Accurate cast plinking boolit for 35 Remington

[head for the hills]

I am looking for advice for an accurate plinking mold for my Marlin 336 with microgroove barrel in 35 Remington. I would guess that a 158 grain cowboy mold may fill the requirement. Will any of these boolits begin to engrave the rifling at loaded OAL?
Molds that I am eyeing are: RCBS 38-158-CM, Lyman 358665, Saeco #358 FN.

I will be using my LAM II with a .360 die that sizes to .3595".

Thank you
Clark

[Marlin Junky]

I am looking for advice for an accurate plinking mold for my Marlin 336 with microgroove barrel in 35 Remington. I would guess that a 158 grain cowboy mold may fill the requirement. Will any of these boolits begin to engrave the rifling at loaded OAL?
Molds that I am eyeing are: RCBS 38-158-CM, Lyman 358665, Saeco #358 FN.

I will be using my LAM II with a .360 die that sizes to .3595".

Thank you
Clark

What is the serial number of your 336? You might want to make a chamber impression before investing in any of those molds. They may not give you enough diameter assuming a typical 336 in 35R.

BTW, I'm not familiar with SAECO #358. Did you mean #353?

If you want a PB mold that'll likely provide more accuracy than those you've listed:

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=511

MJ

(P.S. don't size 'em... just lube 'em)

[Outpost75]

In my experience the shorter 158-160 grain pistol bullets are less accurate than a 200-grain or heavier bullet not smaller than .360" for the Microgroove barrels. If they will chamber in your rifle a soft, plainbased bullet of .362-.363" and about 200 grains, using 8 grains of Bullseye, Red Dot or 700-X is about ideal.

[head for the hills]

[QUOTE]What is the serial number of your 336? You might want to make a chamber impression before investing in any of those molds. They may not give you enough diameter assuming a typical 336 in 35R.

BTW, I'm not familiar with SAECO #358. Did you mean #353?

My rifle is a 1989 vintage. I already have a 200 grain mold. I am looking for a low speed, plain based plinking mold.


This is the Saeco mold I mentioned.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/325932/saeco-2-cavity-bullet-mold-358-38-special-357-magnum-358-diameter-158-grain-flat-nose

And I am using a large enough sizer that I am just taking off the high spots and applying lube.

[Marlin Junky]

Which 200 grain mold do you have? If your 200 grain bullet mold is a gas checked design, try shooting its castings w/o checks.

I've never owned a 336 that new. Your greatest time saving maneuver will be to create a chamber impression.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a 158 grain boolit..

MJ

[head for the hills]

which 200 grain mold do you have? If your 200 grain bullet mold is a gas checked design, try shooting its castings w/o checks.


RCBS .35-200-fn

[runfiverun]

I'd try outposts loads without the gas checks on what you have now, it'll cost nothing but a little time to give it a shot.
if the loads are in the 900 fps or so area you might like them, they would be like a soft shooting heavy boolit 38 special load.

[Marlin Junky]

I'd try outposts loads without the gas checks on what you have now, it'll cost nothing but a little time to give it a shot.
if the loads are in the 900 fps or so area you might like them, they would be like a soft shooting heavy boolit 38 special load.

Affirmative. Keep the velocity under 1400 fps at first... perhaps 1200-1300fps.

MJ

(P.S. Approx. 9 grains of GreenDot or Unique should work too.)

[Larry Gibson]

I use the Lee 356-120-TC as cast at .359 over 5 gr of Bullseye for 1150 fps, excellent accuracy and minimal noise and recoil out of the 26" barrel of my 35 Rem. Cast 'em a bunch at a time with a 6 cavity mould.

I shoot the RCBS 35-200-FN as my hunting bullet and as a practice bullet but see no reason to throw that heavy a bullet and 37 gr of powder down range for a "plinking" load. The 120 gr Lee bullet/ 5 gr Bullseye serves very well as a "plinking" load and is great for small game also.

Larry Gibson

[MtGun44]

Try the 357477 or Lee 358 158 RF.

Bill

[quack1]

I use Lyman 358311 in my Remington model 14. Unique powder at about 1200fps. Good accuracy, feeds perfectly and I also use that bullet in my .357.

[Big Steve]

I used a Lee 158 358 TL in my .356 Winchester over 12 grains of Unique just this week. Shot well but the short nose didn't feed well in my Winchester 94, but with a little manipulation it was doable. I know this was a .356 Win but it should work in the .35 rem also, very light plinker, rated at about 1400 fps.

[head for the hills]

Thank you for the comments everyone. I am still interested in what other shooters experience has been with other bullets.

[fecmech]

I use the Lee 356-120-TC as cast at .359 over 5 gr of Bullseye for 1150 fps, excellent accuracy
That is one amazing little .35 cal bullet. It , along with the RCBS and Lyman TC's are very accurate in everything I've ever tried them in and do well even out to 200 yds! I run them 900 fps out of handguns and 1200-1300 fps out of rifles.

[texassako]

I have had pretty good luck with the Lyman 358250 and Unique at the speeds you are looking for, pretty much just the 2 lube groove version of the 358311 mentioned above.

[bobthenailer]

RCBS 200gr gc has a reputation for being very accurate ! it shoots excellent in my ss pistol in 357 mag as well as a marlin 357 rifle but must single loaded.