loads for a 35 Whelen
- Thread starter Bigbear
- Start date
Chuckbuster
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
RL15 and 250gr Hornady round nose.
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
The 200 Hornady RN also works !
Andy's loads are OK.
I like to use faster powders though.
My all time favorite with the 250 grain Speer GS and the Hornady 250 spire point is H4895.
In my old converted 98 Mauser action with a Blackstar barrel, I use 57 grains of H4895. Yes, it is over max, according to the books but in my rifle, it's OK. I have a tight chamber that is cut very straight with the reamer ground for a throat just deep enough to seat the bullets close to the lands and still fit in the mag, without taking up powder space below the neck. The rifle shoots what it's pointed at. If it misses, it's my fault.
This load chronies at 2535 fps consistently when I use magnum primers. There are no pressure signs visible on the brass or primer.
CAVEAT - this is a safe load in my rifle, with a forgiving powder.
At slightly over 300 yards, with both bullets, the bullet will go through both shoulder bones on an elk, putting it down on the spot.
At 200 yards, it will quarter through a moose, starting in the ribs and coming out the far shoulder.
I have never recovered a bullet, other than on a mule deer at around 150 yards. It was a head on shot. He was coming straight at me on a trail through the clear cut and had no intentions of not following that ###y little doe in front of him. He was weaving in and out of old stumps and replanted trees. If I had let him come closer, he would have been in cover most of the way.
So, I took a shot I don't like taking. That Hornady SP went into his neck just above the spine, or so I thought. It went in right at the spine and followed it all the way to the hind quarter, where it came to rest.
The deer dropped straight down, didn't even kick its legs. The spine was shattered all the way along to the hip joint on the left side. None of the back straps were edible as they were all blood shot. The left ham was partially blood shot as well.
The 35 Whelan, is a very powerful round IMHO. It will cleanly take any animal in North America if the shooter does his/her part. Most of the world for that matter.
Great round, good choice.
You have a strong action, you should be able to push max loads with it. These bullets like the high end load for accuracy as well. That's why I broke the cardinal rule and went past the "max envelope." This velocity was the sweet spot for my rig, with those bullets in a 1-12 twist rate barrel.
I like to use faster powders though.
My all time favorite with the 250 grain Speer GS and the Hornady 250 spire point is H4895.
In my old converted 98 Mauser action with a Blackstar barrel, I use 57 grains of H4895. Yes, it is over max, according to the books but in my rifle, it's OK. I have a tight chamber that is cut very straight with the reamer ground for a throat just deep enough to seat the bullets close to the lands and still fit in the mag, without taking up powder space below the neck. The rifle shoots what it's pointed at. If it misses, it's my fault.
This load chronies at 2535 fps consistently when I use magnum primers. There are no pressure signs visible on the brass or primer.
CAVEAT - this is a safe load in my rifle, with a forgiving powder.
At slightly over 300 yards, with both bullets, the bullet will go through both shoulder bones on an elk, putting it down on the spot.
At 200 yards, it will quarter through a moose, starting in the ribs and coming out the far shoulder.
I have never recovered a bullet, other than on a mule deer at around 150 yards. It was a head on shot. He was coming straight at me on a trail through the clear cut and had no intentions of not following that ###y little doe in front of him. He was weaving in and out of old stumps and replanted trees. If I had let him come closer, he would have been in cover most of the way.
So, I took a shot I don't like taking. That Hornady SP went into his neck just above the spine, or so I thought. It went in right at the spine and followed it all the way to the hind quarter, where it came to rest.
The deer dropped straight down, didn't even kick its legs. The spine was shattered all the way along to the hip joint on the left side. None of the back straps were edible as they were all blood shot. The left ham was partially blood shot as well.
The 35 Whelan, is a very powerful round IMHO. It will cleanly take any animal in North America if the shooter does his/her part. Most of the world for that matter.
Great round, good choice.
You have a strong action, you should be able to push max loads with it. These bullets like the high end load for accuracy as well. That's why I broke the cardinal rule and went past the "max envelope." This velocity was the sweet spot for my rig, with those bullets in a 1-12 twist rate barrel.
My gun is based on a M98 Mauser, has a 24" 12 twist barrel, and the chamber has a long throat. I seat the 250 gr Hornady RN at 3.400" and it's still 0.125" from the rifling. This allows for max powder space, so most folks could not use my loads, as they'd either be too "hot", or they couldn't fit the powder in.
60.0 grs of RL-15 - 2550 fps
66.0 grs of RL-17 - 2600 fps
The book max for RL-15 is 59.0 grs everywhere I've seen it, and it's best to work up to that. You can use as much RL-17 as you can fit - most cannot fit more than about 64.0 grs at "normal" OAL's.
.35 Whelen (Max COL = 3.340”);
- Full; Hornady 180 SSP, 60.0/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.100”
- Full; Hornady 200 FTX, 58.5/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.150”
- Full; Nosler 225 AB, 57.0/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.250”
- Full; Hornady 250 SP-RP, 55.0/Varget, Win/W-MLR, 3.300”
- Full; Hornady 250 SP-RP, 54.0/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.300”
These are all tried and true... My favorite is the Nosler 225 Accubond.
- Full; Hornady 180 SSP, 60.0/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.100”
- Full; Hornady 200 FTX, 58.5/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.150”
- Full; Nosler 225 AB, 57.0/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.250”
- Full; Hornady 250 SP-RP, 55.0/Varget, Win/W-MLR, 3.300”
- Full; Hornady 250 SP-RP, 54.0/H4895, Win/W-MLR, 3.300”
These are all tried and true... My favorite is the Nosler 225 Accubond.
