My Latest Purchase 35 Whelen

[Rob404]

Pretty sure the BDL was chambered in .35 Whelen in small numbers, but also in the Classic and the CDL later one.

Thats what my research showed, a few years later they offered 35 Whelens in full production but in a less deluxe version, I'm going to call Remington when I can give the Rifle a full inspection, The manager of Cabelas Gun Library knew the guy and said he bought the rifle new

 

[D.M.V]

that's a beautiful rifle the stock looks like it will clean up nice the checkering is a really nice pattern. Mine is a custom CZ shoots really nice. I hear ya on the odd caliber I get into fix myself.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Congrats, great cartridge Rob! I've got a CDL and a Classic 35 Whelen. Also got a 375 Whelen Improved which I have been obsessed with for the past few months. Can't wait to get some proper head stamped brass and take it for plains game.
I've shot a couple elk with the whelen and it has done a great job for me.
The odd cartridges keep the reloader interested and are just fun to experiment with.
Cheers,
Cody

 

[Shawn.54]

As a comparison this is the col of my 35whelen with 225 ab and my 375 Ruger at col of 3.330

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

About 5 years ago, when I was living in Houston, a buddy of mine was going to go on a spring black bear hunt with me to Montana. He said he planned to bring his Thompson Contender in 35 Whelen. I had heard of the round, but didn't really know anything about it. He said the reason he bought it was it was legal to use in his home state of Mississippi during the primitive weapon season (formerly known as muzzle loader season). I did a little research and found that the 35 Whelen is basically a necked up 30-06. My first thought is how can something newer than an 06 be considered "primitive?"

In Louisiana, the law for primitive gun season in part reads: Also legal are single-shot, breech-loading rifles of at least .35 caliber having an exposed hammer that uses metallic cartridges loaded either with black powder or modern smokeless powder.

Well, it turns out several states adopted this same stance and it has made the 35 Whelen the go to round.

 

[Shawn.54]

That is strange I have found that the Whelen can do anything the 06 can do plus. And it's "primitive too"!!
In Pa primitive is a flintlock with open sights and up until recently had to be patched round ball.

 

[Shawn.54]

Rob404
I was looking on gun broker they have a 700 bdl with the black caps like yours if you get a chance drop the floor plate and measure the follower and let me know how long it is.
I'm wondering if it has same magazine dimension as my classic.
(I mean my sons)
Shawn

 

[Art Lambart II]

Rob,

My Whelen really like the 200 grn Hornady Superformance load, a box of 20 runs between $29 and $34 depending where you buy it. It's a great load for deer and hog, try it you wont be sorry.

 

[Rob404]

Rob404
I was looking on gun broker they have a 700 bdl with the black caps like yours if you get a chance drop the floor plate and measure the follower and let me know how long it is.
I'm wondering if it has same magazine dimension as my classic.
(I mean my sons)
Shawn

My plan is to pull the Whelen apart and do a complete inspection as soon as I pick it up from the FFL,and I'll get the measurements you need

 

[bluey]

you love your tinkering , young fella
nice gun

 

[Rob404]

you love your tinkering , young fella
nice gun

Hi Bluey how they hanging

 

[ZG47]

I The only complaint I ever had was that the extra long magizen allowed shells get a running start in it and recoil made a mess of lead tips 3 shots would flatten last 2 in mag to the point that it affected accuracy

Bullet damage can be avoided by soldering a couple of strips of metal, one each side, to the walls of the magazine, slightly forward of where the case shoulders sit.

 

[Rob404]

My plan is to pull the Whelen apart and do a complete inspection as soon as I pick it up from the FFL,and I'll get the measurements you need

I dis assembled the rifle today after I picked it up from the FFL Dealer the mag Box measures 3.75" hope it helps

 

[sestoppelman]

Odd they used such overlong mag boxes in those guns. The Whelen has the same listed OAL as most other '06 length rounds. I like a long box if the chamber is long as well, for seating bullets out. Most rifles with long throats have std mag lengths and cant take advantage of the long throat, only good for single loading. Box length in my Ruger Whelen is the normal 3.35".

 

[Shawn.54]

The Rem 700 has the long chamber to mach the mag in the past I used a 280gr cast bullet that looked really odd when you set the bullet just off the riflleing but shot like a dream. When my son wanted my Whelen I looked at the Ruger and noticed that it had the standard box I decided that I didn't want to deal with reloading for 2 different col my dies are set.
If I see another 700 at a good price I will get it.
I will say that when Remington made it a standard cartridge that was under loaded so bad that it was only slightly better than the 35 Rem and that is part of the reason it did not do well now I see it has been picked up by others so I hope they use it to its full potential.

 

[Shawn.54]

Remington also chambered 35 Whelen in the 7600 pump but it has a standard magazine and my hand loads don't fit a relative of mine was going to use my loads but they are longer than the mag.

 

[Steve Steyr]

Great decision to get the .35 Whelen. Makes no difference whether it was 1983 or 1988 or 1656, it's one of the greatest calibers ever devised.
I took my Remington 700 Classic .35 Whelen to Zimbabwe in 2001. It slew everything like lightning. My PH was so impressed, he would grab it and leave me with his pre-64 Model 70 .375! He also said if I wanted to return and hunt Cape buffalo, he would sign the waiver to allow me to use the Whelen.
My load was the original top charge of RL15 from the Accurate Manual behind a 250 grain Nosler Partition and that load reduced 2 grains behind a 250 grain Swift A-Frame. The Nosler Partition clocked 2586 fps and the Swift clocked 2536 fps. Both loads shot to the same point at 100 yards and shot at 1", + or -.
I hope you enjoy and appreciate your .35 Whelen as well as I have enjoyed mine. You have the power of a .338 Win Mag with the recoil of a stoutly loaded 30-06.

 

[Rob404]

Great decision to get the .35 Whelen. Makes no difference whether it was 1983 or 1988 or 1656, it's one of the greatest calibers ever devised.
I took my Remington 700 Classic .35 Whelen to Zimbabwe in 2001. It slew everything like lightning. My PH was so impressed, he would grab it and leave me with his pre-64 Model 70 .375! He also said if I wanted to return and hunt Cape buffalo, he would sign the waiver to allow me to use the Whelen.
My load was the original top charge of RL15 from the Accurate Manual behind a 250 grain Nosler Partition and that load reduced 2 grains behind a 250 grain Swift A-Frame. The Nosler Partition clocked 2586 fps and the Swift clocked 2536 fps. Both loads shot to the same point at 100 yards and shot at 1", + or -.
I hope you enjoy and appreciate your .35 Whelen as well as I have enjoyed mine. You have the power of a .338 Win Mag with the recoil of a stoutly loaded 30-06.

Yea Steve Thats one of the reasons I decided to look at a 35 Whelen and at 8.5 LBs scoped It will definitely be in my case when I go back to Africa. We've had so much rain this week in Minnesota I'll have to wait til the following Sunday to give it a test drive, I have a hunch at 8.5lbs it will give a bit of a thump

 

[35bore]

I have a hunch at 8.5lbs it will give a bit of a thump

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the recoil. I've had 06's kick harder. My classic is a pleasure to shoot.

 

[Ray B]

It should have tow or three letters stamped into the port side of the barrel just ahead of the receiver. these will show the month and year the rifle was made. the 35 Whelen is a great cartridge. When I was looking into getting a larger bore rifle in the early 80s the problem was very few good hunting bullets were made in .358" so I got the .338/06AI. Had I waited a few years I could have gotten a 35 and bullets by Nosler, Swift and a few others were available. I hope you do well with your rifle, it is from a time when Remingtons contained a lot of pride in their making.