35 Whelen question.

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pinotguy

New member
I have a sneaking suspicion that I already know the answer to this question, BUT I feel compelled to ask. Is the grand ol' 35 Whelen (with the proper load) OK for Wyoming pronghorn? I know it's a lot of gun, it starts to resemble a mortar at ranges of 250+ yards, and it's tailored for larger game. Currently though, it's the only suitable rifle I have (I'm more of a handgun guy).

We would be heading out in about 3 weeks so I have a little time to fine tune things. I won't be working up a load, rather I am looking at using some factory ammo with a 200-gr. bullet. Specifically I've narrowed it down to either the Remington Core-Lokt or the Double Tap Barnes TSX. I am well aware that other cartridges are much better for this scenario but this hunt snuck up on me and this is the situation.

Thanks in advance.
 
Sounds like the perfect excuse to go get another rifle :D

Sorry, just had to chime in. I have absolutely no valid information to answer your question. Heck, I can't even come up with re-hashed, half-true, quasi-knowledge that I learned on the internet to answer that.

Know your range limit and stick to it, I think you'll be fine. Heck, guys kill them with bows, including stalking - not just sitting water holes.
 
Use the .35 Whelen just for bragging rights. When your buddies settle on that long shot all you have to say is "What couldn't you get any closer." Your job of getting a pronghorn might be a little harder but I've killed all mine inside of 200 yards, they really are not that hard to get if you take your time and don't rush things. Remember you have all day to hunt pronghorn.
 
Pinot, I've seen the .35 Whelen absolutely hammer a good-sized deer. I don't recall any excessive meat damage, etc.

I just remember it was quick.

It should work fine on the prong.
 
What rifle you useing???

The basic case is the 30-06, so then rebarreling could be done to a different round, .270win, 7MM Mauser, .308Win etc..
 
Time would be the factor here for re-barreling with 3 weeks to go until the hunt. I agree that that is a choice but if I went that way I'd have had it done months before the hunt. It would be faster and probably cheaper to just buy another rifle in a different caliber and spend the spare time at the range than to wait on a re-barrel at this point and time.

BTW on your ammo choices I'd just go with the Core-Lokt as they will not explode at 35 Whelen velocities. You shouldn't have much damage to the meat as long as you stay out of the shoulders. Pronghorn die pretty easy when shot in the vitals there is no need to break down shoulders.
 
Should be fine... A guy I know does ALL his hunting with a .35 Whelen. Seems to work for him ;) Although he has only used that gun for about 10 years (So he is Extremely skilled with it) I have seen him drop stuff easily at 350-400 yards.
 
I've only got a few weeks experience with the .35 Whelen but so far I'm impressed with its accuracy and am planning to try it out on whitetails this year. I've had good luck hunting deer of varying sizes (even the lightweight yearlings which would be close to antelope size) with a .35 Remington shooting 200 grain bullets, so my presumption is that the higher powered Whelen could do the same at longer distances.
 
You're limited less by your skill in the actual shooting than you are limited by your ability to judge the range if the antelope is out beyond 250 yards...

Which is why folks buy laser range-finders and maybe tape a "cheat sheet" of distance vs. bullet drop to the stock. :)

Art
 
Heck yeah, it'll work fine! Just make a PBR, range the game, get close enough, etc., as Art and others have said. The Whelen is no slouch in the flat shooting dept. - not like it's a .45-70 or something.
 
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