Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 35Whelen - what is your go-to bullet?

moose/elk/black bear/whitetail
All shots under 250yards, with the majority being under 150yards

What’s your bullet of choice?

With elk and moose at those ranges, I’d look at a 225g Partition or Accubond. FWIW, my deer/bear thumper uses 225GK which are bit soft for ranges closer than those specified with heavy bone a possibility. I’d be comfortable with the GK on elk and moose from 200 and out. A lot of folks are content with 250s and heavier. I’m a real believer in the hydrostatic shock the 225s produce across a wider range of vehicles. If you’re not familiar with Ballistic Studies, this is worth a read.

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.35+Whelen.html

Thanks for the advice and the link.

200grTTSX and/or 225gr Accubond

Thoughts on the 180 ttsx?

225 Partition or Accubond. Also a 250 Partition or Speer. Take your pick; it’ll be hard to screw it up.

I used a 250gr Frame in Africa last year. I will be moving up to the 280 gr this next year.

For the game you listed 225 gr Partition or 250 gr AFrame/Partition would be my choice.

Tagged for interest.

I am in that camp, along with the 225 Sierra for bucks.

250 grain Partition. Works every time.

Sierra Game King 225gr. and Hornady Inter-lok 200gr. RN, both accurate and effective on whitetails. Only recovered one, a Hornady 200gr. RN from a buck taken @ 100yds. it was perfectly mushroomed and retained 66% of original weight.

This

The 225 gr TSX.

Always has been the 250 grain Nosler Partition.

Used that in a 350 since the 60’s. But the 250 grain partition hits the same POI as the 250 grain Interlocks which is handy.

I’m thinking the Barnes TTSX would work great, though I have not tried that bullet in 35 caliber.

180 in a 35 cal is not on my radar. I would go 200 and above.

I really liked the 225gr ballistic tip, but about the only bullet you will find new anymore is the barnes bullets, the hornady bullets, or the 250 gr speers, ive had decent accuracy with the speers.
Those are the big manufacturers of them now, but you can also get multiple smaller companies projectiles like, hammers, cutting edge, or hawk bullets
Barnes would probably be the best for your application.

I like 250 grain bullets in my .35 Whelens. If I want a lighter faster bullet I generally use a smaller caliber. Had very good success on elk with the discontinued Speer Grand Slam. Around a dozen elk and a moose and a caribou taken nicely with that bullet. Although too tough for the couple deer I killed slowly with them, on bigger game I got deep bone breaking penetration, Ok expansion, usually exit wounds. No complaints. Of course they quit making them.
Since then I've used Hornady 250's, both the old RN and the Spitzers with good results. Never a bullet break up with either style. They open a bit quicker than the Speer GS. Probably kill a bit quicker. For the one elk I shot with the Speer Hot Cor 250, results seemed very similar to the Hornady SPIL. All those animals were taken at under 200 yards, and many much closer.
My hunting style in recent years has turned towards waiting in blinds and tree stands rather than stalking, so ranges tend to be a bit longer some times lately. Currently experimenting with Nosler PTN 225 gr and Barnes TTSX 200's, to see if an extra 2-300 fps matters for good hits at up to 300 yards. I still haven't decided whether I like them.

For regular size deer a 200 grain cup and core will work fine.

For the other critters i use a 200 grain Barnes-X bullet.

I have lots and my rifle likes them.

Works great in the Whelen. I would use it in a situation where I needed as much speed as I could squeeze from the Whelen. I killed my second black bear with a 180gr TTSX from my 358 Win. One shot to the noggin at 265 yards killed her DRT. My MV= 2669 fps

Consider that a 250 grain bullet that loses 40% of it's weight weighs 150, a 180 Barnes that retains all of it is an easy choice, at those ranges, for that game.