Loading the 35 Rem Ranch Dog

[rjathon]

I'm a bit confused about what alloy and load to use with the superb 190 gr Ranch Dog bullet for deer hunting. Water dropped with a touch of #8 lead shot and 2% Sn at say 1800 fps should make a nice gentle load that will maintain its shape and kill by that wide metplat and penetration. How fast can this be pushed before mushrooming enough to limit penetration?

What about using the above alloy but air cooling and using a mv of 2300 fps. Would it mushroom too much and not penetrate the shoulder?

I'm ready to get this project but I can't decide on what alloy to use and how fast to shoot it. Does anyone have field experience with this bullet?

Thanks

[RU shooter]

I just cast up some this morning using 1:1 wheel weight alloy and soft/pure lead. I water quenched half and left the other batch air cool just as a little experiment to see what kind of vel. they will handle. I used the same alloy last year but with a different bullet and it worked fine .

[rjathon]

Please post the results of your testing.

[DanWalker]

I shot a warthog in South Africa with one in June. I cast my boolits from ACWW with a pinch of Xray lead tossed in. They were between 12 and 14 bhn. I dip lubed them in a mix of JPW and XLOX. They were loaded over 38 grains of H335. Velocity out of the barrel of my 336cs was right at 2000 fps.
I hit a very large warthog at about 65 yards with it, right through the shoulders. I broke both of them, and he went down flopping in a heap. Bullet definately expanded, but didn't appear to have done so excessively. It was impossible to tell exactly how much, because of it exited. If you go to the Ranch Dog website, you can see a pic of me and my warthog. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt everything up to moose, with this load.

[Larry Gibson]

How fast can this be pushed before mushrooming enough to limit penetration?Unless you are partial to Texas heart shots you can't push the 190 gr cast bullet fast enough in a 35 Rem to "limit penetration" in deer from over expansion........

I use COWWs + 2% tin + 50% lead for my 35-200-FNs. I also HP them with the Forster 1/8" tool. I push them at 2150 fps out of my rebarreled M91 Mauser. Have not had any problems with "penetration". You shouldn't either with that alloy and your RD 190s.

Target photo shows 2 five shot groups at 100 yards (top) with zero group being 2.5 moa high. Bottom group si 200 yards with 3 moa added to elevation and 6 o'clock hold on black. Obviously if was close enough for the buck in 4th photo.

Larry Gibson

[rjathon]

Thank you all for taking the time to make such fine posts.

I do believe that I'm ready to get going!

Russ

[helice]

I load the RDog in a 350 RemMag to 35 Rem velocities. I have used a mix of range scrap and wheelweights that test at about 10-12 BHN on the LBT tester when air cooled and about 13-15 when water dropped. With straight wheelweights I would skip the water and let them air cool. I believe that a softer boolit gives a more harmonious outcome.:p
:lovebooli

[MtGun44]

Dan - can you post a link to the image? Couldn't find any pix of game on RD website.

Bill

[NYBushBro]

"... a more harmonious outcome..."? Sounds like someone has been watching 'Crossfire Trail"!

[DanWalker]

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image_additional&pID=28&pic=4&products_image_large_additional=images/TLC359190RF_05.jpg

[MtGun44]

Nice wart hog! I have the mold, and the rifle, now to find the time to work with
them.

Bill

[gon2shoot]

I dont try to push the 35 too hard because I havent found the need too.
WW+ a touch of tin air cooled will do what I need. The RCBS 180 or Ranch Dog either one work well for me under 1900fps.
I finally outgrew the desire to push every boolit as fast as I could and just started looking for what works.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I shot a warthog in South Africa with one in June. I cast my boolits from ACWW with a pinch of Xray lead tossed in. They were between 12 and 14 bhn. I dip lubed them in a mix of JPW and XLOX. They were loaded over 38 grains of H335. Velocity out of the barrel of my 336cs was right at 2000 fps.
I hit a very large warthog at about 65 yards with it, right through the shoulders. I broke both of them, and he went down flopping in a heap. Bullet definately expanded, but didn't appear to have done so excessively. It was impossible to tell exactly how much, because of it exited. If you go to the Ranch Dog website, you can see a pic of me and my warthog. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt everything up to moose, with this load.

Here's the link to the pic...

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image_additional&pID=28&pic=4&products_image_large_additional=images/TLC359190RF_05.jpg

[RU shooter]

Please post the results of your testing.
I finally got out this morning to try out my little experiment with Water quenched VS Air cooled 50/50 WW and soft alloy . I used a few different powders like H4198, 3031 and my Russian 4895 clone all were loaded to midlevel jacketed speeds from my manual using 180 gr data My RD bullets weighted in at 193.5 grs naked, Lubed with Lar's 2500+ and Hornady GC sized to .359 OAL was a little bit shorter at 2.300 as my rifle has a rather short throat.

5 shot groups reviled basically no difference in group size or had any leading issues using either the WQ or AC 50/50 alloy . Im probably just gonna stick with my old load of 38.0 grs of my 4895 clone powder. So take your pick as what gives you confidence AC or WQ either one IMO at moderate speeds will easily do the job.

Tim

[rjathon]

Thank you Tim

[hornady308]

My standard 35 Rem load for my Marlin is 36.0 gr of IMR 3031 and a standard rifle primer with air cooled wheel weights. I seat to the upper crimp grove then use the Lee factory crimp die. It feeds very well and is accurate enough for 150 yard shots (the farthest I can see where I hunt).