Remington .35 for deer

[jdime]

I am still new to hunting and I am considering buying my first gun.

I am trying to get by on a tight budget and I've had a rifle offered to me that shoots .35 Remingtons.

Any input? It sounds like it would be more than adequate for deer. When I hunted last fall, I used 30-30 ammo.

[Jackpine Rob]

The .35 is more than adequate for deer. It isn't the sexiest caliber out there, but does a fine job on taking out Bambi, within limits. It is not considered a good long-range choice, but I have shot my Dad's out to 150 yards and been satisfied that it can get the job done.

Some guys refer to them as a "brush-buster", but that is a misnomer since even a 12 gauge slug can be deflected by brush.

[jdime]

Thanks. I found some info googling .35 Remington. Sounds like a larger caliber; not great for long distance. I don't think I'd attempt to shoot anything over 150 yards anyways.

I wouldn't mind a bigger hole in the deer to (hopefully) keep it from running too far after being hit.

[ChompChomp_YANK]

If you are on a tight budget you might want to check on ammo $$ and availability?? I dont know anyone that has a .35 Rem. but that doesn't mean it's not a popular round just a thought for ya.

[jdime]

Yeah, I just did that as well. I don't want to end up with ammo that is expensive or worse yet hard-to-find.

I saw another "affordable" gun that was .32

[TooTallTom]

Yeah, I just did that as well. I don't want to end up with ammo that is expensive or worse yet hard-to-find.

That's a pretty good attitude, jdime. I've said before: I like to be able to find my bullets, batteries, and beer at a gas station. Maybe you won't always get exactly what you're looking for (correct grain or preferred bullet type for instance), but as long as you can find something in that caliber you've got a chance. Just be patient, (It's not like we're in early October.) and keep saving up as much as you can. Eventually, you'll find a rifle that fits your needs in your price range. There is a used Savage .30-06 on armslist . com every now and then. Savages aren't pretty, but they can outshoot the average shooter, me included.

.30-30 is another caliber that you see frequently at gas stations.

Tom.

[walleye365]

you will be happy id think with that 35rem great gun

[swamptiger]

Quote:

I saw another "affordable" gun that was .32

Forget the .32 and get the .35. The .35 ammo is a little more expensive and not as widely available as a 30-30, but it's a good caliber overall. Not a long range gun, but packs plenty of punch at up to 150 yards or maybe further with the new Hornady ammo.

[8-Ball]

I have the 35 Rem and, yes, ammo a little tougher to find-but not like digging for gold. Its out there at just about every sporting goods store. Its a good knock down caliber. Your bambi wont travel far after being hit with a 35 cal. Anything from 150-200 gr. is more than adequate. I like this gun b/c it has a shorter barrel and is easier to maneuver around in heavy cover. This cal. would drop a moose or an elk, etc. for that matter. If you should choose to go after other large game at some point.. 8-Ball

[kkahmann]

Iam an old man now. When I was younger I listened to the oldtimers. Most of them hunted with the ole thuty-thuty Winchester--but all of them wanted a .35 Remington. I had one I lost in a house fire--it would flat kill deer. So does my ole thuty-thuty and I own several bean field rifles.

[leechlake]

the marlin 336 in .35 Remington was my dad's gun of choice for northern mn deer hunting for years (no shots ever over 100yds in our area). I bought one as my first gun 'cause that's what he used and it works as well as any gun I've used for the short range shots we get. The ammo isn't much more expensive than 30-06 shells, besides you don't use a box a year even with checking zero before the season and the hunt itself.

I've since used 8mm Mauser, 30-06, .308, .243 for deer hunting and never had a problem killing a deer with any of them with a well placed shot, including the .35 remington.

The only hassle is that in the Marlin you have to load and eject every bullet individually. You're bullet choices are 150 grains and 200 grains, not many would suggest anything but the 150 grain but old timers like my dad always used the 200 grain "brush buster." The brush buster myth is a myth but the 200 grains works fine also.

If you're putting a scope on it choose something like a 1-4X or 2-7X. You'll have a larger field of view at the lower power. My dad had/has a fixed power 2.5 power Weaver scope with a post reticle that he has used for over 50 years, nothing wrong with something like that either.

[EJ_Mac]

I grew up hunting in Vermont with a .35 Remington - lots of mountains, obviously, but even more hills and ravines, most of them heavily wooded. Basically no long distance shots. But it was a great rifle for that terrain and - as others have already said - if you limit yourself to close-in shots, it'll do the job nicely.

FWIW, we considered it more of a "brush gun" not because the bullet would plow through brush and still be on target, but because it was easier to carry through the brush because of it's shorter length. More like a carbine than a full-on deer rifle.

