Reloading for a pump action .35 whelan

[butta9999]

I have been reloading for about 15 years now, and i am still learning many things. Many of my problems have been solved from these forums, and hopeing for some more good advice.

All my reloading experience is with bolt action rifles only. My mate has just bought a Remington pump action in .35 Whelan, and wants to reload. He has no experience what so ever so ill be doing the work.

My questions are, what differences are there in reloading for a pump to a bolt action.

Do you have to F/L size every time?
How do you determine the seating depth?
Can i use the same receipes as i would for a bolt action?
How do you feel for that sweet spot when adjusting your sizing die?
Do you have to reload within factory specs?
What are the best bullets to use spitzer/roundnose?
Are pressures different?
Is there alot more limitations reloading for a pump action rifle.

These are some of the questions i ask myself, any help, knowledge, advice and opinions will be greatly appreciated.

I will be replying and probably with more questions.. Thanks

[darkgael]

B - "Do you have to F/L size every time?
Common wisdom is "yes. you do. The same as for semi-autos." I have gotten away with just neck sizing for one or two loads - but that's a .223 in a semi.

How do you determine the seating depth?
Just concern yourself with OAL; seating depth should take care of itself.

Can i use the same receipes as i would for a bolt action?
Yes.

How do you feel for that sweet spot when adjusting your sizing die?
Can't help you there - the "sweet spot" is a new term for me.

Do you have to reload within factory specs?
Generally that is the safe thing to do. If you are talking about the actual load itself, remember that reload manuals present a range, only one of those is what the factory might load.

What are the best bullets to use spitzer/roundnose?
What kind of magazine does the rifle have? If tubular, then Flat Nose only.
Otherwise, either will be effective. See which shoots better.

Are pressures different?
Not sure what you mean? Because of the gun? In reloaded ammo?
There is no factory ammo that is labeled "for pump guns only."
Reloaded ammo depending on choice of components and intensity of the load will have lots of different pressure levels including one labeled "Maximum."
Is there alot more limitations reloading for a pump action rifle.
Just that they have to be sized properly so as to feed reliably.
Pete

[butta9999]

Thanks for the quick reply. The "sweet spot", is when your F/L sizing for a bolt action you look for the slightest resistance whrn closing the bolt. Thats when you know you have the die set correctly for that particular chamber.

I could not imagine being able do to that for a pump.

Thanks for the feedback dark.

[Slamfire]

Thanks for the quick reply. The "sweet spot", is when your F/L sizing for a bolt action you look for the slightest resistance whrn closing the bolt. Thats when you know you have the die set correctly for that particular chamber

I have a 35 Whelen based on a M1903 action.

I purchased a cartridge headspace gage and sized my brass to gage minimum. A M1903 bolt is easy is disassemble, so I took out the firing pin assembly and extractor. I was able to verify if I had any resistance during bolt lug cam down. And how much forward and backward movement the bolt had when closed.

The 35 Whelen does not have much of a shoulder. It is easy to set the thing back, without feeling it in the die, and it does not provide as much bolt closure resistance as some other cartridges.

Something like a K31 straight pull action, the K31 has so many parts and cams, that setting up my dies according to bolt cam down was imprecise and turned out inaccurate.

I would believe that any semi auto or pump mechanism will give the same deceptive indications.

The absolute best way to judge case sizing is with a gage. Then check the sized case in the rifle just to be certain.

I think the 35 Whelen is a great cartridge. A 250 grain bullet at 2500 fps. That is good enough for anything in North America.

[butta9999]

So if i understand things right it is quite hard to tell whether you have sized a case properly when reloading for a pump action.

Excuse my ignorance but is a head space gauge a universal tool, or does each caliber need a specific one.

[butta9999]

I guess a more simple question would be anyone who has a .35 Whelan in pump action what steps do you take in knowing the case has been sized right.

Is using a head space gauge the only way to go, or are there other ways in telling if the size die is adjusted right.

I suppose not just the Whelan but anyone who has loaded for any other caliber pump action.

advice is greatly appreciated

[SKULLANDCROSSBONES65]

G'day. This is taken from the Sierra book.

Reloading for the 35 Whelen is an uncomplicated task. Since its adoption by Remington, factory cases are readily available. Cases can still be formed from 30-06 brass with little or no trouble. The fact that surplus G.I. brass was readily available and easily formed into Whelen cases was responsible for much of the cartridge's lasting popularity. Though G.I. 30-06 brass has become more scarce in the last few years, it can still be found at reasonable prices. For those shooters still forming Whelen cases, the following loads should be reduced by one to two grains to compensate for the decreased capacity of the military brass.

