35 Whelen

.35 Whelen

Back in 1922, government employees Townsend Whelen and James V. Howe of Springfield Armory developed the .400 Whelen, a wildcat formed by .30-06 configuration. During that same year, while Whelen was away on a hunting trip, Howe decided to neck the .400 on down to .35 caliber and thus created what he decided to call the .35 Whelen.

Of the many wildcat cartridges designed before World War II, the .35 Whelen along with other classics such as the .25-06, .257 Roberts, and the .22-250 number among the very few that have managed to weather the ravages of time and become factory cartridges. And since Remington had already domesticated the other three, it was only fitting that the same company add the .35 Whelen to its list in 1988. Introduced as a factory cartridge with the 200 and 250 grain loadings in Remington limited edition Model 700 Classic and Model 7600 rifles, this fine old cartridge is sure to gain new fans among shooters who didn't even know it existed in wildcat form.

With 3500 foot/pounds of energy, the .35 Whelen is more powerful than the .30-06, and quite capable of taking all North American big game. For deer size game, bullets weighing 200 to 250 grains are the best choices. With  the possible exception the Nosler 225 grain Partition, heavier bullets are better choices for larger game. For elk, moose, and bear, the Speer and Barnes 250 grain spitzers at 2500 fps deliver a ton of energy at 300 yards. When zeroed three inches high at 100 yards, both have a point blank range of about325 yards on a bull elk's vital area.

The all time classic powder for this cartridge is IMR-4064, due mainly to the fact that it works so well with all bullet weights. Two other excellent .35 Whelen propellants are H380 and IMR-4320.

Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition

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