I decided to buy dies. Local factory selection sucks and loads seem anemic. I have a ton of once fired brass.

I am looking for pet loads. I am shooting a factory TC Encore Pro Hunter 26" overall barrel length. Primary service will be Mississippi Whitetails and Hogs.

300 yard maximum intended range. 50 - 100 yard typical range.

Looks like a good 225 grain bullet will be your huckleberry. Mine loves Re 15 and any bullet, especially the 250s.

My favorite load is 60 gr of Varget and a 225 gr Nosler Accubond it will do anything you could ever want, Nosler's max load is 60.5 gr, work up slowly. Like mentioned above RL 15 is another great 35 Whelen powder. The 225 gr Partition is another real good bullet.

I have been loading & hunting with a Whelen for 25+ years. Over that period of time I have used a bunch of different bullets & powders, in 3 different Whelens. I have found it a very easy round to get a long with as nearly everything has shot & killed pretty well. I have decided that the modest velocities (2400-2500fps in my case) of the Whelen don't require premium bullets necessary, tho they have shot pretty well. I have taken many whitetals with the 200gr Hornady SP over 55.5 gr of 3031. In recent years, I have been using the 250gr Hornady SP over 56gr of 4064. The Speer version is a good one, but I seem to have found "deals" on the Hornady's. I have avoided the 180 gr bullets and the various pistol bullets as I just didn't see the point.
The 250 has produced numerous DRT kills. I have used it on whitetails, muleys & moose, plus an occasional woodchuck.
Over time I have learned that I did not seem to gain much by pushing the Whelen to max velocities, as it has been remarkably effective on game. When I benchmarked factory ammo, I found relatively low velocities, but great accuracy, and lots of game get taken with that stuff every season.
I spent my early hunting years using a 270 & occasionally a 6mm Rem. Trialed the Whelen when Remington introduced it in 87 or 88.
Did not know what to expect when changing from light & fast to big & slow, but was absolutely dazzled with the Whelen on game. There is not much I would not hunt with 130 gr Partitions in a 270Win or 250 gr Spitzers from a Whelen. In 40+ years of hunting, I do not remember a single head of big game that could not have been nicely taken with either caliber.
Bottom line, its hard to go wrong with the Whelen.

i have found the speer 220 gr bullet to work like magic on whitetails i am using 61gr. of blc2 with the 220 speer

Ed

I am glad to hear this, loading for this rifle is definitely the way to go.

The beauty of the Whelen is that you don't have to push the velocity envelope, it'll push itself...so to speak.

I run 57 grains of H-4895 under my favorite 225 grain bullet, and 54 grains of the same juice under 250's.

Ya done good..!

I have had very good results using the Whelen on elk and moose. I don't see the point of using it for deer, but it will kill them too. I use 250 gr. bullets almost exclusively, and really like how the Speer Grand Slam punches all the way through elk and moose to leave air in and blood out on both sides. That bullet is too tough for deer, but will kill them, it just takes longer than I like. A good 250 gr, bullet at 2500 fps will kill big stuff real dead from 1-250 yds or so. Works for me.

Overkill on whitetails for sure but the 35 whelen is allowed in Mississippi primitive weapon season. Beats the hell out of a muzzle loader overkill or not.

I have a 1:14 twist and am able to stabilize 250 grain Speer Hot-Cors with enough IMR-3031 to get just under 2500 fps. For me that is 50.0 grains. My Brother's rifle is a ruger and has a 1:16 twist and couldn't get 250s to stabilize so he went with 225 Partitions and is using IMR-4064 and I forget the charge but he's getting a smidge over 2700. I have a boat-load of 250 Speers but if I was starting new today I would either go with them or 225 Accubonds. Any of these bullets I would trust for anything in North America out to 250-300 yards.

OK I understand your goal of shooting deer with a .35 W now. In that case a 200 gr. RN would be my choice, good expansion against thin skinned targets. I don't have experience with the 200 PSP from Hornady, it might b OK too.

The 200 Hornady spitzer at about 2600+ does VERY well on whitetails as do the Nosler 225 Partition and the discontinued 225 Ballistic Tip at around 2600. Probably a bit of overkill but they don't go far, if at all, and they leave a blood trail like it was poured by a garden hose.

I'm loading 200gr. Hornady SPs at approx. 2700 fps. for three Encores. They have worked very well for us so far. I've also used 225gr. TSXs on bear. This summer I'll be trying some loads with 225gr. BTs that I've bought. If they group well I'll use them in the 26in. barreled Pro-Hunter.

What powders do the encores seem to like? Any good benchmarks you have ID'd?

I'm good with RL 15 but quite a few have posted of good results with Varget.

RL=15 and Speer 250's @ 2500 will work for everything. I get the best accuracy with this combo and my rifle has a 1:16 twist.

Overkill is way under rated.

+1

What Ed (1234)said.

WN

My pet load for the .35 Whelen is 60.4 gr. og RL15, Remington brass, Winchester WLR primer and the Barnes 225 gr. TSX bullet. Do start about two grains loawer and work up. Velocity in my rifle is 2710 FPS, accurcacy runs .50 to .75" and when that bullet and elk come together, the elk goes down like right now.
Paul B.

Another MS whitetail hunter here. Just tested a couple of loads in my Whelen in a Handi-rifle. Using 225gr Sierra Gamekings and RL 15. Loaded a few at 59.5gr and a few at 60.0gr. The 59.5 gave me about 1-1.5 inch group and shot very smooth. The 60.0 gave me tremendously more recoil and barrel jump. Scope tapped me above the eye. Groups opened up slightly. Think I'll stick with the 59.5

Was that 1/2 gr. more of the same powder?

