.338 or 35 Whelan

randrash said:
Either gun would be a model 700 bolt action. The .338 would be an XCR. I rarely shoot need to shoot past 300 yards, but would like the extra power to get up to 400 if needed. My main concern is being able to drop a moose, and more importantly stop a charging grizzly at less than 50 yards.
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If you are looking at the occasional 400 yard shot, then go with the .338WM.

Now - I have settled on the .35 Whelen myself, after owning two different .338's and deciding that "I didn't need that much power...:rolleyes:" (read recoil) and I do find the Whelen to be a whole lot friendlier at least so far from limited shooting at the range from the bench.

Good luck with your choice - Jeff/1911.
 
Ode to the 338-06

I thought when A Square came out with the 338-06 it would set the world on fire. I thought it would seriously bite into the 338WM market, as it offers similar performance under most hunting conditions and does so with a lot less recoil, powder and noise. I also thought the A Square round woud burry any thought of the Whelen in the mind of the discriminating shooter.

I cannot understand why Weatherby dumped the chambering in their rifles and the cartidge seems consigned to oblivion. The 338 Federal is a lot less flexible and a distant second choice when speaking of decafinated magnums.

Too bad things turned out this way. I like the nostalga of the Whelen, but the superior bullet selection gives the 338-06 the edge. You cannot buy a factory rifle in this chambering, and ammo is practically impossible to find, except at Weatherby outlets and at insane prices. Who can figure why?

Big
 
Wow, the 338 win mag does it hands down better than the whelan could?
Did you guys read this #### before you wrote it?
You really think that .020 of an inch, and 100 FPS make the 338 the hands down winner? The slight difference in SD makes it a hands down winner?
SD dont mean #### all shooting game out to 400 yards for all intensive purposes...

So what a .358 225 accubond bleeds off a hundred more FPS @ 400 yards than the 338. Is it going to make any difference on game @ 400?
I dont think so.
The Whelan is more efficient, has the ability of handling the same weight bullets as the 338 win mag, and does so within 100 FPS...
That being said, I still own a 338 win mag.
Neither are a hands down winner... What one excels in, the other excels in another area.
For hunting, you wouldnt notice a stitch of difference using comparable bullets at the same ranges.
Both are excellent big game cartridges
 
Since hunting is usually done from 40 yds to 150 yds, I do not see how anyone can consider the .35 Whelen "anemic". :confused:

Either or; you cannot go wrong with either the .35 Whelen or the .338WM.
 
Since you want 400 yd reach then go .338, with a 2.5 X 8 leupy, if you want to really lay some big lead down fast go with the Whelen in a 7600, with a 1.5 X 5 leupy. I've got both and still use my Featheweight 06 the most go figure.

Homesteader
 
Well, if you don't want a Rem CDL .35whelen, then get a .338WM, most manufacturers list one in their lineup. Nobody else lists a whelen.:rolleyes:
 
As said elsewhere, if you load, get the Whelen. Otherwise, get the .338 WM.

As for better bullet selection for the .338 over .358, that's not relevant. All of the bullet manufacturers offer a good selection of quality bullets in both calibers.

Actually, as long a Nosler keeps making their Partitions in my caliber, I'm happy.
 
Northman999 said:
And then you've got all your excellent .338 bullets to chose from. Really not a choice.
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I've heard people pull this one out before that there is a much better selection of 338cal bullets compared to 35cal. I did a quick check of the latest WS catalogue and a couple of web sites counting hunting style bullets offered from the major bullets makers. I counted a total of 25 .338cal vs 21 358cal different bullets. The difference isn't worth metioning. :rolleyes:

I'm not so daffed to think the .338 isn't better in some respects than the 35Whelen. Just look at the size difference in the cases. A better comparision would be the 358Norma vs the 338Win.

Both are excellent for the purpose they were designed for.


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Theres a hell of a deal on an XCR in 338WM in the EE right now....tempting me a lot for the price.....its unfired with rings. See "Lorne" about it as he has it posted......

I had an aqaintance just bought a 338WM in an XCR a few weeks ago....he seems to think that now he can shoot 500 yards with it, yet probably only shoots 2 boxes of ammo in a year. Topped it with a 4.5-14x50....crazy big scope for a 338....and is too stubborn to realize that you gotta practice to shoot at 500....said he's afraid of recoil already...hasnt even shot it....lol

I'd go 338 if I was you making the decision...and take a look at that XCR in the EE.....good deal for sure....
 
A couple thoughts...

I had to make this decision about 5 years ago. Since I handload, I ended up going with a 358 Norma, it seemed like the best of both worlds. I still think it was. But the difference between it and the 338 is probably invisible in the bush.

My rifle, built by Bill Leeper on a M70 classic stainless action, weighs in at 8 1/4 pounds. And my pet load is the Barnes 225 grain TSX, loaded to just over 2900 fps. I bring this up because more than one CGN'er has talked up large caliber rounds, then after trying my rifle decided against it. It does kick a bit, and takes some practice to be good with it. The 338 and 358 cal magnums are not 20-round-a-year guns. In the field you don't notice the recoil, but it takes practice to be able to apply that power. It's hard to take that prone shot at a moose without flinching if in the back of your mind you're wondering if the scope ocular is going to take your head off when you squeeze the trigger.

