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felt recoil from a 35 whelan....

ac30ac30 Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
edited January 2007 in Ask the Experts
Hi guys. I'm new here so go easy on me.

I've been hunting whitetail for nearly 25 years with a Remington 1100. Dropped many a deer with that beast too.
A couple of years ago, New York State decided to allowed hunting with a rifle in specific areas - including mine. So now I NEED a rifle. LOL
I'm in love with the new Remington 250 Woodsman auto loaders and I have to make a choice now on the calliber. I'm getting a little tired of that 12 ga. kick from the 1100 and would like to step down a bit to ward off the flinch factor. I know the 243 is a very easy shooting cartrige, and still deadly on dear out to 200 yds. or so, which is all I need. Most of my shots are only out to 100 yds., but sometimes thru twigs and branches.
I've been reading about the 35 whelan and was wondering if I could step up to it and still have less felt recoil than the 1100.
I don't have access to try the round and would like to hear from those of you who might have some experience.
I'm VERY impresses with the accumulative knowlege here and hope some of you might help this newbie.

Thanks...

ac30....
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Comments

  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Recoil is a function of bullet weight and bullet velocity this along with stock design & fit plus weight of the firearm a well designed heavy 35 WHELAN would most likely have less recoil. with a light bullet. But a poor designed light weight rifle with heavy bullet would most likely have heavy recoil. See if you can go to a range and ask some shooters there if you could sample their rifle and tell them why and offer to pay for the ammo you shoot. Try shooting the same as hunting not off of a bench rest.
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  • ddhotbotddhotbot Member Posts: 1,426 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    although the 35 whelen is a great cartridge i would lean towards a 308 winchester caliber.best of both worlds lighter recoil but can still reach out.
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  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    +1
    you need something in the middle, and that you can buy ammo off the shelfquote:Originally posted by ddhotbot
    although the 35 whelen is a great cartridge i would lean towards a 308 winchester caliber.best of both worlds lighter recoil but can still reach out.
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  • PA ShootistPA Shootist Member Posts: 694 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have hunted in New York (Cattaraugus County) for ten plus years, and use sabot-style slugs there,in both 2-3/4" and 3" and these are loaded quite stout. In a Remington 1100 with rifled barrel the recoil is "noticeable", a lot more than with the typical bird-hunting shotshell. A fixed-breech shotgun is even worse. I also hunt with rifles in Pennsylvania, including a .35 Whelen and a .358 Winchester. All other things being equal, I'd say the subjective felt recoil of these is quite similar to an 1100 with high-velocity sabot slugs. I don't usually use the smooth-bore style slugs, and so can't really comment on them. To reduce the recoil, you may want to cut back to the 6mm's on the bottom end or .308-class rifles maybe, which I find to have minimum recoil given a reasonable weight and stock design. Rifle weight and stock design might even be bigger factors than caliber selection for felt recoil. And gas-operated autoladers definitely reduce felt recoil.
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  • OldNavyGuyOldNavyGuy Member Posts: 160 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You may also take a look at the "7MM-08" or the venerable 7 X 57 mauser .... light recoil, optimum bullet coeficient. Give the "260 Rem" a look also. For the distances you quoted and a desire for lighter recoil, I think these choices would be optimum. Just my two copper disks on the subject.

    "Fair Winds And Following Seas"
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  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Couple others to consider

    257 Roberts

    25-06
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
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  • 1KYDSTR1KYDSTR Member Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Big fan of the Whelen here. I cetainly enjoy mine, and if you go with an autoloader, the recoil will be mitigated to a great extent in comparison to hot 12 Ga slugs, especially if you add a Limb-Saver pad as well. One question I did not see answered/addressed here was the deflection aspect you mentioned. A 243 is a great round, but the 6mm will have a tendency to deflect a LOT more than a 358 bullet when wending its' way through the underbrush you mentioned. As another way to reccomend the Whelen: When you get to go on that hunt of a lifetime out West for Elk..you already have your gun!
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  • luv_the_huskersluv_the_huskers Member Posts: 277 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Here I go again. 6.55x55 Swedish Mauser....
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  • GeriGeri Member Posts: 2,102 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The recoil from the 35 whelen only bothered me when I used the 280 gr. bullets. 200s,225s,250s, all ok.
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