Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 35 Whelen Reloading 250s and RL-15 ?

I guess I'm on the heavy/hot end here, but I load 57.0 RL-15 behind a 310 Gr Woodleigh Weldcore SN for my 1:12 Ruger Hawkeye. Gives me 2350 FPS, just a hair on the hot side with flattened primers, but no bolt lift problems.

This load has cleared a pair of 60" Bull Moose DRT, and a Coastal Brown Bear one shot DRT. Less than a tuna can of bloodshot meat from the moose, despite one of them being a shoulder- through the shoulder blade shot. All full pass through.

I have found some lot to lot variation with RL 15 in my Whelens. Also throat length varies a lot between rifles. ruger and Remington have 1-16" twist and long throats, my 2 custom barrel rifles have shorter throats and 1-12" and 1-14" twist. I load all of them to 2500 fps with 250 grain bullets and RL 15, but charge weight varies with the rifle and lot of powder.

I've got a Springfield custom in 35 Whelen improved, it loves 57 grains RL15 and a 250 grain Speer Hot-Cor, great accuracy. target is 6 shots, cold bore. 100 yards. It's a comfortable load to shoot in my rifle with no signs of pressure.

I have two loads for my Whelens. 225 grain TTSX over 59 grains of IMR-4064. This load goes 2715 fps out of my 26" MGM barreled Encore and 2669 fps out of my 24" barrel Ruger Hawkeye. 250 Speer Hot Cor over 55.5 grains of H4895. This one averages 2556 fps out of my Encore. I have not tried it in the Hawkeye yet. The Encore has a 1:14 twist and the Ruger has a 1:12 twist. The TTSX load shoots well under MOA in both guns. The Hot-Cor is my latest load and gives one hole accuracy at 50 yards with the Encore. Actually, the TTSX load does everything I need it to do, but it is nice to have options. I am anxious to hit a hog with the Hot Cor. I went through a lot of powder in developing these loads. What is amazing is that when the right load comes along there is no question about it. It just clicks. I did try Reloder 15, also Varget, H380 and IMR-4064 when working up something with the 250 grain Speer. H-380 gave good accuracy, but no velocity. H4895 was the best for both accuracy and velocity. This is the first time I have used this powder for anything. I bought it to try with the Speer bullet as nothing else was satisfactory.

225 gr. Sierra or Nosler over IMR 4064 has been my most accurate load in my .35 Whelen, I've been using this combination for 20+ years now and have taken Whitetails with it. I've tried RL-15 and Varget but keep coming back to IMR 4064.

I'm using H4895 in my M7600 35 Whelen. Pretty happy with it as well.

I have been using 225 gr Accubonds over 60 gr of Varget getting 2689 fps from a 22" barrel M700 classic. Taken a number of black bears with it. My supply of Accubonds is getting low, and I'm not sure when they'll be available again. I have several boxes of 250 gr partitions that I may have to use. I even have a box of Hornady 250 gr round nose. So I'm studying the 250 gr loads that others have used.

I'm mainly using this for bear over bait in Canada at range of around 100 yards.

I'll be working up loads for my Whelen soon using RL-15 and 250 gr NPT's, at mag box length of 3.350" I'm still 50 thou off the lands, damn long throated sob, may look at monos if the NPT doesn't shoot.

Mine is to Gunner. Jumps a mile but it dotes on 15 and 225 AB or 250 Partitions. That's for my CDL. No clue how my 7600 is throated. Loaded to fit the mag and it shoots.

In my 7600 35 Whelen 56 gr of IMR 4320, with 250 Speer, around 2520 FPS, under 1" or 55.9 GR of older RL 15. Prefer the 4320 load. Great for moose or bear.

10-4 B, Thanks!

What a great thread!
I have a K98 Mauser action being turned into a 35 Whelen by Gunsmith Ed Lapour right now. I'm itching to get it back. It will have a 24 inch 1-12 Krieger with a brake. I was originally thinking I was going to do a 358 NM but I changed my mind. I've been stock piling all the Original Barnes 250s I can get my hands on.
I've been running QL numbers on this combo for a while. I was like a kid on Christmas waiting for this project to get done. After lurking on this read I am drooling to get started working up loads for it.
Oh, the 358NM? I have been talking to Montana Rifle Company about making me an X2 in 358NM.
I have an Idaho cow moose tag burning a hole in my pocket, but I'll have to use the trusty Ruger '06 for that this year. I'm heading to Alaska to work this September and I will have moose fever by the time I get home to hunt.

