I used the 180gr Speer hot core bullet on deer with my Whelen; it was an accurate bullet and killed OK but not as impressive as some others. It's a pretty tough bullet and expansion wasn't very much judging by the holes.
The two 200gr Hornady bullets you mention are mostly intended for 35 Rem velocity, i.e. 2000-2200 fps at the muzzle; I think your results might be a little explosive at higher speeds in the Whelen, unless you're looking for reduced loads. You might consider the 200gr Hornady SP instead.
Personally I switched to the 225 Partition for my Whelen hunting load and never looked back; the results were always as good or better than what I'd seen with lighter bullets.
