A little while back when I was having my .35 Whelen build I asked your opinion on which bullet to use for moose. After all the suggetions, today I did my own test.

Test media was wet newspaper.
Impact velocity: approx 2500fps for the 250gr and 2650fps for the 225gr.

Side by side view of the exit hole after approximately 6" of penetration. First one is Speer GS vs Barnes TSX, second one is Hornady IL vs Speer HC.



Hornady 250gr SP IL

Penetration: 17"
Expansion: 0.802, 0.793, 0.792....avrg: 0.803
Weight retention: 206.2, 206.0, 204.2....avrg: 205.1gr



Speer 250gr HC

Penetration: 18"
Expansion: 0.670, 0.796, .0774....avrg: 0.747
Weight retention: 173.8, 217.8, 209.5....avrg: 200.4



Speer 250gr GS

Penetration: 18"
Expansion: 0.656, 0.700...avrg: 0.678
Weight retention: 208.3, 212.8....avrg: 210.6
(one bullet got away)
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p504d3d7d5478e3b2d1cf56048dcc2cf7/ee15397c.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p14232d8de1657d2311ad283f8749ed1e/ee1536a2.jpg[/img]

Barnes 225gr TSX

Penetration: 20"
Expansion: 0.737, 0.755, 0.686...avrg: 0.726
Weight retention: 225.1, 225.0, 224.9...avrg: 225.0
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p8cb9ecec78b0631396650d6b06ed4a3c/ee153a2e.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/pf78678817795fb900a3851cad10ee986/ee15359e.jpg[/img]

Cool, thanx for the data and pix.

It is nice to see a test showing that a lighter TSX will out penetrate a heavier premium (Speer Grand Slam) or a very good standard (Interlockt and Hot Core).

BMT

Thank you for taking the time to share your results with us, particularly the pictures but also the great data!

So which one are you chooseing, TSX????

Probably. A little faster, a little flatter, a little deeper, a little heavier and almost as wide. When you add all those "little" it must be worth something! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Last time I went to the range to work up some loads with those bullet I was mostly looking at pressure to see what my my new custom liked. With both Speers, three shot groups with shooting one bullet per grain of powder (1 bullet at 54gr, 1 bullet at 55gr and 1 bullet at 56gr) I was getting sub moa groups. The Hornady and TSX were around 2.25" but of course these weren't real group. I really want to work up a load for the TSX now. But it looks like you couldn't really go wrong with any of those.

Sure like the looks of that TSX. I know which one I'd use.

BCSteve,

Thanks for your efforts and sharing the like. All class on your part.

take your pick.................any of those bullets will work well. I still like those Speer hot cores. They are cheap, yet very accurate and retain most of their weight. However, I'd be tempted to use the TSX for the moose hunt.

Way cool!

good work, and thanks for sharing!

Excellent performance from all, and it goes to show that some of the traditional cup and core bullets are much better than we often give them credit for. I don�t see where any of them will give you anything but a dead moose provided you did your part. If cost isn�t an issue, then the TSX would be my first choice for the sole reason that I would expect it to hold together better if you hit something like bone. Nice test, nice documentation, thanks for sharing.

Good job, Guy! Thanks!

Wow! The TSXs are amazing!

Cool pics.Thank's for sharing.Those TSX are amazing like OCC stated.

Thanks for the info on 35 cal bullets I shoot the TSX 225gr out of my 358STA and I love the way thay shoot fast, flat,and small groups. Randy...

Nice info! Wish a Partition had been included. Seems to be a growing body of evidence that Barnes has gotten their act together. Might have to work on them for next year. Thrilled to see the Speer bullet hodling it own. Thanks for sharing all your efforts!

I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. I should mentioned that the expanded diameters were measured at the widest part of the bullet. For the Speer and Hornady it was sometime a sliver of jacket or lead at an odd angle but for the TSX it was always a solid copper petal. So the diameter are probably even closer than the numbers show.

Looks like they would all work pretty well.

Here's a bear a friend of mine got this spring with his .35 Whelen and a 225 TSX.

Nice Black Bear. How big was the skull?

I don't remember. I'll ask and get back.

18 1/2 inches

BTW, I'm sure that was a green score.

I recently bought some 250 gr. Hot Cors for my .35 Whelen. What was your load with the Hot Cors? I have been using 58 gr. of RL 15 with 225 gr. Sierra BT, but have not tried any of the 250 gr. bullets yet.

