Heavy Bullets in the 35 Whelen

[Rule 303]

mgstucson which of your bullets have you used on game and, what was the animal and what were the results. I know a lot of info but I am a curious bastard at the best of times

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

mgstucson which of your bullets have you used on game and, what was the animal and what were the results. I know a lot of info but I am a curious bastard at the best of times

@Rule 303
Your also a mad bastard and a tight wad when it comes to reloading. It's a wonder you haven't figured out how to re use primers.
Your also very knowledgeable and a great bloke to go with it.
Sorry mate you opened the gate in that one
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Bob

 

[Rule 303]

Bob I am still working on the reuse of primers

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob I am still working on the reuse of primers

@Rule 303
When you work it out let me know.
I've tried crushed match heads with an igniter but that was hopeless.
Bob

 

[Rule 303]

@Rule 303
When you work it out let me know.
I've tried crushed match heads with an igniter but that was hopeless.
Bob

I am still stuck on the primer cup. I save the anvil, knock the cup face flat but next firring pin strike I have a pierced cup. The hole if big enough to sail the Queen Mary through. As for a filler Nitro Glycerin should work........just joking people.

 

[mgstucson]

Rule303,
I my neck of the woods, the state of Arizona, you must go through a lottery to get a legal hunting tag. You get drawn on a certain unit (area), on a specific 4-5 day period for a specific species The animals in my state big enough to hunt with a 35 Whelen are elk, and black bear. I have not gotten drawn for either of those since I have had my 358 swage dies. If I got drawn on a forested unit where the shot would be under 300 yards, I would hunt deer with the Whelen. I did get drawn on a desert unit this year for whitetail deer. Out here the deer can see you coming from a thousand yards or more. In my younger days I could spot them that far, close the distance over ridge and canyon, and shoot them with a bow. Nowadays, I have to use a rifle that I am confident with at 400+ yards, because I can't stalk up and down this vertical terrain as fast as I used to. In rifle season there is usually a lot of hunting pressure on the game, so if you don't shoot them when you see them, they can drop over a ridge never to be seen again that day. I can still put a bullet on a pie plate at 600 yards with a cold bore if the wind isn't too bad. So for desert deer hunts, it is my 30-06, 300PRC, or 7mm Mag. Swaged bullets in my 35 Whelen will need to wait for a hunt on a forested unit where shots won't be that far.

Of course I am always open to Aussie hospitality and would not turn down a chance to hunt the great down under, if you are offering an all expense paid trip. I will bring swaged bullets and my 35 Whelen too just to satisfy your curiosity. I will even swage some for the 303 and bring my jungle carbine (my first deer rifle when I was 16). I am just that kind of guy.

Pay no attention to Bob Nelson, he just tries to drown out his 303 envy by shooting the lights out with his 35 Whelen. One of these days he will accept that 312's rule and 358's drool.

 

[Rule 303]

mgstucson, don't under estimated the Whelen at 500 mts. Using an Aimpoint I would consistently hit the steel rams at 500mts. Mind you I was a lot younger doing far more shooting than I am now. Nothing wrong with using the Whelen on rabbits, foxes, dogs etc, good practice.

If I could afford to pay for you to travel here and all expenses I would be in Africa now chasing some of the Dangerous 5

Love the old Jungle Carbine, originally meant to be for Paratroopers and the 312 bullets. Yes Bob is a bit misguided but not as much as the 338 and 9.3 people.......I know that is fighting words to those poor misguided people.

 

[TXTad]

I have shot big bullets in the Whelen.....My initial heavy bullet was a 275 grainer and I tried to work up to Elmer Keith's favorite load of 57.0 grains of 4064 behind the Western Tool and Copper 275 grainer. I could not do it, as it proved too hot in my gun......but it gives you an ballpark..........best of luck. .....FWB

It was probably too hot in his gun.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

mgstucson, don't under estimated the Whelen at 500 mts. Using an Aimpoint I would consistently hit the steel rams at 500mts. Mind you I was a lot younger doing far more shooting than I am now. Nothing wrong with using the Whelen on rabbits, foxes, dogs etc, good practice.

If I could afford to pay for you to travel here and all expenses I would be in Africa now chasing some of the Dangerous 5

Love the old Jungle Carbine, originally meant to be for Paratroopers and the 312 bullets. Yes Bob is a bit misguided but not as much as the 338 and 9.3 people.......I know that is fighting words to those poor misguided people.

