Marlin 336 in .35 remington?

[wrs840]

35 Remington vs 30-30

Hello kind folks,

I'm new here. Great board.

I've been looking for a used Marlin 336 in 30-30 for a month or so now, only because I don't own a "real" hunting rifle (Shotguns and SKs yes), and the 336 seems like a "classic". I believe classics are "classics" for a reason, and in the current political climate, maybe someday I'd be sad for not going ahead and buying a good rifle while I still can. One never knows what might end-up coming in handy. So maybe this is a "what-if" purchase.

Today I was in a pawn shop, and they had no 336s in 30-30, but did have a 336 in Remington 35. It's pre-safety, it looks pretty fine and "felt" good... and had a $230 price-tag on it. I guess that's really cheap. But I didn't buy it because it wasn't 30-30, and I'm not really thinking about hunting, I just want a cool rifle because, well, I want a cool rifle.

I live on a pretty big spread in Western NC. Lots of woods and hills. There's too many deer here, and the Black Bear and Coyote population is on the rise too.

I guess my questions are:

Why is pre-safety "good"?

I don't care that much that 35 ammo is more expensive, but I figured the wide availability of 30-30 is a good idea. What makes Remington 35 a desirable round?

Thanks so much for all opinions.

Les

 

[rbernie]

Pre-safety Marlins are preferred by some because we use the half-cock notch on the hammer as our safety and don't need/want any other parts that can break or gum up the works. It's a curmudgeonly kinda thing.

I prefer 35 Remington to 30-30 simply because it makes bigger holes and throws heavier chunks o' lead. That is always handy.

That's a dang good price. You can likely sell it for more than you bought it for, should you pick it up and decide later that it's not your cup of tea.

 

[TnBigBore]

I would snap it up for that price. I prefer the presafety because it does not have a silly looking, redundant button on the side of the receiver. A classic levergun should not have anything protruding from the side except maybe a receiver sight or a saddle ring.

The 35 Rem is an ideal cartridge for your neck of the woods and the game you have. I lived in the mountains of East TN for many years and I can't think of a much better cartridge and rifle combination for hunting the Laurel and Rhododendron infested hollows and creek bottoms of the Southern Appalachians. Buy it. You won't regret it.

 

[wrs840]

Ok, I appreciate the input and I bought what I now know is a 1973 mfg 336 in 35 Remington. It has a Bushnell Sportview Scope that looks a lot like the one in the OP's photo, although the mount bands are flat instead of convex. Is this possibly factory?

Do you think I should look for Leverevolution 200 Grain FTX?

...or stick with Remington brand 200 Grain Soft Point Core-Lokt?

Thanks!

 

[wcwhitey]

The .35 has a well deserved reputation as a stellar brush gun up here in the Northeast. The .35's command a premium. That is what I would pay for a 30/30, a .35 in that condition for that price would be gone by now. Get it an enjoy, a great gun and caliber. Bill

 

[Shawnee]

The regular Remington Core-Lokt has been killing deer and black bear quite handily for decades.

 

[Bily Lovec]

the 35 remmy is one of those calibers that totally blows away the written ballistics. It performs WAY better than you'd ever think by reading about it.
one of my ATF rounds...

congrads, and welcome to the kewl caliber club

 

[mainmech48]

IMO, the 200 gr. RN factory or equivalent handloads are perfectly suited to their traditional task of taking medium-sized game (whitetail, black bear, etc.) at typical 'woods hunting' ranges. Even today I doubt that the average range at which deer are harvested east of the Mississippi much exceeds 75 or 80 yds.

While the scope base may be from Marlin, it's extremely doubtful that the rings or scope are. Thirty-five years ago "package" deals including a scope, mount and rings with a rifle were almost unheard of except for some .22 RF models. The typical buyer for a .30-30 or .35 Remington carbine back then was still much more likely to mount a receiver sight or use the stock open irons, although the trend toward optics was gaining momentum quickly.

The major 'advantages' that I can see in the new Hornady load would be the improved ballistic coefficient offers less drop to consider at ranges over 125 yds and somewhat enhanced terminal performance from advances in projectile technology.

IMO, it's kind of a toss-up in practical terms unless one is using one of the new XLR models designed to optimize the performance of that specific ammo via their 22-24" barrels. Under 125 yds I doubt that the game would even notice, given proper placement.

Around here the new Hornady loads cost nearly twice as much as the conventional ammo, especially at this time of year when "loss leader" pricing comes into play as hunting seasons near. YMMV, but I'd try a couple or three brands of the original 200 gr. load and use what gives the best accuracy in my carbine.

 

[wrs840]

I appreciate the help.

Gander Mountain is the only place I can find locally that stocks 35 Remington, and they want $30.00 + tax per box.

Online, The Sportsman's Guide wants $22.27 for Core-lokt and $21.17 for Leverevolution.

Natchez has 200g Core-Lokt for $20.86. Leverevolution for $22.49.

Anyone have any other favorite web-shopping places?

Thanks.