Two heavy hitting 35 caliber cartridges are the 35 Whelen and the 358 Winchester. Both of these rounds have made their name as reliable elk and deer hunting cartridges. However, these two rounds, while they share a similar bullet size, are best used for their separate tasks. So in this article, we will compare these two rounds to see which is better and why.
Here is the short answer:
The 358 Winchester is a better close-range deer hunting cartridge. The 35 Whelen is a more powerful round that is better suited for taking bigger animals like elk or moose at ranges exceeding where the 358 Winchester is effective.
Now that we have looked at the short answer, we can look closer at each cartridge, their ballistics, and how the two cartridges compare in-depth.
In-depth Look at the 358 Winchester
The 358 Winchester was introduced in 1955 and is based on the 308 Winchester cartridge necked up to use a .358 caliber bullet. This makes a more powerful cartridge at close range with sacrificing long range ballistics. Compared to its parent cartridge, the 358 Winchester only has about 10 inches or more drop at 500 yards, but it has 200 more foot pounds of muzzle energy.
For big game hunting, the 358 Winchester is a hard round to beat. This round can effectively take elk out to 350 yards and deer out to 500 yards. Additionally, the 358 Winchester has a manageable amount of recoil for most shooters. If you are looking for a short action heavy hitting cartridge the 358 Winchester is a good round to look at.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 358 Winchester with a 225-grain Nosler Partition bullet:
| RANGE (YD) | DROP (IN) | WIND DRIFT (IN) | VELOCITY (FPS) | ENERGY (FT-LB) |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 2332 | 2717 |
| 50 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2236 | 2498 |
| 100 | 0 | 1.1 | 2142 | 2293 |
| 150 | -2 | 2.3 | 2051 | 2101 |
| 200 | -6 | 4.1 | 1961 | 1922 |
| 250 | -12.3 | 6.4 | 1874 | 1755 |
| 300 | -21.1 | 9.6 | 1790 | 1601 |
| 350 | -32.8 | 13.5 | 1709 | 1460 |
| 400 | -47.4 | 18.1 | 1631 | 1329 |
| 450 | -65.1 | 23.3 | 1556 | 1209 |
| 500 | -86.4 | 29.3 | 1483 | 1099 |
In-depth Look at the 35 Whelen
The 35 Whelen was introduced in 1922 and is based on the 30-06 Springfield cartridge necked up to use a 358 caliber bullet. This round is known for its excellent long range performance and ability to take game like elk, moose, or big bears with ease. While the 35 Whelen lacks long range energy retention, at close range it has energy similar to that of a 300 Win Mag or 300 Weatherby magnum.
For 90% of hunting scenarios, the 35 Whelen is a very effective cartridge. It maintains enough energy to take game like elk or moose out to 400 yards. Overall the 35 Whelen is a very effective and versatile cartridge that can take animals of many different sizes in a relatively small cartridge compared to its performance.
The main downside to the 35 Whelen is that it is a heavier recoiling cartridge. Some shooters may struggle with how heavy this round kicks. Another downside to the 35 Whelen is that it is a lesser known cartridge. This makes finding ammo or rifle parts more difficult or very expensive.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 35 Whelen with a 200-grain soft point:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 2800 | 3481 |
| 50 | -0.1 | 0.3 | 2667 | 3158 |
| 100 | 0 | 1 | 2537 | 2858 |
| 150 | -1.2 | 2.2 | 2411 | 2582 |
| 200 | -3.9 | 4 | 2289 | 2327 |
| 250 | -8.3 | 6.5 | 2170 | 2092 |
| 300 | -14.5 | 9.5 | 2055 | 1876 |
| 350 | -22.7 | 13.2 | 1943 | 1677 |
| 400 | -33.2 | 17.7 | 1835 | 1495 |
| 450 | -46.5 | 23.2 | 1732 | 1332 |
| 500 | -62.8 | 29.6 | 1634 | 1185 |
In-Depth Comparison
Both the 358 Winchester and the 35 Whelen are excellent hunting cartridges, but they have their differences.
Ballistics wise, the 35 Whelen is the better cartridge. It has more energy, less drop, and higher velocity so for hunting and long range shooting the 35 Whelen is the better round. However, the 358 Winchester has its place for deer and elk hunting at closer ranges, it just won’t do it quite as well as the 35 Whelen.
Regarding bullet selection, both cartridges offer a wide range of options. The 358 Winchester is best suited for bullets in the 180 to 225 grain range, while the 35 Whelen can handle bullets as light as 180 grains up to 300 grains. This means the 35 Whelen is a more versatile cartridge as well as a more desirable handloading cartridge.
Recoil is another factor to consider when comparing these two cartridges. The 35 Whelen generates more recoil than the .358 Winchester, making it more difficult to shoot accurately, especially for inexperienced shooters.
When it comes to ammo cost and availability, the 35 Whelen is the better cartridge. It has been around longer and is more versatile and has more energy and better ballistics. This means that the 35 Whelen is going to be easier to find and finding the right bullet weight for the task at hand will be easier.
Conclusion
Overall, the 35 Whelen is a more powerful cartridge than the 358 Winchester and is better suited for hunting larger game at longer ranges. The 358 Winchester, on the other hand, is a lighter recoil cartridge that is easier to handle.