Why did Marlin Decide to Chamber 35 Rem. in the 336?

[CraigC]

Some still haven't........but there were enough shooters then as now who simply refused to accept the smaller cartridges advantages.

It seems there are misconceptions on both sides.

When introduced in 1895 the 30-30 considerably out classed the 45-70 with loads of the day and proved to be the better big game killer.

Still repeating this baseless nonsense???

 

[Chuck R.]

It seems there are misconceptions on both sides.
Still repeating this baseless nonsense???

You must be one of those guys that still hasn't figured out that smokeless powder changed all the rules...

 

[CraigC]

You must be one of those guys that still hasn't figured out that smokeless powder changed all the rules...

I must be!

 

[Elkins45]

It’s a great cartridge well suited to the rifles and hunting style of the day. We tend to look at cartridges through a distorted perspective of what we have available today. In 1950 optics for rifles were expensive and fragile and not generally used on hunting rifles. When you take optics out of the equation things become quite different. Suddenly when you can only shoot as far as you can see and line up iron sights, having a cartridge that shoots flat to 500 yards is a a pointless advantage. The average person that doesn’t shoot recreationally can’t shoot better than maybe 6” at 100 yards with iron sights so in the context of the average person in 1950 hunting at 75 yards with iron sights, a Mauser type rifle in 30-06 hold no advantage over a lever action in 35 Remington. A lever action in 35 Remington would have been a superb rifle at the time for anyone hunting deer, elk, black beer, ect... It’s still a good choice within its range limitations.

This is a very good point. When discussing iron sighted rifles the sights are much more of a limiting factor than minor differences in cartridges.

 

[Old Stumpy]

The 35 rem never out performed the 30-30, but there were enough shooters then as now who simply refused to accept the smaller cartridges advantages.

I would certainly agree with you that the .30-30 is an excellent round that was very modern and efficient for a cartridge developed for lever actions in 1896.
At longer ranges it is indeed a superior cartridge.
I am very pleased that you no longer consider it "obsolete when it was created" as you have stated repeatedly in the past.

The .35 Remington, at brush ranges, however does outperform the .30-30, thanks to it's larger and heavier bullet.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Well I made this thread figuring I would find a 35 Rem 336 at the gun show today......and I did.

$515 OTD which was a nice accomplishment considering the tag had $595 on it. The lesson is to bring CASH. Even though this seller was an FFL and would take CC payment, cash will usually will get you a nice discount above and beyond what they will save on credit card fees.

Nice pre-safety from 1976. Came with the Lyman 66 receiver sight with the click adjustable knobs which was a happy bonus but it also came with a goofy globe front sight. I have an extra standard sight anyway.

 

[someguy2800]

nice find!

 

[Old Stumpy]

Came with the Lyman 66 receiver sight with the click adjustable knobs which was a happy bonus

You lucked out. I bought two of these sights around the same time in the 1970s to mount on Marlin 336 rifles, but I never see them anymore. Unlike today they were all-steel, and they were fairly expensive even then.
Compared to the cheaper aluminum Williams peep sight they are far superior.
If yours is a 1970s all-steel sight don't let anyone talk you out of it unless you get a damn good price for it.
Better yet, never sell it.

The rifle itself is a classic. Great fit and finish and in beautiful condition. Made without the present day stupid recoil pad that drags on your jacket and the redundant safety.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Well I made this thread figuring I would find a 35 Rem 336 at the gun show today......and I did.

$515 OTD which was a nice accomplishment considering the tag had $595 on it. The lesson is to bring CASH. Even though this seller was an FFL and would take CC payment, cash will usually will get you a nice discount above and beyond what they will save on credit card fees.

Nice pre-safety from 1976. Came with the Lyman 66 receiver sight with the click adjustable knobs which was a happy bonus but it also came with a goofy globe front sight. I have an extra standard sight anyway.

View attachment 888741 View attachment 888742 View attachment 888743

I was just last month pricing the Lyman/Globe outfit and the best price I could find with a complete set of Globe inserts was right at $250. Might be better deals out there but I couldn't find any.

Todd.

 

[PapaG]

if I remember right, the 30 30 was orig black powder round that could be loaded with smokeless. and the 35 was totally a smokeless round?

anybody remember that?

No. 30-30 was always smokeless. 32 Win Spec was an either/or. You even had your choice of rear sight elevators with the 32 for your powder choice.

 

[Buckeye63]

I missed out on a 336 35 Rem a few weeks back ... I have owned several in the past ,,, The 35 Rem really shines with handloads useing Speer 220gr FN and Speer 180gr FN.. Both are tough bullets ... Im a 30-30 fan and own five Marlin 336 JM's all in 30-30.

 

[PapaG]

Well Winchester Produced the Model 71 in .348 Win until 1958. Maybe it was Marlin's attempt to step up into that class. Similar caliber, with scopeability. Approximately 5 year overlap between the two. Only the Marlin survived!

Unfortunately, the 35 can't hold a candle to the 348.

 

[PapaG]

I know of a NIB 336 in 35 Rem and am trying to figure out what I could do with it. From about 1978. Illinois allows me to shoot squirrels, 'yotes, woodchucks and stuff. Guess it could languish in the safe with the other high power rifles that would like to be used on deer, but...

