Marlin 336 .35 rem. accuracy issues

[uscra112]

Any possibility the O.P. just has a loose scope?

[Lefty SRH]

Any possibility the O.P. just has a loose scope?

Nope, I learned that lesson years ago. I've checked my scope, its not loose.

I'll test the new loads friday.

[calaverasslim]

Pardon my skepticism, but I've yet to hear of, touch, or shoot a Marlin that responded to primer pocket uniforming or flash hole deburring.

It's a levergun with a tube hanging off the end. It opens its groups as the barrel warms due to being attached to a cold magazine tube. Even if it's a half magazine tube. It's a good hunting gun, not a tackdriving bench rifle. That's okay as it does not make it one bit less than it is.. Just pointing out facts here.

Find a Marlin 35 Remington that honestly groups in the 0.2's (as in two tenths of an inch at 100 yards) for multiple five shot groups, or even three shot groups at 100 yards and you'll find Yeti, Sasquatch, and cold fusion on the very same day. It's a mass produced rifle with a relatively sloppy chamber and generous neck clearance already. Uniforming the case necks is wasted effort; in such instances neck clearance is increased which is not a good thing.

Sorry to be such a curmudgeon. It's just that realism needs to be applied here. Again, it's not a rifle that lends itself to such things, and I don't advocate trying things of such a nature.

Back to reality and the OP:

Exactly what charge weights of 3031 are you using? Is the rifle allowed to cool completely before a second group of identical cartridges is fired? How many shots in each group?

I'm glad you said this. Much better stated than I could. I shoot the Rem. Core-lokt 200gr in my 35 Rem in front of IMR 4064 powder. If I get about 1.5 at 100 yds I count it a great day. I keep all hunting shots under 150 yds and normally get 1 shot stops.

I am 70 years young, blind in one eye and cain't see out the other and I don't even try benchrest shooting.

[Lefty SRH]

UPDATE!!!!!
Well, she's starting to group quite well. I changed a few things and found out something that was causing problems with another rifle. Apparently I don't know how to PROPERLY use a front bench rest and rear bench bag. I had a known accurate load for another rifle (.308 Savage) and it would NOT group off the rest to save its life. I then shot the same load off of sand bags and me supporting the butt of the rifle. I put 7rds inside an 1 1/4".
BUT back to the .35 remington. This time I used my new mold, some rifle specific alloy, sized the boolits BIGGER (.359") and loaded the same charges as before, 36.0gr thru 37.5gr of IMR 3031. The 36.0gr and the 37.5gr charges did the best with the 37.5 groupiong the tightest at just over MOA for 5 shots. My next thing will be to only neck size my brass and I'm going to beagle my mold so I can hopefully get a sized boolit to .360" with the same powder charges. From here on out I'll be shooting off front sand bags, this was a lot more stable than the front bench style rest I have.
Right now I feel confident enought o go hunt with the rifle the way it is and make an accurate shot rather than wondering where I will hit.

I am also considering trying some LeverEvolution powder with my boolit before I pull the scope off my rifle permanently. You know, just for grins and giggles.

[robroy]

What is your as cast diameter now? If you're sizing to 359 maybe you don't need to Beagle the mold. Given the good results of the last rounds it might be time to call it good.

[rhbrink]

Great, glad to see things are starting to work out for you!!!!

Richard

[Lefty SRH]

What is your as cast diameter now? If you're sizing to 359 maybe you don't need to Beagle the mold. Given the good results of the last rounds it might be time to call it good.

Micrometer on the part line they were .360" and 90 degrees they were .359". But I got some others (roughly the other half as in count) were only .3585" at the part line. That kind leads me to believe the cavities are NOT the same. So I'll try and segregate the boolits ( the best I can) next time whem they are dropped.

The best group, 37.5gr 3031, measured 1.010" center to center now that I measure it with calipers. I'm quite pleased. Hopefully whenI remove the scope and install permanent iron peep sights the group doesn't go much over 2" at 100yds.

