35 Whelen from 30-06

[s mac]

I just bought a Handi Rifle chambered in 35 Whelen. This is a new to me cartridge. Is forming the brass from 30-06 just a matter of running it through the FL sizing die and then fire forming? Any tips?

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Essentially the 35W case is a necked up 06. A good neck expander will do the job....dip the case neck in powdered graphite to ease the operation. I would recommend annealing the necks first to minimizing the possibility of splitting any necks, but in my own experience it was not an issue. Some folks do fire-form them as well, but i have not done this even when using GI once fired brass. There is quite a bit of data around for loading the 35; it is a good powerful cartridge suitable for hunting large game and with some tinkering can be made to group well on a target. LLS

[Mk42gunner]

One pass is all it takes with a tapered expander.

The easy way to get one is to buy the RCBS two die set. The expander that came with mine will do from about .270 to .35 Whelen, .25-06 brass is too small for the expander to go in without crushing the necks.

Robert

[Yodogsandman]

I run my once fired '06 brass through an RCBS 35 Whelen FL sizer die, that's it. I do brush the case necks first with a tiny bit of case lube on the bristles. Never split a case that way. I used to split about every 5th once fired 270 shell, though until I ran them over an '06 sizer first. Then no more splits. The 270 brass will resize closer to the optimum case length but, it really doesn't matter if you trim them to just square all the cases off to the same length.

[s mac]

I did buy an RCBS die set, and these are new PPU cases. So I think I'm good to go. Anybody got favorite moulds for the 35W? I don't think I want really heavy, don't really want to get pounded too hard.

[skeettx]

I like my old Ideal 3589, now called Lyman 358009, It is heavy buy you do not have to load it hot.
Mike

[mart]

When I first was loading for mine, 35 Whelen brass was a bit hard to find. I used mostly LC match brass and ordered a tapered expander for my RCBS dies. I lubed the necks with powdered graphite and made a couple hundred cases. Back then I didn't anneal cases. I would today as I had a few losses to splits. Since then I've found plenty of factory 35 Whelen brass but the expanded cases worked fine and I shot some great groups and a few caribou with loads in those cases.

[Roundball]

Right on RCBS tapered expander balls! I have these expander balls in 338 Federal and 35 Whelen dies. Makes these cases with good results and no loss of brass.