35 whelen and elk

[Blammer]

Some of you may remember I've developed a load for my 35 wheelen using an RCBS 35-200 at right around 2400fps.

Many suggested I slow it down so when I hit a deer I have something left to take home. :)

It was intended to be a long range, 100yd or farther game getter for deer.

I plan on doing some Elk hunting this year with the above combo.

What say you on this combo for Elk?

Shots could be anywhere from 50yds to 300yds.

[ShooterAZ]

I say that will work great. Put it through the lungs, and start the Bar-B-Que.

[sixshot]

Blammer, if thats were it shoots best I sure wouldn't change anything, that bullet at 2400 fps muzzle will work just fine on elk. I know of a lot of elk thats been taken with the good old 30/30 & 170 gr slugs. Good luck on the hunt.

Dick

[DanWalker]

Put it where it needs to go, and you'll be sweating and staggering down the mountain with a load of elk meat on your back.(several times)

[Doughty]

Blammer,
You don't say what alloy you are using. If the bullet is tough enough to hold together, then you ought to be fine. With that bullet I don't think you need to try to get it to expand. I'm thinking the reliable mix of 50/50 WW/PB. Maybe if you harden them by heat treating and quenching it would help with high pressure accuracy and not too much expansion. I shot a cow elk at about a 100 yards with a .35 Whelan. The bullet was a 280 grain LBT of the above mentioned alloy going 2200 fps. I hit it a little low just behind the front leg. The elk went about 25 to 30 yards before going down. The bullet left a thumb size hole all the way through the chest and is still going for all I know. There was some slightly blood shot meat for about 2 inches around the hole. Acceptable accuracy will tell you how far your range will be. The power will be there. Good luck with it.

[Larry Gibson]

I say that will work great. Put it through the lungs, and start the Bar-B-Que.


+1

Larry Gibson

[DeanWinchester]

Put the bullet in the engine room and down it will go.

[Blammer]

WQ WW is the alloy and it's a good shooter at 200yds. :)

[Djones]

WQ WW is the alloy and it's a good shooter at 200yds. :)

That is awesome! I have a similar plan for my 358 Winchester once it gets back from JES.

Good luck on the hunt!

David

[TXGunNut]

I tried to slow down my 35 Whelen but it seems happiest pushing those RD 359-190's at just under 2300 fps. Wasn't able to make HT WW's work, tho. Had to fall back to HT 50/50 + a bit of tin, should be plenty hard for TX deer & hogs. Glad the HT WW is working for you. Sounds like you need a big ol' hog for boolit test purposes.

[BruceB]

So? The Whelen is doing what it does best.... heavy bullet at a good speed.

Why not just cast a softpoint on that bullet, and have both speed and the accuracy you've worked up, along with a bullet that WILL expand, and not lead the bore in the bargain.

[dk17hmr]

Put it where it needs to go, and you'll be sweating and staggering down the mountain with a load of elk meat on your back.(several times)

Dan left out THE most important part of this....you have to go up hill in the morning to be sweating and staggering down the mountain with meat.....going down hill in the morning and packing meat back up hill to camp is terrible.

[youngda9]

So? The Whelen is doing what it does best.... heavy bullet at a good speed.

Why not just cast a softpoint on that bullet, and have both speed and the accuracy you've worked up, along with a bullet that WILL expand, and not lead the bore in the bargain.

At 2000+fps I think WDWW will show some expansion, and retain it's mass well for excellent penetration, with with a FP designed boolit. Correct me if I'm wrong, I can take it.

[BruceB]

I agree that the wheelweight bullet SHOULD show some expansion.

That is not good enough for me.

The objective of my quest for the "homogenous" softpoint was to duplicate, as much as possible, the performance of a Nosler Partition. I have seen dozens of Noslers recovered from game, and their consistency in both weight retention and expansion are very well-known.

