35 Wellen on ground hogs

[Johnch]

I was out fire forming 250 35 Wellen cases out of 270 cases that I picked up at the range ( FREE )
Using 200 gr cast bullets and some AA2230C

I loaded the rounds just hot enough to fill them out when fired
Not even sure of the velosity , but around 1800 fps is my guess
It turned out to be accurate , but after 40 or 50 I needed to clean out the lead build up .
I was plinking at some gongs at 100 yds , when I saw a ground hog feeding just in front of the 250 yd back stop
Well , we arn't suposed to shoot anything but paper or the gongs .
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBut there was just 3 of us there
An other member and his 14 year old son
They quickly got their spotting scope on it and told me to shoot it .
I don't have to be told twice
Well I found I had guessed right on the hold over , it died of a perment head acke

Well after a few min another ground hog was spotted not 10' from the dead one
I Ask if the boy would like to take the shot
Dad agreed and the boy was more than happy
I put in the right clicks

Well the boy is a good shot and he did in his ground hog
We were talking about going down range and burrying the carcases , when the boy saw another come out at the other end of the back stop
I handed him another round , well he jerked the trigger and shot just over it
But the dumb ground hog just stood up and looked at us
I handed him another round , well he didn't miss this time

We put up the range closed flag and went down , burryed them behind the berm .
When we looked back , 3 more cars were pulling up to the gate
1 was the presedent , he would have given me a hard time about the RULES if he would have seen the dead ground hogs
After I finished fireforming the last of the cases , several of us went down range to pick up targets
There were some laughs about all the red grass :roll: [smilie=1: [smilie=1:

I guess I will have to put the 35 Wellen in the truck more often , when I cruse for ground hogs
Just have to be carefull of the back stop

Johnch

[nicholst55]

Some might consider that overkill... but not if they're Whelen fans! :drinks:

I absolutely love my Whelen - I call it my 'bang-plop' gun, coz it kills stuff D-E-A-D!

[9.3X62AL]

I did some similar stuff with the 9.3 x 62, fire-forming 35 Whelen cases using 9mm Makarov bullets (Hornady XTP's). Those pistol bullet did BAD THINGS to jackrabbits at 2600-2700 FPS.

[grumpy one]

We must have a more peaceful style at our local range here in Melbourne. Last time I was there - as usual on a Monday, to escape the weekend crowding - there were about 8 of us shooting I guess. After half an hour I noticed a movement more or less from the corner of my eye, about 40 yards down range, and yelled "ROO". It probably took the range officer less than two seconds to verify the report and yell "CEASE FIRE", and we all watched it kind of hop lackadaisically across the range, scouting for sustenance. Once it was about 20 yards off-range on the far side the range officer yelled "COMMENCE FIRING" and that was the end of it. It's not uncommon for them to drift across the range at the 200 yard mark, but it's normally during cease fires. I've never seen one cross at bayonet range before, but nobody seemed upset about the interruption in shooting. Of course the Monday crowd are a bit different from the weekend people.

[DanWalker]

I shot prairie dogs at close range with my whelen. I used 148gr hbwc's loaded backwards over a couple grains of red dot and filled the rest of the case with tumbling media.
never chrono'd the load, but it was quieter than a pellet gun and had no recoil.
I shot a p-dog in the mouth from about 25 yards away with one. Saw his teeth fly out the back of his head.
GREAT urban pest elimination load.

[lovedogs]

Those .35 Whelen's are something else. I had a beauty once. It was a '98 barreled with a McGowan tube (to the .35 Whelen Imp.) in a nice Herter's stock. Real good shooter, too. It shot Hornady 200 gr. SP's and Speer 250 gr. to the same place at 100 yds.

I, too, had to see what it'd do to little critters. When it hit prairie dogs they just rolled over backwards several times. A coyote shot running broadside at about 150 yds. did likewise. He just started rolling over sideways. Then he got up and ran another 100 yds. before expiring.

Though not perfect for antelope I shot one once for a friend whose '06 had gotten it's scope bumped, causing him to shoot the goat in the hind leg. Couldn't let it get away wounded so I popped it with the Whelen. It, too, rolled sideways and landed feet straight up, very dead. It worked good though. One of those wounds that allowed you to eat right up to the hole there was so little bloodshot.

Then there was the day a nice muley stood behind a tree, thinking it was safe. The Speer 250 gr. put a quarter-sized hole through the tree, killed the deer, and is still going for all I know.

A friend wanted it so badly I sold it to him. Now I wish I'd kept it. That Whelen Improved was quite a piece. I wish I could have tried it on elk as it would have been just right for them.

[Johnch]

Well I am going to try something later in the week to make the Wellen a better varmit cart.

I loaded some 150 gr cast hollow point bullets at 1800 fps ( guess)
If they hit the paper in 1 peice and group 1/2 way decant

They should cut a ground hog in 1/2



I see all these guys shooting fast 7 mm and 30 cal rifles on deer and they loose whole front quarters
The deer I shot with the old 35 Wellen a few years back
I could hold all the wasted meat in 1 hand and most of it was from hitting the off shoulder on the way out

It went 2 or 3 steps
Can't ask for much better proformance

Johnch

[lovedogs]

Yeah, those Whelen's are good 'uns. I wish I'd never sold mine. I've tried to buy it back twice and the guy won't do it. I shoulda known better!