200 is my top pick! As for why, I'm not too sure; that's just the power I want.

 

I prefer the Remington 200 grain Core-Lokt due to the construction of the bullet, or the 200 LeverEvolution due to its novelty and ballistic streamlining. At least for factory loads, which I presume you are interested in. The 150 isn't up to either of those bullets in those particular areas, which means the 200's mentioned are a somewhat better choice.

200 grains could be considered standard weight for the 35 Remington, and the 150 is harder to obtain in most areas.

 

The only 35 Caliber bullet made for the 35 Remington in 150 grains that I'm aware of is the Remington version, a slug with a short base below the cannelure, a long tapered ogive, and a skinny, blunt nose. I thought it was neat-looking enough to buy a thousand about twenty years ago, to play with in the 357 Maximum. I also gave a few hundred to several friends who owned 356 and 358 Winnie's, or 35 Remington rifles, to see how they shot.

We were ALL disappointed. :-[

One was unfortunate enough to lose a deer squarely hit, it was found a week later, dead. The bullet (from a 35 Rem) had struck bone and come apart, and the resulting fragments (and lack of penetration) had taken several days to kill the deer. I shot dozens of these bullets into various materials at wide-ranging velocities, and they either seemed to come apart too easily, or not expand at all. Many tumbled on impact and broke in half.

Accuracy was never all that good, althought there were a few bright spots here and there. On paper they had some utility, but in the hunting fields the concensus of those who tried them was that the 200-grainer (Core-Lokt) was about 100 times better. Even Ken Waters, my favorite ballistician, had nothing but disparaging remarks about the 150, while praising the 200 as a uniformly good bullet.

I've heard of a few guns that shot the 150 better........but only a few. I think the much longer bearing surface of the 200 CL makes a huge difference. The fans of the 200-grain Core-Lokt are legion, those with good experience with the 150 are hard to find.

Other makes of 200-grain bullets are also well-liked and good sellers. I happen to think Hornady's stuff is generally stink-proof. Same for Sierra. My experience with Nosler bullets is that they are well-constructed, but seldom the most accurate.....at least in MY rifles.

There is a lengthy treatise on various 35 caliber bullets available (should be a sticky, if it's not already!) by a fellow coincidentally named 35remington. His experience with the 35 calibers in all forms outweighs mine by a factor of several jillion, and that thread would be well worth tracking down.

EDITED TO ADD: Speak of the devil! He apparently thinks AND types faster than I do!

 

The Definitive 35 Remington Bullet Selection/Testing thread is a sticky in the "Bullet Tests" Forum.

Click here. http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,43257.0.html

 

I have nothing monumental or earth shattering to add, except...

+1 to the prior 2 posters.

 

You can add me to the list of 200 grain .35 Remington fans. +1 on the Core-Lokt pill.

 

I just ordered 500 more of the Rem 200's. I guess that says I am a fan.

 

As has been mentioned, there are a few rifles that shoot the 150 soft point well but the majority just won't group the things worth beans, while every .35 Rem shoots the 200 grainer well. Some rifles like one brand over another to a certain degree, I prefer the Remington Core-locts and for extra range the Hornady LE's get the nod, especially when they are cheaper than the CL. My 2 cents is that the 200gr. kills out of proportion to it's paper ballistics, expands every time and has excellent penetration.

 

I hunt/shoot with the 200 gr pill. It's a no brainer for me.

Dave

 

All I have ever used in my .35 Remington Marlin 336, is the CoreLokt 200 grain. Why mess with success?

 

I shoot 200 grainers. I figure I went up in diameter to shoot a heavier bullet, so I do.


There is a store in town that has no 200's but about 6-8 boxes of 150's. I have never seen a box bought, they have been there since the dawn of time.......

 

Can't add anything to the excellent work of 35 Remington.
Just another vote for the 200 gr Rem. Core-lokt.

Roe

 

My 336CS in .35 Remington seems to love the 200 grn REmington Core Loc and the Hornady LE 200 grn FXT. I am just getting together the gear I need to reload and tend to try some other .35 traditional loads I have seen on this forum due to the cost of ammo (and I like to shoot). 8) You can find lots of references to .35 Remington loads on this site and all are enligthtening. Check it out!

Cascade Jinx

 

I buy the 150s for practice, as have found MUCH cheaper than the 200s. But I always hunt with the 200s - they are proven stoppers like others have said. These corelokts are all round nose bullets. Be careful with the 150, as the Remington I buy are PSP (pointed soft points) and you should not shoot these with a full magazine, due to risk of primer detonation on the leading cartridge in the tube. I chamber individually for range work, or chamber one and place only one other in the mag.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the factory 150 gr. load a pointed bullet really meant only for single shot pistols?

