Range day #3 ( long winded )

[truck driver]

After free floating the barrel on the M70 35AI I loaded up the best load to date and headed to the range 28 mph winds and all.
The load was 66.0grs CFE over a 200gr AB in Nosler fire formed brass CCI 250 primer.
This load would print 2 in and 1 out prior to floating the barrel.
The wind was furious at 28mph and a cross wind at that. The range is some what protected but the target butts are exposed due to a gate to access the range for repairs and maintainance. The 100yd range flags were standing straight out from the cross wind.
I took 2 other guns along for verification of their zero and to let the barrel cool down.
Since the 35AI was clean I decide to load up some foulers for it and used the 200gr Hornady over 62grs of RL15. The first shot fired during a brief law in the wind form a cold clean barrel was just left of center and I thought this is going to be good but after that the wind picked back up and held steady the other 4 shoots went high left at 1-oclock in about a 2-3" cluster all considering I didn't think this was too bad I did wait between shoots for the barrel to cool. but never got as cool as the first shot. It seems that this barrel heats up quickly after the first 2 shots and I have to let it set longer to cool so I broke out the 35 Whelen I got from Lee to run some loads threw and found a nut with one load, 200gr AB and 8208XBR, three shots touching in a very nice clover leaf.
Up next was was the M70 35AI with 200gr AB 66.0grs CFE223. The first 2 shots were touching each other at 5-oclock in the 1.5" center, the next shot went to 3-oclock on the edge of the ring and the next 2 went to 12 and 11-oclock inside of the center ring.
The total size of the group is 1.326"X1.387" center to center of the shots fired. Shot with a steady 28mph wind blowing across the target. I was surprised that the group was this tight and feel pretty good about free floating the barrel though maybe not a large difference in group size but more consistent.
At 3.400"OAL I'm at the maximum length of my magazine so I can't stretch them out any farther and will wait till after the season to pillar bed it and is something I should have done first but wanted to seem how it would shoot with out it.
The third gun was my 12ga. slug gun and after a slight elevation adjustment it was printing 2" groups which I'm happy with and the wind didn't seem to effect the 1 once slug at all. :roll: :mrgreen:

 

[Bonz]

Thanks for the report, TD. I took a muley buck with my 35 AI a couple weeks ago during 2nd rifle season, shooting the 200 Barnes TTSX. 100 yd broadside high lung shot from my sight in of 3" high at 100 yds. I held dead on midway up behind the front leg line, so the high hit was right where the bullet was supposed to go. The critter went straight down and while the tissue destruction wasn't what I get with an cup and core bullet, it chunked up the top of the lungs and ruined zero meat going in and exiting. From the way the rib it hit while exiting was broken, I could see there was very useable expansion from a penetrator of a bullet that had left the muzzle 100 yds earlier at 2925 fps. The 35 AI now has 10 elk and one mule deer. Kinda cool to have a second species under its belt.

What are your velocities again with the CFE 223 and the load you shared in the post above? Also, what was the velocity for the 8208XBR load and the charge?

 

[SJB358]

I'd be really happy with that sorta performance from your Whelen... Makes me anxious to break my Whelen out and give it a workout. It's been Awhile.

I think you'll like the smack down those 200 ABs give you.

 

[truck driver]

Bonz, good job on the Mule Deer but where's the pictures :?: :roll: :lol:
The CFE223 load runs right around 2925fps out of a 24" barrel. The 8208XBR load is in a standard Whelen and I didn't have a Chrony when I developed it but QL says it's running 2670fps out of a 22" barrel so if you add 100fps for 2" of barrel it is probably running around 2800-2900fps. That is out of my 700 Classic that has been bedded and pillared.
These loads were from 2 different brands of brass which have different H2O case caps.
The CFE load is out of Nosler brass with 76grs cap while the 8208 is with Rem brass and less cap.
I have not tried to find a MAX load for either rifles and only one powder has shown high pressure and I stopped using it and that was H322 which only showed pressure on 2 pieces of brass but enough for me not to trust it.


Scotty, I'm very happy with the 35 Whelen AI, it is really coming into it's own.
I was very impressed yesterday with the performance of the 200gr AB bucking a 28mph cross wind which was hitting full force at the target. The wind was cutting threw a entrance gap at the end of the range from left to right and was blowing the 200gr Hornady Spire point high right at 1 O-clock and a full 3" out after first shot was dead center during a lull in the wind.
I don't know if pillars would help or give me tighter groups but I think it would be worth a try and can't see where it will hurt anything in the laminated stock that hasn't been bedded and the barreled action just dropped in. :mrgreen: