35 Rem & RCBS 35 FN GC

[lolbell]

I bought the RCBS 35 FN GC mold a while back. I heard It was THE bullet for the 35 Rem. I cast and loaded 20 over IMR 4227 and went to the range. First I shot a few rounds I had loaded with a Hornady 200 jacketed to verify zero. I next put 3 of the cast loads in the tube. They won't chamber in either of my 336's. These are sized at .360 and crimped in the crimp groove.

The Hornady loads have shot well in both guns. The OAL is longer with the Hornady bullets. The RCBS cast load is hitting the lands and not allowing me to fully close the lever. Can you crimp over the front driving band in a lever gun? Seems like you might have problems with bullet set back.

Any advise out there? I'm disappointed to say the least. I had high hopes for this cast bullet in the 336's

[leftiye]

Maybe nuther boolit - designed to fit chamber. Only takes reducing front band to bore diameter. Also, You might like a heavier boolit (maybe not, it's just preference). Mountain Molds is really convenient to custom design molds with, and good prices too.

[chsparkman]

I use that same boolit in my 336, but I size to .359. You could make one up and try it.

[dragon813gt]

You didn't make up a dummy round first to see if it chambered?

[lolbell]

You didn't make up a dummy round first to see if it chambered?

Yes I did, and the dummy round cycled fine. Something has had to of changed

[Yodogsandman]

To continue to use the crimp groove, cut back the length of the brass, if needed.

Crimping too hard will bulge the case neck.

Did having the rounds in the tubular magazine, while firing, maybe cause the boolits to be pushed back further into the case? Length is critical for feeding into the chamber.

[dubber123]

Is the nose in front of the crimp groove engraving hard? If so, there are several possibilities. Boolits grow after casting, which may explain why the dummy chambered and later rounds did not. Another possibility is if you are sizing in an in and out style lubrisizer, you are inadvertently squishing the nose fatter, it's easy to do, and I just did the very same thing with a Marlin 30-30. Check the boolit size from a sized and unsized boolit to check for this. The RCBS 200 is awesome in my .35 Marlin.

[lolbell]

Is the nose in front of the crimp groove engraving hard? If so, there are several possibilities. Boolits grow after casting, which may explain why the dummy chambered and later rounds did not. Another possibility is if you are sizing in an in and out style lubrisizer, you are inadvertently squishing the nose fatter, it's easy to do, and I just did the very same thing with a Marlin 30-30. Check the boolit size from a sized and unsized boolit to check for this. The RCBS 200 is awesome in my .35 Marlin.

dubber123 I think you hit on something here. The dummy was made with an unsized bullet. I sized these while they were still green, probably still warm. They do in fact have a bulge in the nose. I really want to make these bullets work.

[Gofaaast]

My 336 with a RCBS 35-200 engraves the nose quite a bit. I had to trim my brass back to 1.905 to get them all the same length. I noticed that a couple grooves engrave slightly into the driving band. I am using an unknown alloy that is on the soft side (can easily scratch it with a finger nail and would guess 8-10 BHN) and I just air cooled these. I just got this rifle and cast these up and loaded 20 over 19 grains of SR 4759 to get me something to shoot with the alloy I had in the furnace. I am able to eject a chambered round. I was just getting it sighted in at 40 yards and they shot a decent 1 1/4" group with no leading. I suspect that as soft as my alloy is, I am bulging the nose some when sizing to .358, I have not measured to see. If I am not bulging the nose when sizing, I suspect I would have serious issues trying to chamber a boolit that is harder especially if my brass was longer. I did have issues with it feeding that I am still researching this. I an thinking my soft alloy may be some of my problem, with the noses wanting to grip the head of the case in front of it. My next to last round coming out of the magazine hung the action, so I think that rules out the spring being to heavy. I have been searching this sight and it doesn't appear this boolit has feeding issues in a 336.

[NoAngel]

If there were ever two souls destined to be lovers for ever, it's this cartridge and bullet.

[JesterGrin_1]

Just my small experience with the .35 Remington cartridge. And that is loading the cartridge is a labor of love and or one can say close attention.

As mentioned the Marlin tends to not have a throat or a very small one of which makes the length of the brass along with the sizing of the nose of the boolit and driving band very important for both feeding and size to bore. Of which as with anything else each rifle is a law unto itself.

Also when full length sizing brass I would highly recommend smoking the brass or another means of which to see how far you are sizing the brass. As was mentioned if you full length size just a hair too much it will bulge the case also stopping ease of feeding. So everything has to be paid attention to when loading the 35 Remington round but when everything is right it is one fine hunting round.

[.30 Rem]

I've never had any problem with this bullet in my 336. I do trim all my cases before loading, my bullets are sizes .360

[Yodogsandman]

"I had to trim my brass back to 1.905 to get them all the same length." Gofaaast

When using a roll crimp, they should always be trimmed to the same length. You can trim that brass back further too, if you need to.

[GuzziRider]

I run the same bullet in my 336 35Rem. Cast from WW and gas checked. I let them cool first then run through sizing die .358" to set GCs and lube. Brass trim length is 1.911", I use a LEE trimer set up in a drill. 21 grains of H4895. They do chamber up a little tight with the nose engraved short of the first driving band. Use a medium roll crimp. Unfired rounds can be ejected with out moving the bullet but it takes a tug on the lever to do. They shoot fine with no leading.