# Deer Rifle



## DeerHunter08 (May 18, 2004)

Would a 35 whelen be a good gun for deer out to 300yrds


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Not really... A 180gr bullet that is zeroed at 100 yards will be 17" low at 300. It WILL kill them if you can hit them. A .270 or larger would be a better choice for further than 200 yards.


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## OneShotOneKill (Feb 13, 2004)

Expert advise deleted by OneShotOneKill!


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## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

Actually, a 35 whelen can be loaded for 300 yds plus, zeroed at about 225-250 yds will give you a lot better trajectory. (I'm at work and don't have my reference books with me.) It won't be PBR (point blank range), but will be do-able. If you are thinking of heavier game in the future, it would be an excellent choice. The 35 calibers for some reason have never been popular, and nobody can come up with a good reason why. Suitable bullets are available from 180 to 250 gr, with even heavier cast bullets, for a reloader, and I assume you will reload, as it is not going to be readily available in factory loads. I have a 358 (a slightly smaller cousin built on the 308) and have had excellent results on deer. My only problem is that I wanted a deep woods gun so I opted for a short barrel (18 1/2 in) so I gave up some velocity, but can't shoot that far myself well anyway, so I'm not giving up much. You might be surprised that you will get higher starting velocities with less recoil from the same bullet weight vs a 30-06, although it won't hold the velocity as well. I load 3 bullet weights, 180 gr for regular deer, 225 gr for eastern bear, 250 gr partitions for serious work. Mine is for short to medium range, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the 35 whelen. Get a full length (24") barrel. :sniper:


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

I like the Whelen a lot. Mine is an improved version of the Whelen, and I get about 2830fps with the Nosler 225gr BT. It will and does work very well for game out to 300yds. To me, the 225's are the best compromise in weight and velosity. They will hold on to their speed much better than the 180-200's, and not give up much in engery compaired to the 250's. The standard Whelen with 22" of barrel should get about 2600fps if you use the 225's and handload. Factory stuff is getting harder to find, and mostly limmited to 200 and 250's. The 35's are under rated and will perform very well close to the 338 Win when you look at the numbers. Also, the 358 can be loaded up to about 2450fps with the 225's, and will work very well from 0-250yds. I Also have a 358, a Whelen improved, and had a 358 Norma for a little bit. Try one you will like it more than you thought you would.


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