Short throat, yikes!!!

[singleshot]

Ok, so I just began casting/reloading for my new Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. I shot a box of Hornady Leverevolutions out of it. Accurate rounds...hit 220 meter gong about every other or every third round...but more than two or three in the tube and they'd get all boogered up...or wore...get stuck nose behind base and require pliers and a screwdriver to get out. (Yep, firsthand experience there.)

so...

I got a C358-158-SWC mould. Reloaded two test rounds seated at 2.47 and 2.27 OAL (longer one crimped in the top lube groove.) The 2.47 OAL chambered with resistance and when I ejected the round, found rifling marks all the way to the brass. "Wow, that won't work." says I.

So I test chambered the 2.27 OAL cartridge. It chambered easier, but had perfect rifling grooves to the brass. Just less of 'em b/c of less boolit hanging out.

I test fired both rounds and they worked great with a little Alliant 2400 behind them, but feeding from the tube is my main concern so my question is:

What's the best "style" of big meplat bullet I can use? I guess, Keith's, SWC's, bore-riders and the like are all out?

I can see why the 35 cal RanchDog boolit looks the way it does...

So, if I wanted a plain based "heavy" for this rifle...say 250 grains or so, where should I start?

Thoughts?

[Doby45]

Sounds like your brass is a little too long.

[geargnasher]

+1 Doby.

A chamber cast or impact slug is needed here to determine what's going on. If the leade is a negative a gunsmith could always ream the throat if Marlin forgot to. There should NEVER be rifling engraves on the brass, that means the brass is choking the boolit on exit and that can lead to excessive chamber pressures.

Gear

[oldhickory]

Amen brothers. For an illistration on how long brass can effect chamber pressure, check out Hornady's 7th edition manual, pages 22-26.

[Dutch4122]

Once you get the short throat problem sorted out take a look at BRP Custom Molds. Bruce has a 360-200-GC design with two crimp grooves and a nice meplat for hunting. You could possibly seat this slug to a slightly shorter COL in the front crimp groove.

Here's the link: http://brp.castpics.net

Hope this helps,

[excess650]

Ok, so I just began casting/reloading for my new Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. <snip>

What's the best "style" of big meplat bullet I can use? I guess, Keith's, SWC's, bore-riders and the like are all out?

I can see why the 35 cal RanchDog boolit looks the way it does...

So, if I wanted a plain based "heavy" for this rifle...say 250 grains or so, where should I start?

Thoughts?

Start with checking your sized brass length, and if its OK and you still have rifling to the end of the case, have it throated. With a shallow angle throat .001"-.002" larger than groove diameter, you'll have a real CB shooter!

In that the 35 Rem has a short neck, you'll almost have to have a bore rider and single feed it to make a 250gr plainbase work.

The Ranch Dog weighs about 190gr. My RCBS 35-200 weighs 220gr w/GC and lube. You could have a mold cut with a wider meplat and pick up a bit more weight.

[stubert]

That is a revolver boolit. I use the RCBS 35-200 fn in my Marlin .35 That boolit is made for the 35 Rem.

[Dutch4122]

That is a revolver boolit. I use the RCBS 35-200 fn in my Marlin .35 That boolit is made for the 35 Rem.


True, it is listed under the 35 caliber pistol molds. It is spec'd to drop .360" when cast out of 50% wheelweight / 50% pure lead and seems to have a shorter nose & bore ride section than most .35 rifle slugs. Maybe I had the wrong picture in my mind of his problem when I made the suggestion?

[singleshot]

Guys, thanks for all the responses!

I guess I wasn't clear enough in my original post.

There's no rifle engraving on the brass, it's about .020 from the brass, on the bullet only.

I measured the brass and it's all within spec.

Yes, I started out casting with a pistol boolit and it does cast at .360 consistently. Rifle bore is micro-groove rifling.

Done some more testing today, and despite bullet engraving upon chambering, I'm getting very good accuracy/consistency and no leading behind 1.3 cc's of A2400.

I'm also having no tube or feeding/chambering problems.

I did load one Speer 200 grain spitzer soft nose to 2.5 OAL and it chambered and fired fine. No rifle engraving on the bullet...but can't use that as anything but singleshot. :)

I definitely like the idea of an RCBS 35-200 FN with a wider meplat and tumble lube grooves...

Or a Saeco 35-245 FN with tumble lube grooves...

I know I can't get one of those from mountainmolds.com...BRP? Accurate? Others?

As a side note, I pulled the Lee 358-158 SWC out, sprayed some Franklin mold prep and heated the mold and cast 44 out of 44 good boolits. I cast 4 extra for rejects, but ended up keeping them all. :-) Hard to beat for $20.

[PatMarlin]

Pretty much the RCBS is a must have for the 35 Remington IMO. No matter what.

[Tom Myers]

I know I can't get one of those from mountainmolds.com...BRP? Accurate? Others?


Singleshot,

Take a look at Ranch Dog Molds' offering for the 35 Remington chamber in Marlin leverguns.

TLC359-190-RF (http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5_18&products_id=28)

Loaded long for a chamber with 0.0500" free-bore (http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/bin/TLC359190RF/chamber/chamber01.gif)

Loaded short for a chamber with no freebore (http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/bin/TLC359190RF/chamber/chamber02.gif)

Hope this helps.

[singleshot]

Thanks guys.

I'm sure the RCBS boolit would work fine, the Speer did.

I guess it keeps coming back to the Ranchdog 35 cal boolit for me. Al mould with tumble lube grooves are my preference.

I'm sure it's been said before, but this is a great site! Great group of folks here.

[PatMarlin]

Oh yea- Ranch Dog's a must have as well. I've got them both. Must haves around the house.. :drinks:

[NHlever]

I have run in to the same issue with a couple of Marlins that I've purchased used lately. Both my .35 Remington 336C, and my 30-30 TS don't seem to have any throat at all. I was shooting some of the Lee 358-158-RF yesterday, and I had to crimp them over the ogive on the boolit. There was just too much resistance trying to close the lever if seated normally. I also have the very good RCBS 35-200-FN mold, and have the same problem with that although that bullet was designed for the .35 Remington pretty much. The front driving band just runs right into the rifling. I do have a SAMMI min. finish chambering reamer, but am concerned about messing up the headspace with the really basic set up I have here at home. I don't miss working full time, but I sure do miss having that machine shop available sometimes! :D Anyway, I'm trying to work up loads with the deep seated cast handgun boolits for "walkabout" ammo, but so far the accuracy isn't what I would like to see in the .35 Remington. The 30-30 works fine with the Lyman 3118, and 311316 flat nosed 115 grain boolits, and pretty good with Lee's 150, and 170 grain FN boolits, and I'm sure it would work fine with Lee's "soupcan" 113 gr. flat nose too.