 

[Old Stumpy]

m a 30-30 fan and own five Marlin 336 JM's all in 30-30.

Wow! You aren't a 336 owner. You are a 336 curator.

 

[Buckeye63]

Wow! You aren't a 336 owner. You are a 336 curator.

And Im looking at another ... Trying to talk myself out of it ;-)

 

[horsemen61]

I own and like the 35 rem in a marlin 336*


*Unless it’s using 150 grain ammo I’ve always heard that bullet weight is far to light and doesn’t hold up well when hitting game I’m a 200 grain fan myself

 

[Gordon]

I know of a NIB 336 in 35 Rem and am trying to figure out what I could do with it. From about 1978. Illinois allows me to shoot squirrels, 'yotes, woodchucks and stuff. Guess it could languish in the safe with the other high power rifles that would like to be used on deer, but...

Use pistol bullets at varmint velocities. 125 grain pistol bullets at 2700+ fps don't kik much and blow up varmints up thru coyotes. The have a 250 yard range too, in my supe 14 Contender !

 

[Old Stumpy]

And Im looking at another ... Trying to talk myself out of it ;-)

Too late now.

 

[chicharrones]

Well I made this thread figuring I would find a 35 Rem 336 at the gun show today......and I did.

$515 OTD which was a nice accomplishment considering the tag had $595 on it. The lesson is to bring CASH. Even though this seller was an FFL and would take CC payment, cash will usually will get you a nice discount above and beyond what they will save on credit card fees.

Nice pre-safety from 1976. Came with the Lyman 66 receiver sight with the click adjustable knobs which was a happy bonus but it also came with a goofy globe front sight. I have an extra standard sight anyway.

View attachment 888741

A beauty. Congrats, Earl.

 

[d2wing]

I'm guessing they saw where there was an open niche where they could sell a few more rifles. With black powder bullet velocity was pretty much the same regardless of caliber. The only way to make a round more powerful was to make it bigger. Smokeless powder completely changed the rules and it took decades for many shooters to figure that out. Some still haven't.

When introduced in 1895 the 30-30 considerably out classed the 45-70 with loads of the day and proved to be the better big game killer. The 35 rem never out performed the 30-30, but there were enough shooters then as now who simply refused to accept the smaller cartridges advantages. There was a market niche that needed to be filled and Marlin filled it.

True still today.

 

[d2wing]

My dad's gun was a .35 Remington pump.

 

[joed]

I inherited this 336 about 7 years ago, 1968 vintage. Still haven't shot shot it and only managed to accumulate 3 boxes of Hornady LeverEvolution ammo.

 

[d2wing]

Too me, .35 Remington and 30-30 are hunters cartridges. You have to get close enough to accurately place your shot although a good shot like my dad could extend the range to 200 yards. With high velocity modern cartridges I can make Kill shots out to 400 yards without much trouble.
When I use a vintage arm in either caliber it takes me back to an earlier time. I can easily imagine my dear Uncle who was a great hunter back in 1930's on into my adulthood. And my old Dad and uncles as well with me. I have a picture of them outside a log dugout with a loaded meat pole. I don't get to do that much anymore. Now I am assigned a stand and use a modern high velocity scoped rifle as to not take a chance on losing a deer.

 

[Picher]

The .35 Rem is a hard-hitting cartridge that feeds especially well in the Marlin. My B.I.L. had one that was very accurate and killed with authority. The only problem he had was that he liked to shoot it a lot and the factory drilled the front sight screw hole a bit too deep, causing the bore to dimple at that point and ruined the accuracy, after 300 rounds or so. That's more than most deer rifles are shot in a lifetime in Maine, but he loved to shoot that thing. At the end, bullets were hitting paper sideways at 50 yards. That probably was an anomaly, because I've never seen it in other Marlins.

 

[Buckeye63]

Unfortunately, the 35 can't hold a candle to the 348.

The 348 Winchester is a heck of cartridge.. only housed in the the 71 Winchester ... Its a longer cartridge more similar to the 35 Whelen..
To long to be housed in a 336

But Winchester came out with 94BB action which was heftier than the 94 action ... had the ability to handle higher pressure cartridges , In that action Winchester had the
375 Winchester.. Basically a high pressure version of the 38-55 ...

307 Winchester .. Imagine a 308 Winchester with a flatnose bullet seated deeper

356 Winchester.... Imagine the 358win with a flatnose bullet that is seated a bit deeper ,,, basically matched the 348win (almost) with LVR powder .. can be done

444 Marlin ,, great light package , first Black Levergun package Black synthetic stock , offering

I owned all above ..

The most promising Winchester offering never made it off the drawing board .. ( I heard they had a few made for testing)
The 400 Winchester... .400 bullets straight walled case ...

Marlin housed the 356, 375 in the 336..
I owned those also

Marlin came out with the 308 Marlin
and 338 Marlin useing LVR powder and Hornady polymer pointed bullets took the tube fed Leverguns in a new realm ... But Remington took over a Bamm ...

Now Henry is in the mix , Henry Long Ranger in 243 Win , 308 Win and 6.5 Creedmoor....
I heard through the grape vine a 338 Federal or a 358 Winchester...

I have been debating on having a JES rebore on one of my 336's. Can't really decide on a 375 Win or a 356 Win