Velo Dog
AH ambassador
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2014
- Messages
- 5,146
- Reaction score
- 8,950
- Location
- Anchorage Alaska, USA
- Media
- 83
- Member of
- NRA Life Member.
- Hunted
- Africa 7 times. And the USA - most western states including Alaska and Hawaii.
Hi again JoePiperIV,
The .35 Whelen ya, it seems to me that it would be one of the best cartridges ever, for the majority of African critters.
But for reasons unknown, it never caught on there.
Equally as puzzling, it never really caught on anywhere.
With 250 gr bullet, its reputation of dropping large animals like a .375 but with less recoil, might be well deserved.
And with 225 gr spitzers it certainly shoots plenty flat enough for longish shots at smaller targets.
I know hunters here in Alaska where I live, who own .35 Whelens, but not many.
You’d think that for N. America the .35 Whelen would be popular in the regions where moose, grizzly and bison are hunted.
And you’d think it would be popular in areas of Africa where large antelopes (eland, bongo, waterbuck, etc.) plus “the armored car of plains game” (zebra)
are commonly hunted.
I have never shot a lion with anything, much less a .35 Whelen.
But if it was legal to use on them, I would bet good money that it’d work well enough with 250 gr bullets, especially today’s bonded ones, such as the Swift A-Frame.
The .35 Whelen should’ve become popular .
I guess it could not compete with the various belted magnums.
Apparently, a large percentage of hunters seem to think a “magnum” this or that, will kill things deader than anything based on the boring old .30-06 cartridge.
Anyway, if and when you find a 1903 Springfield action, I look forward to reading up on your rifle build.
Regards,
Velo Dog.
The .35 Whelen ya, it seems to me that it would be one of the best cartridges ever, for the majority of African critters.
But for reasons unknown, it never caught on there.
Equally as puzzling, it never really caught on anywhere.
With 250 gr bullet, its reputation of dropping large animals like a .375 but with less recoil, might be well deserved.
And with 225 gr spitzers it certainly shoots plenty flat enough for longish shots at smaller targets.
I know hunters here in Alaska where I live, who own .35 Whelens, but not many.
You’d think that for N. America the .35 Whelen would be popular in the regions where moose, grizzly and bison are hunted.
And you’d think it would be popular in areas of Africa where large antelopes (eland, bongo, waterbuck, etc.) plus “the armored car of plains game” (zebra)
are commonly hunted.I have never shot a lion with anything, much less a .35 Whelen.
But if it was legal to use on them, I would bet good money that it’d work well enough with 250 gr bullets, especially today’s bonded ones, such as the Swift A-Frame.
The .35 Whelen should’ve become popular .
I guess it could not compete with the various belted magnums.
Apparently, a large percentage of hunters seem to think a “magnum” this or that, will kill things deader than anything based on the boring old .30-06 cartridge.
Anyway, if and when you find a 1903 Springfield action, I look forward to reading up on your rifle build.
Regards,
Velo Dog.
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