End of season deer with the 35whelen

[35 shooter]

Between a heavy work load and weather this winter i didn't get a chance to hunt till January.
This was my 6th hunt and today i finally caught a morning without hard swirling winds. It was almost dead calm.

At 7:30 am i blew on my doe bleat and at 8:00 am had one walk straight in to me.
I put a noe 360230 gr. fp @ 2200 fps. and tl lubed with BLL down through the top of the onside shoulder. The exit was center of the offside shoulder above the elbow.

Drt except for a couple of quick twitches! I was kind of surprised since the bhn of the ht ww was 27.

Just a small buck, but it's end of season tommorrow and was time to put some meat on the ground.

[Les Staley]

Congrats! Pictures?

[Yodogsandman]

Good shot, congratulations! Was just finishing a bowl of venison stew when I saw your post. That's the best way to get the main ingredient! Glad you got a chance to get out!

[Blammer]

I need some luck with my 35 Whelen. Ok, I need some GOOD luck...

good job

[tim338]

Nice job. I have a 35 Whelen my grandpa had started to build when he passed away. It's on a 1917 Enfield action with a E.R. Shaw barrel. I finished the rifle and shot a nice black bear with it. It was always his dream to go bear hunting and this was the rifle he was going to use. It felt pretty good doing it with his rifle.

[outdoorfan]

Hey, waytogo! It's a good feeling to put some venison on the ground when time's running out.

[TXGunNut]

Good job! Good conclusion for your 35 Whelen project! Yeah, I think your (and my) load is a bit much for a little ol' white tail but I sure like the way it gets things done! Congrats on getting some very satisfying venison in the freezer.

[Thumbcocker]

Congratulations

[Edward]

Looks like you made the most of limited hunt/fun time (congrats)

[Geezer in NH]

Great job!!! I spent the day in the cellar casting, deer has been closed close to 2 months now.

[35 shooter]

Thanks guys. I'm still cutting up meat for the grinder tonight.
It did feel good to fill the freezer before time ran out.

Yodog that stew sounds mighty good.

tim338 that's a great story about your granddad's whelen...congrats!

[35 shooter]

Good job! Good conclusion for your 35 Whelen project! Yeah, I think your (and my) load is a bit much for a little ol' white tail but I sure like the way it gets things done! Congrats on getting some very satisfying venison in the freezer.
Thanks Mike!

I was glad to see it came together for you too this year. Your results were impressive with the same boolit, so i sort of knew what to expect.

The drt with the 27 bhn boolit still surprised me though. Yea, bit much for the deer, but would be just right for Elk or Moose.

[tdoyka]

congrats!!!

[smoked turkey]

Very good ending for deer season. I have done that on the last day more than once. You did good with the Whelen. I used mine last year to shoot a buck and a doe. I then took it to Canada for a black bear. The old 3589 Lyman mould of mine makes a dandy boolit for about anything in North America save the really big bears. Congratulations and enjoy that venison.

[waksupi]

Good job.
As I have stated before, with a flat nose on a bullet, you do not need expansion.

[Idaho Mule]

As already said, great job, glad to hear of the success. I am guilty of having 35 Whelen envy for sure, would love to have one. My oldest son has an old Mauser 98 still in 8 x 57 and he has mentioned re-barreling to the Whelen. I may have to apply a little pressure on him to hurry up with the project so Dad can play with it. JW

[35Whelen]

Nice work......love reading about the Whelen and how it is such a decisive killer. Can I ask.....what were you surprised about being the bullet had a bnh of 27? Deer season here was closed nearly three months ago....so its down to the man cave for me to fiddle fart around with all things outdoors.

[35 shooter]

35Whelen

That little buck went down like he had been hit with a soft expanding boolit.
At 27 bnh i wasn't getting much if any at all expansion.

It surprised me that it could kill that instantly without expansion and also no ruined meat. I'll be eating right up to the boolit hole on this one, just like the ones i killed with the rn 358009 last year.

I love both of these boolits, but have to say the 230 fp. is awesome. I have to say the big 280 gr.rn 358009 left blood trails like i've never seen before....i have total confidence in both of these boolits!

Which ever one is in the rifle at the time will be just fine with me lol!

[Tailhunter]

At 27 bhn, if you could find the bullet, you could reload it, bet there is not a scratch on it.

[Blammer]

get the metal detector, you'll find it.

[35 shooter]

Yeah. i've got to go back one day this week to get my tree stand...i may try to to find the boolit. It would be interesting to take a look at it.

Idaho Mule, i don't think your son nor you would ever regret a whelen build on that old mauser!

[35Whelen]

35Whelen

That little buck went down like he had been hit with a soft expanding boolit.
At 27 bnh i wasn't getting much if any at all expansion.

It surprised me that it could kill that instantly without expansion and also no ruined meat. I'll be eating right up to the boolit hole on this one, just like the ones i killed with the rn 358009 last year.

I love both of these boolits, but have to say the 230 fp. is awesome. I have to say the big 280 gr.rn 358009 left blood trails like i've never seen before....i have total confidence in both of these boolits!

Which ever one is in the rifle at the time will be just fine with me lol!

Good to hear how effective both rounds have been......Ole Townsend used to say you can eat right to the bullet hole. He was right. I shot a moose once as it wheeled to turn and run...hit him in the right ham and the round exited the sternum. You could put your fist in the exit wound. But there was no bloodshot in the ham. Ole rubber nose just tipped over like he was hit by lightning.

[Mr Humble]

Building yet another 35W (have a 400W that's a keeper). Early Ruger No.1 06' being rebored.
Love my NEI heavy GC. Anxious to try it when I get the new one.

