Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Favorite Whelan loads?

Well, the little brown truck just brought me a barreled action in 35 Whelan and I am wondering what some of your favorite loads are for 250 gr and perhaps 225 gr as well? In looking at the latest literature it seems a little erratic as only IMR is using their "old" data for powders like 4064. Alliant has changed their data down four or five grains for the top load with R15 from 59 Grains to 54. Man THAT is a little unsettling. It may be best to take the chronograph and loading gear to the range. So again what are you using? BTW FN Mod 98 with a 20 inch 1 in 14 Tube. Bear

Well, that's a fairly short, fast twist barrel, but FN's are good stuff. In spite of the hype and gobbly gook, 4064 is still my go to for that weight. The 250 Partition likes 53.5 of that stuff, but start 2 or 3 grains lighter and see where it wants to settle down. If you don't find the sweet spot by about 55 grains, quit anyhow. 748 or 4895 work in some of my stuff.

Wayne

My go-to load for my .35 Whelen is 58 gr of Reloder 15 behind a 250-gr Hornady RN. It chronographs just over 2500 fps, shoots into half an inch at 100 yards, and kills everything it hits. I switched to a 250 gr Woodleigh Weldcore for Africa, with the same results.

Don't know why Alliant changed their data, but 58 gr of Re 15 is a very shootable load with no apparent pressure signs.

Good luck.

Dennis

Sounds like I have some "work" to do but it should be fun.
Muledeer, I'm not sure where Alliant is headed with their data as the on line handbook is down right now. The pdf version is a grain lower than the hard copy I have on hand for several calibers. Perhaps a change in pressure measurement? Your load is about one and one half grains down for the old book but should be about what I am looking for. Has anyone tried 748? Bear

I've used pretty fresh RL-15 with 250 Part's in a 24" tube. Get 2,550. 53 grains (plus 1-1 1/2 grs. Dacron) push my 250 cast softnoses 2,450.

Last Alliant data I saw had 59.5 grs. (I believe) with a 9 1/2 Mag. primer. Just goes to show, "work up" when changing lots is sound advice.

58grs of Varget over a Hornady 250 spire point or a 250 Speer hotcore for about 2500-2550fps. The current Hodgdons list 55grs as max but I took worked up to the 58gr max from an older manual and never had a problem. Excellent case life and way more accuracy then required for a .35. The Hornady was soft enough to open on a blacktail at 300yards and has been tough enough for the biggest pigs I can find to volunteer. I dont think you need a premium for the .35 unless you go with the lightweight stuff.

Dont forget pistol bullets over blue dot for plinking, they are absolutely explosive on small game. Don try to push them to fast (over 2500fps) or you will have a .35cal shotgun.

4xB

With 250 Hornady RN I use IMR4064 at 55 gr. Work up from 53. The 250 Speer SP works just as well. Both are very accurate and deadly.

WN

I believe I use 58 grains of Re 15, RP cases, WLR primers, and Horndaddy 250 grain SPs in my Whelen. It works great on elk. And shoots tighter groups at 200 and 300 yards than most of my varmint guns. It's great fun to shoot pdogs with this rifle, but recoil from the prone position is worse than brutal.

I've worked up to 58.5 gr. RL15 with the Hornady 250 SP in a Savage 110 with no signs of too much pressure. That has been a very potent and accurate load in that rifle for me. On the other hand I've limited my MAX load to 56.0 gr. RL15 when using the Nosler 250 SP Partition and the Kodiak 250 PP, due to some primer flattening and declining accuracy with more powder. Be advised, these loads were all worked up following published methods and were within the published loading limits at that time. They all work safely in my particular rifle but may not be safe in yours.

I'm wondering if the changes to MAX loads for the Whelen published by Alliant has something to do with Remington recently chambering their 750 and 7600 non-bolt action rifles in 35 Whelen.

Well boys I just had �one of those days.� I put the new rifle on paper with Remmy factory 250 psp�s and ran a patch down the bore, Smooth. Sop far so good. First group about one and one quarter inch for three shots. Now to get the chronograph out and tie down the loading gear for some Hen 250 RN�s. Did I say so far so good? Yes I did. Yes, as I stumble over my overly large hooves and manage to break the bottom of a sky screen!!! DAMN!!!! No chronograph results today.
The good news? 53 GR RL 15 Hrn RN 250 gr Rem brass and Win WLR primer shoots into .610 !@ one hundred yards. I am going to like this rifle. Bear

I doubt it -- Remington chambers those rifles for .270 and .30-'06, and I don't suspect anyone has reduced their loads for those cartridges because of it.

Dennis

I am using 60.0 grains of R15 in my .350 mag under a 225 gr Woodleigh. That should about duplicate what you can do in a Whelen. After reading this- wondering if I better back down a grain or 2.

Yeah, I am wondering as well but until I get the chronograph up and running thats all I can do is wonder I'll get to work on it and maybe answer some questions in a week or so. Bear

I guess I'm the oddball here; I use H380 (60.5gr) behind a Speer 250, with a std Rem primer. I get right at 2500fps out of a 24" bbl, and it shoots sub-moa for me. I don't get pressure signs (for whatever that's worth---you may get pressure signs in your rifle) until I get up to 63 gr.

Hey Dennis; I finally had time to go to the range after getting the chronograph parts and you are correct that 58 Gr of RL 15 and the 250 Gr Honady RN shoot very well indeed. .640 @ 100 yards for me today. 2396 FPS 10 feet from the muzzle. Man that 20 inch tube barks but it stacks them. Bear

60 grains of R-15 [work up] with 225 TBBC, Partitions and Sierra's.

Supposedly works with TSX also but I haven'ttried it..

This post isn't intended to flame anyone but my personal experience with RL15 is a little different. Using a 250gr Nosler Partition in a 24" barrel; 58gr produced a velocity of 2740fps and very loose primer pockets (obviously too hot), 54gr produced 2550 fps and no loose primer pockets. Just my 2 cents.

No flaming taken here but Nosler indicates different data than some others With their bullet. http://www.nosler.com/index.php?p=15&b=35cal&s=325

Sorry couldn't copy the page but the 250 partition must be a"harder" bullet than the Hornady 250 I was speaking of. This is a new rifle and there is more work to do yet. Partitions are down the road some if I ever shoot any. Bear

I am new here and joined this forum just for the whelen info that may be out there. I have a 35 whelen barrel for my T/C encore and I like it alot. I just worked up to 60 grns of R-15 under 250 horndaddy sp.
I am getting some 250 round nose but they will not arrive in time for this season
The barrel likes the sp with just barely showing some signs of pressure.I had no ejection problems.I won't be going up any!
I too broke my skyscreen so no data other than about a 1" group @100yrds with scope at 4x. That is about as good as I can expect with old eyes and a 6.5 lb rifle.
Has anyone done much with the 200 gr. hornady? I think it would be a deer/black bear stopper. I am curious if they hold up at the faster velocity.
It is interesting that Nosler changed their data on the 225s to now load 59 gr. r-15 insted of the #5 book showing 54 gr. as max.
the new load shows it at nearly 2800 fps. I gotta get me some of those!

I have Whelens in both the 750 and 700 Remingtons. In trialing loads, I have occasionally "pushed" things, but have had no problems with the 750. A hot load was just that, in both rifles.
After shooting 2,000+ rounds, I have settled on a load similar to Muledeers, but using the SP rather than the RN. Works well in both rifles, and is effective on game better than I ever hoped for.