Does anyone have experience loading the 310 gr .358 Woodleigh weldcores for the 35 Whelen? The Woodleigh website lists 57 grs of RL15, but comparing this to other data in the Nosler, Hornady, et al, books, this seems "hot". The subject rifle is a Ruger No. 1, with a 1:12 twist. Thanks!

That load is dangerously hot. Both Lyman and Speer lists 54 grs of Rlr 15 as a max load with a 250 grainer. The Lyman manual shows that @ 50,000 CUP. For another 60 gn slug that should be backed way off..

I have tried Woodleigh .358 caliber 310gr RN SN bullets in my Remington 700 CDL (24" barrel) using 52.0 gr of RL-15 (safe in my particular rifle only) and got just under 2300 fps muzzle velocity. Accuracy wasn't great - about 3" groups at 100 yards from the benchrest. The 1-in-16" twist is likely too slow to properly stabilize this bullet. However, I get decent accuracy with this bullet in my .358 Winchester BLR because the barrel has a 1-in-12" twist rate.

Here's a link that you may find useful for handloading your 35 Whelen -

http://35cal.com/loading.html

That's a fine lookin cartridge, 4sixteen. Thanks for the info.

A 1:14 twist should stabalize the 310 but if you can go with a 1:12. Away from home at the moment so can not check on the loads. I have not used the 310 grain but could cross check the recomended max's if at home.

I couldn't get the 310 gr bullet to stabilize at all - 100 yard shots were all over the target - from my Remington 750 35 Whelen carbine (18.5" barrel and also with 1-in-16" twist) at a muzzle velocity of around 2100 fps. I suppose the bullet rotational speed is well below the stability threshold at that lower muzzle velocity.



Excellent bullet, however. Good performance on heavy game from my Browning BLR .358 Winchester, and good accuracy. Incidentally, I'm getting a .350 Remington magnum rifle done and have specified a twist rate of 1-in-12" because the 310 gr Woodleigh's will be the primary bullets I intend to load (stay tuned ).

The Woodleigh Bullet website advises that "Barrels with a 16” twist will not stabilise these bullets, (#54, #55), 12” twist is fine, 14” marginal".

http://www.woodleighbullets.co...e/loading-tips#LOADS

I own a Dakota Classic Deluxe in 35 Whelen and it has 1:12 twist. I love this rifle. Dakota did some work on it for me so that it would shoot/group both SAF 280 gr. with A-Square 275 gr. mono solids. They shoot to the same hole at 100yds. They do the same thing with Woodleigh 310 gr. soft and solids. I use this rifle with heavy bullets. My wife and I both own Ruger Hawkeyes SS synthetics with the 1:16 twist. We shoot Fed. Prem. 225 gr. TBBC in these rifles. She just took an elk a week ago at 254 yds. with this load. It seems to be a good weight bullet for this twist rate.

Edited 12/16/17. I have since found out, and measured for myself, that the Ruger Hawkeye in 35 Whelen actually has a 1-12 twist rate. Happy days...

The rifle I'm putting together is a Ruger No. 1 with a 25" barrel. I too wanted to shoot the heavier for caliber bullets, so I went with a 1:12 twist. Getting close to having the stock work done and should have it going "bang" soon. Will probably experiment with the 280 gr SAF's too. Lookin forward to seeing what this platform can do on elk!

LRx I've been using 280 Swifts since they hit the shelves,, they are the finest 35cal bullet on the market!! They always perform exactly like they were designed to and when they don't pass through they have a picture book almost boring mushroom every single time.

A 310 gr. .35 caliber bullet at 2300 FPS is a washtub full of death and destruction..I wouldn't hesitate to shoot Lion, buffalo or elephant (with solids on elephant and probably Buffalo) with it...

