Does .35 Whelen offer much over .30/06.

sgt.rock said:
I always found those pumps too noisy when you have to rack it to chamber a round. Nothing spooks an animal faster than a "clackity-clack". The 7600 and the 76 "sportsman" I had both were accurate, but over complicated to clean compared to a bolt gun. They have free floated barrels so they aren't any slouch. It's just a judgement call if you want to make extra noise before you shoot. I wouldn't worry if its for moose, but I've seen a couple of deer scoot when they heard a 7600 "racked".
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I dont think I would be called a "fanboy" but I am impressed with my two pump rifles (7600 and 7615) for example moving into a stand or an area to prepare for hunting before first light with a cased and unloaded rifle is easier with a pump. No bolt handle protruding and slim projection free design lets the 7600 slip
out of the case (or gun slip) without drama. Putting a preloaded magazine in is quiet (quieter than trying to load a lot of bolts with floorplates) and working the action forward when done slowly isnt a whole lot louder than working a bolt .. and both are loud when you are operating them quickly. IF you need a second shot - its quick!

As for cleaning I always found the 7600 pretty easy too. Two pins and the trigger group drops out and and some spray CLP works the rest; a pull through does an adquate job on the barrel...if you need to go farther a drift pin will unscrew the action tube in "many" of them (not all) and everything is accessible. I much prefer to have a 7600 out in harsh weather than a lot of wood stocked bolt guns ... I like bolt guns a great deal etc and and other designs ... but I cant say I feel at a disadvantage with a pump.

Certainly the 870 crowd across North America push their pumps to the limit on opening day for duck...and they dont complain - if you're in a salt marsh and it goes overboard by accident.. just a hose down with fresh water and you are GTG.


(edit to add: another fine feature of the 7600 is that the mags all seem to work without histrionics and IF you do lose a mag - you aren't going to get raped when you buy a replacement .. or 2 or 3 ...)
 
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sgt.rock said:
I always found those pumps too noisy when you have to rack it to chamber a round. Nothing spooks an animal faster than a "clackity-clack". The 7600 and the 76 "sportsman" I had both were accurate, but over complicated to clean compared to a bolt gun. They have free floated barrels so they aren't any slouch. It's just a judgement call if you want to make extra noise before you shoot. I wouldn't worry if its for moose, but I've seen a couple of deer scoot when they heard a 7600 "racked".
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I usually carry a bolt gun with a full magazine and the bolt closed, cocked (so the initial round can be chambered with less effort) on an empty chamber, however, I shift gears when carrying a single shot, a lever action, a pump, or a semi-auto; those I carry with a round chambered and safety on. Why the difference? I'm not sure, if I carry the others "hot," logically I might as well a bolt gun hot too, I just don't, unless I'm anticipating a shot. Muzzle control is so basic and important, that it shouldn't need to be mentioned, but it applies regardless of the condition your firearm is carried in, whenever that firearm is under your direct control.

But the pump provides an advantage not shared by any other manually operated firearm. It can be cycled and subsequently fired without breaking the firing grip and without breaking your cheek-weld. When the target is at short range and moving, this represents a significant advantage, even though I'm not particularly enthused with the latest version of the Remington rifle.
 
sgt.rock said:
I think the selection of bullets in .35 is not as good as .375 or 9.3mm
Therefore if you are going to go bigger, then go bigger....................375/06 or 9.3x62
I bet once you do it, your .30-06 is going to end up unused and dusty.
Just saying.................
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sgt.rock said:
I always found those pumps too noisy when you have to rack it to chamber a round. Nothing spooks an animal faster than a "clackity-clack". The 7600 and the 76 "sportsman" I had both were accurate, but over complicated to clean compared to a bolt gun. They have free floated barrels so they aren't any slouch. It's just a judgement call if you want to make extra noise before you shoot. I wouldn't worry if its for moose, but I've seen a couple of deer scoot when they heard a 7600 "racked".
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Lol....the wife might use it for a club if I walk through the door with another rifle and I have a strange habit of not being able to sell em once I buy em.Besides, I'm a blot action man.
 
a shooting friend of mine owns one and he swears by it. He says it is the most accurate rifle in his inventory, and loves reloading for it.
 
