Poll: 35 Caliber Rifle Cartridges

[VanceInWA]

I think it is safe to say we have all learned a thing or two during the Covid pandemic. One of the things I've learned about is a cartridge called 350 Legend. I'd never heard of it before 2020, but throughout the course of the pandemic, and the ammo shortage it spawned, I always saw 350 Legend on the shelf. Not one box. Not two. More like a dozen just sitting there never being purchased by anybody. Even this past weekend I walked into the local Wal-Mart and there were nine boxes of 350 Legend sitting there, but absolutely nothing else. "Wow," I thought, "that sure must be a loser cartridge." Maybe it is and maybe it isn't, but sure isn't setting the market on fire here in the Pacific Northwest.

It occurred to me that 350 Legend was the latest in a long line of 35 caliber cartridges that experience market malaise. For some mysterious reason, 35 caliber cartridges just don't seem to catch on with the American public, certainly not to the same extent as 6.5 mm, 7mm, 30, 338, or even 375 calibers. Hard to figure why that is.

So here's what I'd like to do. I'd like to view this 35 caliber glass from a half full perspective instead of half empty. In the poll, indicate which of the 35 caliber cartridges you've chosen to own, or if not own, at least which on this list you like the best. Of course there are other, mostly wildcat 35s out there, but this list ought to cover the basics. Might be interesting to see which of the 35s gets the most love.

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[2Wheels4Ever]

Always wanted a 141 in .35rem

 

[No_Regerts]

.35s have never been on my radar. Most are twisted too slow. With 338 and 9.3mm on either side of it and twisted properly.....

 

[Certaindeaf]

You saw it on shelves because it's for eastern states that only allow big game hunting with straight walled cartridges. People here don't buy it.

 

[Knobgoblin]

^^^^^

This man knows.
Same as rifled shotgun barrels.
Locally not popular because it affords the hunter no advantage

 

[Knobgoblin]

But this finally got cleaned up. At least were I've been this last year or so.

 

[msgriff]

358 Win ammo was available long into the shortage, and at normal prices. It has since mostly dried up, and will probably be one of the last to get restocked at any extent. Fortunately, bullets can still be found for reloading.

 

[bionic knees]

View attachment 1105050

But this finally got cleaned up. At least were I've been this last year or so.

picked up 5 boxes of that same .257 Roberts ammo a short while back. $125, couldn't get that $ out of my wallet fast enough!

 

[Member 52301]

I never owned a rifle in those above calibers and they never interested me.

(A 30-30 Win caliber rifle did interest me when it came to some of my VERY, very few former CF rifles over the years. I never owned a CF rifle until I moved out west. I do not hunt. I have carried several rifles while hiking/camping especially in very remote areas right below BC, Canada and around The Bob Marshall Wilderness. UP in the Sapphire Mountains too - I lived up there for one year. I used to just carry larger handguns when I owned them. But after some trips - I added a few different rifles over several years.)

My MT husband owned a sweet Made in CT Marlin lever action rifle in 35Remington and he sold it years ago. It was a sweet rifle and 2 men wanted it. The first man bought it and his friend said that if he ever sold it - he wanted it very much. The one man still owns that rifle and my husband sees him at our range and around town. It was a CT Marlin 336C - walnut/blued like his and hers CT Marlin 336C - walnut/blued rifles in 30-30 Win.

My MT husband owned a .358 Win caliber rifle too. I do not know much about that one (CRS now.) and he sold that one too.

He has reloaded ammunition since the early 70's so he used to have a variety of firearms in his favorite brands in various calibers since he was a young man. I did not know him when he was a young man but I have seen many of his former firearms in person and in pictures.

I do not think that he owned any of those OTHER above listed firearm calibers from what I can remember. He is asleep now so I can't ask him.

My husband concentrated on very specific rifles when he downsized and consolidated all of his firearms in rifles and handguns. He no longer owns any shotguns even though he used to shoot and own a few PLUS his 12gauge ones. He used to reload for them too.

He kept the following calibers in rifles:

.223
30-30 Win
30-06
45-70

Several 22lr and one 22wmr rifles.

My husband told me that he saw and still sees that 350 Legend ammunition on the shelves in SOME stores, not all of them, just as YOU, original poster, said too. I asked him about it and he laughed, NO offense. He said that it is one more thing that is 'supposed to be popular' but he does NOT see it as popular. I ALWAYS ask him what he SEES in the stores ammunition wise and in reloading supplies even if he only stops at a Walmart on his way home for OS cranberry juice. So I get regular updates even if I am not IN other gun stores or calling them. He likes to visit stores to LOOK around even if I do not go with him. ADDED more here. So I wanted to tell you that he sees what YOU see here.

WE are old, I am 71 years old, so our opinions and TASTES in firearms may DIFFER quite a bit from the younger or even middle aged crowd. But it is ALL GOOD and to each their own is my motto! The more the merrier!

Some younger people at our range did not know much about LEVER ACTION rifles or even single or double action revolvers. That kind of shocked me even 10 to 12 years ago so this is not just a recent thing (It still happens on and off!) that my husband and I have seen with younger people who mainly concentrate on specific firearm calibers and ONLY are used to semi automatic firearms.

Some of the younger ones (Males and a few females.) could not get over how a lady or a gentleman could like and shoot Glock pistols, some of my husband's former '1911' pistols and yet LOVED d/a and s/a revolvers, lever action and bolt action rifles too. It was kind of funny when we said that you can LOVE all kinds of firearms if you ENJOY shooting them and they are quality made and RELIABLE firearms that you can TRUST.