I have used the 338 with 300 gr. bullets and the 9.3xx62 with 300 and 320 gr. bullets on such with success..the .338 and 9.3x62 with those heavy for caliber Woodleih PP and RN bullets sure do put big bull elk in the salt and in a hurry. The huge bull on my webpage, I shot with a 300 gr. Woodleigh and the .338 win, the bullet took him behind the shoulder at a severe angle, broke the shoulder, penetrated the neck to the jaw and blew a 50 cent size hole going out, he turned toward me then spun around and went down for the count. A Bison took one broadside, walked about 40 yards and tipped over and a cape buffalo took a broadside shot ran 50 yards and was standing spraddle legged but ran when I approached, I shot him at 100 yards twice with my 404 at that point and he did summer saults at the second shot..damn they can be tough.

I think you will be more than pleased with the .310 Woodleigh.

Good stuff, Atkinson!

Ray,,,,,,,, You got me,,my next order will have a box or 2 of 310 Woodleighs!

Thanks Jim

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:
LRx I've been using 280 Swifts since they hit the shelves,, they are the finest 35cal bullet on the market!! They always perform exactly like they were designed to and when they don't pass through they have a picture book almost boring mushroom every single time.

Mind sharing your load data for those 280 gr. SAF's? I'd be happy to sign any attorney approved hold harmless form if it'd make you feel better!

If you can get 2300 FPS with the 310 gr. Woodleigh and I don't see any reason you cannot, and with careful selection of powder and load work up you can prpbably get a bit more..and that will kill any animal that walks on this planet..

Old Post, but I used the Woodleigh 310 out of a 35 Whelen Ackley Improved. I loaded 55 gr R15 out of a Mod 700 35 Whelen (Imp) Classic, 1 in 16" twist. I got a super accurate 2424fps average! It had to be the speed that made it settle down. I shot a 200# Eurasian hog up close ( 25yds) it made a 40 cal entrance and a 75 cal exit. It blew chunks of lungs/tissue out for 30ft it looked like! It ran about 5 yds and fell over. No wasted meat either. I sold that rifle. Now will be playing with a 338 Win Mad again, after a 20yr hiatus, and will definitely work up a load with the Woodleigh 300, maybe Hawk 300 too. I like it!

quote:

Originally posted by LRx:
The rifle I'm putting together is a Ruger No. 1 with a 25" barrel. I too wanted to shoot the heavier for caliber bullets, so I went with a 1:12 twist. Getting close to having the stock work done and should have it going "bang" soon. Will probably experiment with the 280 gr SAF's too. Lookin forward to seeing what this platform can do on elk!

You were wise ordering the 1-12 twist barrel for your Whelen.

Two years after you have built this rifle, Ruger came out with the No. 1 in 35 Whelen on the "S" medium frame with a 1-12 twist and a 24" barrel. I bought two of them!

You were obviously a few years ahead of Ruger on R&D!!!

Alliant PP 2000-MR should be THE powder for your 310 Woodleigh in a Whelen. I have an Ackley Improved Whelen and did extensive workups with the 2000-MR with bullets up to the 275 Hawk .035 jacket, and this powder just starts to get good at 250 gr. and up. I got 2400 fps with the 275 Hawk (.359" diameter) and 55 gr of powder. Even though the bullets were oversized, the pressure was fine. 2000-MR is basically a ball version of RL-15, although just a touch slower. This eliminates the problems with RL-15 of not being able to get enough powder in the case. I settled on 60.5 gr under the 250 Partition, and it's a great killer @ 2625 fps muzzle velocity from my 24" barrel.

Jim,
The Hawks are too soft, they separate, but they kill OK..I shot the heavy jacketed Hawk in my .338 and 7x57 on a hunt with Philip Price and every bullet separated from its jacket..My grand son shot a spike in the throat with a 175 gr. thick jacketed Hawk and it blew up completely on that small deers neck and no exit just a big huge gap in the neck..If Hawk would just solder the lead to the jacket it would be a great bullet...

The Hawks do work well on the old Winchester calibers like the 38-55, 45-70 and the sharps rifles..I use them in my 38-40 rifle and they expand well and retain the core.