FL size, so that the action is easier to close. This will ensure a reliable quick back up shot. Flat nose for tube mag.

[Sport45]

Is using a head space gauge the only way to go, or are there other ways in telling if the size die is adjusted right.

IMHO, the size die is adjusted right when it contacts the shell holder at the top of the stroke when sizing a case. If that leaves the case too short for the rifle then the rifle's headspace is excessive and needs to be corrected.

Now, my opinion is only worth what you paid for it and the only pump action rifle I've shot was my dad's Visible Loader. But I'm thinking that you're chasing ghosts if you try to tweak accuracy from a pump or lever action rifle in the same manner you would with a quality bolt gun.

[Slamfire]

This is a Wilson cartridge headspace gage for the 35 Whelen. Cost, about $15.00. And it is worth buying.

The top of the gage is equivalent to the "no go" of a chamber headspace gage, and the bottom ledge (hard to see .006 ledge cut) is equivalent to the "Go" gage.

Size your cases to the "Go" level and you will be good to go for a pump action.

Once you have one of these gages, you will be able to measure, and thus find out, just how inaccurate, imprecise, just plain off, “sizing to the shellholder, plus an eighth" turns out to be.


Double Heat treat M1903 in 35 Whelen, Weaver K-4 scope.

[butta9999]

Sport45, there is more to setting a F/L die than just making it contact the shell holder. In my experience the slightest turn each way can make all the difference. This experience is with bolt rifles only.

But to my knowledge if you over turn the die that can cause excessive head space due to the shoulder being bumped too far back. And if you have not turned the die down far enough then you leave the overall case too long as the case lengthens before be sized.

An example of this is when i was F/L sizing for my uncles and friends .220 swifts. They are both remington varmint 700s i think, both same make anyway... I set the die for my uncles first and sized his brass.

I then sized one case for my mates swift the bolt barely closed. Being a bolt gun it was easier enough to find the right setting, it needed another fraction of a turn down.

With a pump i can imagine you dont get these options when setting the die. I understand the accuracy wont be as great as a bolt rifle as you are limited options in product and practice. Thankyou for your input though, all advice is good advice.

Slamfire..... Thankyou for the pic, i feel stupid for asking but how do you put the gage into practice. I understand there being a go and no go zone


Going by the picture do you put the sized case into the center of the gage to see whether further adjustment is needed or not?

Skulls.... did they just specify ex military brass or any .30-06 brass. Is fire forming needed when going to the whelan?

[SKULLANDCROSSBONES65]

G'day. As far as the gauge goes, you just drop the sized case in. It needs to be longer than the short length and less that the long.
As fer the Sierra info, that is the only specific data I have. The way I read it, Military 30-06 brass that is re-sized has less case capacity.

[Slamfire]

Though you asked Skulls, I will tell you what I did about forming brass.

The previous owner of this rifle complained about getting case head separations. He just sized to the shell holder, or equivalent. I wanted to be cautious.

I have bunches of once fired 30-06 brass. So I took about 100 once fired R-P and passed it through a Hornady full length sizing die. Picked Hornady because of the elliptical expander. I used the case gage, but I was not certain that the new shoulder location was perfect for the rifle chamber.

Cases were well below trim minimum.

Because I was not certain the shoulder was perfect for the rifle, I left the RCBS water soluble lube on the cases and loaded a light amount of AA5744 with a 158 lead bullet. I fired all cases. Accuracy was awful, but the cases were fire formed. AA5744 did not burn completely, left residue and I got some shoulder dents due to unburnt powder. Still, because the cases were free to slide to the bolt face, the cases were formed to the chamber without any stretching at the case head.

Turns out the fired cases drop in the case gage at the Go level. So now I know I have a minimum chamber.

When I sized the cases, I set up the die with the case gage. And double checked a couple in the rifle. With a o3 action like mine, it is relatively easy. But with something with a pressed on extractor and bolt face plunger, I would not bother.

[butta9999]

is that to the very base of the case where you seat the primer? When dropping the case into the case gage is it visible to the naked eye whether the casse is sized right or not.

[SKULLANDCROSSBONES65]

G'day.

is that to the very base of the case where you seat the primer? When dropping the case into the case gage is it visible to the naked eye whether the casse is sized right or not.

Typically yes. If it is close to either min/max it might take closer inspection to determine size.

[butta9999]

Thanks skulls, just got back from Queensland was on holidays for a week. I have emailed a gun dealer from SA to send a headspace gage to me.