I have a custom mauser in 35 Whelen. It is tons of fun i like it alot ! I have been shooting the speer 250 grain Hot core at about 2600 FPS using RL15. If you look at the aliant Web page you will see that the Max charge with rl 15 gives very good velocity and only I belive 4800 CUP. Seems like a perfect excuse to increase case capacity ! I am tinking of the Ackly Improved version but i am aware of the brown and some others, and I guess the brown Whelen is the most radical improvment. I want be able to form my cases by fire forming only, is that how you get a Brown Whelen or are there more steps involved ? How much impeovment can one Expect from first the Po Ackly Version and then the Brown Over the Standard ? ...thanks for any input...tj3006

Sez Ackley:

"It give mores velocity than the improved Whelen but the cases are hard to make. It is necessary to neck up the '06 brass to 40 caliber (straight), then back down to .35 with a short neck."

My .35 Whelen Improved only gets about 30 fps more than you're quoating with the same bullet.

Question: how much velocity do you think that bullet needs in order to be effective on all the game animals you think you'll hunt with that rifle?

I live in Southcentral Alaska and I think its adequate. (And I see some pretty large bear tracks.)
Jerry/AK

358 Norma

I had a 35 whelen ackley, and ended up having it re-chambered to a 350 Rigby. The case forming is a pain, the shoulders often set back, and at the same pressures, you're likely to gain 50 fps. A poor return on investment for a re-chamber and a new set of dies.

If you really want to improve the performance, then you need to gain at least 200 fps, and the only way to do that is go to a much larger case.

The brown whelen requires the case to be necked up to 375 or 40 caliber, then a partial shoulder formed from the fl die, then fire-form. The pain I mentioned with the ackley is that the shoulder isn't adequate to keep the shoulder from setting back when fire forming, and once the shoulder is set, there it stays. If the shoulder is set back, you will get case head seperations.

That is my biggest fear is that mine won't shoot 225 worth a darn. I really don't want to shoot 250's I have a Adam and Bennet barrel wish me luck. I will see when the rifle is finished.

You can get correctly headstamped and fully formed brass from Quality Cartridge for the 358 Hawk. They also make loaded ammunition.

http://www.z-hat.com/358%20Hawk%20Ballistics.htm

I think my accuracy problems were gunsmith related, not accuracy related. The barrel shoots quite well now, I even managed a 5 shot 1" group @ 100 yds using cast bullets.

I haven't tried 225's since re-chambering, but I'd suspect they'd shoot fine. I would like to try some 225 gr Barnes triple shocks.

I also here the A.I version whops you pretty good versus the std whelen. How true is this?

I will soon find out, well when ever I get back home to shoot it. My whelen Imp. should be finished soon and my gunsmith just started work on my 358 Norma mag. All I plan on shooting are the 225's.