Used RL 15 in both loads. My shooting buddy was just as shocked as I was at the difference. We shoot a lot of magnum rifles and he laughed at how much that Whelen load knocked me around!

I use 60 grains of Reloader 15 and a 225 grain bullet. Since Sierras are accurate and cheaper I shoot a lot of those. Three shots in an inch at 100 yards.

I have used 225gr Sierras, Nosler Partitions and Trophy Bonded Bearclaws. I also use the factory TBBC load when I use it for elk.

In my 22" barreled Mauser it gets right around 2600fps depending on the bullet. The Bearclaws get 2640fps.

I sight in 3.5" high at 100yards which gets me in about 8.5" low at 300 yards. Pretty much the same trajectory as a .308 Winchester shooting 180 grain bullets.

My longest shot so far is 220 yards lasered.

I tried the 200 grain bullets and wasn't impressed. They don't shoot anywhere close to the 225's and they seem wind sensitive.

How deep are you guys seating your bullets? Especially you Encore guys. I measured a Max length of 3.391 to the Lands with my 200gn SP. .03 off of that (3.360) runs the bullet pretty shallow into the neck. Just curious what seems to be working for you guys.

I am a "try to maintain bullet diameter inside the neck" kinda guy. But I want accuracy and I have not run into this with my other rifles.

Please advise...

CBB

I load for several Whelans. One particular M700 loves the 200gr Hornady at 3.250"

WN

The Whelen works so well on deer with a variety of bullets you will love it. The 200 gr. Hornady spire point is a fine deer bullet and 2700 fps is plenty of speed for what you want. I use H380 or H414 with all bullet weights nothing to snivel about.

I'm using 58.6gr IMR 4064 with a Hornady 200gr Spire Points in the 2650 fps range. With the latest ammo and component shortage, I can't find 4064 in my area. I'm shopping for recipes right now, as I only have about 15 rounds or so for this year. RL 15 seems to have a lot of followers and I know I can get that locally.

I've shot two whitetails so far with my Whelen. First one was a running doe at about 25 yards. Caught her in the near shoulder as she was quartering away up a ridge. The bullet went through the shoulder, narrowly missed the spine and exited the far side of the neck taking out the jugular vein. She piled up dead about 40 yards past. There was a clear blood trail to follow.

I shot a buck last fall at about 40 yards shooting downward at an extreme angle. Took out the liver and exited the belly, He dropped like a rock. As I got off the ridge and started to track him, I saw him walking broadside about 15 yards from me. I fired one into the ribs and he was down for the count. That last shot hit a rib square on the far side leaving a 1.5X2 inch exit wound. Total elapsed time form first shot to kill shot was less than three minutes.

I was considering bumping up to a 250 gr load for everything from now on, but I have no intention to hunt anything larger than whitetails in the next five years, so I think I'll stick with what works.

I just went up to 59 grns of Reloader 15 with 225 TXSs and got 2770 fps. I've never shot an elk with that bullet but did shoot one with a 225 GameKing about three years ago (used 58 grns of Re15) on that one. Bullet passed through the lungs but did not expand as much as I thought it should have.

In a Rem 700 I have found no jacketed bullet loaded with RE7, RE15 Varget 748 or AA2015 to shoot UNACCEPTABLE groups, with 180s (2),200s (5) 225s (3). The Sierras were 5/8 MOA with Varget and under MOA with both Horn 250s. The task might be to find a poor load in 35 W. Reminds me of load work in the .222

Same experience in any Whelens I have been around mid range powder, mid book loads and work up. Good accuracy, have shot several exceptional groups with the .35 Whelen. Whacks moose hard also! Like RL 15, IMR 4320 and others want to try RS Big Game as I have a lot of it.

I used AA-2015 BR and 225 gr. Partitions in an old Rem classic 35W 20 some odd years ago, helluva combo, and one of the most accurate hunting rifles I have ever owned.

It routinely shocked the hell outta me with it's accuracy, shouldn't have sold it.

Gunner

The Inherently Accurate thread is mentioning 35 W and .222s. Seems to be a trend here.

If you can find some try 2015 BR,RL-15 and/or IMR-3031.

I have used these and some others with bullets up to 250 grain.

As for deer at ranges found in MS give the old tried and true core-lok,the 200 grain will flip a whitetail at 80 yards.

Get great results both accuracy and performance on game with 225gr. Sierra or Nosler and IMR 4064. I have some RL 15 but have yet to work up a load.

Anybody ever try the 180 Barnes bullets in their Whelen?

http://www.reloadammo.com/35whelenload.htm

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000212453

imr 4320, h380, and WW748, and varget all give good results under a SPEER 250 grain with 215 fed primers, a standard load in our elk camp uses that 250 speer and imr 4320 at near 2500 fps, its never let anyone down yet

Don't see mention of H4895 much with the 35W....

55.0 gr with a 250 NPT @ 2500fps and cloverleafs

My exact combo.

I have had great luck with the

200 grain Hornady 200 PSP's IMR4064 at 200 yards



225 AB's with RL15 at 100










250 Speer's with RL15 at 100 yards



at 200



at 250 yards

[img]http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww233/beretzs/RELOADING%20TARGETS/DSC_0005.jpg[/img]




250 PT's with RL15 at 100 yards

[img]http://i723.photobucket.com/al...4-0000001AAB189A8F_zps8eb9e34d.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i723.photobucket.com/al...4-0000001AC784A020_zpsa68dc155.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i723.photobucket.com/al...4-0000001AD94EA5D6_zpse82d7d2f.jpg[/img]

All of them make for decently small groups outta my CDL. Never really messed with much other than RL15, but 4064 seems real nice for speed and accuracy for the 200's and such. While RL15 and 4320 like powders work really nice for the 225 and 250 bullets.