35 Rem & Tracking Deer

[Guest TNSovereignty]

Kind of an offbeat thread ... but does anyone know of anyone who shot a deer with a 35 Rem that actually had a need to track their deer?  My experience w/ the dandy 35 comes down to 3 deer from last year ... all dead-right-there.  I'm sure a poor shot would result in having to track, but man-oh-man ... that 200gr 35 Rem is one sweet deer cartridge.  Would love to have the opportunity to try it out on a boar.  

 

Poor eyesight drove me to scope my Marlin 35 this year ... sacrilege to some levergunners, but this opens my options all the way out to 200yds.  

 

So many great cartridges to choose from but I'm reaching for that 35 more & more, especially in the afternoon hunt ... I hate tracking deer in the dark & that 35 flat-out plants them where they stand.  

[Curiousgb]

I haven't taken any game with mine but it sure is a sweet shooter. 

[DaveS]

I shot an 8 pointer a few years ago with a .35 Rem, 200 grain soft nose and had to trail the buck about 60 yards. Field dressing shown the deer had it's heart blown apart by the bullet. These animals are amazing when hit! But yes, it happens.

 

Dave

[gregintenn]

My neighbor has a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. As far as I know, every time he pulls the trigger, he comes home with a deer on his tailgate. I can't say the same for some of my neighbors suffering from "magnumitis".

[DaveS]

My neighbor has a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. As far as I know, every time he pulls the trigger, he comes home with a deer on his tailgate. I can't say the same for some of my neighbors suffering from "magnumitis".

I agree. I have friends that hunt with mega mags (not with me they don't) and destroy a lot of meat when shooting deer. In my opinion (don't beat me up guys) it's just not needed on Whitetail Deer!

 

Dave

[Guest TNSovereignty]

I shot an 8 pointer a few years ago with a .35 Rem, 200 grain soft nose and had to trail the buck about 60 yards. Field dressing shown the deer had it's heart blown apart by the bullet. These animals are amazing when hit! But yes, it happens.

 

Dave

Interesting - my limited experience was one neck shot & 2 shots through the lungs ... I would've expected a heart shot to be absolutely devastating.  Well, your shot was devastating ... he only got 60 yards!

 

 

My neighbor has a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. As far as I know, every time he pulls the trigger, he comes home with a deer on his tailgate. I can't say the same for some of my neighbors suffering from "magnumitis".

Concur.  When I was younger I went for a 300 Win Mag - my 'all around' rifle in AK for moose to deer.  Ignorant decision & it was not fun to shoot.  An old-timer Alaskan later showed me a safe full of guns, telling me what each caliber was for ... all relatively classic rounds - e.g. 257 Roberts, 7mm-08, 45-70.  Nary a magnum in his safe but he had plenty of bear tales, and lots of hunting stories about Dall sheep, elk & moose.    

Edited November 23, 2013 by TNSovereignty

[whiskey]

There certainly aren't any "guaranteed" DRT calibers, but big, fat, slow, flat points do a good job of dropping deer.

I don't have an issue with folks using a .300 win mag or a .45/70 or any other big gun for deer. There are advantages to super mags if you like to take very long shots. It's not my thing, but I understand the skill needed to take 300+ yard shots. I don't practice enough to attempt it.

As far as tracking, I one shot a deer 3 times with a 30/30 through the heart and lungs and he still ran 100 yards. I thought I had missed the first two shots because he just stood there. The third shot made him bolt. All three were right on the money. Never can tell.


Yup.

[Caster]

Everyone I know swears the 35 is a 'bang ....flop' cartridge. I believe it. I have yet to hunt with mine but what a cast boolit from this thing will do in water jugs is extraordinary.
I have several molds for it but my two current favorites are a 200g RCBS with a healthy meplat and a Lyman 200g round nose hollow point. The hollow point expansion is scary! I wouldn't feed this thing a jacketed bullet for nothing. There's no way they could perform ANY better.

To beat all, recoil is very mild and the most confusing yet is point of aim versus point of impact. My 308 has a noticeable change from a 25 yard zero to a 100 yard shot. Granted my shooting skills suck and my Marlin only has a receiver sight but a 25 yard zero has no noticeable change at 100. The same hold that hits clay targets at 25 will bust every one of them at 100. That's with a 200g cast boolit running just shy of 2000 fps (no chrono, so I can only guess).

The only thing that pisses me off about the 35 is that you can't make brass from 308 like you can with a 358 Winchester. ....and the fact that it took me all this many years to find the thing. Why I never tried it before I'll never know. Edited November 23, 2013 by Caster

[Sidinman]

I've got one of these, mine is a Savage pump action model 170. It is a killing machine for sure, have taken two deer with it and the farest one has gone was about 15 to 20 yds. Maybe not bang, flop dead, but there difinetly wasn't any tracking involved.

