35 whelen

[mooretitan]

I have a 35 whelen that I have been working up some loads of over the last year. I am pushing a max load of imr 4350 and a 200 grain sp. After reviewing My last 8 groups and over lapping them. My 1st cold shot shot group is .73 group and lays about a 1/2 inch above the rest of the group. The remainder of the group is .94 over about 24 rounds.
The only work I have done is adjusting the trigger. Other than that it is stock. I am wondering if I should call it good over do some work like bedding the stock and floating the barrel.
This is going to be a hunting gun that I will use out to 400 yards. Just wondering is gaining a few tenths of and inch is worth the time and even possible

Thanks

 

[LeddSlinger]

I have a 35 whelen that I have been working up some loads of over the last year. I am pushing a max load of imr 4350 and a 200 grain sp. After reviewing My last 8 groups and over lapping them. My 1st cold shot shot group is .73 group and lays about a 1/2 inch above the rest of the group. The remainder of the group is .94 over about 24 rounds.
The only work I have done is adjusting the trigger. Other than that it is stock. I am wondering if I should call it good over do some work like bedding the stock and floating the barrel.
This is going to be a hunting gun that I will use out to 400 yards. Just wondering is gaining a few tenths of and inch is worth the time and even possible

Thanks

Why not? That little extra accuracy at 100 yards could mean the difference between a wounded and maimed animal or a dead animal at 400 yards.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

I feel that almost every rifle should be bedded. And floated. I think it helps a lot of things and doesn't really hurt anything if you are going to hunt the rifle. But. It does seem to shoot pretty good to start with. Have you shot it at 400 yards yet?? That will tell you quite a bit.

 

[Truc]

IMR 4350 I would have thought to be a little too slow for the 35 Whelan. I have a 350 Rem Mag (about the same powder capacity) and use 55 gr of H322 with a 200 gr Barnes. I get very good accuracy with it, but then it does have a custom barrel on it.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

Mooretitan ; is your rifle factory? What rifle is it? Have you chronographed it with that load??

 

[mooretitan]

I think before I try anything else i am going to see what i can get at 300 and 400 yards. If it stays at moa I might just leave it as is. Just worried that if I mess with it the groups might open up which is probably just in my head. I am just getting into this long range stuff.

It's a rem 700 classic

Thanks

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

4350's a bit slow for the whelen, but not that slow. I burn 60 rl15 with a 220 speer in my ruger whelen. Moa to 200 at 2700 fps. 4350 would kick you down 100 fps or so and be a bit milder pressures.

 

[Truc]

I use Varget for the heavier bullets which is in the same speed as RE15 but has a better temp stability factor. I still say 4350 is too slow unless you're shooting 250 gr+ bullets . I looked up 4 different load books and not one list it, the slowest I saw was 4320 or thereabouts. If the OP wants to shoot longer ranges then step the powder up to speed up the load.
There are not many bullets that will open at that range as most are designed for close range and low velocity. The 225 Sierra is about the best that I know of or one of the new Noslers bonded might work. The 200 Hornady is one that shoots well but won't expand at lower velocity.

 

[LeddSlinger]

I think any 4350 is a little slow as well. I have a 358 Norma Mag and it likes the faster powders too. I use 72gr of Hogdon BLC-2 behind a 225gr Nosler Partition.

I tried some of the slower powders during load testing, but reacted to the faster powders much better.

 

[mooretitan]

I would have to look and see what reloading book I got 4350 out of. I know it was in a book or I would not have used it. I have a lot of 4350 and it was shot well so I started there and got pretty good groups with that right out of the gate with a near max load. I am guessing I am around 2700 fps but have not ran it over anything to make it official al. I will have to use a friends next time he goes out. In the mean time I have another box loaded and will see how it does at 300 and 400 and hope to get some official velocity measurements.
I have a handful of othe powders that I can try to bring up velcocity if the numbers don't work out

Thanks

 

[Truc]

I'm getting around 2800fps in my 350 Rem Mag with my load and I'm not pushing it. If I switched to Tac powder it would be over 2900fps not sure of accuracy though. Varget is the slowest powder I use in it.
I understand the need to use powder that you already have, since I've shot Benchrest for 13+ yrs I have lots of fast powder I can use in my 350. N-133, 8208, H-322 just works the best for the light 200 gr bullets.

 

[mooretitan]

I reviewed my note book and the load is for a 225gr bullet from the nosler book. Since I had 4350 on hand I adjusted for a 200gr. Looking at everything I am probably closer to 2500fps but wont know until I can get my friend out. I will still shoot out to 400 just for practice. Its not a gun that I shoot a lot but was in the back of the safe and needed a little love.

I have some of the faster powders suggested but mostly 1 pounders and with everything dont know when I can get them in bigger amounts.

Thanks again.

I have been a life time hunter but really over the last couple years have started studying more into shooting long range

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

I hoard all my 4350 for heavy bullets in my 6.5 Creedmoor and 9.3×64 B. Actually, the 35 Whelan is extremely similar to the 9.3×64 Brenneke . In the diameter of case body to bullet dia. And shoulder angle. So much so that if you put 3 of each in one hand and roll them around without looking you have to look close to sort them out . . so I think 4350 would work great with bullets like the 280 gr. Swift and heavier Woodliegh bullets. I use Rl15 in the 9.3×62+64 with 250 gr bullets and am getting ready to try Varget. With the 250s . With the 285 gr bullets 4350 proved to give me the best velocity.

 

[mooretitan]

Went out and shot some 300 yard groups. Groups were about 12 inches low at 300 from a sight in of 3 inch high at. Man that thing drops like rock. I am guessing velocity is 2500-2600 fps.
Anyways only shot two 3 shot groups at the same target. Was breaking in a new 260 so not much time. Both cold shot were about 2inches high from the rest of the group. Which is on par with a 100 yard group. The remaining 4 shots measured a nice group of 1.724 inches.

Velocity on target should be 1700fp and 1500fps at 400 yards. Have to check if this is enough to expand the 200 grain hornady sp.

I would like to get velocity up a couple hundred feet. But I really like how it is shooting. Might try to float the barrel and bed the stock in the next couple of weeks

Thanks