Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles If you could only have 1 powder for…

….the 35 Whelen shooting 250gr and 280gr bullets what would you choose?

I have dozens of different powders but what would you choose for the heavier for caliber bullets….8208, PowerPro 2000MR, CFE223, RL15, RL16..22..23, Varget, BL-C(2), H4350, IMR4350, 760, IMR4064, 2230, 3031, LeverEvolution.….?

The rifle is a 20” Remington 700 that was once the gayest caliber known to man…a 270Win 😂 (kidding of course) so I’m comfortable loading it to modern pressures.

I intend to use this rifle for shots under, likely well under, 200 yards and truthfully it’ll probably be relegated to under 100 yards for shots on game. I’m not shooting fancy, high BC, super-slippery new fangled bullets….instead I’ll be using the boring old Swift A-Frames or the old faithful 225gr TTSX in the future.

This rifle is intended for up close and personal big game in the alders and rainforests of SE AK. I have a couple of very capable 338 Win Mags if I ever need to stretch the distances but I tend to shoot most of my game at knife fighting distances.

Thanks in advance!

Ancient info is probably useless to you, but I had great results with minimum load development with 56 gr of now discontinued 4320 and the 250 Nosler Part.
Pre 64 M70 with a rebored barrel...didn't own a chrono back then, but it was a perky charge in 20 deg to 50 deg weather. I sealed my ammo with fingernail polish, necks and primers, maybe that affected pressures, who knows?

Thanks Flintlocke! I’ll take whatever information and advice I can get and extrapolate from there. 👍🏼. I think 4320 is one of the few I don’t have have and I’m not likely to find any time soon. 😀

I’ve been doing some research and it sounds like CFE223, 8208 and PowerPro 2000-MR are the modern “go-to” powders for heavier Whelen loads but I’m definitely not a seasoned reloader. I have a Dillon 550 and 2 RCBS Rockchuckers that I’ll get setup once I get settled up north but for now I’ll just use <probably> the 550 more and I’ll only load for Whelen and the 338wm right now.

Beggars can’t be choosers and I appreciate any advice you “old hands” can give me. I read a lot here about reloading and half of it sounds like Mandarin to me. 😀

If I could only have one powder for everything, imr4064.

IMR 4350 is the peanut butter and jelly of the powder world..

64.0 gr CFE-223 + 250 gr Partition will get you places in a hurry. I have no experience with 280's

Thank you! Precisely the kind of info I’m looking for. 👍🏼

In my Whelen I never loaded bullets heavier than 225gr. after extensive research, load development and range testing I found that IMR 4064 gave the best accuracy. For 200gr. bullets IMR 3031 is your huckelberry.

I could make 4064, 4895, or 3031 work if so chosen

Take your pick:
H4895, IMR4895, IMR4320 or TAC.

I was guessing TAC. Plenty of room for powder and bullets. It is what I use in the .350 REM Mag. Good velocity too in short barrels.

CFE223 is my choice for for 250 grain bullets in the 35 Whelen

In my 700 Classic Whelen, 225gr. TSX and CFE223 was getting me 2700+ fps and groups around an inch. I was using middle of the data loads and still had more throttle left.

If you don't have the #6 Sierra manual, I can take pictures and post them up.

IMR-3031 would be the powder that i will always have.

That was a sad day for my gun-works.

My Whelen loved RL15 with 250s. Great accuracy and speed and it wasn't too temp sensitive.

I never did try 8208xbr but if I still had a Whelen I'd try that too. I love 8208xbr in several rounds. I've even been using it instead of h4895 for various reduced loads for the kids. It meters great, burns clean, is temp stable, and seems to be easy to ignite and clean burning at lower pressures.

Bb

I don’t have the Sierra #6 and if you get a chance to post it I’d be obliged. 👍🏼

Thank you all for your suggestions, I appreciate it….bigly!

TAC is one that I have but forgot to include in my original post so thanks for that suggestion. 👍🏼

I have three rifles chambered to the .35 Whelen. The Ruger M77RS and Remington Classic have 22" Barrels with the 1 in 16" twist. They shoot 250 gr. bullets reasonably well using Paco Kelly's load with H335. Groups averaged .0 to 1.25" at 100 yards and about 2500 FPS IIRC. No apparent pressure problems but I did start about five percent below what he posted and worked up.

Rifle number three is a custom Mauser I found at a gun show with q 1 in 14" twist, 24" barrel. It shot quite we;; with Paco Kelly's load as well but when I went to RL15 and the 225 gr. Barnes TXS? WOW! Final load was 2710 FPS and groups .50" to .75". So far I've taken six cow elk, all one shot kills. All but two dropped on the spot and those two went no more than 20 to30 feet after impact.

That's the good news. The bad is while the load is safe and works so well in the Mauser, it's too hot for the Ruger and M77. I'm not sure just how well that TSX bullet will work at somewhere between 2500 and 2600 FPS but it is what it is.

Shots on elk ran from about 75 yards to 350 yards. Bullets have all passed clean through so none were recovered.

I do have a few of the long gone Hornady 275 gr. round nose bullets. I really haven't done much with them as by the time is find something that works I probably won't have enough left to make up a full 20 round box of ammo. Initial test showed 1.5" from the Mauser. Recoil was noticeable and I think might be a bit much in the lighter Remington classic. I'm at the age where recoil is something to consider regarding bad stuff like detached retinas and other like problems.
PJ

4064