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7mm HT vs. 35 Whelen

G. McAlister

G. McAlister

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Joined
Jan 20, 2017
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147
Location
Southern KY
Hey guys I have both a 7mm HT and a 35 Whelen which I am considering to use for an elk hunt in 2018 in Montana (unless I draw in Kentucky this year). I hand load and have a Barnes TTSX load for each rifle 140 gr. For the 7mm and 200 gr. For the 35, which should perform well on elk out to about 300-350 yards. The 35 weighs about 1 lb. more than the 7mm, but all other measurements are similar.

I have two specific questions:
1. Which rifle would you pick if you are concerned about a wounded elk making it to private or inaccessible land?

2. Would the presence of grizzly bears influence your decision?

All other input on these two calibers would be welcome as well.
 
You can take them both and pick the one that suits conditions as you find them. If you have to pick one, I'd vote for the bigger hole RE both your questions. How much does the 35W drop @ 300 yd?
 
1. No.
2. No.

I'd pick the lighter rifle assuming you shoot it as well as the other.
 
Stopping a wounded elk is a gnarly prospect. I've watch an adrenaline laced elk soak up 5 well placed shots from a .338WM with 225Gr Swift A-frames and keep his feet, and the bull that was standing right next to him took 8-10 steps after meeting a single 150gr Partition out of a .280Rem. In my findings Elk are rather un-impressed by kinetic energy. If I had to pick a best option for stopping a wounded elk, it would be to break the spine, and realistically either cartridge will do that job assuming proper placement.

When it comes to Grizzlies, you are better served with bear spray for defense than a rifle regardless of cartridge.

If I were in your shoes, I'd take the rifle that you shoot more accurately at 300-350 yards. To me, Accuracy and a well constructed bullet are the two most important traits in an Elk Rifle regardless of caliber.
 
MKotur325 said:
Stopping a wounded elk is a gnarly prospect. I've watch an adrenaline laced elk soak up 5 well placed shots from a .338WM with 225Gr Swift A-frames and keep his feet, and the bull that was standing right next to him took 8-10 steps after meeting a single 150gr Partition out of a .280Rem. In my findings Elk are rather un-impressed by kinetic energy. If I had to pick a best option for stopping a wounded elk, it would be to break the spine, and realistically either cartridge will do that job assuming proper placement.

When it comes to Grizzlies, you are better served with bear spray for defense than a rifle regardless of cartridge.

If I were in your shoes, I'd take the rifle that you shoot more accurately at 300-350 yards. To me, Accuracy and a well constructed bullet are the two most important traits in an Elk Rifle regardless of caliber.
Click to expand...

Generally my thoughts as well, with the caveat that I wouldn't aim anywhere other than center of the lungs. If it was so close to the property line that I felt I needed to drop it in its tracks, I wouldn't shoot.
 
Mkotur, I really have no desire to wound an elk, however I know that life happens and excitement, or a sudden gust of wind can turn a great shot into a gut shot, and I've heard that elk can run quite a distance. Hence the fear that it could make it to private. I just want to be as ethical as possible with the shot.

As far as bears, we don't have them at all where I live, and most publicity is bear spray didn't work or someone didn't have it etc. My first goal is to never get close enough to need or use spray, but if the rifle makes a difference as a last resort, I would like to know.

Minnesota, as I stated above, I would have no plan to shoot next to private or jeopardize losing an animal with a bad shot, but things happen and I wanted input on what everyone believes would be the best option of the two rifles in order to ethically and responsibly hunt elk.

All of your info has been very helpful so far.
 
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Both would serve you very well. I use a .280 AI for elk and it works great. Before that it was the plain Jane .280 Remington which also was wonderful. I would take the rifle you shoot the best. The .35 Whelen is a sweetheart too that really thumps things.
 
G. McAlister said:
Minnesota, as I stated above, I would have no plan to shoot next to private or jeopardize losing an animal with a bad shot, but things happen and I wanted input on what everyone believes would be the best option of the two rifles in order to ethically and responsibly hunt elk.
Click to expand...

Wasn't implying that you would, just being clear that I wouldn't try and aim anywhere other than the boiler room. That being said I am not sure there is a dramatic difference in the result you would get between the two rounds if they were both placed in the same spot (center lungs), so I would definitely go with the round that would give you the best ability to place the round where you want it.

