Ready For The Season

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
This has been a very frustrating week for me work wise. You know the kind...3 steps back for every one forward? Needed a break badly so today i grabbed my 35 whelen Encore and went to the range to sight in for the opener on Deer in Nov.

I sighted in 2" high @ 100 yds. with a noe 360230 gr. fp gc @ 2200 fps....so dead on a bit over 150 yds.

Next up was a 12 gr. load of unique behind a noe 360009 (280 gr. rn) pb @ 1275 fps.
I reset the target @ 50 yds. Reset the power on the 3x9 leupy to 3 power and using the top of the spear point on the bottom post i was centered and 3/4" low.
Amazing how a simple range trip can make a bad week just melt away.

Hopefully will have some hunting reports and pics in a couple of weeks.
 

Maven

Well-Known Member
"Amazing how a simple range trip can make a bad week just melt away."

It's aptly named cast bullet therapy, 35 s!
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Many a bad day of work has been washed away by a trip to the range or into the fields for hunting. Heck, I find even a good casting session helps.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Greetings
I also pray you get the shot of your life.
Another Whelen shooter here. I went with the 375. Hard to beat that fine old 06 case for fatter cast bullets. That 2200 fps is right at my velocity goal with what ever weight.
Mike in Peru
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Nothing smells better to me than a freshly fired shot shell
 

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
Greetings
I also pray you get the shot of your life.
Another Whelen shooter here. I went with the 375. Hard to beat that fine old 06 case for fatter cast bullets. That 2200 fps is right at my velocity goal with what ever weight.
Mike in Peru
Lol 2200 must be the vel. goal my rifle has in mind for sure. Every weight bullet i've tried so far(200 to 280)shoots nice tight groups right in that vel. range.

I agree about the 06 case in all it's variations and it just gets better as you go up in bullet dia. with it for me.

All of you guys are right about the therapy...any day at the range is a good one, even if it's just a few shots taken to get sighted in.
 

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
My brother from CO visited a few weeks ago and i sent him home with some noe 360230s. They were checked, sized to .360 and lubed with Ben's Red.

He tried my imr 4350 loads and got 2" plus groups, then shortened his seating depth and tried aa4350 and imr.
52 gr. of the aa gave him a .807" and a .7 something inch group @ 100 yds in his 22" H&R single shot.
Looks like another one ready for the hunting season. If i can can get him back for another visit this season, maybe we can find a deer for that H&R.

BTW he put an overcoat of BLL over the Ben's Red.
 

Rally Hess

Well-Known Member
Brad,
I couldn't agree more. The only thing better is that smell, with some pheasant feathers drifting slowly to the ground, with a big lab shaking the cattails where it landed. Hoping to be in SD three weeks from yesterday, for my first trip. I've got a 9 month old chocolate that needs some cattail time.
 

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
Glad i got sighted in and ready for the season early as it has been a very busy winter for me workwise. I didn't get in the woods till the January season this year.

It all came together today and that's a good thing because tommorrow is the last day of the season for me.

The winds have been strong and unpredictable all month and i believe i've been "busted" at least once on every hunt from my tree stand. It's been crazy for sure.

The wind was very light and lifting up into the trees early this morning for a change.
I hung my stand and was in the tree by 7:00am. I knew better than to try rattling horns and knew that they like a more subtle approach this late in the season. It always seems to me this time of year they're not too interested in picking fights, but still looking for last minute does to breed.

About 7:30 i gave a few soft doe bleats and at 8:00am i had a smallish buck come straight to me. He was headed to some small scrapes behind me, fully convinced a doe was there waiting on him.

I gave him a soft bleat with just my mouth and he pulled up broadside at about 25 to 30 yds.
A noe 360230 gr. fn straight ww ht'd @ 2200 fps. and 27 bhn lubed with 3 coats of BLL from a 35 whelen slammed into the top of his shoulder and exited mid. shoulder on the off side.
He was literally thrown over on his side, twitched a couple of times and it was over.
DRT! I was surprised with such a quick kill from a bullet that hard.

This season was short and sweet for me.
 

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
Thanks Yodog. I'm still up grinding meat and haven't loaded any pic's.
Really nothing much to look at lol. About 120 lb. with both horns broken or deformed early in developement.

He's certainly not the one that's been breaking young pine trees and limbs in there.
I'm going back in the morning to get my stand and i may sit there a few hours and keep watch on the final day.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Greetings and Congratulations !
Thank you for writing that up. Should be some tasty eating. Does and young bucks are a sizzling favorite in our house.
I do miss sitting in the green stuff and popping corn crunchers. But this year we are north again ! Recurves, flinters and revolvers ! The ILLinois alternative to freedom.
Mike in Peru Where male llamas carry the mail.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
Congratulations, I also prefer the young bucks and does. Fine eating. And I want to thank you guys for recommending the 4350 powder for my 35, haven't got to shoot it a lot yet but it appears to be a good powder to work with.
 

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
Congratulations, I also prefer the young bucks and does. Fine eating. And I want to thank you guys for recommending the 4350 powder for my 35, haven't got to shoot it a lot yet but it appears to be a good powder to work with.

Good to hear about the 4350 in your whelen. Somewhere from 48 gr. to 54, 54 1/2 gr. has worked with every bullet i've tried so far. All of that is in the 1950 to 2200 fps. range. I usually find at least 2 good loads for each bullet in that range with imr 4350 and will be trying aa 4350 soon!

Old 357 Maximum from the cb site got me started on it a few years ago.