For this project I am using twice fired Hornady brass, full-length sized, and am going with IMR 8208 XBR powder.
I have chosen to initially seat the bullets to give me a 3.340" C. O. A. L. Later I may try a
C. O. A. L. of 3.330" because the 200 grain bullets are too short to fill the entire length of the case neck at 3.340. I'm not sure if this causes a problem, but if seating deeper doesn't hurt accuracy, that's the way I might go.
Accuracy:
Groups are right around MOA, so I am happy with that. If I let the barrel completely cool between shots I can shave between a quarter to half an inch off of that.
Pressure Signs:
With Barnes Bullets I always aim for the highest velocity I can safely get without sacrificing accuracy. So far, I am more than pleased. I am a bit over Max book load with no pressure signs whatsoever, and accuracy is holding. IMR 8208 XBR is impressing me so far.
Chronograph:
Now I am a very happy boy! My average velocity is right around 2935 fps. I will do a bit more testing for accuracy, but as of now that makes for a very lethal combination with considerably more reach than the 225s I have been shooting.
Ballistics:
Muzzle - 2935 fps, 3825 efp
100 yrds - 2689 fps, 3211 efp
200 yrds - 2452 fps, 2671 efp
300 yrds - 2228 fps, 2204efp
400 yrds - 2012 fps, 1797 efp
450 yrds - 1910 fps, 1620 efp
Bonus: Recoil
The greatest surprise has been the huge difference in felt recoil between the 200 grain and 225 grain bullets. I found the 225s difficult to shoot prone (I had to make sure I wasn't bumping my glasses or brow). The 200s are a breeze to shoot by comparison.
I may be changing scopes on this rifle just to see how it does at 400 to 450 yards. I will be sure to report on how that works out if I go ahead with the scope swap.
Update:
I decided on topping the Whelen with a Swarovski Z3 4-12x50 with the Ballistic Turret. Setup went well, and adjusting the turret for my rifle went perfectly.
Testing the turret was the highlight. Using a ten inch gong and shooting prone, I scored hits every time from 300 to 450 yards all of which were clustered in a 5 inch patch on the gong.
Update 2: After more shooting to 450 yards and after considering where and how I will be hunting I have decided that my maximum range with this setup will be 400 yrds. The reason is that these big stubby bullets are super wind sensitive and I want to be well above 1800 fps at impact.
