Sighting in an old Marlin 336

What do you need to know? For shooting out to 200 yards sight it in @ 4" high @ 100 yards.

Drift the rear sight the way you want the bullet to move.

Sighting in 4" high will probably put you a little low @ 200, but keep you in the MPBR of the caliber and vitals for a deer. I don't know where to buy a one completed cartridge for under $5 these days.

Be sure to clean and oil it before use, if as old as you say. Personal choice, but I would skip the old ammo. Should be alright and may be hard to find today in current conditions. If you reload you may want to break them apart and redo the powder and primers.

Raise the ramp for longer distance, bring the ramp down for closer in. I have my scope set for 75 yards and should be good to go up to 150 yards.

Be sure to clean the barrel since they use non-standard rifling. Not sure about your model, but can not hurt to have a clean bore. Especially if the previous owner shot a lot of home cast bullets in it.

Good luck and have fun with it.
Jim

If you know where I can I pick up more boxes of .35 at $4.05 that'd be handy also

Click to expand...

LOL, good luck on that one.

Here is your owners manual. It has sighting in info.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/pdfs/manuals/MFC_Centerfire.pdf

Here's a decent deal on the new leverevolution ammo:
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/produ...x-flex-tip-ammo/cName/rifle-ammo-35-remington

or traditional ammo:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...mc_id=al56335&rid=12&WT.tsrc=AFF#productChart

Marlin started including a safety fairly recently. Otherwise very few changes except stock configuration.

Marlin started including a safety fairly recently.

Click to expand...

!983

That's fairly recently, from my perspective buying my 336T in 1968.

Zeroing rifles with that type of rear sight involves a bit or trial and error. As you noted moving the rear sight up and down in the ramp will change elevation. If you need to change windage you'll need to lightly tap the rear sight with a plastic or wood mallet in the direction you need your groups to move. Be careful, it doesn't take much. Often you won't even be able to detect any movement and will move the groups 1" or more. Don't expect to get the elevation perfect. You'll often find your groups slightly lower than you want in one notch, and slightly higher than you want in the next. Pick one and live with it.

Sighting in 4" high is a good way to miss deer. I'd zero at no more than 100 yards and even 50 wouldn't be a bad idea. 99% of your shots will be at under 100 yards and with a zero of 75 the bullet won't be above, or below your line of sight by more than 2.5" out to 125 yards. Only 5" low at 150 yards which is about as far as the cartridge is good for. Being that high at 100 yards is a good way to shoot over a deer at close range, where almost all of your shots take place. It is much more natural to remember to hold high on long shots than hold low on close shots.

Good luck on ammo. The 35 is a decent round, but is slowly becoming obslolete. No one is currently making rifles chambered in 35 anymore. There are few places that carry ammo and most of it is pricey. I still prefer the older 200 gr Remington loads, but see more of the new Hornady LeverEvolution on shelves lately.

jmr40,
As I noted in post #7 above, .35 Rem. ammo is readily available, even the traditional offerings. More expensive than .30-30, but not prohibitively so. It's always been somewhat of a specialty round.

125 yards is about all a .35 Remington is good for? You sure about that?

It's always been somewhat of a specialty round.

Click to expand...

Maybe down south, but it has been a standard in the northern New England deer woods since the Model 8 Remington...

336 has kept it alive and well...

125 yards is about all a .35 Remington is good for? You sure about that?

Click to expand...

Firing a 'standard' 200gr Core-Lokt with a scope 1" above bore line sighted at 3" high @100 yards, your maximum point blank range is about 185 yards...

Lever Evolution ammo extends that to over 200 Yards...

Hand loading certain 'other' bullets can get you a few more yards than that...

ADDING:

.35 Rem can also utilize any .38/.357 'handgun' bullet...158gr cast is one of my favorite plinkers when seated over low doses of 'pistol' powders...Not a lot of data out there, but enough to keep me shooting...Also have a (published) recipe for .360" round balls...

".35 Rem can also utilize any .38/.357 'handgun' bullet...158gr cast is one of my favorite plinkers when seated over low doses of 'pistol' powders...Not a lot of data out there, but enough to keep me shooting...Also have a (published) recipe for .360" round balls... "


If you got Cast with Ballard rifling, make sure its sized to .359+

Even with Micro-Groove, you want at least a thousandth over bore diameter with cast, and .002" is better...

I said any pistol bullet would work...

But some 'work' better than others...

Don't tell my Marlin in 35R that it is only good to 125 yards. If it had known that I wouldn't have been able to kill that deer way past that.

Be sure to clean the barrel since they use non-standard rifling.

Click to expand...

Unless your barrel has "Micro Groove Rifling" stamped/engraved on it, the rifling is standard and there are no special caveats on lead bullets. Marlin started using the Micro Groove in the early to mid-70s - my M1895 was made in 74 and has Micro Groove, but one made in 73 has standard (some say it is Ballard style, I don't know that for sure) rifling. Today, the M1895s do have Ballard cut rifling, don't know about the other calibers.

Stargazer65 said:

That's probably the informationl I need to know. Thanks.

If you know where I can I pick up more boxes of .35 at $4.05 that'd be handy also.

Click to expand...

$ 4.05 for a box of .35 Remington ammo?
Those days are LONG gone my friend.
The Marlin 336 is a great rifle and the .35 Remington a great older chambering.
I own an older Marlin .35 Remington that is a great shooter and a fine deer rifle to boot.

Marlin started using the Micro Groove in the early to mid-70s

Click to expand...

Micro-Groove rifling started on Marlin .22's in mid-1953, and all 336's by end of 1954...

The 1895 indeed had Ballard rifling when introduced in '72, and then switched to MG, and then back to Ballard, though I am uncertain of the change dates...

Thanks for the fact-check, Salmoneye. I was thinking of the 1895, just didn't realize it started so early on the 336s...

Hey, if you can find .35Rem ammo for less than $4.05 per round.......

Once you get the sights set to YOUR eyes, etc, you're gonna find that you REALLY like that Marlin in .35. A serious thumper down range, not too bad on the shoulder of the shooter. A bit more 'kick' than a .30/30, but very manageable.