.30 WCF vs. .35 Rem with proper cast boolit for hunting?

[white eagle]

no replacement for displacement
bigger is better in this case or cases
to bad you couldn't find a 358 win some place

[richhodg66]

I've never killed an elk, probably never will, but both seem light for that task to me.

That said, two of the best deer rounds there are. You should get (at least) one of each. Unfortunately, it's getting where you can't just walk into any Wal Mart and find .35 Remington ammo, but you still can for .30-30. If you cast and reload, any .38 special bullet works in the .35 for plinking. Take your pick, only big advantage to either is rifle and ammo availability where the .30-30 is the hands down winner.

[Tracy]

38-55 problem solved

This is the correct answer. Or if you really must have a .35 caliber traditional levergun, buy a .356 Winchester reamer at the same time you buy your 336.

I had a 336 (ca 1982 production iirc) in .35 for about 20 years, and finally sold it last year. When I bought it I intended to rechamber it, but never got around to it.

.35 Remington brass was never common during the time I had it, and for a few years it was totally unavailable either as empty brass (new or used) or loaded ammo. The chamber had no leade, so most cast bullets I wanted to use wouldn't fit. And then there is that short neck, which is very sub-optimal for cast bullets.

Rechambering to .356 and using cheap .308 brass converted (neck expanded) to .358 Winchester (because .356 is just rimmed .358) would have solved those problems. But then I would have had to work on the action too, because this rifle had the classic Marlin jam. And, I would have still had Micro-groove rifling. Which works, but is also sub-optimal. I finally decided I had other rifles I would rather spend my time on. My .35 Whelen Mauser, for example.

I would get a Winchester 94. In .38-55 (or .375 Winchester, which is basically .38-55 +P) if I could find one; .30-30 if I couldn't. Or .32 Winchester Special if I happened to run across one. Both of those rounds can be fire-formed from common .30-30 brass.

[MT Gianni]

Bob Hagel didn't care for the 35 Remington as he had seen too many instances of perfect mushrooming bullets with insufficient penetration on Elk. A good cast bullet kicks that argument to the curb, a Saeco 352, 245 gr sends it packing. I like the 30 -30 with 170+ bullets but much depends on what you want to hunt and how much it weighs.

[Goshawk]

Goshawk, how does the Accurate 36-245S feed in a Marlin chamber with little throat? It's a very good looking bullet.

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=36-245S-D.png

I have 2 336 Marlin 35 Rems a 1974 and a 1980. The Accurate 245S chambers and shoots very accurately in both. I don’t have my loading notes here but I think I sized then .359. I understand it was designed with the 35 Rem in mind years ago by Saeco.

[Texas by God]

My sister in law witnessed a 50 yd shot with the .35 Remington in a JC Higgins model 45(JM 336) on a bull elk. Down he went with a bullet thru the neck. And so did the cow standing behind him with a shoulder hit. Luckily tags were present for both! So yeah, . 35 Rem should work.......

[rbuck351]

358 Norma and a 280gr 358009 will give you all the power you need for about anything. Getting one in a levergun might not be so easy. BLR maybe.

[444ttd]

i have a win m94 in 35/30 that was made from JES. i use a 200gr fn gc(rcbs) but i can go up to a 280gr cast boolit.

[PHyrbird]

Got 30cal & 35cal. Wish there was more available in 35. It's really nice in the Contender, 760, Remington 14-141, & Model 8s. Yes it's limited, not a 300yd shooter, but sudden death on an 8" gong at 185yds. If you cast a 180-220g boolit a very effective round, I avoid 250g in 35Rem for all but the 760 where we can load to more modern velocities. The 250s are just a little too slow unless one has a 358 or Whelen. Still a 3006 or 300WM is a more all around cartridge. I just like the 35s. At ranges I can hit reasonably a 35 is very satisfactory. Then again I'm also a 45 kind of guy, kinda respectfully resent that quip on the 460 S&W.