Good and interesting post. Thank you.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

I think it is safe to say we have all learned a thing or two during the Covid pandemic. One of the things I've learned about is a cartridge called 350 Legend. I'd never heard of it before 2020, but throughout the course of the pandemic, and the ammo shortage it spawned, I always saw 350 Legend on the shelf. Not one box. Not two. More like a dozen just sitting there never being purchased by anybody. Even this past weekend I walked into the local Wal-Mart and there were nine boxes of 350 Legend sitting there, but absolutely nothing else. "Wow," I thought, "that sure must be a loser cartridge." Maybe it is and maybe it isn't, but sure isn't setting the market on fire here in the Pacific Northwest.

It occurred to me that 350 Legend was the latest in a long line of 35 caliber cartridges that experience market malaise. For some mysterious reason, 35 caliber cartridges just don't seem to catch on with the American public, certainly not to the same extent as 6.5 mm, 7mm, 30, 338, or even 375 calibers. Hard to figure why that is.

So here's what I'd like to do. I'd like to view this 35 caliber glass from a half full perspective instead of half empty. In the poll, indicate which of the 35 caliber cartridges you've chosen to own, or if not own, at least which on this list you like the best. Of course there are other, mostly wildcat 35s out there, but this list ought to cover the basics. Might be interesting to see which of the 35s gets the most love.

PS: I did not CAST a vote since I never owned those listed calibers but I did mention what my husband has owned in the past in another post.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

You saw it on shelves because it's for eastern states that only allow big game hunting with straight walled cartridges. People here don't buy it.

Plus some of those states ONLY allowed shotgun hunting or handgun hunting above a certain caliber and in a 6 inch or longer handgun barrel. NO big CF rifles! I was told this when I got into firearms even though I was not interested in hunting and I still do not hunt. (My MT husband does hunt.)

I had several friends and some dead relatives on the East Coast (Mid-Atlantic region, New York, CT and all of the way UP to Maine.) and in the Great Lakes region who did HUNT and they started to hunt as kids. Most of them were into the outdoors and loved to fish too!

My super immediate family was into fishing!

In some of those East Coast and Great Lakes states even in VERY RURAL areas - the hunting laws were different. I believe that one state allows some CF rifles NOW and not only shotguns for hunting too. And that is in a very RURAL area with a low population - mainly farm land, woods and not too far from some Great Lakes.

One old friend just bought a 45-70 caliber rifle and he hunted on his family's homestead - farm land in my former state - Great Lakes region across the fields/woods from my former house that I built with my late husband after his Nam/around the world time. He owns quite a few CF rifles, mainly old military ones passed down to him from a NY relative on his wife's side, a few lever actions from the same NY side of his wife's, several handguns but ZERO 22lr rifles! I told him that he had to change that. Grin.

Cate

 

[Mark W.]

I am currently in the slow process of building a Savage 111 action into a .35 Whelen It will have a magnum profile E.H. Shaw 22" barrel and a Boyds Checkered Walnut stock. With a Leopold Vari X II 3-9x scope.

 

[Tige]

35 WINCHESTER
Old school

 

[Certaindeaf]

Paging @ageingstudent and his .351 WSL goodness.

 

[JRuby]

I have a 35 whelen built on a columbian mauser and a 358 Norma on a pre 64 model 70 winchester. I cant imagine much in North America that either could not take. Given that I think the 9.3x62 is superiro to the 35 Whelen in all regards.
If I had to get rid of one rifles between the 338-06, 35 Whelen or one of my 9.3x62 - the whelen would go first.

 

[VanceInWA]

I have a 35 whelen built on a columbian mauser and a 358 Norma on a pre 64 model 70 winchester. I cant imagine much in North America that either could not take. Given that I think the 9.3x62 is superiro to the 35 Whelen in all regards.
If I had to get rid of one rifles between the 338-06, 35 Whelen or one of my 9.3x62 - the whelen would go first.

While never a battle of the titans like we constantly see between 30-06 fanboys and 308 Win darlings, there seems to be an ongoing debate between those who favor the 358 Winchester and those who instead favor 35 Whelen. I have both and there isn't a world of difference between them. The 35 Whelen has a tad more recoil, but you also get a bit more velocity. Really can't go wrong with either, but if I had to let go of one, it would be the Whelen. A lot of that has to do with the rifle the 358 Win uses, a BLR 81 stainless takedown. Probably the most "shootable" rifle in the arsenal, and it is a fantastic woods rifle. If it weren't for that, maybe I'd keep the Whelen instead, not sure...

 

[ageingstudent]

Paging @ageingstudent and his .351 WSL goodness.

I do like my 351. Out to 150 yards with open sights it's totally effective. With my ammo anyway. I have never shot any of those calibers listed in the poll above so I have nothing to compare it to except a 357 lever gun Maybe. My mid-range loads clock out at about 1800 feet per second. That's cooking pretty good for a straight wall. I have loaded them all the way up to Max and they start dancing around 1950. With the right bullet I would feel pretty comfortable trying to take a deer. I'm not a hunter though. Not anymore anyway. I actually think it would make a pretty good 150 yd coyote or Pig gun.

 

[Ruger Rich]

Had a 358 WIn in a Model 88. I've always remembered how dumb I was to

get shed of it. My salvation is that it was a long time ago. I didn't vote 'cause

that's the only one on the list I've had personal experience with.

 

[Capn Jack]

What ! No Winchester .351 SLR ?
I always liked the 'ole , "Chug, Chug" machine.