Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 35 Whelen, 310 Woodleigh, 16" Twist

I was on the Midway site and saw a review of the Double Tap 310 Woodleigh Weldcore load. Double Tap claims a launch speed of 2300 fps with their load. One fellow reviewed this loading and claimed good groups from a Remington 700 CDL which has a 16" twist barrel. Does anyone here have any first hand experience with this bullet and/or load from a 16" twist barrel? If so, please report.

I'm curious too

Some folks seem to think cuzz something works are 100 that it means it's stable at 175.

Not knocking anything but I don't think much past a 100yds would be the intention of using a 310 gr bullet in a whelen. Not for me anyway.

Well ... if past 100 yards isn't your intention ... go right ahead. From a 1:16" twisted Rem700, a group of 5 had 2 starting to tip at 200. At even lower velocity (from a 358Win), tipping was evident at 100yards from a 1:14" twist. No troubles from a 1:12" 350RemMag at any distance.

I havent tried the 310gr FMJ (longer again) from a 1:16".
Cheers...
Con

Honestly, I can't think of a reason to use 300-310 grain bullets in my .35 Whelen. I've never had the faintest problem killing anything I shot at with 250 gr bullets, and they are very accurate in my Remington 700. If I want to shoot 300 gr bullets I use my .375 Ruger... .

Dennis

Dennis,
I tend to agree ... but for the one gun hunter they're options. Honestly though, if dig deep is needed ... use a good 275gr pill in the 35Whelen or a super-premium like a 225gr TSX.
Cheers...
Con

I might consider that bullet for a bison shoot or "ranch shoot". (not really a hunt imo). Be a great bullet for that task.

MtnHtr

That 310 would be a great bullet to choose if one were hunting the great bears or for dark timber hunting of most anything. (The 310 Woodleigh penetrated better- with good expansion- than even the faster 250 XFB did in tests I tried them with in my 358 Win.)

In John Taylor's book African Rifles and Cartriges, he wrote about the 400/350 Rigby which launched a 310 grain bullet at 2150 fps. With a setting of 3" above point of aim at 100 yards it would hit at 8" below point of aim at 200 yards. The Double Tap load claims a launch speed of 2300 fps from a 24" barrel.

A speed of 2250-2300fps is entirely feasible from a 35Whelen. A mate complained of a lack of expansion from the 310gr Woodleigh, but then chronographed to find that his load showed high end 1800's fps. Bet you kicking them out the barrel at 2200fps would solve his problems. The Woodleigh RN's is simply superb at expanding wide whilst retaining weight.
Cheers...
Con

While i dont have any experience with said bullet and cartridge i do own a whelen and have thought about this bullet for really big critters. My whelen has a 1-14" twist rate which i think would be minimum for this long pill but should stabilize to 200-250yds the max range i would shoot anything at that velocity...

In the 35 whelan I have loaded the 310 Woodleigh to 2188fps using 50.5gn of VARGET.

In my 400/350 Rigby Double, I loaded 50gn IMR 4320 for 1988fps, 60gn of H 4831 for 2165fps and 57gn of H4350 for 2210.

JW

Mister Aussie Gun Writer, Do you know the rate of twist in the barrel of your Whelen?

The 310 is shorter than the old 250 XFB - and also the newer 225 TSX I believe, so stability -which is based on length more than weight- should be okay. I have only shot them in my Winnie - which gets only 1900 fps or so- and I've never considered them to be more than 50 yard loads at that speed so I don't know how far they stay stabile.

I'll add this pic for those who may be interested in some of the 35 caliber's line of bullet profiles- though the Woodleighs are absent:



They are, l to r, 200 Rem SP, 200 Hornady SP, 225 GameKing, 225 BT, 225 AB, 225 PT, 250 Interlocks - RN and SP, 250 Hot-Cor, and 280 A-Frame.

I believe it was a 16" but the records are in an older manual of mine which is not at hand. I'll see if I can find it.

JW

I'd bet if you punched that chamber out to the 9.3x62 case and gave it a long throat, you could pick up 300 or more FPS..The 9.3x62 case holds about 8 grs. more powder than the 06/35 Whelen case and the long throat adds a bit more to that, and that 310 gr. bullet should be a hammer of thor...

I use the 320 gr. Woodlieghs in my 9.3x62 at 2400 FPS or a bit more in my long tubed rifle and its a real killer of whatever gets in front of it..

Ray,
Most 35Whelen's (as per CIP and I suspect SAAMI spec) are long throated. The rifle I have plus a mate's Rem700 are similarly very long throated as is.

For what its worth ... the Woodleigh soft 310gr runs at 1.352" and the FMJ runs at 1.443".
Cheers...
Con

Con,
Great, now all you have to do is run a 9.3x62 reamer in it with a 35 cal neck and you will pick up several hundred FPS, and you could do that with a simple hand reamer. but that would probably be a waste of time! A 35 Whelan with 310 gr. Woodleighs is pretty darn deadly.

Ray,
Even 'handier' is my Ruger stainless/synthetic in 350RemMag with 310gr Woodleigh. Lots of 'stomp' in a small package.
Cheers...
Con