35 Whelen Elk Loads

SJB358 · Dec 3, 2016

That load you have with Partitions is excellent. Get that 7mm Rem up and shooting with a decent 150-160 as a backup rifle.

Honestly find a place you can shoot out to 300 or 400 yards and get away from the bench. Shoot off your pack and other shooting positions with both rifles.

I'd hunt ANYTHING with a 225 Partition at 2700... that's deadly!

preacher · Dec 3, 2016

Well, you know I love the Barnes, and the 200X did the same for me on Plains game as the 250X did in my 35 WAI. But wanted to tell you that back in late '97 I had Match Grade Arms build me a LW 340w on my Mod 700 action. Long story short, don't ever build a 340w on a super light rifle! However...the owner and his wife had just returned from South Africa and they both used identical rifles as mine...but in 35 whelen AI and the 225 Partition! Just so you know, it is a proven combo! I am just not sure how available the 225 Partition is right now? It sure won't hurt to play around with that 225 TSX, you may find your rifle shoots it better and faster? I "still" wish you would firelap that fouling barrel! ha Good luck Pard.

Elkman · Dec 3, 2016

I have yet to shoot an elk with my 35. My load when that day occurs is 53 gr of IMR-4064 with a 250 gr Swift A Frame, I am pretty share that will do the job done.

Blkram · Dec 3, 2016

I can also say that I have had great success with the PT in the 338 Win Mag. While of slightly smaller diameter and at just 130 fps faster than your load, the 210 gr bullet gave great performance on moose, elk, grizzly bear and bison.

A friend was with me on an elk hunt back in '97, and I had shot an elk at 80 yards with my 7 Rem Mag, and the 165 gr SGK, that did not react to the shot that went in between the ribs, through the heart, and out between the ribs, with very little expansion. When the elk turned away, he took the Texas heart shot with his 35 Whelen and the 250 gr Corlokt bullet. That bullet knocked the elk down. It entered below the anus, and travelled through to the front of the rib cage, stopping against the ribs, without touching any bone along the way. That's over 4' of penetration through soft tissue with the Whelen.

truck driver · Dec 3, 2016

Thanks for all the confident building comments they are appreciated.

Preacher Jim if it hadn't started shooting 1/2 MOA at 100yds I was going to fire lap it but now I don't want to mess with it for fear of loosing what I got. As the old saying goes If it ain't broke don't fix it and the fouling I can live with since it doesn't take a lot to clean it up for storage and it doesn't seem to effect the accuracy.
I got several hundred 225gr PT seconds from the last run Nosler made and also have some first along with some 225gr AB and 250gr PT.
I will be looking for more when they become available.
I have also bought extra CFE223 same lot#.

Scotty I am looking for some place to stretch it out and I do shoot it from field positions and only use the bench for load development. The farthest around here will probably be 200yds though.

preacher · Dec 4, 2016

1/2"! I don't blame you Pard, ha! have you ever tried the 225 Sierra as a practice bullet? Maybe even the speer 220fn? I fireformed my very first Whelan AI cases with some left over 4064 and the Speer 220. I tried the Sierra but the throat was too long to seat them out to jam into the lands ( my preferred way to fireform)

PJGunner · Dec 4, 2016

truck driver":127s9c9j said:
Thanks for all the confident building comments they are appreciated.

Preacher Jim if it hadn't started shooting 1/2 MOA at 100yds I was going to fire lap it but now I don't want to mess with it for fear of loosing what I got. As the old saying goes If it ain't broke don't fix it and the fouling I can live with since it doesn't take a lot to clean it up for storage and it doesn't seem to effect the accuracy.
I got several hundred 225gr PT seconds from the last run Nosler made and also have some first along with some 225gr AB and 250gr PT.
I will be looking for more when they become available.
I have also bought extra CFE223 same lot#.

Scotty I am looking for some place to stretch it out and I do shoot it from field positions and only use the bench for load development. The farthest around here will probably be 200yds though.

I believe in the KISS principle. I sight my .35 Whelen in at 3" high at 100 yards and forget about it.

I can hold center of elk chest to at least 250 yards and get a solid hit. On the elk I shot at 350 yards I held two-thirds of the way up on the chest. The elk died. I've been using that system for so many years that it's second nature to me as to where to hold on an animal. I got that from an old article by the late Warren Page many long years ago. Worked for me back then and works for me now.
I did the same with my .300 Win. Mag. a few years back. Got a shot at an elk at a layered 530 yards. I held with just a hair of daylight above her back and dropped a 200 gr. Speer Hot Core at 2800 FPS right into the kill zone. I'd done some serious practice prior to that hunt on my club's 500 meter silhouette range and could consistently drop the sheep silhouettes from a sitting position. No way would I try that offhand. :roll:
I really have to find time to go to the range. Since my wife's illness I've been able to get out only twice this year. Problem is I can't leave her alone and the kids can only help on week ends. I refuse to go to the range on week ends. Way too many mall ninjas and loony tunes out on those days.
Our club runs the range via a lease from Game & Fish and one of the things is we have to let the public use it.

Anyway, you might give that 3" high/100 yards a look see.
Paul B.