New 35 Whelen :)

[FOTIS]

Great rifle Gerry

even though the bolt is on the wrong side! :mrgreen:

 

[gerry]

Went out this morning and started to shoot some 3 shot groups at 100 yards. I switched from CCI 250's to Rem 9 1/2 M primers, brass colored for the 200 gr Accubonds and silver CCI's for the 225 gr AccuBond load to come. I really need to get my brass here all of my fired brass from my old gun is unuseable since it had a much bigger chamber, can't resize it enough to work so I need to work up with 15 cases Should be here next week.

200 gr AccuBond, IMR 8208, Rem 9 1/2 M

56 gr - 2776 fps
57 gr - 2829 fps

Going to shoot some at 57.5 and 58 gr and see if they tighten up, right now 57 gr is showing good promise.

200 gr TTSX, IMR 8208, Rem 9 1/2 M

56 gr - 2807 fps

This one grouped pretty good just a bit of tweaking with the charge and seating depth should get it grouping tight.

Since I needed to foul the barrel after cleaning I worked up with Varget and the 225 gr AccuBond again one shot for each powder charge.

225 gr AccuBond - Varget, CCI 250

56 gr - 2553 fps
57 gr - no reading
58 gr - 2674 fps
59 gr - 2714 fps
60 gr - 2770 fps

It would appear that the speed is pretty similar to my old Whelen, I bet somewhere 59-60.5 gr (Nosler's max) will be a good load. Time will tell.

Now, my wife and I are off to see if we can find a black bear to field test the 200 gr AccuBond load out 8)

 

[DrMike]

I wish you every success on the black bear, Gerry. You're getting some fine velocities out of your rifle.

 

[SJB358]

That Varget and 225 load looks pretty awesome Gerry

 

[sask boy]

Gerry just wondering if you were able to lay the smack down on a Black Bear.
Hopefully you have photos & a good story :wink:


Blessings,
Dan

 

[gerry]

No blackie last night, at the spot we checked out the berries were almost done, I hadn't taken my wife out there yet so I wanted to show her some of my favorite fishing spots and check out the fossil beds. We needed to get higher in elevation to get good berries this time of year or head to the river where they are feeding on salmon right now, by the river though the meat wouldn't be fit to eat except maybe dog food. Hopefully next Saturday we will make it happen.

 

[DrMike]

By the river though the meat wouldn't be fit to eat except maybe dog food.

I hear that, Gerry. However, from a good berry patch, my goodness, that would be fine meat.

 

[sask boy]

Thanks for the update Gerry good luck on the up coming
Hunt

Blessings,
Dan

 

[.300winmag]

Great looking rifle! DId you know your bolt is on the wrong side though?!

 

[tjen]

It is a beauty! I like the 225gr loads AB or PT both should get great results.

If I build another rifle it will be a 35whelen to go with my 358win.

I am a little green (just a little) but happy to see got a nice rifle.

 

[gerry]

Thought I would update how things are going with the new gun. So far other than a couple of exceptions IMR 8208 hasn't given me the wow factor in terms of groups, there are some decent loads that will give good performance however. Varget is showing some good promise so far with the 200 gr Accubonds. Since I have been really busy with work this summer and haven't shot my guns at all until recently so I'm a bit rusty right now but things are improving

56 gr IMR 8208 - 200 gr AccuBond - 2788 fps - 0.79" group (this is a 3 shot group).

56 gr IMR 8208 - 200 gr TTSX - 2833 fps - 1.1" group

60 gr Varget - 200 gr AccuBond - 2780 fps 2 identical groups the left is 0.81" and the right is 0.80" kind of amazing they are pretty much exactly the same.

61.5 gr Varget - 200 gr AccuBond - 2824 fps 0.85" group

And a bonus 200 gr TTSX that was poking out of the chunk of wood used for my backstop, it weighs 198.6 gr.

I think I will use the 56 gr IMR 8208 - 200 gr TTSX load for my close range moose load, it would suffice for much longer range as well. I will shoot all the above 200 gr AccuBond loads at 200 yards and see if one of them stands out. I may re shoot the 61 gr Varget load which was not pictured above, I had one flier with it that opened the group up to 1 1/2 " but it could have been my fault with that shot, the speed of that load was 2811 fps.

 

[DrMike]

Those are some fine groups, Gerry. I assuredly concur that the TTSX will topple a moose quite readily, plus give you a measure of confidence should you encounter a bruin with attitude.

 

[bullet]

Nice indeed

 

[SJB358]

Great shooting Gerry. Looks like that rifle is going to do alot of things really well.

 

[gerry]

I think the gun will be a shooter, it's me that needs to buckle down and hold it a tiny bit better Time to fine tune the 200 gr AccuBond load I have a trip for goats planned on Thanksgiving weekend which is only 2 weeks away now. Next time out I will zero it at 200 yards and after that see how much drop it will have at 300. So far the worst group Varget has given me was 1 1/2" but that was with a flier that was my fault. I thinking of dropping the 200 AB - IMR 8208 load, it seems to be a bit hot even at 56 gr of powder compared to Varget.

 

[sask boy]

Good work gerry, I know the more I shoot this 35 of mine the more she makes me forget about my other rifles and calibers

Blessings,
Dan

 

[DrMike]

The more I shoot this 35 of mine the more she makes me forget about my other rifles and calibers.

Ah, yes, and now that he has drunk from the River Lethe, can memory be restored? All those other cartridges, and he is forgetting. Soon, he will hear the song of Calypso, and jettison even the .270 as he is trapped by the Whelen.

 

[sask boy]

Yes Mike, I am converted to the Whelen family. As soon as I have a Moose hanging there will be plenty of work done on the 200gr AB as WT season fast approaches :lol:

Blessings,
Dan

 

[DrMike]

And just wait until you pick up a .358 and drop a moose with that fine cartridge--what a complement to the Whelen.

 

[gerry]

Good work gerry, I know the more I shoot this 35 of mine the more she makes me forget about my other rifles and calibers

Blessings,
Dan

Yes it is a very good round for hunting the animals we do, great for big stuff like elk and moose but not to violent for deer sized game.

Went out last night just before dark with my wife to a clear cut I found to do a bit of shooting at 200 yards. 61.5 gr Varget produced a 1.4" group, tried 62 gr but the group opened up, next up will be 300 yards with 61 and 61.5 to see what kind of drop there will be and see which one will group the best. I was only able to shoot 6 rounds and a fouling shot since the days are getting short hopefully I can get out again this week. Oh and we were able to bag the first grouse of the year driving in with the old but new to me single shot 28 gauge shotgun so that was a nice bonus.