Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Performance of 200 & 250 grain Whelens in whitetails

Many folks on hunting forums assert that lighter (200 grain) bullets are best in the .35 Whelen applied whitetails. These posts state that 250 grain bullets are too heavy for such lightly built game, exiting without expanding appreciably. This seems, to me, to contrast with the information provided by John Barsness that bullets do their expanding by the time they have travelled their own length from their point of entry into the animal (Rifle Trouble-Shooting and Handloading, p.227).

So, if bullets of comparable design are loaded to full-strength, directed along the same path through deer of equivalent physical characteristics, and all pertinent variables controlled� is there a difference between the light weight and heavy weight bullet?

My application for this information is for my own use in the smallish deer of the southeastern US at 80 yards maximum. At such short range the velocity drop for the heaver bullets strikes me as small. Neither recoil nor expense are considerations in my question. I am a .257 Roberts person in general (owing to this forum, a great deal), but have been dabbling in .223 Remington for deer these past years with success. The Whelen is just something I�ve fixated on for more than 30 years, and I want to understand its best use in the conditions and for the game that I shoot.

I use 225 gr. Sierra boat tails, they work just fine.

I use 200 gr. Hornady spire points in a 35 whelen for what passes for primitive weapons season here in Mississippi. They work fine, but to tell the truth they're still too stout for whitetails, you get a pass through without a whole lot of expansion. It doesn't put them down nearly as quickly as a faster caliber shooting lighter bullets. Still quite effective however, but if you're expecting it to poleaxe whitetail like the hammer of Thor then you'll likely be disappointed.

Bullet construction means at least as much as weight. Big difference between a 200g RN and the 200SP immeadate effect on whitetail.

I wouldn't be suprised to find that there is a similar difference between the Hornday 250 SP and 250RN

I don't have any whelen experience but quite a bit of the 358 win and I rather like the 200G SP, as noted in an earlier post it doesn't tear stuff up much, but seems to kill fine.

There are some new bullets I haven't tried, the 200g accubond and the TTSXs look promising.

Crow hunter, your report of "pass through" is consistent with most of those who comment on experience with the Whelen (and rounds similar to it). Thank you for your insight.

I've shot a lot of deer over the past 3-4 years with the Whelen. I've used Remington factory 200 grain and factory 250 grain. Not all the angles have been the same, deer have been different sizes, etc, etc, etc.... Many were shoulder shot so they dropped right there. Considering only the heart/lung shots, I've had one that had a much longer death run than any of the others. It was the only 250 I've taken a lung shot with. The 200's do seem to open a bit quicker, but they both kill just fine. In the photo below, in a straight on shot, the 200 traveled from neck to opposite hip...I think it was the only 200 I've caught...I've not stopped a 250 yet.

Moral of the story is...if you want to drop something "right there" it's hard to trump placement (shoulder). If you want to limit placement to heart/lung and want to drop it "right there", then fast and light rules (and I'd think lighter/faster than the Whelen). Almost any bullet will work...they just work a little differently....

There isn't anyone who really makes an explosive bullet for 35 caliber. If Berger would make a 35 cal in the 225 weight range I bet it would be like Thor's hammer on deer. Most if not all of the bullets I have tried are very stout for deer. I am going to try some old 225 grain ballistic tips this fall and see how it goes. One of the endearing qualities of the ole' whelen is the fact that it does not destroy a ton of meat. The deer I shot this year only lost about a quarter sized piece from each shoulder, the 200 gr. Hornady passed right through at 175 yards. I am like you SeeDepp always had a thing for the 35 and I finally broke down 2 years ago and have never looked back.

"So, if bullets of comparable design are loaded to full-strength, directed along the same path through deer of equivalent physical characteristics, and all pertinent variables controlled� is there a difference between the light weight and heavy weight bullet?"

Since the lighter bullet will impact at a higher velocity, it will usually expand more than the heavier bullet.

I have killed 4 deer with the Whelen & Sierra's 225 BT. I have recovered the bullet in all 4 cases. In my experience the Sierra 225 is a "explosive" bullet on our small southern deer although 1 of the bucks I killed was a 195 live weight 10pt.

