sense of nostalgia regarding calibres. The newest/youngest cartridge I have a rifle chambered for is - though not by much - the 30-06.
Click to expand...

I shoot 11 different cartridges. Only one of them was designed after I was born (the 300 HAM'R in my Wilson Combat hog rifle). Seven of them were designed before my 375 H&H in 1912. I like the classics!
 
@cmk
I don't disagree at all.
Ammo choice in Europe for the Whelen would be very poor whilst the 9.3 would be common. In your case I would definitely take the 9.3.
As you pointed it they are balistcally pretty close
Both are great options.
The Whelen is a handloading dream to get the best out of it.
Bob
cmk said:
While I'm personally more of a blued-steel-and-walnut-kind-of-guy, I do see the utilitarian beauty of the stainless/laminate setup. Should the gun laws around here be more permissive, I'd probably have a large medium bore in a more of a rugged fashion.

As for the calibre/cartridge between the 9.3x62 and the 35 Whelen - they are as close to each other as the 280 Rem is to the 7x64, and from a practical point of view it doesn't matter what you choose. (@Bob Nelson 35Whelen might be of a different optinion :) ). I'd say that ammo/component availability should dictate the choice.

"AR-VA" does not sound like saltwater/volcano/acid bath type of areas - what do you plan to hunt with it, and where?

At any rate, it's nice to see that there are options for us lefties.
Click to expand...
 
odonata said:
For many years now, if a lefty wanted a CRF bolt action Ruger with iron sights or a barrel band, they really needed to love the 375 Ruger cartridge or a Guide Gun in 308 Win because otherwise, the choices were often anemic. So it's interesting that the Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan in 35 Whelen & 9.3x62 has appeared on the Ruger website. The two rifles look to be identical except the Whelen has a 1:12 twist and the 9.3 has a faster 1:10 twist. They don't appear to be on the Lipsey's site yet.

So the obvious question is "Which one do I buy?". I already have a Ruger No. 1S in 9.3x74r so do I need the 9.3x62? I don't "need" a lot of the stuff I own so that's never been a criteria in the past. I love my 30-06's (plural!) so having an upsized version can't be a bad thing if I decide to get the Whelen. As far as I know this is the first left-handed factory 35 Whelen ever produced. I can get a left-handed 9.3x62 from Sako, Steyr & Anschutz so I have options there. Buying both is the obvious solution.

But if I only bought one, which one should it be... :unsure:
View attachment 768842
Click to expand...
@odonata
Agree you don't need another 9.3 but you do NEED A WHELEN.
That and an 8# jug of CFE 223 and a bucketfull of Woodleigh 250s either RNSP or PPSP and go have fun on any big game you want to hunt.
For big bone crunching power a nice 310 grainer and a snoot full of H4350 .
Bob
 
Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@odonata
Agree you don't need another 9.3 but you do NEED A WHELEN.
Click to expand...

I sent my gun shop guy an email three days ago asking him about ordering a 35 Whelen for me. But I haven't heard back yet probably because it hasn't shown up on the Lipsey's site yet. I was just going to keep an eye on that & poke him again with a sharp stick if it appears the availability date is actually getting closer. I have found out in the past that waiting patiently for promised left-handed models to appear can be a character-building experience stretching from months into years...sometimes never. :D
 
odonata said:
I sent my gun shop guy an email three days ago asking him about ordering a 35 Whelen for me. But I haven't heard back yet probably because it hasn't shown up on the Lipsey's site yet. I was just going to keep an eye on that & poke him again with a sharp stick if it appears the availability date is actually getting closer. I have found out in the past that waiting patiently for promised left-handed models to appear can be a character-building experience stretching from months into years...sometimes never. :D
Click to expand...
@odonata
If'n it didn't have to be a crf I'm sure Savage could build you a sweet little left handed 35 Whelen in their custom shop.
Nought wrong with a Savage Whelen, that what mine is just not a custom shop.
Probably be cheaper than a Lipsey to so more money for ammo and components.
Bob
 
Beck said:
I love the way these look too, does anyone know if they ever fixed the iron sights on them?
Click to expand...

