35 caliber mold

[Daniel Laws]

I would like to find a heavy weight mold for loading a 35 Whelen.  The old Lyman 3589 or something similar.  250 grain or heavier, prefer with a gas check.  PM or e-mail dandoy5351@yahoo.com.  Thanks for your help, Danny

[jhalcott]

Dan ,I've been beating my head into the wall trying to get the 358318 (250 grain) to shoot in my whelen. I've tried several powders and lubes with no luck. Even fiddled with different alloys from WW to linotype.The BEST 50 yard group so far has been about SIX inches! I am thinking of going with the 358315(200 grain) bullet. My next attempt will be with the bullet JUST touching or engraving the rifling. Don't be surprised if a 358009 shows up at an auction and you see ME bidding on it!

[Nobade]

Those are pretty hard to find, but SAECO makes a nice heavy 35 cal. that works well also. Gaschecked, about 265gr.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

If you're willing to spend about $80 on a mold, you might try Mountain Molds.  Dan Lynch will custom make one for ya.

I had him make a 280 grain paper-patched mold that I have found very satisfactory.  Less than 2-inch groups at 100 yards with peep sights.  Velocity in the 2200 to 2400 fps neighborhood.  See my .35 Whelen post in the Paper Patched discussion.

But my gun has a 1:14" twist so that might help.   I would think that 2200 fps should be good enough.

JHalcott,

What velocities are you running?

I have a Lyman 358413 that drops 198 grain roundnose bullets.  I printed a 2" group with that at 50 yards just using 38 grains of BL-C(2).   I first tried 34.5 grains of same powder and got about a 4" group, with wild velocities.  Jumping up to 38 grains brought the velocity up, but the spread narrowed dramatically - likewise the groups did too.  Velocities were 1700 fps and that was with no gas check, air-cooled wheel-weight alloy.  50/50 beeswax and deer tallow lube.

I suspect the gas checks and the ultra-hard alloys are for when you run pressures way high.  38 grains of BL-C(2) under a 198 grain cast bullet should be very low pressure with respect to .35 Whelen capabilities.  Sure the velocity might be 1700 fps but the nature of the powder and the rifle barrel allows the bullet to be brought up to that speed gradually.  If I were to take a 110 grain cast bullet and rev it up to 1700 fps in a pistol I would need checks and linotype because it is going from zero to 1700 in 6.5 inches.  That translates to a much more violent acceleration compared to zero to 1700 in 24 inches.

What I'm suggesting is to use a slow enough powder and a soft enough alloy.  The soft alloy maximizes obturation.  The slow powder gives a long pressure curve allowing for velocities that stabilize.  

The tricky part is finding just that combination.  I may have lucked out with BL-C(2).  The 34.5 grain charge exhibited some signs of not enough pressure.  One shot sounded like a pellet gun.  I had to remove the bolt and make sure the bullet exited the bore.  The lack of pressure made the powder burn inconsistantly.  The jump up to 38 grains helped the consistancy greatly.  

I may also be reaping some benefit from the paper patched bullet burnishing the bore.  Paper patching will slick up a bore.

[jhalcott]

black jack, My barrel is a Shaw 1in 14 twist also. My alloy is  3 partsLino/4 parts ww.Aircooled gas checked,FWFL.or Alox beeswax lube OORRR LLA.Some times a mix of these lubes. I have been loading the bullets short of touching the rifling.I believe this causes the slug to JUMP .020 to .030 inch before it hits the rifling. When I shot the 358315 (200grain) I got good to great results,BUT< the bullet JUST touched the rifling.  All I am looking for is a 250 grain bullet going about 2200 fps(+/-50fps)for deer hunting to about 250 yards MAX. I believe that a 250 grain bullet is better than a 200 grain bullet IF the velocity is the same.!  AM I asking too much?? I read your post and enjoyed it. Thought about PP but seems too much work for my arthritic fingers.
   Hey if no one else said it Happy Fathers day!

[Sir Charles deMoutonBlack]

I don't have a .35, but might get my Martini Henry action done up in .35 WCF.  I'll watch this thread for advice on cast bullets.

Question;  How well do you clean before trying your cast bullets.  Often i have read , in NRA cast bullet discussions, that copper fouling and alox lubes are incompatible.  The advice is to clean VERY thoroughly when changing ammo.  

I use cast bullets as small game loads with my centrefire rifles.  The answer for me is TEFLON gasfitters tape, instead of the conventional lubes.  I first came across this idea from a Mike Venturino article of about 30 years ago, when he was just starting the writing business.  I don't size.  Gasfitters tape is.003 thick and 3/4" wide.  The stuff in hardware stores isn't enough.  Cut off a bit, at an angle, and wrap a bit more than a full turn.  twist the bottom closed over the base.  Just seat over your powder topped by a bit of dacron (Teddy Bear Guts!)

I use two levels of load.  1.  about 9 - 11 gr of Unique, or something near it, for a 32-20 type load. (With a scope on 4-5 power, the POI is usually at the lower point of the DUPLEX reticle.) 2.  3/5 capacity of 4895.  this will provide a 30-30 / 38-55 type load.

For what it's worth!

[sgtt]

I use a 200 grn FP gas checked by RCBS.  I have used this bullet in 35 Rem., 358 Win., and 35 Whelen AI.  All the deer are dead.  My ranges are not beyond 100 yds though.  I don't have the load data in front of me.  I cast these using wheel weights.  I try to get my velocities 2000-2200 fps.  I think the 35 Rem was under that but again, I don't have the data here.  I have been hard pressed to fing any lube more accurate than alox.  I am going to try some Carnuba Red hard lube.  I am not sure why.  I have had good luck with 4759 and 3031.  I am currently loading for an Encore in 358 Win.  Last week I had a 3 shot 50 yd group that was 1/4 inch.  Interestingly enough I had used a Lee fac. crimp.  A 1 in 14 twist might be a bit slow for a 250 grn bullet.