Since I handload I haven't used factory 35 Rem. ammo much. I shot a couple boxes of 150s (single loaded) that were on sale in my 336, but don't have much good to say about them. They weren't very accurate in my guns and the pointed point was really too worrisome to use in a tubular magazine while hunting. The factory 200 grain CoreLokts have always shot well for me, and I've killed a few deer with them. I've shot the Winchester 200 gr. offering at paper, and it seems fine. I've also been interested in the 220 gr. offering from Buffalo Bore, but at $2+ per round, haven't yet bought any. I've also shot Hornady LEs, which grouped well but unfortunately jammed too often to use them for hunting.

 

I hunt with what I practice with and I shoot the bigger available bullets in what I shoot. If I did shoot the 35 I would opt for the 200 grainer.

Joe

 

Periodically, the issue of not using pointed bullets in a tubular magazine comes up.

It is, indeed, safe to fire pointed soft points in a 336. Check out these posts to see why.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,42555.msg401965.html#msg401965

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,40403.msg382325.html#msg382325

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,37727.msg352402.html#msg352402

 

.

My rifle likes the 200 gr. bullet so that what it gets. Doesn't matter what I like.

.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the factory 150 gr. load a pointed bullet really meant only for single shot pistols?

In a word, no. It's the same bullet Remington offers in factory 35R ammo, made for deer hunting with rifles, or so they say. Hornady and Speer, among other companies, make SSP (Single-shot Pistol) bullets in .358, but this is not one of them.

I bought a boatload of these in the 80's because I was a velocity-obsessed reloader who was shooting a 357 Maximum rifle, and wanted all the downrange energy I could get at 100 yards or better. This bullet seemed to offer an advantage over the JHP pistol bullets available, and it did, until it got to the critter. It was okay on feral dogs and vermin, but NOT suitable for deer unless shot placement was ideal. It would kill, but there were times I was pretty sure a ball-peen hammer would have done just as well.

If you want to shoot paper, they'll do. But I won't use them for anything else.

 

I just returned from the range where I was sighting my 336 35 rem with a new scope. I shoot the 200gr leverevolution stuff and my rifle loves it. I shot a 3 shot 1 ragged hole group at 100 yds today. my worst group was 1 1/4".

This is a as new 1955 model 336.

 

I used the 150's only once on a sika deer years ago, at very close range, inside 20 yards. The bullet literally shattered on impact leaving the buck rithing in pain in front of the blind, requiring a second shot. Since I knew that the distance I'd be hunting was severely limited, accuracy wasn't a factor and at the time the 150's were half the price of the 200's. My rifle just won't group these bullets (150gr.) worth beans, but I do know of others folks whose rifles are very accurate with them, and take deer with them every year, but they are in a clear minority. The 150's have a very narrow window of effective range; too near and the bullet comes apart, too far and it just wounds the animal and doesn't penetrate, while the 200's are useful at a far wider range of distance and conditions. On another note, I haven't seen the 150 PSP for sale around this area of Texas in several years, they just aren't popular enough.

 

Frankly, I'm more than a little surprised they still even make them. The 200 CL's are so universally touted as the perfect 35 bullet, why bother?

 

I wanna be different. I shoot the 180gn Hornady XTP HP made for the single shot pistol in my .35 it shoots very well with a near to full case of H335. I've had good expierience with the 158s on deer no problems. Hornadys are a controlled expansion HP with full jacket holding the lead together, their wide meplat soft points seem to disrupt a little more, bulk exposed lead HPs should not even be considered unless varmit hunting. Funny about accuracy in individual guns. My sons .35 will put the 158s in one hole all day. Mine will too at 50yds but sideways, go figure. Mine does the same with Hornady 200s sideways. The 180s have a very large bearing surface which might be the reason they shoot well in mine. Never did try the core lokts they just don't seem to be on the shelf when I'm out and about.

 

Relax, Ed...........you ARE different. We like ya that way.

The other bullet not mentioned here yet is the Speer 180, a wonderful example of how good a bullet can be. They used to be overpriced compared to the rest, now most others have caught up and surpassed their price. "Hot-Cor" design, sturdy jacket and stubby shape make it a good penetrator, yet a good expander, and a viable alternative for those whose guns don't get along with the Core-Lokts. If the "favored" 35 bullets don't shoot well in your gun, try the Speer 180.

 

Swany keeps citing his gospel of Hornady pistol bullets; I agree with him, I use 158's for plinking. I use 30 grs of Reloader #7 at just under 2000 fps and, out of a cold barrel, it they group just over an 1" at 100yds. I haven't shoot anything with them yet, except paper and steel discs, but I expect that if you keep the velocity down they'd be work just fine on deer. Hornady XTP's have a reputation for holding together.