Unknown with certainty. There's some YouTube videos where shooters of the original production run fixed the problem by installing a much lower front sight insert by ordering a Ruger Guide Gun spare part as a replacement. Comments in the video I watched from February said that Ruger had started putting a spare taller rear blade in the box. I'm hopeful that knowing an adjustment needed to be made that Ruger has addressed the problem by this point. If not, it's nice to know that there are fixes though it would be annoying to have to implement one of them at this point.

AH_RugerSight.jpg


 
Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@cmk
I don't disagree at all.
Ammo choice in Europe for the Whelen would be very poor whilst the 9.3 would be common. In your case I would definitely take the 9.3.
As you pointed it they are balistcally pretty close
Both are great options.
The Whelen is a handloading dream to get the best out of it.
Bob
Click to expand...
I whole heartedly concur about the .35 Whelen and handloading. This was a load I tested last summer. You’ll have to excuse the chicken scratch writing; I finger wrote that on my phone screen. Accuracy was sub 1” at 100 yards out of my LH Sako AV with the 250gr Hornady RN.
 

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So I have a 9.3x62 and love it. Snatched up a 35 whelen when they came out and liked it. My wife bought me a Ruger Alaskan bush rifle in 9.3 for Christmas. I love the short barrel. When it is time for me to leave the house with a rifle it’s the 9.3 every time!! In fact I took the scope off the 35w to put on the second 9.3. Ballistic wise they are very similar, the 35 has a way better bullet selection of lighter bullets, but the history of the 9.3 is awesome. Plus you already have a 9.3x74, so bullets work in both
 
Chuckbuster said:
I whole heartedly concur about the .35 Whelen and handloading. This was a load I tested last summer. You’ll have to excuse the chicken scratch writing; I finger wrote that on my phone screen. Accuracy was sub 1” at 100 yards out of my LH Sako AV with the 250gr Hornady RN.
Click to expand...
@Chuckbuster
Try working up to 66 gn of CFE 223 with the same bullet for close to 2,700fps
Bob
 
Chuckbuster said:
Wow!
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@Chuckbuster
Those Hornady 250 RNSP cut clover leafs in my rifle and the on game performance is devastating to say the least.. Bang flop skin eat.
Give it a go recoil is still very manageable, but you know you have pulled the trigger compared to a factory round
Bob
 
Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@Chuckbuster
Those Hornady 250 RNSP cut clover leafs in my rifle and the on game performance is devastating to say the least.. Bang flop skin eat.
Give it a go recoil is still very manageable, but you know you have pulled the trigger compared to a factory round
Bob
Click to expand...
This has definitely piqued my interest. Can I ask where I can find load data for the combo? I went online to check Loaddata, and went to my Lee and Hornady manuals, but can’t seem to find any data for the Whelen and CFE223. Thanks.
 
Chuckbuster said:
This has definitely piqued my interest. Can I ask where I can find load data for the combo? I went online to check Loaddata, and went to my Lee and Hornady manuals, but can’t seem to find any data for the Whelen and CFE223. Thanks.
Click to expand...


Sierra

https://sierrabullets.com/load-data/

pdf file:
https://sierrabullets.com/content/load-data/rifle/357-358/35-whelen.pdf

1782062108030.jpeg


Note: This is a partial listing of the powders. See Sierra's website.


Speer

https://www.speer.com/reloading/rifle-data.html
(Scroll down the page to find .35 Whelen.)

pdf file:
https://reloadingdata.speer.com/downloads/speer/reloading-pdfs/rifle/35_Whelen_250.pdf


1782061198617.jpeg


Note: This is a partial listing of the powders. See Speer's website.


IMHO, this casts the old .35 Whelen into a brand new light.

Full disclosure: While I do own a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in .35 Whelen, I have NOT yet tried any loads using CFE 223.

Just my two cents... Cheers! Bob F. :)
 
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