1) I'm running a 35 Whelen AI. and I am looking to run reduced recoil 200 grain loads that are fast enough to give expansion and remain good Deer Loads within 200 yards (most within 50 yards).

I'm thinking that the 200 grain Hornady Spire point or 200 grain Hornady FTX at around 2100 fps - 2200 fps ought to perform the task (but I dont know).

2) What's the felt recoil comparable to in an 8 lb setup.?


Does anyone have LOADING and DEER HUNTING experience in this direction.?

What bullet do you have in mind? One of the 200 grain round noses mainly intended for the 35 Remington? Or something else?
Knowing that will make it easier to help you out. Take a look at the 200 grain Whelen starting loads which will hover around 2500-2650 FPS. But it sounds like you're looking for a more reduced load.
Cheers,
Rex

What you are looking for is a 35 Remington load, and a bullet designed for that cartridge would be what is needed. However, if you are looking for a 200 yard load, probably a starting load for the Whelen would be better. Whether that is reduced enough is for you to decide. My experience with the 35 Remington was good, but most deer I shot with it were under 20 yards, and the few beyond that were at 40 yards or less, hunting creek bottoms and thickets. It would likely kill at 200, but that’s out there for the load, in my opinion.

Since having rotator cuff surgery I have been shooting 200gr. loads in my .35 Whelen. I found a Ken Waters Pet Load that uses the Hornady Inter-lok 200gr. RN bullet and IMR 3031, it produces 2500fps velocity and is extermely accurate often producing 3 shot cloverleaf groups @ 100yds.. I used this load to take a whitetail buck in '018, a raking shot at 100yds. entered just ahead of the last two ribs and the bullet was found just beneath the hide on the far shoulder. It retained 66% of its original weight and was perfectly mushroomed, when the chest was opened the lungs poured out looking like they had been put in a blender. I have also loaded 180gr. Speer FP bullets and 180 Hornady XTP, both produced good accuracy but I have yet to take any game with these loads.

Yes. Maybe...

If there isnt a bullet designed for 35 Remington velocity at 200 yards, I'll happily hear of loads and recommended bullets suggested for 150 yards.


I'd still be intreated though in a low recoiling load capable of 200yards...
The key being 200 yard performance and trimming as much recoil as I possibly can.

I would like to bang steel with the load for practice and not get beat up durring an afternoon session.

I know of an old guy who bought a Past Shoulder pad over 40 years ago for shooting off the bench and has shot hundreds of those thumpers with it. Especially having fun testing 12ga turkey loads and various deer slugs. His 300WSM too. He still uses it, even shooting light recoilers. Caldwell sells them these days.
https://www.amazon.com/Caldwell-Ambidextrous-Shooting-Shields-Construction/dp/B07RKY6FBY

Here's the Past
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002531259

They are similar but slightly different. A Past and .358 Win speeds off the bench might be a good compromise. You'd never know the difference between 35 Rem and 358Win shooting at game and the 358Win velocity would reach out to 200 just fine. Beginning Whelen loads might be OK.

A 200gr at 2100 fps is a 35 Remington load, exactly. In my hunting experience, the 200gr Remington Core Lock round nose is one of the best performers for that load. The 200gr Hornady RN is pretty disappointing in comparison.
If you want to extend the range with that load, use the 200gr Hornady FTX; it works well too, just be aware there have been some reports of it blowing up on shoulder bones. I have not experienced that myself and IMO is probably more of an issue with pushing that bullet too fast and/or very close shots.

As to load data - I have not loaded my Whelen to 35 Rem loads because I have a 35 Rem (The Whelen gets either full power, or much lighter loads that are subsonic or 357 Mag rifle equivalent.). However, a mild dose of H4895 will do what you need. Start with min loads and work down to the velocity you want.

RCBS, 35-200 cast about 12-13 BHN over an IMR 3031, 4895 or 4064 charge to give the desired velocity. Just about equals my 9 X 57 Mauser load, is accurate and effective.

I have downloaded the 35 Whelen with a 200 grain REM SPCL so that it would function more like a hot 358WIN and with a powder-coated lead 200 grainer as more like a 35 REM. Both are decent deer-getters. I have used H4895 throughout. Both incarnations reduced recoil dramatically.

I hunt a 25" barreled CVA Apex .35 Whelen for our primitive weapons season (as seen in my avatar). I found full-power factory loads to be a bit excessive for what I needed. Turning to the published data in my manuals, I saw that Nosler showed RL10x powder required substantially lower charge weights than "typical" Whelen powders to still make pretty good speeds. 47gr of RL10x under a 225gr Accubond gives me 2,430fps, which is probably 300-350fps below a full-tilt load with the slower burn rate powders. Recoil is about like a sporter 30-06 with 165's. The 225 has always expanded well on deer and hogs out to 220yds, which is as far as I've shot at game. Blood trails are also fairly heavy. I zero at 150yds, which is around 2" high at 100yds. I'm a few inches low at 200yds.

Will H-4895 work. I use it for reduced loads in several cartridges. You can get down to 60 per cent of max with H 4895

Like JPro, I needed a “primitive weapon” for a special season that occurs in Mississippi and is restricted to private property. The Mississippi definition of primitive isn’t very primitive — .35 caliber or bigger, single shot, and exposed hammer — but I don’t write the regs. I couldn’t find a HandiRifle in .35 Remington so I bought one in .35 Whelen.

Though I am not particularly recoil averse, I found the factory loads I bought to get started and acquire brass excessive for my limited purposes — shooting Mississippi whitetails on my property where the longest conceivable shot is 120 yards. I had time on my hands and like to “play” so I decided to load it down to approximate a .35 Remington. Working up carefully with a chronograph, the load I arrived at is the 180 gr. Hornady Interlock over 63 gr. of H4831SC which gives a MV of 2216 with great accuracy. I believe this Hornady bullet is considered a pistol bullet. I consulted a Hornady tech who told me the bullet would open well at that velocity, but it was not designed for a great deal more. It has certainly been effective on the deer I’ve shot with it. Recoil is easily manageable.

Use 60% of an IMR or Hodgdon 4895 load and Hornady 200gr FTX bullets.

I like the Speer Hot-Cor Bullets 35 Caliber 180 Grain Flat Nose for that purpose. IMR 3031 has worked OK for those loads, but If developing a load now I'd probably use Benchmark.

Reloader7 works well for light loads in the Whelen; so does 4198.
I load 170 Speer 357 bullets to about 1900 fps using 2400
I load 158 grain 357 bullets to about 1200 using 700x and a square of TP.
I use Rl 7 to drive 200's to about 1950
Light loads, regardless of the caliber or chambering, are valuable for practice. They save barrels, save shoulders, and save money. GD

I've gotten a goodly amount of data here, as well more via some PM's.

Speaking of .357" pistol bullets, for a light-er recoiling Hunting load, anybody run either the Swift 158 A-frame or the Barnes 140 grain XPB.?

If they proved accurate I'd think they'd be a pretty gnarly Whitetail bullet.
Maybe that's a question for another thread.

The FTX is an excellent deer bullet so long as you stay within the speeds for which it was developed, i.e. 35 Remington

A great cast bullet reduced load is 15.0 grains of Unique under a cast bullet weighing 200 - 225 grains, I've been shooting this load a practice load for many years it is very accurate.

gunswizard, I use the same or a very similar load in several rifles. Never saw it not shoot well.

I have played with reduced loads quite a bit. Most in 270's and 22-250's for kids. Just recently started playing with some subsonic loads in a 338-06.

I know you stated 2000 fps or so, but do not discount starting loads from the manuals. A 200gr bullet and starting powder charge can be very pleasant to shoot.

I have used H4895 reduced loads and Trail boss, both work. Softer bullets (sierra, SST, etc) will work great with starting loads, and if you want to go lower in velocity, the FTX is a good choice.

I am going to get some 338 FTX's to try in my 338-06 subsonic loads next. I just used some bullets I had on hand for initial testing.

Another thought would be to use bullets for the 350 Legend, if they are available as components. Even though they are only 150gr. Winchester states good down to 1500 fps.

I have no personal experience with reduced loads in the Whelen, but Mule Deer published an article on reduced loads and included this one for the Whelen:
(Remington case, WLR) 200 Hor RN, 36.5gr / IMR4227, 2197 FPS, 1.12" av group. If you substituted the 200gr SP you'd probably have your 200 yard criterion - might even have it with the RN.

Cheers,
Rex

I've killed several deer with my 9x57 pushing a 200 gr Remington RNCL (.35 rem bullet) at about 2500 and it works great.

2500 seems to be the magic number when using 200gr. bullets, I use a charge of IMR 3031 that produces 2500fps. It is accurate and expands well on whitetail size game .

That seems odd gunswizard since the 200 grain bullets are largely for the 35 Rem and the 35 Rem can't come close to that velocity. What bullets are you considering in this statement? I'm probably not understanding the point quite right.
weagle, I have heard good things about the Remington 200 RNCL (I have a box of 250 myself) but have not hunted with them. I think they'd be a good choice for the OP's reduced loads.
Cheers,
Rex

Yeah the 200 RNCL is just a well designed bullet. I punched the shoulders on a doe at about 30 yds (2500ish fps) and it left a golf ball size hole and didn't ruin both shoulders. A 270 or 30.06 at that range would have made a mess of both shoulders. I've killed numerous deer with that same bullet at 100ish yds from a 35 rem, so I know it will perform well at much less velocity also.

I'm using Hornady Inter-lok 200gr. RN.

I have no doubt that its performance is magical...
You're into 358 Winchester territory there

...about like throwing a dump truck through the boiler room.

I'm trying the 220 grain Speer in my .35 Whelen,the intended use is for deer and hogs. I went out yesterday with some handload's using IMR 8208 XBR and Fed 210 Match primers. With the 22" barrel it is getting an average of 2724 fps, accuracy is good at 1-1/2" at 100 yards.