I wouldn't worry about the difference with the bear thing either, you are probably going to get chewed on unless you hit it in the brain or spine with either of those rounds, and that is a tough bet on an angry bear. Bear spray is your best bet by a long shot.
 
It would be hard to go wrong with either of your choices. Take whichever you shoot best.
Between myself, my brother and my son we have taken 10 or 11 elk in the last 12 or so years and I will say that if an elk is still moving after the shot keep shooting until it is down for good. They can travel a long way even after being shot in the lungs.
Good luck on your hunt.
 
I'd feel comfortable hunting elk with either and I love my 7mm-08. However, I think if I were torn on the decision, and I was hunting in grizzly country, that might tip me towards the .35 whelen. On a side note, have you checked out the 145 grain LRX? Running the numbers, it would seem to be an even better option than the 140 ttsx, squeezing a little more oomph from the 7mm-08 cartridge, especially at longer ranges.
 
Dougfirtree said:
On a side note, have you checked out the 145 grain LRX? Running the numbers, it would seem to be an even better option than the 140 ttsx, squeezing a little more oomph from the 7mm-08 cartridge, especially at longer ranges.
Click to expand...

I have not tried the LRX, but based on the additional length, I'm not sure if the loss of powder capacity would be improved by the better bc and additional weight in a shorter barreled rifle taking shots under 300 yards. But I'll definitely grab a box in my next order just to play with, who knows may be better than what I have. Just can't let the wife see me dragging in more bullets or I may find them in my pockets as a sink to the bottom of the lake.
 
G. McAlister said:
I have not tried the LRX, but based on the additional length, I'm not sure if the loss of powder capacity would be improved by the better bc and additional weight in a shorter barreled rifle taking shots under 300 yards. But I'll definitely grab a box in my next order just to play with, who knows may be better than what I have. Just can't let the wife see me dragging in more bullets or I may find them in my pockets as a sink to the bottom of the lake.
Click to expand...

I haven't played with it either, but check out Barnses data and plug their numbers into a ballistics calculator. The 145 wins hands down. Good luck!
 
G. McAlister said:
Mkotur, I really have no desire to wound an elk, however I know that life happens and excitement, or a sudden gust of wind can turn a great shot into a gut shot, and I've heard that elk can run quite a distance. Hence the fear that it could make it to private. I just want to be as ethical as possible with the shot.
Click to expand...

It is true that Elk can keep their feet for a significant period of time after being hit. In my experience they don't tend to go that far unless they are pushed. I remember an Elk that my Dad liver shot a few years back, again with his .338WM. That elk was about 400yds off and bad shots happen the slug caught a dead limb on the way to the elk and deflected it left of the target. It was on a really steep, thickly timbered ridge. Long Story really short, it took us just about 8 hours to find that bull, and when we did, he was still alive. He had traveled about 200 yards. That is the furthest that I personally remember seeing an elk go after a poor rifle shot.

The absolute best advice I can give you is to bring the rifle you shoot most accurately at the furthest range you would shoot an elk. If I were in your shoes, I'd load up lots of ammo for that 7-08 and practice quite a bit over the summer. Confidence in the rifle goes a long way in field shooting. Planning for contingencies can be important; the good news? The lungs on an Elk are a surprisingly large target if you are used to whitetails. In all reality, the best rifle to use to ethically take an elk is going to be the one you have the most confidence in, and shoot the most accurately.

As far as bear spray goes. I haven't really been looking at the news about it's effectiveness, but I don't hear many stories of bear spray being ineffective if used correctly. The other big part is, if a bear is going to charge it will happen faster than you will be able to react with a rifle. Again, we don't want to plan to be charged, but bear spray is going to be the most effective deterrent that can be deployed quick enough to stop a charge in my opinion.
 
Thanks for the advice MK. From what I can tell, grizzly encounters are not as high in the Lewis and Clark as , so maybe I am over thinking the bear thing. And who knows, I love both rifles and have high confidence in them, so I may bring both and see what the conditions dictate. I just don't want my first elk hunt to be a bad experience for me, the elk, or a bear.
 
Good Luck Sir!! Should be a fun trip, and If you have confidence in both rifles and they shoot accurately you shouldn't end up with bad experiences. Bear encounters happen, but not all that frequently. It's worth a thought to know what to do should you see a bear up close, but I wouldn't plan a trip around the what if's of charging bears in MT...
 
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