Muchgun, I knew you couldn't really stay away
Normally, you would be wrong right now. BUT, I just so happen to have re-scoped my 35 Rem and need to handload for it this weekend, as I will have no more time before deer season. It has been a while since I used the old gal.
I just checked my bullet supply and 200gr Hornady RN seems to be all that's available. No matter, they perform the same as the 200gr Core-Lokts and PowerPoints do. All expand well and kill reliably.
Upon cracking the Hornady manual I found:
"The 35 Rem is superior in ballistics to the 30-30 Win and closely approximates the 375 Win."
So I decided to crack open a couple more manuals.
My Sierra Manual states:
"Delivering a more decisive punch than the 30-30, the 35 Rem has been a highly popular deer cartridge for decades."
And Speer #14 says:
"The 35 Rem is a better hunting cartridge than the 30-30 Winchester. Although "paper ballistics" show little difference, the 35 Rem handles heavier bullets for deeper penetration. Handloading GREATLY extends the usefulness of the cartridge."
Now please note: I am THE LAST guy who forms his opinions from reading gun rags or from guys on the net. I'm a trigger squeezer, and form my OWN opinions thusly.
However, these are ballistician's writing this, not just Joe Shmo. They make the bulllets, and do the tests. I'd say they have a clue. Furthermore, these writings also happen to depict my own personal experiences/findings/opinions.
There is a manuscript called "1000 Tags Filled". I seem to have lost my e-copy of it. From what I do recall, they shot around 200 critters with a 30-30. They found it to require more second and third follow-up shots than nearly any other big game cartridge. Also, it was at or near the top of the list for unrecovered game. As well as distance traveled after the shot. Read it sometime. No opinions, just facts and real life experiences. No agendas.
Now I will add, for the record, I have not had a problem with losing deer shot with my 4-5 30-30s. However, IME, the 35 delivers a more solid thump, creates larger wound channels/blood trails, and they run less distance, if at all.
If you were to actually handload, you would quite possibly see more of a difference between the 2 cartridges. The 35 can be pushed a good bit faster and bullet expansion is therefore greater.
It is funny, you claim the 30-30 kills better than what "paper ballistics" show. Yet this is the exact thing I have heard said about the 35 Rem my whole life. I never hear anyone make that claim about the 30-30. Ever.
Anyhoo, I know I haven't changed your mind about it. I just hope the outlandish claims will end. Too many to even address, so I won't bother.....
