35 Whelen Loads

[9412765BRENT]

Hello,

Just registered today...did some casting and reloading when I was younger in boy scouts and really enjoyed the casting part. Recently rebarreled a crude sporterized Mauser in 30-'06 to 35 whelen and started reloading and decided to cast for that and a s&w model 57 I picked up recently. Found a used saeco lubrisizer and accumulated the other items i need including NOE 360-294 and 360-249 moulds, both gc'd. I looked in Lyman casting handbook and they only show a couple of bullet weights up to 204gr. Could anyone suggest a starting point for these heavier bullets or a resource to purchase? Hoping to make this a 200 yd proposition for whitetails. Thanks for the help!

Brent

[beltfed]

You may be able to reference Starting Loads for similar weight
jacketed bullets for the 35 whelen.
Not quite the same, but I have been using my 358 Win for years with
Paper Patched Lyman 249 gr 358318 bullet with handbook listed load of 3031 under it for 2350fps. Kills deer very well
beltfed/arnie

[35Whelen]

244100

[Shuz]

What is the twist rate of your .35 Whelen? If it is 1:12 you should have no problem finding a load that will give you accuracy, but perhaps not to 200 yards unless you drive them fast. Slower twist rates like 1:14 or 1:16 are known to be iffy at best with heavy weight boolits. I use a Lyman 38009 at 282g in my 1:12 twist Douglass bbl'd Rem 700. My powder of choice is 4064. 48g gives me 2169fps with groups as small as .980" for 3 shots at 100 yards. The boolits were heat treated to Bhn 22. As always, start low and work up. Good luck in your quest.

[9412765BRENT]

We'll bummer, mines a 1:14. I shot some 250 Speer hot cors at 2650 and they are stable and group well at 300yds, even in a good wind. Maybe mine won't stabilize the heavier mould. Guess there's only one way to find out! You think I should try 4064 with the 250s as well?

[Nobade]

Just run the Greenhill formula on those bullets to see if they'll work.

[9412765BRENT]

I put info into one of the bullet stability calculators and it looks good, but do those things not do a good job?

[Nobade]

I put info into one of the bullet stability calculators and it looks good, but do those things not do a good job?They usually do, especially with cast bullets.

[cwlongshot]

I load my NOE 360/280 RN with Trail boss and 3031 in 1:14 Shillen barrel for fine accuracy. Have t taken fur with the bullet yet.

[bstone5]

I have a H&R Handi-Rifle in 35 Whelen that shoots cast bullets very well.
I use H-4350 powder in the reloads.

[Shuz]

We'll bummer, mines a 1:14. I shot some 250 Speer hot cors at 2650 and they are stable and group well at 300yds, even in a good wind. Maybe mine won't stabilize the heavier mould. Guess there's only one way to find out! You think I should try 4064 with the 250s as well?

I would!

[atr]

I have a 35Whelen with a 1:14 twist and it shoots very accurately with 250 GR cast (NOE mold). I will try to dig out some successful loads later today and post.
atr

at 1630 hrs.
I looked up my loads and I get good accuracy with 250 gr Cast / sized 0.359
48 to 54 grains of IMR4064

[Chill Wills]

What is the twist rate of your .35 Whelen? If it is 1:12 you should have no problem finding a load that will give you accuracy, but perhaps not to 200 yards unless you drive them fast. Slower twist rates like 1:14 or 1:16 are known to be iffy at best with heavy weight boolits. Good luck in your quest.

That has NOT been my experience at all. I have a 1990 Rem 700 Classic 35 Whelen, 16 Twist.
It certainly does well with 250gr jacketed bullets and LBT 280gr cast.

I found it accurate and easy to load for pushing bullets easy in the high teens and with all out loads using R-15. Like Shuz, I cast and heat treated bullets and for hunting elk, the few bullets needed, I cast them in two part using a 20/1 soft lead nose.

I never did shoot many loads using light bullets. No need.

Based on my experience of one rifle alone, 16 twists will work fine and a 14 twist, should you have one could even be better. Who knows.

The 35 Whelen is a really nice rifle for us cast bullet users. Have fun and good shooting.

[9412765BRENT]

Ive got couple of recommendations for imr4064 and one for rl15, both of which i have partial pounds of thanks to couple local reloaders who have really helped me get started with knowledge and some components; i'll try those. I also have a little cfe223 that i see is slower yet than 4064 and rl15. Ill see if i cant search that and "cast for whelen" and find something for the 360-294 mould. Thanks guys

[Shuz]

[QUOTE=Chill Wills;4674839]That has NOT been my experience at all. I have a 1990 Rem 700 Classic 35 Whelen, 16 Twist.
It certainly does well with 250gr jacketed bullets and LBT 280gr cast. [QUOTE]

The reason I said that slower twists are known to be iffy with heavy weight boolits (280g+) is that poor accuracy was MY experience with a Rem 700 Classic in .35 Whelen just like yours! I define poor accuracy as greater than 2", 3 shot groups with a hunting rifle.
How do you define "certainly does well?"[smilie=s:

[9412765BRENT]

I also have the top three powders listed on Speer data link below.
https://www.speer-ammo.com/downloads/speer/reloading-pdfs/Rifle/35_caliber_357-358_dia/35_Whelen_250.pdf

I have gotten 250 j bullets up to 2650 with the PP2000mr and have used the PPVARMINT to scream 180 Barnes at 3160. Would it be safe to use those start charges listed on the attached link for top three powders for the 250 cast mould? I will have gas checks installed.

[afish4570]

That has NOT been my experience at all. I have a 1990 Rem 700 Classic 35 Whelen, 16 Twist.
It certainly does well with 250gr jacketed bullets and LBT 280gr cast.

I found it accurate and easy to load for pushing bullets easy in the high teens and with all out loads using R-15. Like Shuz, I cast and heat treated bullets and for hunting elk, the few bullets needed, I cast them in two part using a 20/1 soft lead nose.

I never did shoot many loads using light bullets. No need.

Based on my experience of one rifle alone, 16 twists will work fine and a 14 twist, should you have one could even be better. Who knows.

The 35 Whelen is a really nice rifle for us cast bullet users. Have fun and good shooting.



Have a 77 Ruger old tang safety 3006 with a bad barrel. Plan to shoot RCBS 200 gr FP cast and maybe 220 gr. FP Speer (jacketed) that is why I lean to the slower twist. )It will be easier to shoot 200 gr.cast faster in a 1-16 twist from what read and been told. That is why I lean to the slower twist. Realistically what MV can I expect??

Any 35 Whelen shooters have any suggestions. I don't plan on using any heavier boolits. Deer are my only big game I hunt. afish4570

[kaiser]

I have a Rem 7600 with a 1:16 twist and a Mark X with 1:14 twist in the standard .35 Whelen cartridge. Both rifles will shoot 3 rounds of 250gr bullets into less than 1" at 100 yards, on my best day with 250gr bullets. I've not tried heavier bullets in the 7600; however, I have shot both 280 and 300gr cast in the Mark X and they are both accurate and stable (it does not key hole or tip). I'm not convinced I need a 1:12 twist to shoot the heavier bullets, since the .35 Whelen is not capable of driving those bullet to .358 Norma speeds; thus, trajectory and energy adds nothing over a good 250 or 280gr bullet of proper construction in the Whelen IMO.

[Tracy]

Lyman 358009, 280+ grain roundnose shoots and stabilizes fine even at 1200 fps in my 1:14" twist Mauser .35 Whelen with one of the barrels Midway used to sell for $89.95.