Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 35 Whelen & Hammer

That's what the state calls it, nothing primiitve about it.

What load are you shooting?

I know all about it. This time of year a scrounger at my range can find a lot of 35 Whelen empties.

I wish I could find some 35 Whelen cases

Local shops haven't seen 35 Whelen or 35 Remington ammo in quite a while. I'm still working off my original 30 or 40 Whelen cases from years ago.

And I'm shooting a lower-powered load for reduced recoil. It's a midrange book load of RL10x and the 225NAB for about 2,425fps from my 25" barrel, basically like a .358Win. Kills well out to 220yds, which is as far as I've taken it on game.

It "whoomps" hogs pretty hard, like the one in my avatar from a few years back. Always exits, even on angling shots.

👍💯

Agreed! That is a great pig!

I actually backed my 225 Whelen load down quite a bit as well to just under 2,600 with 65.6g MR2000. I had played with some maxed out loads of MR2000 and it shot fine. However, I have heard mixed reviews on how tough the 225 sierra can be (my personal experience with them has been excellent with my previous hunting load at 2,630 using either H4895 or RL15, can't remember offhand) so decided to slow it back down. I didn't plan to shoot very far and didn't want an issue if something was in your face close.

With my present load I got great accuracy and mild recoil. It should be easy on the brass and easy on the bullet. It exited on a broadside black bear a couple weeks ago with lots of internal trauma/bleeding at around 170 yards through the chest. Insurance shot proved unnecessary but it managed to take out the back wheels.

Nice bear.

Indeed. Pretty bear for sure.

Nice bear! I need to do a bear hunt.

Wow, beautiful bear!

I like that Sierra myself. Nothing fancy but under 2700 it expands wide and leaves one helluva blood trail.

So it would be hell on deer at 2900ish

If I was only hunting deer I doubt I would ever shoot another bullet and wouldn’t mind pushing them fast.

This is the only one I have ever caught. Mule deer doe, quartering to, entered onside shoulder and found it under the hide in front of the offside hindquarters.



These Hammers the OP is running look intriguing to me. My rifle didn’t care for the 225 TSX. If these Hammers would shoot could be a good do all bullet.

I’d think so John. I can’t see one making many tracks myself.

MedRiver, cool recovery. Same thing I’ve seen from a few I’ve caught.

The 220 Hammer is very good in my Whelen. Easy accuracy.

I may try some of those Hammer bullets next year. I haven’t had time to work up new loads the past few months and elk season is upon us. My 22” Whelen is handy in timber but I’m probably not hunting with it this year. I have gotten good velocity and accuracy with CFE 223 and 225 gr Partitions. Happy Trails