35 Caliber Mold Question

[brasshog]

I recently acquired two Marlin 336 (JM) rifles chambered in 35 Rem and would like to know if anyone has any experiences as to what mold(s) to stay away from or any preferences and why. I have read that the micro-grooved barrel somewhat necessitates a checked boolit which is actually what I prefer in general simply out of preference. There are a couple of 35-200 molds to choose from and I will primarily be hunting 300lb hogs up close (5-30ft) with this thing and small florida dogs called whitetails at no more than 50yds in the swamp. I have a 200gr RN/180gr RNHP non checked mold currently for 358's that is pictured below. Thanks.

107932

[Blammer]

Make the HP on that fairly shallow and I'd use that for sure.

[brasshog]

Do you think it would need a check blammer ? Those were as cast WW alloy. Any suggestion as to hardness ?

[RickinTN]

I think the 16" twist of the 35's should be pretty gentle on alloy. It's been my experience, and I've read of others that a bullet that will size to .360" may work best. Wheel weight alloy may not expand very much, especially at the velocities you may be able to push your plain based bullet, but how much do you really need a 35 cal bullet to expand and be effective? The RCBS 35-200 has an excellent reputation in the Marlin rifles. I have the NOE version of this bullet and it will drop bullets that will size to .360" out of my alloy which is similar to clip-on wheel weight +2% tin alloy. It also drops a bullet in the 215 grain range as I recall. I've not done a lot of work with this bullet, but for your <50 yard ranges it is more than acceptable already. Brief testing with a 3-part wheel weight 1-part pure gave about 2 inches at 100 yards and would be a little softer if you wanted. Both of my alloys were air cooled. I've been working in the 1,600 to 1,700 fps range with a gas check.
Good Luck with them,
Rick

[shredder]

In my Marlin 336 in 35 Rem I have had really good luck with NOE's copy of the RCBS 35-200-FN. It is a gas check design flat nose that drops at .360. I have also had really good luck with Lyman 358315. It was designed for the .35 Rem but is a round nose so I do not consider it a good hunting boolit unless cast very soft. That brings me to my next point, my rifle likes the boolits cast from wheel weights, no softer. It really shoots it's best with water dropped wheel weights, but air cooled are close.
My hunting load is the 35-200-FN cast from AC WW gas checked and sized .359 lubed with speed green and loaded with enough 4895 to get 1850 fps from my carbine. No hog, deer, or anything similar size is getting away within 200 yds.

[richhodg66]

Plus one so far on the RCBS 200 FN, I've been using the NOE clone of it in my .358 with good results.

Several years ago, I played with several plain based bullets for plinking loads in an old Marlin (pre Micro Groove) one was a nominally 195 grain RN very similar to the pictures you posted and it shot real well. I think the Lyman # is 358430, but I'm pretty sure it's that same bullet. I never pushed them real fast or considered them for hunting, but I would think at short ranges, they'd do fine.

[Larry Gibson]

brasshog

While those are nice looking cast bullets and will do nicely for the Florida "dogs" you may want a little more oomph for the 300+ lb hogs than the PB'd 200 gr bullets will deliver with accuracy. I also heartily recommend the RCBS 35-200-FN. I use it quite successfully in my own 35 Remington (not a Marlin but a rebarreled M91 Mauser). With it you should be able to push 2000+ fps easily, especially with LeveRevolution powder, with excellent accuracy. Being GC'd you will also be able to use a malleable alloy to prevent bullet break up.

Larry Gibson

107944

[catskinner]

RCBS 35-200-FN is the bullet for the 35 Remington. I load to to 1900 fps muzzle velocity and it has killed several deer, one mule deer that field dressed at 180lbs. No experience on hogs but it should do fine.

[Blammer]

WW alloy will expand nicely.

If they are plain based run them with Water Dropped WW alloy and a good lube and you'll get 1300fps out of them easy enough. That will be pleanty for what you need done.

[selmerfan]

Ranch Dog's 190 RF won't have any flies on it either...

[451whitworth]

RCBS 35-200-FN is the bullet for the 35 Remington. I load to to 1900 fps muzzle velocity and it has killed several deer, one mule deer that field dressed at 180lbs. No experience on hogs but it should do fine.
This has not been the case with any of my four .35 cal rifles. My Remington 141 and pre microgroove Marlin will not chamber the RCBS bullet as the nose measures .352" and it dosen't drop big enough for my microgroove Marlin. It also won't chamber in my Savage 99 358wcf. The second RCBS 35-200-FN I bought also dropped bullets .001" out of round (.358" X. 359") and was a bear to get the bullets to fall from the mould.

[Tatume]

+ another on the RCBS 35-200-FN mold.

[brasshog]

I really appreciate all of the advice guys. Thanks and keep it coming lol. I'm gonna order a new mold next week. I would really like a steel two cavity mold with one side being a hollow point. I had originally looked for a 245g flat point so that I could hopefully get about a 210gr HP boolit out of it but I am still looking.

[Blammer]

Get this one:

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=704

or this one

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=509
and tell him you want the GC side HP'ed. :)

[TXGunNut]

Ranch Dog's 190 RF won't have any flies on it either...

+1, has done very well for me on hogs and deer.

[smoked turkey]

I am another one for the RCBS 35-200 boolit. I can say with experience that they work very well for out Southwest Missouri Whitetail bucks. I also use COWW pretty much all the time for my hunting boolits. I have started trying to put some softer alloy in the mix in order to get a bit better expansion. I usually don't find the boolit as they are pass through shots mostly. I am a meat hunter and I don't shoot for the shoulder, but just a bit back so as to get a heart/lung shot. I don't get too much damaged meat by doing it that way. I don't see a bang/flop like so many talk about. Mine usually pile up about 40-50 yards after being hit as I described. A shoulder shot would result in a bang/flop I imagine since it would do considerale damage to the front shoulder/bone.

[Yodogsandman]

I can't speak for it's killin power but, I used to load Lyman 358315's made of WW + 2% SN for the boys to shoot when they were teens. They shot about 1", 10 shot groups at 100 yards with them, bench rested. They were loaded with 11 gr of Unique. A pretty mild load. I never chronographed it. Those were shot in their Marlin 336'S. We used jacketed for hunting. No safe deer in N.H. woods when they're hunting!

[brasshog]

I have looked at everyone's suggestions and researched them (pics). At the moment I am considering Blammers NOE mold (SC359-190-RF) suggestion and popular RCBS 35-200. This last mold (listed below) seems to have everything that I would desire in a mold/boolit combo but I assume that it is too long for the cartridge and is perhaps more of a "Whelen" type. Is it perhaps a bolt or single shot only type of boolit ? I would guess that HP's would drop around 200gr, solids around 245gr, and cups around 230gr. I was looking at it simply because this load will also be used in Vermont a lot when I retire there in a few years. Once again thanks for all of the ideas, suggestions, and information guys. Also, I intend to start a thread in the hunting section later this year to let everyone see if and how well this endeavor works. I just need to get those "dogs" in line and keep 'em from hiding so well from me lol. Lastly some additional info... both rifles are manufactured 1977 "JM" marlins and are scoped with era/period scopes.

Runner ups by style/weight
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=357

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=704

Your thoughts on this one
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=502

[94Doug]

The Saeco 245gr would be nice with a HP. Don't shy away from the 358318 with a HP for heavier loads. I wouldn't think your 358430 would be a bad mould with one cavity hollow pointed either.....

Doug