.35 whelen loads

[tankgijohn72]

Is there a model number for the Hornady cartridge straightener? I'm about to buy something I'm that line. Thank

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101273334/hornady-lock-n-load-ammunition-concentricity-tool

The 35 is the only cartridge i have had an issue with this. But, the tool worked pretty well. Just screw the thumb screw in on the high side of a bad round and it will straighten it. Unless you are getting a reading above 0.004" i wouldnt worry about it. But like i said, I had readings of 0.012-0.015 here and there and once i started straightening those rounds, I had no issues with flyers. Maybe the hornady brass was a little soft, dont know. The barrel is an ER shaw prefit savage. Have had really good luck with the hornady 200 gr flat base. It shoots great. 250 partition is acceptable accuracy. The only thing you give up with a whelen is some trajectory and windage. I really like my 270 and 26 nosler for hunting. But the whelen does deliver a big bullet. For woods action tough to beat.

 

[Alibiiv]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101273334/hornady-lock-n-load-ammunition-concentricity-tool

The 35 is the only cartridge i have had an issue with this. But, the tool worked pretty well. Just screw the thumb screw in on the high side of a bad round and it will straighten it. Unless you are getting a reading above 0.004" i wouldnt worry about it. But like i said, I had readings of 0.012-0.015 here and there and once i started straightening those rounds, I had no issues with flyers. Maybe the hornady brass was a little soft, dont know. The barrel is an ER shaw prefit savage. Have had really good luck with the hornady 200 gr flat base. It shoots great. 250 partition is acceptable accuracy. The only thing you give up with a whelen is some trajectory and windage. I really like my 270 and 26 nosler for hunting. But the whelen does deliver a big bullet. For woods action tough to beat.

Thanks for the link, will order one tomorrow, it seems pretty much straight forward. I like the Whelen for bear hunting, for the type of hunting I do, there's no long range shooting there; it's bang and DRT. My son and I both have Whelens, we shoot them at 300 yards. When we first started shooting at steel plates at 300 yards we thought that we might as well get familiar with shooting that distance with them just in case a shot presented itself. We were actually surprised and how well the rifle/caliber shot, and now we're actually trying to get out rifles to group well. Out glass is good enough for hunting, however not something to be shooting tight groups with. We did find that both rifles liked the Sierra Gameking 225gr SPBT. We hunt with the Barnes 225gr TSXs, that really work well on bear, but cannot hold a candle to the Sierra bullets for accuracy. All in time. I am currently building a .270 Ackley Improved, it was supposed to be a .280 AI wildcat, I preferred the .270AI instead. I called the gunsmith and he said not a problem to change. I ought to get the rifle back just before the spring thaw hits, hopefully get some range time in. Thanks for posting that ling for me.

 

[tankgijohn72]

No problem. Definately shoot the gamekings then unless you are at a short distance sitting over bait. I only shoot the ttsx because of how well they shoot out of my rifle. I think the cartridge gets a bad name as only a woods rifle, and that is not the case. I took it to colorado because at the time it was the best shooting rifle I had in the 9# range. I have some great target rifles, but not lugging my 12# 300WM up to 10,000 feet. I did quite a bit of long range shooting with it before i left and got very comfortable with it. Steel at 1050 (admittedly a 30" plate), and paper at 500. Was getting 4-6" groups at 500. The rifle is a savage 110 i rebarreled with an er shaw barrel and put a timney trigger on it.

 

[Catskills]

I'm loading 225 Game Kings with IMR4064. Shoots moa out of a Remington 7600. It is a thumper on Whitetails. For my uses, premium bullets are unnecessary.

 

[John Bucklin]

About any bullet shot out of the 35 Whelen is a thumper.
I went with the 225 Gr. Accubond because it shot the best grouping out of my rifle.
It works well on everything I hunt. Deer, hogs & elk.

 

[Sykes]

I've been wanting a Whelen for a long time and this week picked up an older Remington 700. Going to put a Leupold 2.5-8x36 on it. Been researching loads for it and see the 225 Sierra GK mentioned alot. Do you guys feel that bullet will perform on elk and black bears from 10 to 300 yards? Only negative is I've heard is that the GK is pretty soft and may not work well at close range. I'm giving the 225 hawk bullet a real hard look also

 

[Alibiiv]

I've been wanting a Whelen for a long time and this week picked up an older Remington 700. Going to put a Leupold 2.5-8x36 on it. Been researching loads for it and see the 225 Sierra GK mentioned alot. Do you guys feel that bullet will perform on elk and black bears from 10 to 300 yards? Only negative is I've heard is that the GK is pretty soft and may not work well at close range. I'm giving the 225 hawk bullet a real hard look also

