Is there a person you’d love the chance to sit down with over a good bourbon and nice cigar? Colonel Townsend Whelen is at the top of my list. I love his pragmatism. The factors to which he attributed his own success. His fierce pursuit of both life and game. A definite highlight, however, is his namesake caliber. Toward that end, I want to share a very special rifle with you—the Lipsey’s Exclusive M77 Alaskan Bush Rifle in the Colonel’s very own chambering: the .35 Whelen.
Many people think classic African savannahs, elegantly swooped wood combs and richly blued metal when they think of Townsend Whelen and his iconic cartridge. While that association is absolutely in line with both the characteristics of the caliber and personal pursuits of its author, it is not the sole persona of the chambering. Let’s take a look at the Lipsey’s Exclusive M77 Alaskan Bush Rifle and how it pairs perfectly with .35 Whelen.
Before we look at the features of the rifle, I want to touch on the caliber. The .35 Whelen was conceived around the 1920s and joined mainstream acceptance in 1988. It is basically a .30-06 necked up to a .358 diameter bullet. Bullet weights vary, but are typically around 180-200 grains for commercially produced ammunition.
The caliber was conceived and executed by Townsend Whelen in conjunction with Griffin & Howe, the bespoke American gunmaker. The goal was to create a standard- length action cartridge with magnum efficacy. The .35 Whelen bridged the gap between the .30-06 and the .416 Rigby. With no belt, shallow shoulders and minimal taper, it is sleek, effective and sensibly pressured.
Ballistically speaking, the .35 Whelen when run with a Hornady 200 grain SP Superformance has a muzzle velocity of 2910 and energy of 3760. With a 200 yard zero, it is 1.9-inches high at 100 and 8.6 inches low at 300. Based on that data, this is a great 300-yard-and-under cartridge. Energy on target at given distances needs to be evaluated against size of critter if you want to go much past that.
The Pairing
The .35 Whelen as a caliber is classic and elegant with a rich history. It has a long resume of multi-continental successes. However, Lipsey’s wanted something a little closer to home for most of us. Come with me to Alaska.
I had the opportunity to hunt Alaska a few years ago for coastal brown bears. After the first 24 hours I realized a few things. First, I did not pack correctly. Second, once you’ve experienced seafood you haul into the boat yourself and boil in fresh seawater before dousing in drawn butter, Red Lobster has nothing to offer. And third, Alaska is a temperate rainforest. In my tireless self-education on gendering bears and evaluating shot placement, I apparently missed the line item about the coastal Alaskan climate… It rains. Every. Day. Sometimes for hours. And “water resistant” does not equate to “waterproof.”
After my first night’s hunt, I nearly fell off the boat when my guide took a freshwater hose and doused my blue and laminate .350 Rem. Mag. 673 Guide Gun. “Got to get the salt off,” he told me flatly when I looked about ready to faint. While the nightly ritual didn’t get easier, I also brought home a rifle that was primarily rust free…
Lipsey’s clearly grasped the climate challenges and designed the perfect solution. The Alaskan Bush Rifle is stainless and laminate with all appointments designed to be weatherproof—no cringe factor when you take a hose to it…
They designed it with a 20-inch medium-contour stainless barrel, twisted 1-in-12. It has a well-fit, laser-engraved hinged floorplate with a capacity of 4+1. The barrel has Express rear sights and a banded adjustable front sight. Unloaded, no optic, it weighs in at 7 pounds 12 ounces It comes equipped with brushed stainless rings, as well.
Initial Impressions
When I first pulled it out of the box, the first thing I noticed was that it wasn’t threaded. Feeling a little deflated about said discovery, I started to go through the rest of the rifle. The action was crisp, with that “new gun” feel to it. The trigger was a little heavy, but broke fairly clean at an average of 4 pounds 8 ounces over a five shot sample.
Circling back to the Colonel’s words about accuracy, it was time to see just how interesting this Lipsey’s lovely actually was. Off to the range!
The Naked Gun—.35 Whelen Edition
I love fancy optics as much as the next girl. However, I seek out iron sights on big bore rifles. The reason is somewhere between nostalgia and practicality. I like the simplicity, but I also enjoy the quick efficacy when dealing with critters that want to unalive you. When evaluating a larger bore rifle, I like to spend time with it naked … No glass in sight.
The .35 Whelen was on paper with irons out of the box at 50 yards. The first three shots off the bench with the Hornady 200 grain SP Superformance yielded a cozy sub-moa cluster of chunky holes. The next five were off hand and a bit more open. I took it to 100 yards off the bench with irons and a five-shot group was just under two inches. That’s definitely within “Minute of Mean Critter,” as far as I’m concerned.
The next step in my .35 Whelen adventure is pairing that just right optic. Looking for that perfect blend of tactical, practical and whimsical is keeping me up nights. In the meantime, the Colonel’s Caliber has found a permanent home in my gunroom. Next time I go chase bears in Alaska, I know exactly what’s coming with me.
Happy Hunting!
Andi
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