Hi all, I am looking for a good hunting load for my whelen using 250gr. Swift A-Frames. The rifle is a 700 classic with a 22" barrel. Any advice would help.

Craven

Hi: I used to use H4895..once got a 5 shot 0.17"
group & had the bench rest boys muttering to
themselves. I don't remember how much, look
at the reloading books, but the powder type
worked great with 250 gr. Hornady Bullets.

Tom

Try Reloader 15. My rifle seems to like 59.5 grs. with a 250 gr. for about 2500 fps and fair to excellent accuracy depending on the bullet.

Thanks guys, I just loaded up some with 54gr of IMR4064 with magnum and reg. primers to see if there is any differance. I will post results.

Craven

I would carefully work up to 58 gr of RL-15. The 59.5 gr load sounds too hot, and more like a 35 whelen ackley load. I did find that you can work up loads with the 250 gr hornady, and whatever load shoots accurately will shoot accurately with the swift, but 100 fps faster. The partition in the A-frame raises pressures and hence velocities.

54 grains for IMR-4064 behind either a 250 Speer or Nosler Partition has worked very well in my Remington. I got about 2450fps before I had the barrel cut back to 20".

IMR-4064 and IMR-4320 have worked VERY well for me. Haven't found a reason to try anything else.

quote:

The 59.5 gr load sounds too hot, and more like a 35 whelen ackley load.

In my .35W, I use 59.2 grains of RL15 behind a 250 gr Hornady and have no pressure problems. I have tried up to 59.6 and never found any pressure signs, but backed down to 59.2 because there was no degradation of its accuracy (true sub-moa) and I appreciate the slight, but real, safety factor for when I use it in hot weather.

I just wanted to give a heads up. The highest charge I've seen published with a 250 gr in the whelen is 58 gr of RL 15. I know lots of folks that load for whelens, and 58, to 58.5 gr of RL 15 is the max I've heard all those folks use.

I do know in my 35 whelen ackley, that the A-frame will opperate at higher pressures than the hornady with the same load, and one should back off at least one, if not two grains. Unfortunately that gun wouldn't group worth a hoot if I backed off the loads, so I re-chambered it to a 350 Rigby. Now it shoots the same velocity, at lower pressure, and groups even tighter.

FWIW.....Alliants published load for RL 15 is 59.5 gr under a 250 Hornaday for 2550 fps and 48000 cup .

My regular load for 250 gr Hornaday or Speer spitzers is 60 gr RL 15 , but my rifle has a long throat . Might be a bit warm in tighter chambered guns .

I've been looking at loading some AA2700 with 225 nosler BTs. Since I have yet to receive my rifle from Kobe it's all speculation. I do like what the Accurate load book has for loads.

quote:

I just wanted to give a heads up.

I appreciate it! I wish someone had given me a heads up about SEDs before I discovered it for myself . As was noted, though, Alliant lists their max load at 59.5 gr for RL15 and 250 gr bullets. FWIW, I get about 70fps +/- 7 more out of my 59.2 load than Alliant suggests with their 59.5.

Swift lists a Max Load of 54.4 grains with RL-15 for the 250 grain A Frame at 2413 fps.

Yes Alliant lists 59.5 grains for use with Hornady 250 grainers while Hornady claims 55.1 grains as the max load for 2400 fps. But as has already been pointed out each bullet creates different pressure curves and each rifle (chamber/barrel) is also diferent.

Nosler lists 53 grains RL-15 as a max load with their 250 grain bullets.

Just use caution.

I finally got to the range this weekend and test fired some loads, accuracy was not what I had hoped for but no pressure signs up through 55.5grs of IMR 4064. I fired 8 different loads starting at 54grs and increasing .5grs up to 55.5grs,I know that is only 4 loads, I also used mag primers as well as std. I did not chrono at this session as I am looking for accuracy. The Swift bullets preformed very good, recovered bullets averaged 212gr or 85% of thier weight after impacting sand and gravel. I will load some more and report back in.

Craven

Hi Craven:

Try H4895..... It is giving me super results in a 350 Rem Mag with 200 Grain Hornadys. It is an Extreme powder, very consistant.

Regards... Jim P.