.35 Whelen All Around Rifle?

[JesterGrin]

Good Going. So what did you really think of the TAC .

I am not sure if I made a good move to purchase the TAC instead of the RL-15. But from everything I have read it sure seems so. I just think that Ramshot is just not widely used.

[336SC]

I think TAC is the better choice.  My experience with RL-15 in 35 Whelen, at least the lot I purchased, never gave me the velocities or
accuracy I was expecting.  But I only worked with the two 35 Whelen's that I own.  My two might not be representative of someone else's.  Don't get me wrong, it worked okay but never shined so to speak.  When I stumbled on IMR3031 in the Whelen and my .350 Mag I thought I had died and gone to heaven, at least with 200gr bullets I used for deer.  So far TAC has really helped me to get the
velocity up in my shortened Whelen.  Now the true test will be when I shoot for accuracy.  I know that IMR3031 gives super groups, albeit at a lower velocity than TAC.  I've already ran the 35 Whelen cases through the tumbler and wiped them off and as I was doing the clean up on them, it really dawned on me how easy a cartridge the 35 Whelen is to work with.  Just like the old 30-06, it just goes
about it's business without any fuss or muss and no scary surprises when working up loads.  It was 2006 until I bought my first 30-06
because I was never enamored with it, that is until I bought my first one.  Didn't own a 30-30 until 2006 either.  Always used the .32 Win Special instead.  Oh well, like we PA Dutch say, we get too soon old, and too late smart.LOL
336SC

[JesterGrin]

Kind of like this?

Barstooler

On the Speer 250Gr Hot Core what is the O.A.L.? The Speer Book says 3.340. But in the case I used there is still about 90 thousands of neck room. Or to say to use the whole neck.

But for the Hornady 250Gr SP It shows an O.A.L of 3.255 which may have to do with the canalure on the bullet.

[JesterGrin]

Well I fit the bullet to the magazine length of which after some trial and error feel I can get away with without a problem. At 3.350.

[WyoStillhunter]

I am much more of a hunter than I am an accuracy nut.  Therefore, as long as accuracy is adequate to hunting needs I reload for function and reliability.  If a bullet has a cannelure I seat to that point, if not, I use the COL listed in a reliable manual.  When taking ammo into the field I see no need to scrunch the bullet close to the lands if it might possibly hamper smooth chambering.  That said, my rifle is of modern manufacture:  Remington 700 Classic.

[336SC]

I am much more of a hunter than I am an accuracy nut.  Therefore, as long as accuracy is adequate to hunting needs I reload for function and reliability.  If a bullet has a cannelure I seat to that point, if not, I use the COL listed in a reliable manual.  When taking ammo into the field I see no need to scrunch the bullet close to the lands if it might possibly hamper smooth chambering.  That said, my rifle is of modern manufacture:  Remington 700 Classic.

Have you killed any Elk with your 700 classic?  I've got one also and it's a fine rifle.  What bullet do you use for Elk?
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[Matt3357]

I was thinking about getting a Savage Stevens in 30-06 then getting the adams and bennet 35 whelen barrel from Midway and changing it out.  Anyone here have any experience with the results? 

Matt

[336SC]

Matt, I've done exactly that with one of my Savage 110's in 30-06.  The barrel sent me from Midway was of magnum contour and 24"
long.  I was a great shooter but the muzzle weight did not feel right and the overall heft was not to my liking.  I just recently had the
barrel cut to 18.5" and I'm working up loads for it right now to get the velocity up a wee bit in the shortened barrel.  So far I've worked
with TAC, H335, and A2460.  TAC got me 2679fps with the 200gr RPPCL out of the shortened tube and H335 got me 2588fps with the
Speer 220gr FN Hot Core bullet.  I've only chronographed the loads and now have to see how they shoot.  IMR3031 really groups with the 200gr RPPCL and velocity was 2750fps out of the 24" barrel.  It groups a wee bit better out of the 18.5" barrel but velocity dropped to 2584fps.  Not that 2584fps with a 200gr bullet won't kill a skinny deer, it's just I wanted to be around 2650fps out of the short tube and TAC got me there.  The Adams & Bennet barrels are actually produced by E.R. Shaw and sold by Midway under that trade name.  I
have an E.R. Shaw barreled 358 Win on a 700 short action.  They also tuned the action by lapping the lugs and tuning the trigger.  It shoots scarey groups for a non bench rest caliber.  I've been hunting with a rechambered Remington 760 pump in .358 Win for over 30
years now and if a better deer hunting rig with it's 18.5" barrel exists, I have not found it yet.  Fifteen deer with that pump and 13 were
bang flops.  Two went maybe 35 yards or so.  All shot with either the 200gr HDY RN or the 200gr RPRNCL @ 2400fps.
358 Win

[Matt3357]

336SC,

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  Ideally I would love to have a remington 760 in 35 whelen, but apparently everyone loves them too much to sell them as I cannot find any.  For this reason and the reason of accuracy, I was considering a bolt action.  But a remington would run me close to $650 for a 35 whelen new or used so I was considering this route after I read about it.  Glad to hear your's works so well.  Unfortunately I live in IL and we can only hunt deer with shotguns so this would be a target/whatever gun for fun.  If I can find a decent used stevens in my journeys, I will do the conversion.  Thanks again for your info.

Matt