.35 Whelen pistol bullet loads

N

njc110381

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi guys.

I've got some Hornady XTP bullets and have read that people have good luck with them for reduced loads in the Whelen? It's not a common calibre here but seems to have more of a following with you guys so I'm hoping a few of you wouldn't mind sharing your experiences and loads please? I want to make a lower powered small deer load, and something that will expand fast or even fragment in foxes. The latter I think I can achieve by pushing them faster than they're designed to handle. For the deer load I want to match a fairly hot .357 mag load if possible?

I haven't got the rifle yet but it will have a 12 twist Bartlein barrel, 22". I've read a lot about the round and I found it interesting so I'm having one made. When I checked with my licensing guy he seemed to think that there are only three showing on his database in the country (UK) so the chance of finding someone using one at the local range is somewhere between slim and none!

Biggest issue here is that I can't get Trail Boss powder. I can however get Viht N32c, which although not the same is very bulky and can be used for similar applications.
 
I'll have a look, thanks. A lot of the info I've found on lower loads are based on cast bullets - would those same loads work ok with jacketed?
 
njc110381 said:
I'll have a look, thanks. A lot of the info I've found on lower loads are based on cast bullets - would those same loads work ok with jacketed?
Click to expand...

the problem with low pressure/ low velocity Jacketed rounds ... at some point you run the risk of bullet separation,
leaving the jacket in the barrel .... just shooting the lead core out the end of the barrel
 
njc110381 said:
Hi guys.

I've got some Hornady XTP bullets and have read that people have good luck with them for reduced loads in the Whelen?
Click to expand...

My brothers and I have been plinking gophers with our 35 caliber hunting rifles -358 Norma Magnum, 35 Whelan, and 358 Winchester - for decades. When you've been shooting gophers all summer offhand with your hunting rifle, you aren't likely to miss an elk or moose.

The jacketed pistol bullets at low velocity quickly were replaced by commercially swaged/cast lead bullets for .38 Spl/.357 Mag - way cheaper, and they do just fine when they're probably only going somewhere around 900 - 1000 fps. I got far better accuracy with faster powders than slower powders. Your mileage may vary, of course.

For jacketed pistol bullets, particularly for hunting deer or whatever, Hornady has a 180 Grain spitzer they call an SSP for 'Single Shot Pistol', I think for the .357 Maximum hunting and silhouette crowd. When my wife inherited my .358 Winchester BLR for hunting, I tried them but they came up short in the accuracy department. Then tried the Speer 180 grain FN; better, but not better enough to stop looking. I ended up developing a nice load with the original Barnes X bullet 180 grainer. That bullet has been changed to a new modern tipped version, but Les has a lifetime supply of those bullets for hunting purposes.

At the risk of sending you down another fascinating rabbit hole, you could do away with worries about bullet availability by casting for your 35 Whelan. It's a fine caliber for cast bullet hunting, and there are LOTS of bullet designs out there specifically intended for hunting. Some are WFN designs, others are variable hollow point, while others are intended simply for best accuracy shooting at a range - or picket pins. And if you're having a .35 Whelan built (as I just did), you can have your gunsmith throat the barrel for a specific jacketed bullet that also works for the shape/dimensions of a specific cast bullet.

Lots of mould makers out there. I particularly like Accurate as they allow you to specify changes to the bullet dimensions (within reason) to have a cast bullet drop out of the mould at the dimensions you want after measuring your chamber/throat/ball seat dimensions. As well, you can buy a multiple cavity mould with a different design for each cavity i.e. a two cavity mould that drops two different designs. You could have a light bullet for plinking, the other cavity dropping a heavier WFN design for hunting. Two chances for success for results delivering good accuracy. Here's a few that I'd be looking at for multipurpose use. These are just examples, not 'This is the one you need!"

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-160DG-D.png

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-180UG-D.png

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-235A-D.png

My first centerfire rifle mould for .35 caliber rifles was an RCBS design intended for silhouette shooting in .35 caliber handguns. It has worked pretty good for a mould bought off the shelf - good enough that I haven't sold it.

https://www.adorama.com/rcbs82154.html

If you do decide to try casting, there's about a 90+% likelihood you'll forego old school lubing of bullets and go straight to baked on powder coating. Powder coating will add to the dimensions of your bullet, all but the tapered portions that can be sized down to what you want. Better to order the mould with a reduction on the parallel dimensions of about two thou'. But all of that is another discussion that has been discussed and expanded on in great detail over at the cast bullet forum website.

Lots of options, jacketed and cast, for a 35 Whelan, particularly when you're starting with a custom barrel and custom chamber to go with it. Besides, how long will it be before you've exhausted your stash of XTP bullets? But you'll still have the rifle...
 
I have loaded 158gr pistol bullets in mine,I don't remember the charge of 2400 off hand, but it was published data, so it should be out there somewhere.

for deer, I would recommend using a 180 or 200 gr bullet, rather than a pistol bullet.

I knock Whitetails with 200gr Hornady Interlocks at around 2700fps
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom