Cast for Whitetail deer

[Mk42gunner]

Thinking of going deer hunting this fall, it has been roughly fifteen years since the last time.

Given a choice between the .35 Remington (24" Marlin Model 336A with Lyman 56 using the RCBS 35-200-FN) or the .38-55 (24" Marlin Model 336CB, not sure if I will scope it or use an aperture rear sight, using whichever FP boolit works out best) which would you use for shots out to a max of 200 yards?

I will use a suitably soft malleable alloy, no need for linotype drills just zipping through.

If I know I'm going to see more than 200, I am set with my old faithful .30-06.

This may or may not happen, my left hip started acting up yesterday for the first time in a year.

Robert

[tarbe]

My $0.02

Shot placement trumps everything else....so we will assume good placement is a given.

In general, low velocity cast I vote for the largest diameter with a large meplat. All else being relatively equal.

So I vote 45-70, lol.

Not sure about 200 yards though!

[Pereira]

I'd go for the 38-55, but that's only because the last deer that I took with one of the 35's was that very bullet over some 3031.
And I haven't gotten a deer with my 38-55 Cowboy.

I have a couple of other options for things past the 200 yd. line, but then we're slingin jwords.

RP

[sukivel]

I would close my eyes and grab one. On the second day I would grab the other one.

Both are awesome choices.


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[ABJ]

Either is fine, the rub is which one do you feel comfortable with at 200. We use 35 Rem. scoped but have never used it at 200. If your answer is both, then I would want the heaviest boolit at the longer range.
Tony

[pworley1]

There is no wrong choice.

[725]

+1 - no wrong choice. Most accurate for you and practice, practice, practice. As always, I opt for a big meplat.

[Texas by God]

The .35 should shoot flatter than the 38-55.
Heck, my 44-40 shoots flatter than my 38-55.
But I like all three cartridges.

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[BLAHUT]

WHICH EVER ONE YOU ARE ACCURATE WITH OUT TO 200 AND BEYOND MY VOTE IS FOR HEAVY AND PURE LED AT 1200 FPS MY 45/70 IS ACCURATE OUT TO 1000YDS WITH PURE LEAD 500+gr AT 1200FPS...

[Tripplebeards]

Here’s my 336 and cast boolit performance on a deer…

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...n-HP-group-buy!

Zeroed at 100 yards it drops 9” at 200 yards using 40 grains of varget. It chronographs at 2087 fps on average ( I call it 2100 fps). Same “claimed” Remington factory ammo velocity. It’s the load in my avatar. The only group I tried at 200 yards was a 2 1/4” group that dropped 9”. I use a vx1 2-7. If I put the top of thick part of the crosshair ask where it meets the lower thin part of the cross hair it hits dead center at 200 yards. I normally don’t have a shot over a 125 yards so I keep it zeroed at 100 yards. It’s beast of a round for whitetail. I’ve loaded 180 grain speer hot core close to 2450 fps. They do a great job but they don’t kill deer lightning fast as my 200 grain cast HP group buy. A few steps to 40 yards is more common with the lighter J words.

[Mk42gunner]

Thanks for the replies. I kind of guessed that there wouldn't be a clear winner. More velocity with the .35, more projectile weight with the .38-55.

I'm envisioning these rifles as filling the .30-30's role, with slightly more thump. The only reason I even mentioned 200 yards is to put a definite top limit on yardage, as mentioned I have j-word slingers for more than that.

Not to forget that over ninety percent of the deer I have killed were well within range of a .30-30 carbine.

Will see how range sessions go, it may come down to the fact that the 336CB can be easily scoped. I am not going to d&t the waffle top.

Robert

[MGD]

I have the Lyman 311291 HP. I have not used them on deer yet but will this year. If you are in Columbia, give me a heads up and I'll set you up with some to try in your 30-30.

[Bigslug]

Unless you're living in an area where the whitetails allow themselves to be killed with a club from your front porch. . .

. . .carry the .30-06.

You're stating physical issues that are likely to make the process harder than it used to be. No sense in making it harder on yourself with a rifle that is in itself getting pretty well handicapped as you pass 150 yards.

Even assuming I didn't have the California lead hunting ban to contend with, it's hard enough just finding the mulies to shoot. Although I have a number of "I'd like to shoot a deer with iron sights this or cast bullets that", the mission is about making meat when the opportunity presents. Add the physical creaks and groans of age to that process, and it's now all about stainless, synthetic, and flat trajectory.

[Mk42gunner]

I have the Lyman 311291 HP. I have not used them on deer yet but will this year. If you are in Columbia, give me a heads up and I'll set you up with some to try in your 30-30.

I very rarely get as far east as Sedalia, but thanks for the offer.

Unless you're living in an area where the whitetails allow themselves to be killed with a club from your front porch. . .

. . .carry the .30-06.

You're stating physical issues that are likely to make the process harder than it used to be. No sense in making it harder on yourself with a rifle that is in itself getting pretty well handicapped as you pass 150 yards.

Even assuming I didn't have the California lead hunting ban to contend with, it's hard enough just finding the mulies to shoot. Although I have a number of "I'd like to shoot a deer with iron sights this or cast bullets that", the mission is about making meat when the opportunity presents. Add the physical creaks and groans of age to that process, and it's now all about stainless, synthetic, and flat trajectory.

I have shot a deer off my back porch, about 40 yards.

What you say really does make a lot of sense. Plus I've got more than thirty years experience with my old Mauser...

Robert

[tarbe]

When I was young, and could walk 10 miles per day over rocks and through hollars, and my eyes were sharp, my lungs were clear, and I really....really wanted to kill a deer - I carried a scoped bolt action in 7Mag.

Now that I am about to start the slide into 70 and the cards are stacked against me, I am more likely to be carrying an iron-sighted rifle shooting flat-nosed bullets.

Seems like the boxes one wants checked change over time? At least they have for me.

If I find myself starving and in need of meat, I am sure the boxes would change again!

[fordwannabe]

I don't think you can make a bad choice with either, and I have both. However, I have NEVER had a deer take more than three steps after a RCBS 200 grain bullet made a whacking sound. The older I get the more "how I got the deer" is more important than "I got a deer". That's just me though. I did not get a deer last year as I really wanted to get one with my 1886 in 50-110. (Hope it's enough gun for a 150 pound whitetail, gonna be close.)

[OverMax]

What to use? (06 _35 Rem cartridge) _I'm kinda partial towards the 06 myself.

[358 Win]

MK42gunner & tarbe,
I can honestly relate!!! I'm 70 years old now, have two bad knees, do dialysis three times a week, can't see worth a hoot and now I went deaf. I'm a walking talking basket case. When I can see, I love shooting my cast boolet loads in a plethora of handguns and rifles. It's what keeps me alive right now.
358 Win

[centershot]

I would close my eyes and grab one. On the second day I would grab the other one.

Both are awesome choices.


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^^^^ This! It won't make a bit of difference which one you use.