Well, my go to load in my .35 Whelen Mauser is the 225 gr. Barnes TSX over 60.4 gr. of RE15. Vekocity is 2710 FPS and they gather in .50 to .75" clusters at 100 yards. I've only shot one cow elk with it so far and it was one of the most spectacular drop a critter on the spot dead I've ever seen in 63 years of hunting. Shot my first deer in 1949 with my Great-grandfather's only M94 30-03 and it was in 2010 that I dropped the cow elk. Beem quite a fw deer, a couple other elks and one speed goat during all those years but none that I can remember went down as fast as that elk. You don't have to guess what I'll be using for elk this year.
It may not be that Whelen but it will be a Whelen. I haven't taken anything with my Remington 700 Classic yet so maybe I'll take that one. I still have to take the Ruger M77 in the Whelen to my gunsmith's to have the headspace checked. Dunno if it was just a bad factroy round or if there is a problem but I did have a total case head separation with a 200 gr. Remington factory load in that rifle.
Someone commented that a persons load was what? 6 grains above book max? Doesn't surprise me a bit. Just another Remington screw up IMHO. Methinks the SAAMI specs are kept deliberately low because of all the old 1903 Springfields, 1895 Winchester and Remington pumps and semi-autos chambered to the round. I do believe the Whelen can be loaded a bit warmer than that. My load leaves primers nice and round, CHE and CRE are neglible and cases last a long time. What's not to like?
If I were to go with cup and core bullets, I'd just use any standard 250 out there. At even top veocity they should hold together just fine on most game. Maybe this year I might take the M700 with either the 250 gr. Hot Core or the Hornady IL, depending on which one the rifle likes. Might even try the Hornady RN just for spits and grins. Should work just fine for shots at 200 yards or less.
Paul B.
