Hello, I am new to this forum. I have many rifles/shotguns but my favorite is my 35 Whelen. It is the Remington 700 classic with a Leupold 3X compact scope mounted with burris mounts and rings. I hand load my shells using 200 grain spire points and use IMR powder (don't have specific recipe or over all legnth next to me). My question is how far is this gun accurate to? I was told that it is ineffective after 100 yards but I seem to disagree. It will shoot 1 inch groups at 50 yards all day long. If it is capable of long range shots I would like to purchase a newer variable scope for my rifle but need some assistance first. Thanks in advance.

Your cartridge, especially handloaded, is easily effective to 300 yards. Whoever has been telling you it's a hundred yard cartridge should probably be avoided for informational purposes.

Is this caliber a popular one because I am the only person around here that hunts with this type of gun, I was also wondering how much this gun is worth?

Of all the .35-caliber cartridges, you own one of the two most popular. The other being the .35 Remington. The Whelen is a useful round with a bit more oomph! for really big animals than the .270, .280, or .30-06. Its value in the game fields has diminished somewhat due to greatly superior bullets available for its smaller siblings. When the Whelen first appeared, all bullets were pretty much the same construction. The added weight of a .35 caliber 250- or 275-grain bullet could make a difference when compared to a like construction 7mm/175 or .30 cal./220 on elk, moose, etc.

As for the value of your limited production Remington, that can only be determined by its condition and what someone else is willing to spend.

Salty,
you might want to take a look at some of the lower powered variables, they are easier to use for hunting, weigh less, and the better ones have good eye relief, which is a good thing on a .35 Whelen. You really don't need more than 5-6 magnification for good accuracy out to 300 yds.

Remington just reintroduced the .350 Remington magnum, which is a ballistic twin to the .35 Whelen for all practical purposes.

I shoot a .35 Whelen Improved, so I have a fair idea of what it will do. I'm still working with it, but it's a very capable round. It won't shoot as flat as the smaller bores, but big bullets make big, deep holes in larger animals. You don't have to worry yourself about having premium bullets when a deer steps out at 50 yards, like you would with a 130gr .270, and you don't have to worry about expansion at long distance from what I've seen either. In premium type bullets, I think the Nosler Partition may be the best bullet for this round. As a side note, the factory Remington ammunition proved to be superbly accurate in my rifle when I fired a box each of the 200 and 250gr loadings while I was forming brass.

Your chambering in the .700 Classic is one of the more sought after in the classic line for hunters. What Bill said about the value is the exact truth.

If you want to get rid of the Leupold 3x compact, drop me a PM with what you want for it. I can put it to very good use.

Is this caliber a popular one because I am the only person around here that hunts with this type of gun, I was also wondering how much this gun is worth?

SALTY,

My go-to rifle for hog, deer, black bear, elk and moose is a Browning BLR '81 lever action chambered in .358 Winchester. The .35 Whelen is the 30-06 case necked up to .358" and the .358 Winchester is the .308 Winchester necked up to .358". Your .35 has an edge of about 150 fps over my .35 because it can burn, most efficently I might add, 8-9 more grains of the medium burning powders.

Many folk on this forum, as well as on other shooting forums, idolize the .35 calibers and rightly so. Our shootin' irons are in pretty good company with the likes of the .357 Rem Mag, .357 Rem Max, .35 Rem, .356 Win, .350 Rem Mag, .358 Norma Mag, and the .358 STA. Then there is a host other domestic and foreign calibers that are .358" + or - .020" that get a lot of well deserved attention.

Well, now I am going to get down off of my soap box and load up some cast 38 Specials (.358") for the next CAS shoot.

Salty,
The .35 Whelen tends to get more use in the Western states than it will back in NY. It is very good for larger critters such as elk and moose at ranges out to 300 yards. Probably a little more than you would need for whitetails or black bears. They are somewhat popular here in Alaska though they aren't currently a factory chambering as far as I know. The rarity kind of adds to the collector value. I seem to remember seeing a couple of the Remingtons going for around $500-600 on-line, used but in nice condition, though you should check that against the blue book value cause I may be remembering wrong.

Eric

thanks for all the replies, I was thinking about trading my gun (the 35) for the new winchester 270 short mag but since I shot my first deer with it I really can't bring myself to do something like that. I also did not know that people like the 35 caliber as much as I am hearing. I thought I was the only one around. Thanks a lot guys.

Salty - I've got the same rifle as you do and I've got to say that it's the rifle and caliber that I trust the most. I've got a Leupold 1.5x-5x Vari-X III with the heavy duplex in Warne QD rings and bases. I use 225 gr. Nosler partions and they will go into 1/2 - 3/4 inch groups all day at 100 yards. Who ever told you that the .35 Whelen is a 100yd cartridge is an idiot, avoid him and his opinions! When I picked up mine it had the best looking piece of walnut I'd seen on a Remington in a long time, so I put a McMillan Classic synthetic stock on and it's ready for anything! Good luck with yours.. CEJ.

Salty,

I have the same rifle in 350 Rem Mag, and it is by far the favorite of all rifles that I own. It is versitile, accuratte, and suitalble for anything on the continent, of this I have no doubt.

I load 158 grain pistol bullets for plinking and varmits, 200 grain spire points for deer, 225 grain partitions for Medium/large game that I expect to take beyond 100 yards, and 250 grain for anything bigger or closer.

I have shot mine to 300 yards with great success on paper, and would not hesistate to stretch that if the play called for it.

I love the way this rifle handles, and it has a feel and fit far superior to anything else I have handled. If for some reason I had to start parting with rifles, this one would be absolutely the last one that I would be shed of.

Let me know if you are in the notion to be shed of yours, I am sure that I could find a home for it.

Good shooting,

Steve

Specifically you asked how accurate your .35 whelen is , the only real answer to that is how well you shoot it. As to the "effective range " of the whelen it self if the ballistic tables are are to be referenced , it is a 400 yd deer and a 200 yd elk Cartridge. Mind you this is using the minimum ft/lbs on game theory which is not always exact rocket science. As to the value the 700 classics if new in the box will command a premium to those folks who are collecting the whole series. Other wise they bring about the same price as 700 BDL on the used market ,condition of gun determining how much.

444fitch

Salty,

Great rifle, great cartridge, great scope! Don't dare sell it (unless to me ;>) you will regret it. You can take any game in N. America with confidence and probably the world as well. (might be a touch light for Cape Buff but would probably serve well with the right bullet)

Quite frankly, I'm jealous!

Reb

Reb, after sleeping on it for a while before I made a quick decision I decided to keep it around. I shot my first and actually all except 2 deer with it and it really is a sweetheart of a rifle.

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have many rifles/shotguns but my favorite is my 35 Whelen. It is the Remington 700 classic with a Leupold 3X compact scope mounted with burris mounts and rings. I hand load my shells using 200 grain spire points and use IMR powder (don't have specific recipe or over all legnth next to me). My question is how far is this gun accurate to? I was told that it is ineffective after 100 yards but I seem to disagree. It will shoot 1 inch groups at 50 yards all day long. If it is capable of long range shots I would like to purchase a newer variable scope for my rifle but need some assistance first. Thanks in advance.
I have a rem. 7600 that I shot a 52" bull moose in me. at 300 yards. It took 3 shots all threw the cheast and he only went 50 yards. Tell who ever gave you the info. to pack sand!

well, I dusted off the old beast 35 whelen, didn't have to touch the scope and at 85 yards I put 3 shots within 1/2 inch of each other. I also threw a couple of 250 grain grand slams straight into the bullseye at 85 yards. Monday starts opening day here so wish me luck.