My Marlin and Cast....

[avogunner]

I've been meaning to test my rifle for a while now and today got a chance to go to the range. I have a .35 Rem Marlin 336 (mid 60's vintage) with a Leupold 4X scope and over the past couple of months, I had acquired a quantity of RD 190gr FP, RCBS 200gr FP boolits. So along with some of my cast Lyman 358315, I thought I would load up each with a few various powders (that I had on hand) and see if my rifle favored one over the other and what if any difference, powder types made. I don't have chronograph but using the powder mfgr's websites and the various manuals, I loaded 5 of each bullet with a suitable charge of IMR-3031, IMR-4064, and Win 748 to approximately 1700fps.
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I realize there are a gazillion of other combinations to try; vary powder charges, primers, cases, velocity's, etc. but this is what I started with. Anyway, below is a photo of my target: the Lyman boolit is the top three groups (with the three powders), the RCBS is the middle, and the RD the bottom three. As you can see the RD and RCBS performed the best in my rifle and of the powders, the 3031 and 748. I was dissapointed in the Lyman boolit but it did show some promise with 748 so I'll keep playing with the combinations until I find something it likes.
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[OBXPilgrim]

Sounds like you got pretty lucky to happen on the good loads for 2 of the 3 boolits.

I mean, most take different loads of each powder, in increments, as you mentioned, but it looks like you definitely have a leg up on what to start on, i.e. that bottom left -3031?. Nice tight group.

[avogunner]

Yep, 1st column groups are using 3031, second 4064, third 748. 1st row is the Lyman boolits, 2nd is RCBS, and 3rd is the Ranch Dog.

Some more particulars:
Target shot at 50yds
All boolits, sized to .359 and the Lyman and RCBS are lubed with Rooster Red. I cast the Lyman and the alloy used was my mix of 94/4/2 and I had zero leading after the test.
Average group sizes of the boolits used:
Lyman 358315 - 1.74
RCBS 200gr - 1.17
RD 190gr - 1.16
Average group sizes of the powders:
IMR-3031 - 1.12
IMR-4064 - 1.91
Win 748 - 1.12
Smallest group was the RD with IMR-3031 at .78 inch.
Largest group was the Lyman with IMR-4064 at 2.35 inches.

[gon2shoot]

Mine will give touching holes with the ranch dog boolits sized at .360 over 2400 at about 1700 fps.
I'm pretty fond of my straight stock 35.

[izzyjoe]

To tell the truth all those loads would be deer killer's, that's some good shooting there. i'm pretty fond of Varget, and the RD 190. i have some LE powder that i would like to try with the 190's also.

[avogunner]

My thinking to Izzy....any of these would work on hogs. Yeah, I liked the RD 190 as it did have the tightest groups with all the powders I used. I don't have any Varget but I do have some 2400, so I'll experiment a little with that. Question....do you have any problems cycling the action when using that boolit? When I load to the top crimp groove, I have problems with the carrier getting stuck on the next round in the magazine. I tried loading to the second crimp groove (hair longer OAL) but then I was engaging the rifling too much on locking and it didn't clear up the feeding problem completely. Is there a secret trim length and OAL that will solve this?

[TXGunNut]

I've tried most of those powders as well as LVR and Reloder 7 under the RD boolit and in my rifle the RX7 was the best.

[MGySgt]

AVOGunner - where do you shoot at????

[avogunner]

AVOGunner - where do you shoot at????

I'm in the Fredericksburg area and shoot a the Isaac Walton in Stafford and on the Quantico ranges (Quantico Gun Club).

[jm423]

In my 35 Rem w/ Microgroove, the RCBS seems to be the boolit of choice. Had good luck w/ #4759, 15.5-16.5 grains. Not a fast load, but don't think hog would know difference. Very poor accuracy with the Lyman #358315.