It looks like I have a tight chamber/barrel. I can't even get close to Alliant max of 59.5 gr of RL15. When I was working up a load I first started 2 grain below max. I got 2654fps with 57.5gr out of a 22" barrel. Alliant says 2550fps with the max 59.5 out of a 24". I haven't quite finalized the load yet but it looks like its going to be around 53-54gr for 2500-2540fps. The 225 TSX will probably end up at 55 for 2700fps.

Nice, inch and half out of the book. 20" is minimum for Black Bear. Still, a great bear.

Thanks

He was damned happy with it, and wants to go back.
Too rich for my blood though! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

The Whelens seem to vary up and down alot on the amount of powder it takes to reach max........likely due to differing dimentions of custom made reamers over the years.

My rifle would take at least 5 more grains of RL 15 to reach 2700 with 225 gr slugs .

I am a new member on the forum, but I have enjoyed this place a lot. I use a 35-284 which is almost identical to the 35 Whelen in performance. I have shot 3 Elk using the Sierra 225gr Game Kings and 1 with a Nosler Partition. In all cases they penetrate completly through the Elk. 1 shot kills. I also am very pleased with the accuracy of these bullets and have shot to 3/4" with the Sierras going right at 2700 fps. Great caliber..

Welcome Ruger 4570!
It is a great place!

How about some specifics on your .35-284?

duckster, that Sierra 225 BT is a bomb.

bd65

Agree.

WN

BCsteve,first THANKS for vposting the pictures and info! its truely appreciated!

Ive used those 250 speer .358 bullets for years,in both my 358 win and 35 whelen, no complaints at all with accuracy or results on game.and since the cost is far lower I get to practice with them far more frequently

I have had 0 luck with Hornady and Barnes bullets in my rifles. I am just finishing up a 35 Whelen AI and plan to use Speer GS and Sierra Pro hunters bullets. I can't see how a 284-35 will have comparible numbers to the 35 Whelen which holds more powder....but what do I know....I'm 61 years old. I just finished a 6.5-284 that shot the 140gr bullet at 2750'/sec....very accurate I might add. How can a 35-284 shoot a 200gr + bullet at the same speed? I sure would like that receipe...Regards, Rick.

nice, bc, nice.

I had lost the links to the pictures when Imagestation changed so I re-attached all the pictues using Photobucket instead. A picture is worth a thousand words and I thought is was a shame to loose the pictures on this thread. Unfortunately I couldn't just edit the pictures so I had to add a post.

Test media was wet newspaper.
Impact velocity: approx 2500fps for the 250gr and 2650fps for the 225gr.

Side by side view of the exit hole after approximately 6" of penetration. First one is Speer GS vs Barnes TSX, second one is Hornady IL vs Speer HC.




Hornady 250gr SP IL


Penetration: 17"
Expansion: 0.802, 0.793, 0.792....avrg: 0.803
Weight retention: 206.2, 206.0, 204.2....avrg: 205.1gr



Speer 250gr HC


Penetration: 18"
Expansion: 0.670, 0.796, .0774....avrg: 0.747
Weight retention: 173.8, 217.8, 209.5....avrg: 200.4



Speer 250gr GS
[img]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/...let%20test/35250grSpeerGSsideviewjpg.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/...llet%20test/35250grSpeerGStopviewjpg.jpg[/img]
Penetration: 18"
Expansion: 0.656, 0.700...avrg: 0.678
Weight retention: 208.3, 212.8....avrg: 210.6
(one bullet got away)



Barnes 225gr TSX
[img]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg186/bcsteve/35%20Cal%20bullet%20test/35225grTSXsideviewjpg.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg186/bcsteve/35%20Cal%20bullet%20test/35225grTSXtopviewjpg.jpg[/img]
Penetration: 20"
Expansion: 0.737, 0.755, 0.686...avrg: 0.726
Weight retention: 225.1, 225.0, 224.9...avrg: 225.0

Nice! It looks like any of those would work well!

Yeah, great pix.

Just kidding.

I shot a pretty big moose this past year in BC with my 35 Whelen, using 225gr TSXs. The first shot went through both shoulders and exited. The moose went about ten yards and stopped, and was finished with a neck shot. The first shot went through both scapulars, creating a hole that looked like it had been drilled,leaving white powdered bone that looked like sawdust. The distance for both the first and second shots was about 40 yards.

My guide, who was great, had never heard of the 35 Whelen. When he saw what the Whelen with the TSX did, he thought it was a new wonder rifle.

Gotta love the Colonel! Easy to load and shoot, and deadly on game.

Steve