35 Whelen info please

irishbandit1

irishbandit1

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I just picked up a Ruger mark1 in 35 Whelen and was hoping some of you 35 cal junkies would like to share some of your favourite recipe's as well as experiences with this caliber.I already have the mid bore calibers covered with a 300 win mag,338 win mag and a 375 H&H but couldn't pass up the chance to own another:DI would like to see your loads for deer to grizzly and what you feel is a do it all for this caliber.Thanks guys.Cheers 'Bandit.P.s. I have done a search and read the previous posts.Some great info,but always looking for new info,opinions and pics.
 
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I mostly use mine for elk and moose. I load speer or hornady 250's with IMR 4064, IMR 4895 or RL 15. In 24" barrels I try for 2500-2550 fps and in 22" around 2500. I use 225 sierra or 225 nosler bt's for practice/plinking. Also have 250 grain cast that I load to 2100 fps and use for deer once in a while. I do have a 225 grain nosler partition load with reloader 15 that I have not chronyed that I may try out on moose this fall.

I don't bother with 200 grain bullets.

44Bore
 
The 35 Whelen is the only cartridge that has piqued my interest in the last year or so. I hope to buy a Model 70 Featherweight and have it re-barreled; sort of a match to my Featherweight in 30-06.
 
I could pretty well say "ditto" to 44bore's post above. I have used a Whelen for about 15 years, shot a dozen or so elk and a few moose with it. I like the .35 Whelen a lot.
 
I also have an older Ruger .35 whelen I load 54 grains of IMR 4895 with the 250 Hornady SP or RN it shoots 1" five shot groups every time I use it. This is not the fastest load at 2400 FPS but good enough to kill any thing I want, and will reach out to 300 yards with no problem. I found the most important thing to watch in load developing is C.O.L. it for me made the difference between 3' and 1" groups.
 
604shooter said:
Reloader 15 is apparently THE powder for the Whelen, but unfortunately nobody seems to have any around my neck of the woods so I'm using 55.5gr Varget with 250 Hornady SP.
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I had heard RL 15 was "THE" powder for the Whelen as well, but my Ackley Improved Whelen seems to like Varget better. I use nothing but 250s (Hornady or Speer), and can push them out at 2650 fps. Poor mans .338, I love it.
 
I could pretty well say "ditto" to 44bore's post above.
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Me too - and all other advice so far here is very good too I think. I use ReL 15 and 250s for most of my hunting.

Your Ruger will have a 16" twist which should stabilise 250s no problem. Some say a 16 twist won't but last week I did a test using my 16 twist 700 classic. I fired off 5 shots fairly quickly with 286gr spitzers at about 2300MV. I got one fouler flyer (it was a short seated bullet too) and then put 4 into 2 3/8" at 200 yards. All bullets went thru the paper nose first with no sign of any stability issues. Here's the target (gun not sighted in for these bullets)- http://35cal.com/images/targ286gr_200yd.jpg

You'll like the 35Whelen I think. I used to have a tang safety M77 35 Whelen but didn't load for it. Nice rifles.
 
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