@Rule 303
I still have my old No1Mk111 SMLE in 312 and enjoy using it with the old Taipan 135gn hollow points. Still kills stuff well.
Bob

 

[EfRed]

@Rule 303
I still have my old No1Mk111 SMLE in 312 and enjoy using it with the old Taipan 135gn hollow points. Still kills stuff well.
Bob

George Fraser, an excellent English author, wrote of his experiences during WWII in Burma, where he'd been issued an SMLE and grew to love it in combat, as did most of his squad members. Some heroic action caused him to be promoted, and along with that responsibility came a US issued Tommy Gun. He grew to hate that gun as quickly and as much as he'd loved the SMLE. One day he lost his Tommy Gun in a creek through some cunning oversight or minor self-administrative failure, and was forced to acquire another SMLE, which served him well through the rest of his tour.

If you enjoy military humor, you might enjoy his book, "The Complete McAuslen." I greatly enjoyed it, though I never served. McAuslen is the Scotsman who is unable to conform himself to non-wartime service due to a combination of being a Scot in an English Army, a slightly bumbling but good nature, and an utter indifference, indeed, an utter failure to be able to even understand protocol. But, in combat, when the chips are down and the stakes high, McAuslen always comes through a shining star and saves the day. That fact obligates his close officers to protect him from his own follies. His (mis)adventures are at once inspiring and humorous.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

George Fraser, an excellent English author, wrote of his experiences during WWII in Burma, where he'd been issued an SMLE and grew to love it in combat, as did most of his squad members. Some heroic action caused him to be promoted, and along with that responsibility came a US issued Tommy Gun. He grew to hate that gun as quickly and as much as he'd loved the SMLE. One day he lost his Tommy Gun in a creek through some cunning oversight or minor self-administrative failure, and was forced to acquire another SMLE, which served him well through the rest of his tour.

If you enjoy military humor, you might enjoy his book, "The Complete McAuslen." I greatly enjoyed it, though I never served. McAuslen is the Scotsman who is unable to conform himself to non-wartime service due to a combination of being a Scot in an English Army, a slightly bumbling but good nature, and an utter indifference, indeed, an utter failure to be able to even understand protocol. But, in combat, when the chips are down and the stakes high, McAuslen always comes through a shining star and saves the day. That fact obligates his close officers to protect him from his own follies. His (mis)adventures are at once inspiring and humorous.

@EfRed
When my father got out of the army he joined the RAAF where he was an armourer and explosive person. He loved the old SMLE and used to trick them up for interservice shoots. I learnt a great deal from him about the SMLE.
During his time in Korea his old SMLE saw many a battle including Kapyong.
During one battle his squad hat the SMLE was running that hot the wood on the forend was smoking. There was a creek just behind them so they took turns in growing their rifles in the creek to cool them off then continued shooting. Those SMLE rifles were fast to operate,simple and basically bomb and idiot proof.
He did acquire a Thompson at one stage and said it was an overweight useless piece of crap that required a lot of maintenance. It didn't last long.
Somehow he managed to acquire a selective fire Mauser broom handle pistol that he also fell in love with. As he said he would have loved to have kept it but some low life bastard stole it while he was being patched up in a MASH unit after being shot in the mouth with a ppsh41 (aka burp gun).
At the time they were being supported by the US 72nd tanks. As he was in an American Hospital at the time and was wounded in action for some strange reason they awarded him the purple heart.
He did love his old smt and came to have the same love for the FN FAL known in Australia as the L1A1 SLR.
Bob

 

[EfRed]

@EfRed
When my father got out of the army he joined the RAAF where he was an armourer and explosive person. He loved the old SMLE and used to trick them up for interservice shoots. I learnt a great deal from him about the SMLE.
During his time in Korea his old SMLE saw many a battle including Kapyong.
During one battle his squad hat the SMLE was running that hot the wood on the forend was smoking. There was a creek just behind them so they took turns in growing their rifles in the creek to cool them off then continued shooting. Those SMLE rifles were fast to operate,simple and basically bomb and idiot proof.
He did acquire a Thompson at one stage and said it was an overweight useless piece of crap that required a lot of maintenance. It didn't last long.
Somehow he managed to acquire a selective fire Mauser broom handle pistol that he also fell in love with. As he said he would have loved to have kept it but some low life bastard stole it while he was being patched up in a MASH unit after being shot in the mouth with a ppsh41 (aka burp gun).
At the time they were being supported by the US 72nd tanks. As he was in an American Hospital at the time and was wounded in action for some strange reason they awarded him the purple heart.
He did love his old smt and came to have the same love for the FN FAL known in Australia as the L1A1 SLR.
Bob

All honor to your Father for his courageous service. That broom handle pistol is what Churchill carried in the battle of Omdurman. He credited it's quick reloads with saving his life.

I always wanted an FN FAL but the timing never worked. I ended up with an M17 S from K&M in Arizona - a bullpup built on an Australian design, improved by K&M. It's a good rifle too.