scope my .35 Whelan

john-brennan said:
I should rephrase my comment, i consider 300 yards the whelens realistic limit, farther if you are a good shot so a 2x7x33 would be perfect in my opinion, not to say a 3x9 is'nt fine it is just not necessarily needed. It all depends on what type of hunting you do and how long of shots you are capable of.
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I hear ya John:) ...a 2-7X would probably work great with the lowest setting being a bit better for stalking thru the woods...which I do from time to time...I tried mounting a 2.5-8X Leupold on mine but the short scope really doesn't mate well with a long action....you need use an extension base to move the front ring rearward and I really don't like the esthetics of the setup...I like the front ring centered on the receiver ring....so I put the 2.5-8X on my 350 Rem Mag...looks just right on there.
 
Like a lot of my hunting rifles, my 35 Whelen has a 6X Leupold on it. Light and sturdy, it gets the job done. Big enough FOV to see even really close up. Regards, Eagleye.
 
I guess the answer to the question has more to do with where you hunt than what caliber rifle you are hunting with.

Out west in open country a 6 power fixed would be great, but here in NB, the low powered scope are best suited to the task.




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I like a larger objective... 40mm is going to be brighter than a 33mm especially on lower powers in close/dark quarters.
A 2-7 or a 3-9 Leup would be my first choice. The rifleman series are inexpensive and good quality.
 
Damn, quite the range of opinions here. Might just have to sit back and see what comes along in the classifieds. I'm leaning toward the lower end of things, since this may well end up as a loaner rifle for bear clients, and I don't need them getting caught sitting over a bait with the thing dialled up to 9X! I'll grab the 7 RM if I feel the need to reach too far.
 
Moose and bear are large targets, your estimate of a (1-2)-(4-7) is spot on. Depending on the weight of the rifle, you may want something with a long-ish eye relief, so you don't get smacked. Get something quality, but don't worry about benchrest-grade optics, you don't need to worry about 1" or so zero drift. For a hunting rifle, I'd worry more about water-proofing, fog resistance, and robustness. Expect to spend $300-400. I'm not a big fan of optics with huge objectives - the bigger it is, the more the stress multiplies on the scope, and the better it has to be built to withstand recoil; thus the more expensive.
 
I'd even consider some sort of shotgun scope- I've heard good things about a 1x-4x Nikon... There do seem to be quite a few used 2x-7x leupolds floating around- I might be tempted to pick one up and then ship it off to Korth for a heavy reticle of some sort.
 
be careful that most, if not all shotgun scopes, are set for paralax around 75 yards IIRC

Id stick to a lower power variable for a centerfire rifle, or a fixed 4x
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I have a 2-7x33mm on my .338-06. seems to be an excellent variable for this rifle. it would suit yours well too. I have considered going to a fixed 4x or 6x though.

all things being equal a 40mm with be brighter then a 33mm. but that only happens in LaLa land. buy a high end 33mm scope and it will still be brighter then most 40mm's.
 
I have two .35's
I have a VXIII 1.5-5 on the Ruger #1 (custom) I use for stalking and tracking in the bush.
I have a Zeiss 3-9x40 on the Remington 700 Classic. Use that one for early morning / late evening stand hunts in clearings / fields.
Both seem to me nearly ideal for the intended purpose.
 
Mine wears a VX III 3.5-10X40, sweet optics on it, equal to the Zeiss Conquest. It looks good, not over sized, and the Leupolds are a very light scope, doesn't add a lot of weight. Working on building another 35 on a Parker hale clip action, will use a Leupold VX II 3-9X40 on this one.
 
A VXII 3-9X40 matte on mine.
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Guess I 'm the odd man out have had a Bushnell Scopechief 2.5x8 with BDC on it for nie on 20+ yrs now and its never let me down. I can ring the gong out to 500 meters with no problems at all with a 250 grn speer hot core. Bizjck was here visiting and let him try it out and he was impressed with that old scope and how well the BDC worked as he worked his way from 100-500 with it:))) He now has 2 whelens :)))) I have used both 2.5 and 8 power and have found it great to be able to cover in close with the 2.5 and the 8 for longer shots.
 
That 35 of mrpike's is one sweet gun. Those old Bushnells are good scopes, other than I wish they had a bit more eye relief. Yes indeed we were ringing the 500 at the Heffley range with a 35 imp. whelen. 250 gr at just over 2700 is a potent combo. I would actually take one of the old Scopechief's over the new Elites, nice optics and tough scopes.
 
My new 700CDL in 35 Whelen is sporting a Leupold Euro 30 in 2-7 X 33mm with Burris 30mm Signature rings c/w poly inserts in low height.

It's waiting for me at home when I get back from holidays, thanks to the help of Art and Tika..

Ricky
 
I have a 2x8x32 Balvar bausch and Lomb Compact and it would look nice on it give me a pm and I will send you some pic thanxs
 
My opinion is that it depends on the rifle and the use. There are .35 Whelen's built in featherweight versions that would be unbalanced (not to mention silly looking) with a humungous scope on top. And there are heavier rifles built in this caliber on which a bigger scope would be perfectly appropriate.

And then, of course, there's the use. If most of your hunting is close, the lower ranges of powers make more sense. If your hunting can be longer distances, then the higher ranges of scope powers make more sense.

There is no one "right" scope.

For myself, all my rifles, .35 caliber or otherwise, wear Leupold 3x9 compacts with custom reticles done by Premier Reticle. They don't have the "light gathering capability" - but if I need that kind of help to see my target, I won't be shooting anyways. A scope is something you look through for the few moments it takes to make the shot; nothing more and nothing less.

Thats what works for me and my hunting situations; many others will be in something completely different.
 
I have a Leupold VXll 2to7 x 33 on my 35 a couldn't be happier. I tend to keep it set on the low end on account of the grizzlies in the moose woods, and if it's a longer shot, there is likely to be lots of time to turn it up to 7.
 
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