[thebigmac]

35 rem. Hey Guys; How's chances of one, or a few of you sending me 4-5 cast boolits.
Need to buy a mould & don't know which one.....Thanks a bunch.....bigmac

[hornsurgeon]

If its for a marlin, the best will be a ranch dog or a copy. Otherwise the rcbs is good as well.

[dualsport]

If you think you may want a Ranch Dog better hurry. He's closing the doors. I wouldn't sell my RD molds for twice what I paid. My 336 .35 Rem. project was the easiest ever. Load the RD boolit(I got pb and gc) over anything sane and go shoot. 2 moa hasn't been a problem, scoped. Plenty good enough for what it is. My Marlin was worked over before I got it, mag tube cut back to forend, looks funny but it's ok by me. It's going hunting next month wearing peeps.

[tenx]

wanted to pass along something about marlin's barrels in the xlr. allways wanted a 35 marlin and some time back zanders sporting goods had a dozen or so 336 xlr stainless laminated 35 remington rifles for just over $400 each. ordered one and put it in the safe, too many things going on at the time. finally got around to looking at it and the barrel was a microgroove barrel. thought all of the xlr's had conventional ballard rifling. called remington and spoke with them, indeed some of the first xlr's were rifled with microgroove rigling. i decided to keep it as is, got a new lyman 215 gr rn mold but instead went with the c-h 4d swaging dies and am sizing down 9mm casingsfor jackets, using as cast 30 carbine bullets (lyman 311410) as cores and putting a cannulure on with a c-h tool. makes a neat 195-197 gr (depends on brand of brass) soft point. finally found a good use for the range pick-up glockamatic brass.

[Lefty SRH]

35 rem. Hey Guys; How's chances of one, or a few of you sending me 4-5 cast boolits.
Need to buy a mould & don't know which one.....Thanks a bunch.....bigmac

I can, its been done to me a couple times so I'd be happy to send you a few. PM me your address. Do you have a way to size/lube them?

[Lefty SRH]

I beagled my 1st mold (aluminum tape & RCBS 35-200) last night and it gave me GREAT reuslts. The part line grew just a smidge, .359"-.3595" and 90 degrees grew up to .360". thats what I was looking for. Sometimes a few boolits would have some slight finning but nothing a finger nail wouldn't take care of. I kept about 40 throws worth of boolits segregated. After being beagled they seemed to be more consistant in size with each other. They are still dropping heavy but that doesn't bother me at all. Hope to get some more loaded and try out again this friday.

[Lefty SRH]

Is this the RD mold you are talking about? The boolit looks nothing like I thought it would.

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/inde...products_id=28

[Lefty SRH]

Will that said RD mold work for a Ruger .357 revolver boolit? That would be dual purpose for me!

Damn, did I just high jack my own thread?

[rhbrink]

I have shot the Ranchdog in my .357 just seat the boolit where you want it and crimp the case. Maybe not the best thing in the world to do but it does work and shot well enough out of a Smith 686. I wasn't using real hard boolits more like 50/50 wheelweights and pure lead and the crimp held with some moderate to heavy loads.

RB

[hornsurgeon]

Will that said RD mold work for a Ruger .357 revolver boolit? That would be dual purpose for me!

Damn, did I just high jack my own thread?

with that boolit crimped in the front crimp groove, it wont work with most revolvers. however, it will in rugers. infact my gp100 absolutely loves it, and it does ok in my blackhawk as well. this is the boolit that i carry in the woods in my 357's. i havent taken anything with it yet though. a heavy charge of h110 will get you 1250 fps or more without any pressure issues in a ruger.

[Lefty SRH]

I think I have reached the peak of accuracy with my 336 .35 Rem. Unless their are some trips I can do to the barrel/stock bands that would trim off a little more. I shot it yesterday with a full magazine and really noticed some fliers when the magazine full and empty. It grouped the best with about 3-4 maybe in the magazine.
Are there any tricks to tuning the barrel/magazine bands that may make the rifle more accurate or atleast make it more consistant when the mag is either emtpy or full?

[robroy]

Go to Paco Kelly's site at the link below. Lots of info on "tuning" a marlin lever gun


http://www.leverguns.com/articles/Default.htm