My rifle a M700ks doesn't like Nosler balistic tips or 200 gr Hornady's. The Sierra 225 kills deer but I would not use it on larger game.

I think the 250 gr Hornady RN is a softer bullet also. Just judging by one kill my nephew made on a smallish whitetail. Lost alot of meat on that one.

If you are looking for really soft, I would look to the 180 hornday SSP bullet. Of course there are the 357 pistol bullets

I'd stick with the 223 or Roberts. I'd rather have a 223 in my hands for shooting whitetails at 100 yards than I would a Whelen, by a LONG shot.

Interesting previous discussion here:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/7347248/1

I zero'd my father's M7 CDL .350RM yesterday with 225gr TSX's and TAC. I loaded them a grain under book max and was expecting a worse blow than I got when I pulled the trigger. Still, it will clack your teeth if you don't watch it. The one deer he shot with it last year certainly hit the ground hard enough, but it's not much of sample......

I'm a big Whelen fan and have used my 77RS since 87 on targets as small as chipmunks & woodchucks w/ cast & pistol bullets, whitails, pigs & coyotes with 200 gr. Remington, Hornady RN & Spire points, 225 Sierra & Nosler BT, 250 Speer Spitzers and Hornady RN. I've use'd 225 PT & 250 Speer on Black Bear , 250 Speer on Nilgai, Elk and Moose.
The Whelen isn't tough to load for and there are so many good bullets.

When I get to SC to hunt with family (farm & leases in Berkley county) my Whelen would be used for deer, pigs and the occasional unlucky coyote. I started with the Hornady 200 RN then switched to the bulk Remington 200 gr. RNCLKT that works so well out of my 35 Rem. There was only one DRT and that was a meat doe I spined as she was running away.
Over the years I've killed a few of those tasty little low country deer with the Whelen, all bullet weights worked.

I have found that if I wanted bang flops I had better luck with my 257 Roberts and 100gr BT or my 220 Swift with 55gr. Hornady Spire Points.

YMMV

My Whelen shoots 225gr. Sierra & Nosler BT's better than any other bullet. I harvested an 8pt. KY whitetail a few years ago with the 225gr. Sierra, a lung shot produced a complete pass thru the deer ran 30yds or so before expiring. Have not had an opportunity with the Nosler but expect similar results. While developing a load for my Whelen, I tried bullets weighing 200, 210, 215 and 220 grains. The 225's gave the best accuracy in my rifle, IMR4064 has been my go to powder in the Whelen though I have some RL-15 that I am going to give a try based on good reports here on the 'fire.

I appreciate the comments you all have been providing. Steelhead, I think you are right on the .223 and .257 range being the better cartridges for my use. Having killed deer annually since the mid 1970s, I find myself most comfortable with broadside/through the shoulder shots. I was an SMLE No.1 .303 British user for most of my years hunting deer, so that is the standard of recoil, expansion & penetration for me. I've not yet sent a .223 in to break a foreleg, as I am still getting used to the idea of .22s being for more than animals the size of housepets.

pabucktail, that is an interesting thread. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Such varied experiences! Happily for me, I appreciate deeper mystery over conclusive answers.

Both 200 & 250 gr bullets will work fine on whitetails. I used mostly 250gr Hornady SP and the exit was always slightly larger than a silver dollar or big enough to stick your fist in and not touch the sides. All were DRT.

Best one shot stopper I ever used in the .35 Whelen was the old version of the Barnes 200g XFB. Used it on deer, pigs, and coyotes. Only animal that ever left sight was a paunched coyote that I had to shoot free handed and left handed (I'm a righty), he left howling and didn't get far out of sight before he expired. Did shoot one deer with the Hornady 180g SSP out of my Whelen. It went about 30 yds. and piled up. upon inspection of the carcass after skinning and gutting there were lots of jacket fragments visible on the inside of the rib-cage on the exit wound side. Wanting to try the new Nosler 200g AB's.

I think a 180gr TTSX might be a good one.