Anyone experienced with pistol bullets in the 35 Whelen?

[Ruger45LC]

Hey folks. I bought a Remington 700 CDL last week, and since I reload, I was wondering if any of you folks have experience with .357 pistol bullets loaded in the 35 Whelen? I'm looking for general accuracy, and velocity potential. I'd like heavier 250 gr. .358" rifle bullets for big game, but was figuring that a 110 gr. JHP would make a great vermin load (coyotes, etc).

What kind of velocities could one expect from a 110 gr. bullets? 125 gr.? 3500 fps? I have yet to see hardly any reloading data using pistol bullets.

One other thing, how would .355" (9mm) bullets fair? Too small? I've heard they'll work but thats the extent of it. Thanks guys.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Uhmmmm - - I don't THINK so.

I have done no experimentation with bullets that light, but my gut feeling is that the 110 to 125 gr. revolver bullets would NOT hold up to that kind of speeds. if I recall, the Hornady XTP bullets are classed to function properly at nywhere from 1100 to about 1700 fps. They were designed to open up at .38 Spl and .357 mag velocities, which indicates to me that the jackets are pretty thin. I'd imagine that, if you pushed one of them down a rifle barrel at anything like 3000 fps, you would at least be leaving large quantities of gilding metal plating the interior of your barrel. Not simply fouling, but actual melted jacket.

And it wouldn't surprise me at all if the bullet didn't simply vaporize not far from the muzzle.

Elder Son and I messed with some 158 gr. XTPs and 180 gr Hornady Silhouette bullets from his .35 Whelen. It has iron sights, and he was getting some pretty good groups at 100 yards. I've since obtained a .35 of my own, also a Rem 700, and I look forward to trying the revolver bullets, especially since it has a scope. We never shot these loads at any distance beyond 100 yards, but will do so someday. I picture one of the light jacketed 158s encountering a coyote . . .

Best,
Johnny

 

[rnovi]

I can confirm to you that the Speer manual lists several loads for their pistol bullets in .35 remington and .350 rem mag calibers including 110, 158, and 180 gr. loads. It woudn't surprise me to see the Whelen in that list as well.

Loads of those bullets reach as high as 3,000fps for the RemMag.

Now, as for hunting - oof. I agree with Johnny - I just do not think the bullets will hold up at those speeds. You will need to seriously download the cartridge somehow to likely around a 2400fps max to have any luck with those bullets. I bet they will simply self-destruct.

Speer does sell a 180FMJ for sillouhette loads. I bet that one would hold up just fine for lighter "plinking" loads and light vermin loads.