Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting 35 Rem, 200 gr FP, GC

I have a 1958 made Marlin in 35 Rem. It came to me in ridiculously nice condition and wearing a 4x Weaver straight tube scope in weaver steel strap rings. The action and trigger are butter smooth. It just oozes old school cool.

I bought a Lee clone mold, 200 gr flat point gas check. I've cast a few just to see how they weight out and measure up, but haven't shot any yet. REALLY would like to resurrect this old girl into an old classic, dependable woods rifle. 75 to 100 yard shots breaking shoulders on whitetails.

What y'all think, or better yet, know, is a good powder to start messing around with? Several recommendations would be nice, because you know, powder supplies are hit & miss these days, and expensive.

I have the latest Lyman edition dropping today infact, to replace the really old edition I think I loaned out and never got back. So I'll have good data to go by.

I'd like to use an "old school" powder too that's still available. Heck, the box of Lyman gas checks I picked up at a gun show are probably 60s or 70s vintage.

Nostalgia gives me the warm & fuzzies.

H4895 and IMR3031 are the powders I've used with RCBS gas check 200gr. Both in the 35 grain area.

Also, I've had to have the leade cut on 35 Remington Marlin rifles for cast bullets. They would wouldn't chamber with the short, tighter angle leade that 336's have.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

Just ran into that same issue with my 444 and the Zero jacketed 240 FP. Wouldn't chamber with standard length brass and crimping in the groove. "Fixed" it by trimming. 085" off my brass. Worked fine, still getting the velocity I was targeting. Just gotta keep that brass separate from my XTP loads.

It's better to have the leade recut.

👍 yep, I'll keep that in mind.

That's an excellent bullet. I have it in identical form from two molds, the Lee and the RCBS, and I use the Lee the most because it's not as cantankerous as the RCBS.

I can't comment about powder charges for it in .35 Remington because I've never owned one, but 3031 strikes me as a highly suitable powder for the application. I use the bullet in a WWII British Enfield revolver (duplicates the old .38 S&W load the Brits employed with a 200 grain bullet at 600fps), .38 Special for occasional sh*ts and giggles, but primarily in my .357 Maximum Martini rifle where it shines with fairly stiff charges of 1680.

I’ve used IMR3031 and the NOE version of that bullet in mine with good results and recently tried LeverEvolution based on enthusiastic reviews. It seems to be grouping well but I don’t have any chronograph data yet. H4895 seems to work in about everything.

Yessir I think I'll try 3031 first if I can find a pound here local. Haven't used that powder in decades but remember it was a good one back in the day.

I have been using Win 748 for awhile now with good performance. Have also used Varget, Leverevolution and others that worked well. I have a lot of 748 so that's what I use right now.

IMR-4198 is the JUICE in the 35 Remington. I worked up to 32.0grs of IMR-4198 pushing my homemade cast Lyman 358315 204gr (they weigh 215grs after lube and a gas check). These clock 2150fps. Primers are nicely rounded and the barrel is squeaky clean after each shot. I make my own bullet lube though. Great accuracy and performance. This is my go-to load in the grand 35 Remington. Hard to beat this in a 760 pump.

Thanks Gaschekt

Just some random thoughts re your .35 R (I've never been there). Before I'd start reaming a throat, I'd look at some mold choices with the idea of seating the bullet deeper ( gas checks, I know, but I have never lost a Hornady gas check as far as I know, inside the case using the Lee size die, gas check putter-onner). Maybe not practical in tubular guns, you need a little crimp??
Gas chekt suggested 4198 an excellent choice! But if you can't find any, Rel 7 is very close, possibly as good or better, theory being the double base powder has, I'm told, a steeper pressure curve....giving lead bullets a nice boot in the arse at the get go, and that seems to show that on paper...identical everything, especially velocity, with the Rel 7 turning in slightly tighter groups than 4198. Anybodies guess as to the why.
It amazes me that you guys are having good luck with cast bullets with LVR. Instinctively I would not even try a powder so similar to H380 just a tad below 4350 on the burn charts, and a ball powder to boot! But you can't argue with results. One of Ken Waters best .45-70 cast loads used a case full of old mil surp 4831...you oughta see it go off at nightime...looks like a flamethrower, lol.

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