Pros - its available for 33.90 a box right now.

 

Welcome from Midcoast Maine! I bought 2 boxes last spring and have only loaded and worked them through the action of my 35XLR. Fed and ejected with zero problems. I was hoping to get to the range last weekend to see how they shot but I didn't make it. Once I get to it Ill update you.

 

I have loaded the 220gr. Speer in the .35 Rem., but have never shot an animal with that bullet, in that caliber. I have shot a lot of paper targets with it at 2000 fps + or _ , and they are accurate enough. However, I reserve most of the heavier .35 caliber bullets for the .35 Whelen, where their extra weight and velocity seems to be better suited in relation to the powder capacity. I suppose if the .35 Rem. were my only "Elk" gun, I would use the 220gr. and drive it as fast as "designed pressure" would allow for the rifle and plan on getting close as possible to the game to ensure bullet "expansion" was commensurate with penetration. Given those parameters, I would expect it to do the job. (For what its worth, my two favorite bullets in the .35 Rem. is the 180gr. Speer and the 200gr. Rem. Core-LoKT.) My .02

 

FWIW. I believe the Speer .358" 220gr. FN. was designed for the 35 Rem. Speer has other .358" bullets more suitable for the 35 Whelen.
TO NY🗽

 

308, you could be right, but it doesn’t make any sense to me to use a heavier bullet at a lower speed of the .35 REM. unless there is a measurable advantage in doing so. Their 180gr. round can be driven to 2300+fps without “blowing up” in most scenarios, at least to my satisfaction, which “flattens” trajectory significantly over the meager B.C. gains of the heavier bullet. I’ll concede the point that sectional density is greater with the 220gr.; thus penetration should be better with the heavier bullet, but only if it can be driven fast enough to take advantage of this weight difference at the ranges it can be practically used. While I don’t personally see an advantage in its deployment over a good 200gr., if it turned out to be the most accurate bullet in your rifle - I would pick it over the rest and adjust my sights accordingly! (And, “to heck” with the naysayers.)

 

Well, we don’t have to worry about the Speer .358” 220gr. Bullet any more Speer has discontinued it.
Tony

 

If you look at BCs, the Speer 180 has a BC of around 240 as compared to about 190 for the 200 gr. The Hammer Down is a hp so it might have better expansion than the old Speer 220 gr. Dont think the bullet is available to handloaders.

DEP

 

Might as well argue how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Somebody grab a couple of boxes, go shoot deer/bear/pigs and post SITREPs.

 

The biggest factor is the $33.90 per box price. Remington was nearly 60.00 when I first saw them back on the shelf.
I paid $40 for Hornady's. The $60 Remington prices seemed a bit stiff. The 35R seems to be used at shorter ranges anyway.

DEP

 

35 Hammerdown price dropped to 31.07 a box at Midway.
Rebates available on Federal now.

These are clearance prices, I suspect when they are gone they may be discontinued.
Speculation on my part.

 

The song, “Your gonna miss this“ by Trace Adkins comes to my mind when I think about the current availability of 35 Rem. ammo.

 

The Hornady Leverevolution produce tight groups at 100 yards, but make my open sights useless. 4 to 5 inches high with rear sight bottomed out. Only useful with a scope or red dot.

 

When you get my age with my eyes that is not an issue.

DEP