Generally if a larger rifle is wanted , then a large selection of bullets doesn't matter .a good 225-250gr in the whelen will stomp any large animal in NA. Fantastic all around caliber for elk-moose/ bear
 
I'm in a similar position. My favorite calibers are 25 and 45 so logically I need a 35. I just can't decide what 35. The Whelen is the clear choice but I prefer being different. I know just enough guys using the Whelen to muddy the waters. it hits harder than the 30/06. Kicks less than a 338 wm. It's a woods rifle with some legs
 
grit said:
Generally if a larger rifle is wanted , then a large selection of bullets doesn't matter .a good 225-250gr in the whelen will stomp any large animal in NA. Fantastic all around caliber for elk-moose/ bear
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I don't know about "stomp". Rifles like the 416 Rigby stomp things. The Whelen will do the job pretty handily but when you get into the real heavy game like bison, more is always more.

And the 9.3x62 is always better than the 35 Whelen. Will you people never come to terms with this?
 
Kudu said:
What's the real difference between a 9.3x62 and the 35 Wheelan?
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About 0.008 in bullet diameter and of course a difference in bullet weight.
I used a 275 gr. Hornady RN in my 35 Whelen until I could no longer find any and I use a 285 gr. in my 9.3.
I have both and like them both, my 9.3 is more comfortable to carry than my Whelen because it is shorter and lighter but I have hunted with the Whelen since the 1960s so I'm still a bit partial to it.
Since my hunting has been limited to Western Canada I have yet to find any animal that could not be taken with either in spite of the fact that the 9.3 carries a bit more wallop..
 
The whelen uses a .358 bullet (9mm) and the mauser uses a .366 bullet (9.3mm) . If I recall properly the 9.3 can fit about 8 more grain and you can load the 9.3 towards the 375 H&H power level. A 286 gr bullet at 2500fts is some serious power out of a case like that. Bullets for the 9.3 can have better B.C. Than the average .35 cal bullet. You could load for the 9.3 from 232gr bullets to way up into the 320gr bullets. Both will kill and do similar jobs in North America but I prefer the 9.3 over the .35
 
The only solution is to own both the 9.3x62 and. 35 Whelen. Unfortunately, both mine are in the back of the gun safe and haven't been fired in about 5 years. Still prefer the. 358 Norma Magnum which is better than both. One of these years, I might get a hankering to to drag the Whelen or 9.3 back out, though. But for the time being, they shall remain in the time capsule in the basement.
 
Slooshark1 said:
Yes, that would be a good idea. The Whelen delivers much more energy than the 06 and the shock value of any. 35 calibre is far more than a. 30 cal.

That being said, the 30-06 is still a wonderful calibre but it's about as vanilla as you can get, and since you have 2, why not get one re barreled? If your muzzle is big enough in diameter, you could also look at having it rebored, which is what I have done in the past
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The 35 Whelen ain't no 338 Win Mag equal as some would have you believe.
On the average the Whelen cartridge might run 150-200 ft-lbs more ME than the 30-06.
In other words you could almost pizz the difference.
They both put out in the 3000 ft-lbs ME range and the Whelen trajectory isn't as flat as that of the 30-06.
I've shot some pretty big bull elk and moose with my 30-06.
I'd stick with the ubiquitous easy to get ammo and components for 30-06 Sprng.
If I hunted in areas where the great bears live I might lean toward the 35 Whelen.
Friend of mine who lives in Ketchikan AK popped a really big brownie with a hand loaded 30-06 Sprng cartridge pushing a 180 grain Nosler Partition bullet in 2010.
Dropped like an anvil in a down draft.
I wouldn't waste the money re-barreling to 35 Whelen.
 
Great points about the 9.3 but I can plink with my 35 whelen using .357-.358 pistol bullets. I've shot almost a 1000 rounds of plated .357 158 grain ammo last year in my Ruger number 1. How much live fire and trigger time are you able to put into your 9.3? I shoot my very flexible whelen all day long. I have the rifleman performance on my side :)
 
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