I built my 35 Whelen specifically to hunt black bear, and would not hesitate to shoot any bear with the rifle. Out to 300 yards this ought to be more than adequate for anything that you have listed that you want to hunt with it. I have used the Barnes 225 grain TSX on bears and have excellent performance with them. A large entry hole and a fist sized exit hole every time. Both my son and I have 35 Whelens and we really never thought to shoot them at targets more than 100 yards away. Then one day while at the rang, we decided to see how well they shot out to 300 yards and started shooting at some steel plates. I just wanted to see where the rifle was shooting in case a shot presented itself and also just for the fun of it. We were both amazed at how relatively flat they were shooting with a 225 grain bullet. I had made a box of 225 grain SPBT Sierra Gamekings that I'd loaded just to sight in with (because they were less expensive than the Barnes) and we both tried those bullets. We found the Sierra bullets to be more accurate. I've never really shot anything but 225 grains bullets out of this rifle, and now I want to try the Barnes 200 grain TTSX SPBT bullets. I think that the barrel has a 1-14 twist, and not too sure it is going to like the lighter bullet. With 4064 and a 225 grain bullet I'm getting around 2700fps. I'm thinking that with the Barnes 225 TTSX the rifle ought to be close to the 2900fps +range. We're going to load some up and put them through the chronograph. Both rifles are built on Ruger 77 tang safety rifles. The barrels were rebored from a 30-06 to the 35 Whelen by a JES Reboring in Oregon. He did a great job on both rifles, if the nut behind the trigger does his part the rifle will consistently shoot MOA; and, probably better than that. I have a friend who shoots a Remington 700, Classic, that rifle is a real shooter and very comfortable to shoot as well. Because of the close shooting we do, usually close to dark, I have Leupold VRX , Firdots 2 X 7 scopes on out rifles. Good luck with your new Whelen, you're going to like if for the game that you want to hunt.

 

[Alibiiv]

I've been wanting a Whelen for a long time and this week picked up an older Remington 700. Going to put a Leupold 2.5-8x36 on it. Been researching loads for it and see the 225 Sierra GK mentioned alot. Do you guys feel that bullet will perform on elk and black bears from 10 to 300 yards? Only negative is I've heard is that the GK is pretty soft and may not work well at close range. I'm giving the 225 hawk bullet a real hard look also

Not sure if you have read this thread, it is an older one, but quite comprehensive.

www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.35+Whelen.html

 

[Sykes]

Not sure if you have read this thread, it is an older one, but quite comprehensive.

www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.35+Whelen.html

There is great info on that site. I visit it often when looking at new cartridges. That article is what turned me towards the 225 GK and the 225 Hawk bullets.
I'm excited to finally have picked up a Whelen and look forward to shooting and hunting with it.

 

[tankgijohn72]

I've been wanting a Whelen for a long time and this week picked up an older Remington 700. Going to put a Leupold 2.5-8x36 on it. Been researching loads for it and see the 225 Sierra GK mentioned alot. Do you guys feel that bullet will perform on elk and black bears from 10 to 300 yards? Only negative is I've heard is that the GK is pretty soft and may not work well at close range. I'm giving the 225 hawk bullet a real hard look also

No doubt it will work. It may be softer than the barnes, but you arent pushing them 3200 fps, probably 2650-2750 depending on barrel length. If you were really worried about close range performance, try a barnes or partition. I can vouch for the 200 gr ttsx at 325 on a mule deer. Deer went down in 40 yds, full penetration.

 

[Alibiiv]

There is great info on that site. I visit it often when looking at new cartridges. That article is what turned me towards the 225 GK and the 225 Hawk bullets.
I'm excited to finally have picked up a Whelen and look forward to shooting and hunting with it.

Yes I like my Whelen a lot, the cartridge has earned my respect over the years. I also have a Ruger, Hawkeye in .358 Winchester, that too has earned my respect, however the Whelen is the rifle that I hunt with just about all the time. The last bear that I shot went about eight-feet, and that was because it slid down a hill. The .358 is the second/extra rifle that I take along just in case the Whelen gets put out of commission for some reason. I've learned over the years to not take just one rifle on a hunting trip. I was at an outfitter's in Maine a few years back, there was a guy there from Ohio whose gun, for whatever reason, would not fire (Marlin 336 in 35Rem), and....he didn't have another rifle. He was glad to borrow my extra rifle for the hunt; and, now he takes along two.

 

[elk creek]

I also had one bored out by JES. I sent him a Tikka t3. It is a tack driver,and very consistent. He does good work. I shoot the 225 accubonds through it. I also use the Hornady cartridge straightener and it seems to work very well.

 

[Alibiiv]

I also had one bored out by JES. I sent him a Tikka t3. It is a tack driver,and very consistent. He does good work. I shoot the 225 accubonds through it. I also use the Hornady cartridge straightener and it seems to work very well.

Yes he's done several for me, he also did a BLR from .308WIN to .358 Win, it too is a tack driver. I'm nut sure if it was you who told me about the Hornady tool, however I am going to get one. I was going to order it last week, just haven't gotten around to it. I believe it is a worth while tool to have. Plus it's like Christmas when it comes in!