If I had to do it over, I'd still go Norma. I use 300 Win brass necked up, so it's no more difficult to load for than the Whelen or 338. But if I was more practical I could put together a very similar 338 for half the cost, which makes a whole lot of sense.

Finally, all the talk about "bullet choices". For any rifle that I own, I want two loads. First, a cheapie bullet for practice. Speer Hot Core, Hornady Interlock, etc. Second, the best hunting bullet I can get my hands on. Providing I can get a Barnes TSX, NP, North Fork, etc., and my rifle likes that bullet, I'm good to go. Who really cares if you can't choose from 127 different offerings?

P.S. We all know this, but don't forget that if you run a 35 cal you can use REALLY cheap pistol bullets for 1500 fps loads that are recoilless and awesome for practice and grouse.
 
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DarrylDB said:
The Whelan is more efficient, has the ability of handling the same weight bullets as the 338 win mag, and does so within 100 FPS...
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If you can get a 225 grain bullet to 2850 fps out of your Whelen--at SAAMI pressure--I will eat the hat of your choice.

Look the Whelen is great, but it's not within 100 fps unless you're comparing the hottest .35 handloads with the most mediocre of factory .338 offerings. It's a simple matter of case capacity.

Does that mean the Whelen is crap? God no, it's a fantastic cartridge. But if you're guiding and looking for the occasional 300+ yard shot, then even Townsend would reach for the Alaskan.
 
Some much BS here, especially from those that post BS generated ballistic data comparing a lame .338 to a hyped up .358 bullet. For your needs....either will do a fantastic job, get a current reloading manual, do away with the BS, either will serve the needs that you have described very well.
 
One question that does come to mind is the rifle. Are you going with something off the shelf? Or, are you looking to have something special put together?

Factory offerings certainly give you a much greater choice of 338 win mags. If you don't like what Remington has to offer in 35 whelen, then by default you're going to be packing a 338.

However, if you're into rebarreling, semi custom, or a custom rifle, then the issue becomes a little more complicated. Afterall, a moose killed with one is just a s dead as a moose killed with the other, so your choice is dependant on how much micro-analyzing you wish to do and how much importance you place on the impracticle differences between the two. In the end, if you are just happier with a 35 Whelen, for your own reasons, then by all means fill your boots.

Personally, I don't care for Remingtons and am not drawn to the 35 Whelen (despite all of its great characteristics which make it a near perfect round for the country I live in) so I have two 338's; albeit one of them will eventually become my new 358 Norma.
 
Good point NWThunter, my .338 may fall victim to my .375 H&H, and end up on the EE forum, who knows. Still the .375 still has to prove itself though 'cause the .338 has proven itself deadly out to .420 yds. on last year's elk. Big shoes to fill.
 
Bishopus said:
If you can get a 225 grain bullet to 2850 fps out of your Whelen--at SAAMI pressure--I will eat the hat of your choice.

Look the Whelen is great, but it's not within 100 fps unless you're comparing the hottest .35 handloads with the most mediocre of factory .338 offerings. It's a simple matter of case capacity.

Does that mean the Whelen is crap? God no, it's a fantastic cartridge. But if you're guiding and looking for the occasional 300+ yard shot, then even Townsend would reach for the Alaskan.
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Listen, Im not going to get into a BS ballistic comparison, but judging from your post, we're on the same page... Some loads are allmost Identical with 250's (velocity wise) less than 100 FPS difference, and some as high as 265FPS... BTW, I dont get 2850 FPS out of my 24 inch barrel in front of 225 gr X's... Yet, its not above max.

point is, the 338 is .020 smaller, and the 358 comes in the same bullet weights that the 338 comes in... The 338 win mag has a bit more powder capacity, but the 35 whelan is much more efficient...

YOu can go back and forth all day, but to call one a clear winner is literal BS... Nothing more than opinion, and favourites of each of us...
I personally love 35 caliber rifles, but dont own one right now... I have a 338 win mag though, and Im not parting with it thank you. :D

BTW, you shouldnt be taking the occasional 3-400 yard shot if your not brused up on shooting that distance... With a shooter comfortable with their tool, and caliber, they should be able to make the shot whether it be a 35 whelan, or a 338 win mag...
If we're talking hail mary, neither is a good option...

I just wanted to add in light of NWT's post that the 338 does have an advantage of being chambered in more rifles than the 35 Whelan (or any other 35 for that matter)
But this isnt enough for me to make something better. Just more available.
 
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Bishopus said:
5 inches less drop @ 300 yards and 800 lbs more energy at the muzzle is 'nothing more than opinion'? That's one big, juicy, energetic opinion :onCrack:
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Where do you get your balistics from? If you use the numbers I posted earlier and they are both maximum loads (not max .35 vs wimpy .338) you get 2" less drop @ 300 yds and about 300 Lbs of energy at the muzzle. The .338 has the edge but it's a small edge.
 
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