[Win32Splpre64]

What kind of gun is it? Remington 14, 141, 760? I've been looking for awhile to find a 35 remington without any luck. Maybe if your not interested in buying it I might be.

[hunter991]

Look at a marlin 30.30. For about 300 dollars u can buy new and I find ammo for about 10 dollars a box on sale. Most gas stations have it during hunting season

[skolfoppa]

My Whitetail rifle is a Marlin 336 chambered in .35 Remmington. In my opinion it is an exceptional weapon. With Hornady's Leverevolution nosler tips it can shoot groups as tight as any of the more "sexy" deer rifles out to 200 yards. I write with experience as my hunting party spends many hours at the gravel pit.

There are plenty of ammo options available. Ammo may not be available at every remote gas station, but shouldn't one be a little better prepared before heading out anyway? The price point is maybe a dollar or two more than other calibers. All ammo is expensive these days. Once you are comfortable with your rifle and it is accurate in your hands how many more rounds each season need to be fired? The Marlin 336 is a lever action rifle and does take a cycle of the lever to chamber another round. Its not like reloading a muzzle loader, and I have never lost an animal because of the action.

I recommend looking at Hornady's ballistic charts and reading the review Chuck Hawks gave the Marlin 336 on his site. Good luck. Skol

[Steve Foss]

My Whitetail rifle is a Marlin 336 chambered in .35 Remmington. In my opinion it is an exceptional weapon.

+1. I wish I still had mine. Sweet little rifle, handled great, plenty of power for deer. Nice saddle gun, too.

[vman11]

I too have a Marlin .35 Remington that my grandpa handed down to me. He and my dad and their buddies used to hunt near Marcel, MN and they all had 30-30's or .35 Rems.

I've shot multiple deer with it - all being out in flat Central ND. I recently bought a Benelli .270 WSM that I use out there now, but like mentioned it is a stout little gun with a decent amount of power.

I only found Remington rounds and always bought 150 grain as I thought that was plenty lead. I also like the lever action as it is fluid - I really don't think its slower than a bolt, especially after you shoot it a few times. Almost makes you feel like you should be in a western when you shoot it.

[mainbutter]

There is a used Savage .30-06 on armslist . com every now and then. Savages aren't pretty, but they can outshoot the average shooter, me included.

+1 on Savage's rifles. My savage in 300 win mag (not exactly the most popular round for deer in MN, lol) was my first and only rifle so far, and it's ability to fire accurately and precisely goes way above my personal skills.

[Steve Foss]

I too have a Marlin .35 Remington that my grandpa handed down to me. He and my dad and their buddies used to hunt near Marcel, MN and they all had 30-30's or .35 Rems.

I've shot multiple deer with it - all being out in flat Central ND. I recently bought a Benelli .270 WSM that I use out there now, but like mentioned it is a stout little gun with a decent amount of power.

I only found Remington rounds and always bought 150 grain as I thought that was plenty lead. I also like the lever action as it is fluid - I really don't think its slower than a bolt, especially after you shoot it a few times. Almost makes you feel like you should be in a western when you shoot it.

Interesting. When I lived in central N.D. I was shooting a .30-30 and a .35 Remy for deer. Everyone else around me, of course, was shooting the more powerful and longer range calibers that you'd expect out on the prairie, but there were plenty of shots to be had inside 150 yards out there.

[Jackpine Rob]

The "arms race" of bigger and better is one of those things I have both railed against and gleefully participated in over the years - mostly depending on the size of my bank account....

Several years ago I headed out on a self-guided public lands antelope hunt armed with a 22-250 and a .300 Savage as backup. Now any thinking long range shooter is going to say I was using less than ideal shoot-pipes for the game at hand, but the reality ended up being much to my liking. I was entirely comfortable with and familiar with both guns, knew beyond a shadow of a doubt than anything inside of 200 yards was mine if I wanted it, and that 200 yard distance limitation (self-imposed) didn't bother me a bit. As a matter of fact, it allowed me watch my quarry bounce around for an additional few minutes before they came inside of my Zone.

As I said earlier, within its distance limitations, the .35 is a proven performer on deer. So much of what we get into in the "arms race" discussions actually centers on gaining another 25 or 50 yards of maximum effective distance. Truth be told, most of the 25 and 50 yard increments mean nothing, since not a lot of shooters have the experience and ability to make it count under field conditions on a consistent basis beyond the normal distances that most deer are actually shot.

My advice - spend more money burning powder and popping caps and learning your rifle and less on the biggest and baddest and latest. Besides, its just plain fun to make things go boom.