A pure-lead nose WILL EXPAND, and there is no uncertainty about it. Likewise, the harder shank WILL PENETRATE. When those two parts are in one piece, no joints, no weak points.... the bullet will also not break apart into the two component parts.

That is performance similar to the Noslers, and that's what I was looking for. The bullets are slower to cast than single-alloy ones, but a handful will last a hunter for years because practice and zeroing can be done with normal single-alloy bullets from the same mould as the softpoint.

The bullets are available at zero cost beyond a few minutes of time, to anyone with a mould. Why concern ourselves with "might", or "should" or "I think"when making hunting bullets?

[sixshot]

I've done deer, elk, bear & moose with softnose cast in sixguns & to me at least there's nothing finer!

Dick

[MarkP]

So? The Whelen is doing what it does best.... heavy bullet at a good speed.

Why not just cast a softpoint on that bullet, and have both speed and the accuracy you've worked up, along with a bullet that WILL expand, and not lead the bore in the bargain.

This is what I use in my 350 Rem Mag's



98043

[NVScouter]

Put it where it needs to go, and you'll be sweating and staggering down the mountain with a load of elk meat on your back.(several times)

Ditto! Thats when the real work starts!

[jhalcott]

I've tested the 358315 and 318 in wet pack out of MY 35 Whelen and 358JDJ. They are RN gas check designs. The 315 goes about 205 grains and the 318 is about 245. I cast them in "normal" and "soft" nose versions. The "softs" are much better at expanding in the wet pack, and the few deer and other critters I've used them on had about the same reaction. I have NOT found any IN the game, but exit wounds and wound channels show good to excellent expansion. Internal damage was extensive with large hole thru the heart and lungs, or what ever organs were in the line of travel. Velocity does NOT have to be ultra high, usually 2000 to 2200 fps at the muzzle is sufficient for shots to about 200 yards. Dependent on target size of course.
One big doe in Maine was shot almost facing me, the 245 grain slug went in just beside the neck, took out the right lung, grazed the heart, passed thru the guts and exited just in front of the left rear leg? AT LEAST 2 feet of penetration with a soft lead nose and wheel weight base! Distance to the doe was about 60 yards!

[43PU]

MarkP what mold is that? I have a couple of 358 Winchesters that are screaming to use that boolit

[bearcove]

Important difference, this.


Dan left out THE most important part of this....you have to go up hill in the morning to be sweating and staggering down the mountain with meat.....going down hill in the morning and packing meat back up hill to camp is terrible.

[pls1911]

TX GUNUT is spot on. cast soft, heat treat hard...
Having a recurring supply of pure lead, I started stretching my "Sort of #2 alloy" by cutting to a 50-50 new alloy with pure lead.
As cast, it's 10 bhn, still plenty hard for pistols, but still heat treats nicely to 20-25 BHN.
(450 degrees for one hour, ice water quench)
This provides fine accuracy at least through1900 fps and a bullet which holds together nicely and will body slam a big hog through both shoulders without breaking up when used in Ballard or Microgroove Marlins , or my Savage 340s.
And best of all, NO leading.

[Idaho Mule]

I might go for a little softer alloy, like 70/30 + a little tin is all. But your alloy will work just fine. If you have a broadside shot under 200 yds. you won't find the boolit without excavation. So, where ya going for this? I can't wait to hear the results and I sure hope you like elk steak cuz that boolit will put one down. JW

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

:roll:[smilie=1: Just what will an Idaho Mule know about the subject? :wink::grin:

Hi mule long time no hear'in from your end. Ya must have been buried in snow! Time to come out of the den and take a bath!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Blammer]

Hoping to get to CO this year, finally.....

[Idaho Mule]

Congrats on the CO hunt Blammer, as I said I can't wait to hear and see results. Hi Crusty!! You the one that's been hiding, I've been checking in here pretty regular. Blammer, I would see if I had time to work with Bruce's soft points too, as he is on to something there. JW

[catncarp]

great looking bullet and should do the job

[TCLouis]

Deleted

DK17HMR already said it