Fellow Rifle Grumps,
The .35 Whelen when loaded with 250 grain round nosed softs should be immensely popular for the majority of hunting conditions in most if not all hunter friendly countries of Africa.
And for the less common, open grassveld and sparse foliage desert conditions, when loaded with a 225 grain spitzer, it likewise should be immensely popular.
But for reasons unclear, it has never caught on with most traveling hunters.
My best guess is that, a large percentage of hunters visiting Africa seem enamored with the .300 Winchester, especially my fellow North Americans.
We like to go fast, LoL.
Indeed the various .300 magnums, including the Winchester version, loaded with 180 - 200 grain spitzers, are about perfect for extremely long shots at thin skinned game, world wide.
Old Velo Dog’s #1 favorite long range (for me that’s out to about 400 meters) hunting cartridge is the .300 H&H Magnum / 180 gr spitzer.
My 2nd favorite for long shots is the 7MM Remington Magnum / 160 gr spitzer.
However again, if one cannot hit a typical dinner plate size target, out to 350 - 400 paces, with a scoped Whelen / 225 grain load, he need not buy a .300 Magnum.
Instead, he needs to practice.
And again, in the more common Africa hunting conditions (thorn forest) the .35 Whelen / 250 grain load is far superior to any .30 caliber cartridge, IMO.
On smaller species, such as reedbok, bushbuck, impala, duiker, etc., the Whelen 250 grainers, at close range are easier on delicious game meat and keepsake animal skins.
On the larger species, the moderate velocity 250 gr .35 caliber round nosed bullet, predictably breaks eland, zebra, waterbuck, etc., shoulder bones quite reliably.
Now having said all that, yours truly does not have a .35 Whelen.
But, it is only because I already own a 9.3x62 Mauser.
It is my opinion that the Whelen is more versatile, due to its ability to shoot the 225 grainers for open country longer shots and yet the 250 grain load, by reputation, seems to be close to or perhaps even about the same in effectiveness as the 9.3x62, for large thin skinned game at close range.
In the 9.3x62, even back when bullets were not in short supply, the lighter 232 grain semi-spitzer was scarce if not rare, here in Alaska where I live.
For .35 caliber bullets, 225 grainers (among other weights as well) we’re very common on my local gun store shelves.
However, only the 286 grain 9.3 bullet was very common here.
In fact now, even with ammunition shortages, I have seen several boxes of 9.3x62 / 286 grain live cartridges for sale, here lately.
Anyway, blah blah blah, out.
Velo Dog.