I have a Remington 700 classic 35 Whelen with 22 inch barrel. I use 250 grain Speer Hot-Cor bullets but had trouble getting over 2450 fps until I tried RL15. Turns out that my rifle absolutely loves RL15. I worked up hotter and hotter loads until I stopped at 60 grains. There were no pressure signs, at all, but once I chronographed I was more than satisfied. Those 250s are sizzling out at 2770 fps. The only problem was that this load kicked like a mule in that old classic stock. My solution was to put the action into a new Bell and Carlson stock ... which did a lot to reduce the recoil. Then I had a custom brake made by a local gun smith; his brakes actually vent slightly forward, so the concussion is not as bad as brakes that vent back toward the shooter. My Whelen is a dream to shoot and crushes elk and moose.

I have read on threads all over the net that Whelen's love RL15 ... if you haven't tried it, I sure would give it a whirl.

Based upon Speers recently released data, I trialed Power Pro 2000MR under 250 gr Partitions. Accuracy is superb, so it is going on a moose hunt in a few weeks.
Alliant and Nosler dropped max load recommendation on RL15 rather abruptly. I experienced pressure spikes, so discontinued use as there is no shortage of alternative choices.
Strongly suggest that anyone considering RL15 and 250 gr bullets in their Whelen, look at the published data, and work up carefully.
A 250 gr moving much above 2500fps is geting into dicey territory.

CFE223

Interesting thread. Started in 2010 and dies, resurrected in 2017, briefly dies and came back to life once more. More proof of life after death.

Not sure of the year I got my first .35 Whelen but think it was around 2009 or 10, A Ruger M77RS if found at a gun show NIB. About three months later a Remington M700 Classic showed up and I bought it. Bought some Hornady and Speer 250 gr. bullets, spitzers and round nose for the Hornady's and Speer's sptizer Hot core.

I'd read Paco Kelly's article on the Whelen a so tried working up to his H335 load in the rifles. He quoted 2525 FPS as I recall and both rifles did just that on average with groups ranging from 1.25" to 1.50" in the rifles. No signs of pressure and primers were nice and round.

Then, one day while cruising a gun show I saw a very nice classic custom Mauser. I asked to pick it up and it felt like it was made just for me. When I asked the price, I did not even think about quibbling for a lower price. It too liked that H335 load so that's what I went with. I had a chance to do a hunt on the Kaibab here in AZ but while they were not insisting on all copper bullets they did ask if we would use them voluntarily. So I got some 225 gr. TSX bullets and heard how good Rl15 was in the .35W so got a couple of pounds of that too. I worked up to 60.4 gr. in the Mausers for 2710 FPS and groups from .50" to .75" depending on how well I'm shooting. I only saw one decent deer on that hunt and if I'd taken the shot, that TSX would have passed though him and taken out some of the does behind him.

Since then I've been doing cull hunts for cow elk on a private ranch and that 225 gr. TSX literally floors elk. I messed up on a couple of shots hitting them a bit too far back yet they went down and try as they might, could not get back up.
I've done seven hunts on that place and four elk bang, flop DRT. The other three bang flop and unable to even try an get away.

Personally, and this is just my opinion, the .35 Whelen is at it's best with a good 225 gr. bullet. There isn't a single animal in North America I would not tangle with that TSX load and would not worry on most African big game.
Paul B.

I agree. I have other loads worked up in case, for some reason, I cannot get to the 225 grain TSX. The only one I hunt with is the 225 TSX. Good for anything you can do with a 35 Whelen in North America.

Gladesman,

I found 60.0 gr of Re15 under a 225 TSX is an honest 3/4-1" load going 2624 fps out of my 23 1/2" Kimber barrel. I use 58.0 gr of Re15 under a 250 Woodleigh round nose for 2506 fps and they both impact at the same point when using Winchester 30/06 brass that has been resized. Interestingly when using Hornady 35 Whelen brass the Woodleigh's hit 1 " lower and 1/4-1/2" left of the '06 brass. Go figure. My barrel is a 1 in 14 twist. Have fun! Terry

Sorry, I thought Gladesman initiated this thread. My apologies to 300winmag. Terry

Lately I have been shooting an old Ken Waters load in my .35 Whelen, Hornady 200gr. RN over 54.0gr. IMR 3031 has produced 100 yd. 3 shot groups you can cover with a quarter. As a convenience factor I have also loaded 54.0 gr. of IMR 4064 and RL-15 just to see what the same charge with these powders will do.