Range Day

[truck driver]

Went to the range today to verify my 225gr PT load in the 35 Whelen/AI and was rewarded with a nice 3 shot group almost identical with the first group I fired several weeks ago though the weather has changed and the temps are cooler. First shot out of a cold clean barrel ( just carbon removed ) was dead center of target second shot at 8 O-clock almost touching and the third shot was at 6 O-clock. The load is 65.5grs CFE 225gr PT velocity 3 shot average was 2747fps. A couple clicks elevation and I'll let it alone for the season and this should be my spring Bear load for Ontario.

I also checked the velocity on some loads from the Classic 35 Whelen and wasn't impressed since they were below 2400fps with 57grs of RL15.

I had my 16 year old grandson with me shooting my .22lr pump Winchester and he was banging the .22 rim fire silhouettes regularly with the old .22 at 50yds and open sights.
I later left him shoot the 35 Whelen not the AI and he shot a nice 2" group with about 8 shots with various bullet weights and loads mostly the 250gr bullets from Speer Nosler and Hornady. I did a video so he could see himself at the time he pulled the trigger so he could understand about raising his head off the stock and after several shots I realized it was the recoil that was causing him to raise his head and wasn't doing it intentionally. The rifle was pushing his 150lb body around a good bit. The Aircell recoil pad did it's job and eased the felt impact.
I tried to load the videos on my computer but my email won't handle the size of the file.
He prefers shooting the 35 Whelen standard over the AI due to less felt recoil even with heavier bullets. The 700 Classic is the lighter of the 2 rifles.

 

[DrMike]

Very good, Rodger. A day such as this has to be gratifying. Good to hear that your grandson is shooting the Whelen. You will need to be careful, though; he may lay claim to it for himself.

 

[truck driver]

Very good, Rodger. A day such as this has to be gratifying. Good to hear that your grandson is shooting the Whelen. You will need to be careful, though; he may lay claim to it for himself.

He's going to get it one day anyway and as long as I have my AI version he's welcome to it even as good as it shoots I prefer the AI version.
What do you think of the velocity for the 225gr PT I'm getting?( 2747fps )

It's funny how Lee disappeared from the forum after he sold me this rifle. I'll have to email him and see how he's doing.

 

[SJB358]

I think you are right where you should be with a 225 Partition and accuracy like that. To be totally honest I'd load a bunch of them and hunt anything and everything with that load. It's about as perfect a killing medium bore old as it gets. That would be the load I'd use for that future elk hunt. 50 FPS won't make a darned bit of difference anywhere.

 

[Alderman]

Looks like you are good to go on anything from chipmunks to polar bears.
I can't imagine it needing to be any better for anything normally taken with a Whelen.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[truck driver]

Thanks for the comments.
That group was fired out of my 35 Whelen/AI to verify the accuracy to see if it would repeat and I ran it thru the chronograph to check the velocity. My grandson shot my 35 Whelen 700 Classic which shoots just as good but I can't get the velocity out of it with the 22" barrel that I can out of the 35/AI with the 24" barrel with out over loading it.
That load also isn't near max and well under 62Kpsi.
QL says I can get another 100fps by adding 1.5grs for 2847fps and still be under 62Kpsi. so I might load up 3 just for giggles to see how it shoots :mrgreen:

 

[SJB358]

Thanks for the comments.
That group was fired out of my 35 Whelen/AI to verify the accuracy to see if it would repeat and I ran it thru the chronograph to check the velocity. My grandson shot my 35 Whelen 700 Classic which shoots just as good but I can't get the velocity out of it with the 22" barrel that I can out of the 35/AI with the 24" barrel with out over loading it.
That load also isn't near max and well under 62Kpsi.
QL says I can get another 100fps by adding 1.5grs for 2847fps and still be under 62Kpsi. so I might load up 3 just for giggles to see how it shoots :mrgreen:

Ha!!! That's how it starts :lol:

 

[JD338]

Roger,

The 35 Whelen AI is a hammer, nipping on the heels of the 338 Win Mag.
Excellent accuracy will allow you to hunt anything in NA out to 400 yards.

JD338

 

[truck driver]

Thanks for the comments.
That group was fired out of my 35 Whelen/AI to verify the accuracy to see if it would repeat and I ran it thru the chronograph to check the velocity. My grandson shot my 35 Whelen 700 Classic which shoots just as good but I can't get the velocity out of it with the 22" barrel that I can out of the 35/AI with the 24" barrel with out over loading it.
That load also isn't near max and well under 62Kpsi.
QL says I can get another 100fps by adding 1.5grs for 2847fps and still be under 62Kpsi. so I might load up 3 just for giggles to see how it shoots :mrgreen:

Ha!!! That's how it starts :lol:

Yep the 200gr AB drove me nuts trying to find the sweet spot and I settled for 100fps less than I could push it.

 

[truck driver]

Roger,

The 35 Whelen AI is a hammer, nipping on the heels of the 338 Win Mag.
Excellent accuracy will allow you to hunt anything in NA out to 400 yards.

JD338

So far it is coming into it's own but I have put several hundred rounds threw the barrel opting not to fire lap it but just shoot it in to smooth it out and putting it in a B&C Medalist stock with full bedding block.
When loading the 3 rounds for the test I seated the first one .006" deeper than I intended to but didn't pull the bullet and reseat it and could have caused the low shot since I didn't mark it so I don't know what order I fired it in.