35 Whelen/Best load for Elk and Deer

[Robert]

I have been fooling around with these 280 Lymans...but my dies do not like them, and I cant get them seated properly.  If they are seated to the shoulder, then they are jambed into the rifling.  I am thinking of scrapping the cast idea for now and using 225 or 250 gr bullets to get sighted in for deer season.  I am guessing that the 225's will be sufficient for ANY North American game animals especially with the extra velocity over the 250's.
I would think they would be flatter shooting and more versatile.  I am going to be using this rifle primarily as a meat gun....so if I get JUST ONE BULLET dialed in and know it's trajectory and limitations...I am thinking it would be better than guessing about a whole bunch of different bullets.  So....Which bullet is the 'All-round' choice for a 35 Whelen?

[Daveinthebush]

I would go for the 225 Sierra BT with 55 grains of 4064 and not look back. You should be able to get over 2,500 fps and 3,200 fp of energy.

I have shot one moose and 4 caribou with the load and it is gonna knock them on their..............bellies, in their tracks.

[Robert]

That is exactly what I was thinking.  I have a box of them in my shop.  Your advice is as good as gold in my book.  I have been reading your posts for a long time.  Thanks, Robert

[DelGue]

Robert

I use the Federals 225gr. Trophy Bondeds for just about everything thet I hunt with the .35 Whelen.  (mostly elk)

It a factory load, but shoots well in my Ruger.

Delgue

[Graybeard]

Unlike the reputation Sierra generally has these (.358" 225 grain BTSP) bullets are hard. VERY HARD. Should be fine on elk but if deer only is your quarry you might want to take a look at the Nosler 225 BTs or for both deer and elk the 225 PTs as well as the Sierra. When I called and spoke with Sierra they told me the bullets were too hard to use even on elk when started at 2300 fps in my .358 JDJ.

[freddogs]

I use the 250 gr Speer and IMR 3031 powder. I've only shot 1 deer with this load but it worked fine. You can still use about a 200 yard zero and have plenty of range.

[Robert]

Sierra didn't recommend the 225's in the JDJ....but what about at about 2500 fps?  Daveinthebush highly recommends them.  I have both the Noslers and the Sierras in 225 gr.....but by the time I check zero with the Noslers I won't have many left and they are spendy.  On the other hand...the Sierras are reasonably priced and I have easy acces to them locally.  I have been working up loads with the 200 gr Hornady..mostly to zero my scope...(I went through a lot of problems with scopes, finally took my Elite off my Ultra-Mag and put it on the Whelen)
 has anyone compared the zero of the two bullets?  If I zero with the Sierras will it be reasonably close with the Nosler Partition?

[Graybeard]

The cost of your bullets is such a small part of the cost of any given hunt I'd not scrimp on them. The one thing you can depend on in shooting is that you can't depend on any two bullets to hit near each other just because all else is equal.

I've seen an increase in powder charge of 1/2 to one grain change POI by a couple inches using same bullet. I've seen the times I've loaded all identical components except the bullets and they be same weight and get POI shifts of 3" or more with different bullets.

You really MUST sight in and verify POI with the exact load you'll use to have any clue what it is gonna do. Having said that if you want to do all your practice with the Sierra bullet and then switch to the PT for hunting that's no problem. Just make sure you resight with the Nosler bullet and verify POI with it prior to your hunt.

Started at 2500 fps the Sierra might do OK. Call them and ask at what velocity it will still expand, then do the math and see what range that gives you. My best recollection (and it's been several years) is that it wasn't even likely to expand at 100 yards started at 2300 fps according to them. But as I say it's been awhile so call and double check what velocity they now say it will expand down to and let that guide your decision.

[Robert]

I loaded a few of both today with equal loads, along with a bunch of 200 gr Hornady for plinking.  Maybe I'll get out later to compare.

[Graybeard]

If you're lucky those 225s will both hit pretty close. Just don't bet the farm on it. Back when I had my .358 JDJ as I recall the two Nosler 225s both were close enough for me to feel OK with them to 200 yards which was certainly as far as I'd have tried to use it. But seems the Sierra hit well off from them. Dunno why as I loaded all three identically except for the bullets being different.

Good luck with it.

[Robert]

Target on the left is with 200 Hornady loaded to about 2200 @100 yds....the first two on the right were before adjusting my scope.
   Target on the right was with 225 Sierras and 225 Nosler Balistic tips  loaded about 2500 fps.  First I tried the Sierras, they were OK..but pretty wide pattern (also a few user errors, I was just shooting over the roof of my Subaru, no sand bags)  The two circled were the 225 Nosler Ballistic tips....I thought I had Partitions in my shop, but they were 225 Ballistic tips.  I only loaded two of them...but they are hitting right where I wanted them to be.  Awesome!  I do beleive I need to get a few more boxes of those beauties for further testing.
  The Hornady 200 with a moderate load is great at 100 yds....I was hoping that I would be 2 inches high with the 225's loaded hot....perfect!  I think these two bullets are a match made in heaven. 200's for plinking and 225's for Hunting,  2.5 inch difference between the two.
 Next I will try the 200 gr Hornady at about 2400-2500 fps and see if the two get close to the same POI.

[Thebear_78]

I have a Ruger 77 in 35 whelen that I use for general big game hunting.  I took a little reloading time and worked up two loads for my whelen.  One is with a 250gr hornady round nose at 2450fps and the other is with the 225gr Sierra at 2650fps.  I can use eithe rload with the same zero.  The 225s hit 3" higher than the 250s.  This puts the 250s dead on at 100 and the 225s on at about 250.  It works out about perfect for all my needs.

[anthony passero]

250 grain speer over as much imr 4320 as your rifle can handle, it bucks wind, gives good penetration and is more accurarate than i can hold. Nothing wrong with the 250 partition either!

                                                            Anthony