[Dennis1209]

Right or wrong, here's my theory.

 

IMHO, there's not much in the long gun line that will devastate flesh and organs more than a 12 gage rifled slug. Spending the majority of my hunting life in Illinois where high power rifles are prohibited, that's what I used.

 

You all probably know the history behind and why the .357 magnum was created, what the Viet Cong and NVA gorged on prior to a Tet offensive and many an enemy combatant through out history. Man made drugs and adrenalin.

 

I witnessed and killed deer with both the 12 gage rifled slug and broad head arrow. In most cases, the deer ran about one hundred yards or so after a heart / lung shot with the slug. Most deer with a lethal broad head shot did not go as far. I'm thinking when the deer get amped up on estrogen and hormones during the "rut" mating season, it acts like certain drugs on humans and their brains don't immediately register their demise.

 

In addition, everyone knows the old bucks with monster racks are seldom seen and are harder to take than lesser younger bucks, agreed? That's because with age comes experience and wisdom. I associate that from my younger years where the little brain thought it was much smarter than the big brain, and apply it to the rut :ugh:

Edited November 24, 2013 by Dennis1209

[thescoutranch]

I have been using the 35 Remington for deer hunting the last 3 years. This is my favorite round for under 150 yrds, which is all I need to deal with around here. My favorite rifle for it is my Remington 141 gamemaster pump action. The barrel length is longer than the Marlin's, and this seems to improve the performance even more. I don't care for the Hornaday 35 rem ammo, I prefer the Remington corloc ammo.

[gregintenn]

I have been using the 35 Remington for deer hunting the last 3 years. This is my favorite round for under 150 yrds, which is all I need to deal with around here. My favorite rifle for it is my Remington 141 gamemaster pump action. The barrel length is longer than the Marlin's, and this seems to improve the performance even more. I don't care for the Hornaday 35 rem ammo, I prefer the Remington corloc ammo.

Now there's an interesting rifle. You really need to post pictures. :up:

[frankmako]

many mango seasons ago when i was into deer hunting hot and heavy i have several different rifles that i used.  a 30-06, 8mm, 30-30, and a 35 rem.  but as time went on i kept going to the 35 rem.  it just got the job done and the lever action gun was lighter to carry.   

[Sidinman]

I have been using the 35 Remington for deer hunting the last 3 years. This is my favorite round for under 150 yrds, which is all I need to deal with around here. My favorite rifle for it is my Remington 141 gamemaster pump action. The barrel length is longer than the Marlin's, and this seems to improve the performance even more. I don't care for the Hornaday 35 rem ammo, I prefer the Remington corloc ammo.

I've got a Savage model 170 pump action, its got a 21" barrel on it. Whats the lenght of the Remington? I took a decent buck with mine year before last at about 180 yds. give or take a couple. I think he took a few steps and that was it. Some time one of these days I"d like to get a Marlin, just because I like lever actions. But the Savage isn't going anywhere.

[Guest TNSovereignty]

A few years back I got the Marlin 336 XLR - stainless, laminate stock, and 24" barrel.  Loved the rifle - didn't so much like the 24" barrel.  Studied the 35 ballistics, talked to folks who hunted with it, & just didn't see the need ... Marlin seemed like they were trying to tout their Leverevolution ammo to make this a 200+ yard gun - or 1 MOA or less - but that's not my purpose for the 35 ... I just want meat in the freezer.  So my gunsmithing buddy cut off 4" & re-crowned ... ever since this has been my go-to rifle for whitetail, w/ 200gr corelokt bullet.  Wished I done a before & after chrono test, but for the ranges I'm shooting I'm persuaded there's minimal loss in performance, and it's a lot handier to carry w/ the 20" barrel.  

 

Would be interested in seeing the Savage 170 & Rem 141.  Bet they're dandy rifles.  

[thescoutranch]

The Remington has a 21 " barrel, I am attaching photos below. This was my Dad's deer gun back in PA, when I got out of college (years and years ago), my father gave this to me. The rifle is 62 years old at least and is still used every season.

Okay, how do I add photos to. A reply? Edited November 25, 2013 by thescoutranch

[gregintenn]

As far as I know, you have to save the photo in an online service like photobucket. Then you copy the img code and paste it in your post.

[Sidinman]

 

 

[url=http://s846.photobucket.com/user/sidinman/media/flags/savage170.jpg.html][/URL]Here you go 1981 model 170 Savage with 3x9 Bushnell Sportview. Never thought much about a pump action rifle til I got this one. Pretty handy and quick.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Sidinman