35 Caliber????

[HEAD0001]

It sounds like you guys like the 35 caliber. I looked at Midway and Midsouth for brass for the 35 Remington, and the 358 Winchester. They did not have any. I am sure I can find the brass somewhere.

Match Grade Machine has 3-358 Winchester barrels in stock, but they do not have any 35 Remington barrels in stock. Ed's TC has a 35 Reminton barrel in stock, but it does not specify if it is for Encore or Contender, and it is used.

It appears that i will have to go to a gas check design. I took a long look at the 200 grain bullets. What twist should I get? I am leaning toward the 35 Remington. I would like to get about 2000 fps from the 200 grain, gas checked, cast bullet. Please remember this is a pistol project. What barrel length do you guy's recommend? Scope will be a 2 X 7 Burris with the Ballistic Plex reticle. Is a 10-12 inch barrel enough for velocity, and to clear the scope? I believe I will port the barrel???

Thanks for your input guys. Tom.

[C A Plater]

I'm pretty sure the barrels Ed has are for the Contender as that's a factory chambering but not in the Encore. I love AA Contender but for a 10-12" tube I would go to the .357 Maximum instead. I have a factory 14" and get 2000 fps with 200 grains which is about 200 fps less than the same load in a Marlin. The longer tube is not as handy to carry as a 10 inch but I think you'd lose another 150-200 fps in the shorter tube. Scopes are a matter of personal preference and mine is to the fixed 2x for the simplicity on a hunting gun. I never felt the need for ports on a .35 Remington but that's a personal preference too.

[jhalcott]

Thompson Center Barrel Encore 35 Remington 1 in 14" Twist 15" Blue
Product #: 498091
Status: Special Order, 90+ days
Our Price: $244.99
I use the 358315 bullet in my 14" Contender. I get excellent accuracy but I do not think I'm getting 2000 fps as I haven't chronoed the load. I do know it is slower than my 358JDJ barrel!

[leftiye]

Head,
If I'm correct, I think you have an encore frame? If so the 35 Rem can be ran hotter than SAAMI specs in that gun, it being much stronger than a contender. The contender is only able safely (according to T/C) to go 44000 psi with a 30/30 headsize. The 35 Rem is larger in headsize and should be kept to the lower SAAMI specs in a contender.

However, with cast boolits this raising of pressures has the obvious down side. This being the issue of the higher pressures causing loss of accuracy eventually. Also as you go harder on the alloys, you lose any possibility of boolit expansion. With J-word bullets the 35 Rem will easily reach 2000 fps (w/ 200 grsbooit) in an Encore. A little more iffy with cast, but can possibly be done (almost certainly with hard boolits).

You might want to look at .356 or .358 win. It would give you a little more case capacity to play with. At least a 14" barrel!