As cast and recovered from wet clay berm at 300 yards.

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z377/rocketcity1/tororeelmower18/001d13bb.jpg (http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/rocketcity1/media/tororeelmower18/001d13bb.jpg.html)

[TCLouis]

Mr Humble
How bout some facts to go with them pictures.

[Mr Humble]

Mr Humble
How bout some facts to go with them pictures.

I'm dense. can you explain ?

[taco650]

Mr Humble
How bout some facts to go with them pictures.


I'm dense. can you explain ?

Like the load you used, powder, velocity, BHN, etc. Does that help?

[35 shooter]

Like the load you used, powder, velocity, BHN, etc. Does that help?
Yep, and if you don't know the bhn, then just the alloy. That's impressive expansion for a 300 yd. shot...wow!

[Mr Humble]

Pure wheelweight, SPG lube, Hornady GC, .358 sized in SAECO, 38gr 4198, WLR primer, seated so driving band engaged lands.

Backstop is pure wet Wyoming gumbo, when dry it's like concrete.

Rifle (now sold) was an early Ruger 77 tang safe with a 4X Unertl Hawk.

The rifle:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z377/rocketcity1/tororeelmower18/DSCN3161.jpg (http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/rocketcity1/media/tororeelmower18/DSCN3161.jpg.html)

Three shot group @ 100:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z377/rocketcity1/tororeelmower18/1de991d6.jpg (http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/rocketcity1/media/tororeelmower18/1de991d6.jpg.html)

[TXGunNut]

You sold THAT rifle? Does it hurt much when you kick yourself?

[taco650]

You sold THAT rifle? Does it hurt much when you kick yourself?

Agreed!!

I have the same rifle, tang safety Ruger M-77RS, in 30-06. You don't see many with factory iron sights. I ordered mine with the irons new back 1978. Rifling is bad so it won't shoot cast very good (still fine with j-words) so when I get time & $$'s I'll probably ship it to JES for a rebore to 35W.

[Mr Humble]

Yup, sold it to finance the purchase of a Ruger No. 1 in 450 Nitro 3&1/4" that I also sold later.

Now have 8 No. 1s, all red pads with at least 3X wood. (two have English style pads)

That 77 was refinished by an automotive painter with several coats of auto clearcoat.

Here's pic from a while back when I didn't have as many (since added 1a 7x57, international 7x57 and 1b 06' out for rebore to 35W):

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z377/rocketcity1/rugerNo1s_zpsd5bd50dc.jpg (http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/rocketcity1/media/rugerNo1s_zpsd5bd50dc.jpg.html)

[taco650]

Yup, sold it to finance the purchase of a Ruger No. 1 in 450 Nitro 3&1/4" that I also sold later.

Now have 8 No. 1s, all red pads with at least 3X wood. (two have English style pads)

That 77 was refinished by an automotive painter with several coats of auto clearcoat.

Here's pic from a while back when I didn't have as many (since added 1a 7x57, international 7x57 and 1b 06' out for rebore to 35W):

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z377/rocketcity1/rugerNo1s_zpsd5bd50dc.jpg (http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/rocketcity1/media/rugerNo1s_zpsd5bd50dc.jpg.html)

You do have some nice wood on those. 450/400, haven't heard of that caliber before.

[Mr Humble]

Well to be honest no 450-400 ever left Ruger with wood like that as they were all made after Bill died and the bean counters took over. That stock came off a 1976 458 No. 1 that had been ridden hard and put away wet. About 1/2 the blue was gone and the stock had a whole lot of spar varnish slopped over it, but a perfect bore. The 450-400 was an almost new gun although it had killed 2 Buffs in Africa. I put the new wood on the 458, cleaned it up and sold it for what I paid for it (I had only bought it for the wood). The old stock went through a major restoration and went on the 450-400. That is the only way to get a No. 1 with really good figured, dense wood today.

This is the stock on the 06' off getting rebored to 35 W by Wayne York - Oregunsmithing LLC <oregunsmithing@earthlink.net>, not quite as fancy, but better than any new No. 1 and a LOT let expensive than 1200 bucks for a new one.

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z377/rocketcity1/ruger06stock_zps0gs7fueb.jpg (http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/rocketcity1/media/ruger06stock_zps0gs7fueb.jpg.html)

The 450-400 likes cast boolits as well. This .411 NEI is a bigger clone of the .358 shown earlier. I also use it in the 400 Whelen and have in a 400 H&H and a special made 40-82 w/.411 bore.

450/400 @100. Think it was 30 odd grains of 4198.

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z377/rocketcity1/450-400group_zps8f905bcf.jpg (http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/rocketcity1/media/450-400group_zps8f905bcf.jpg.html)

[35 shooter]

Nice, very nice. I like the length on that case neck too.

[taco650]

Getting off topic but I've always liked the looks of the #1's but never had a chance to shoot one. Used to think about getting a #3 and restocking it with #1 wood. Oh well, thanks Mr. Humble for posting yours.

[Mr Humble]

If you do, be sure to keep the factory wood as No. 3s are going up in value.

[taco650]

If you do, be sure to keep the factory wood as No. 3s are going up in value.

I never seem to see them for sale.

[Mr Humble]

If you Google Ruger No. 3 for sale, you will find there are plenty out there, mostly 30-40s and 45-70s. I'm bidding on three right now for sale at various auction houses.

[taco650]

If you Google Ruger No. 3 for sale, you will find there are plenty out there, mostly 30-40s and 45-70s. I'm bidding on three right now for sale at various auction houses.

Thanks for the advice!