I took 2 so far with the sierra 200gr loaded same as I load for the remington 200gr.They shoot to the same point of aim as the rem and neither one took a step after the shot bang flop both pass through,one at 40 and the other at 65 yards.If they don't sell any rems for a while I can make do with the sierra bullet I have 200 loaded up and ready to go!I only have 103 rems left.

 

The Sierra 200 gr RN works well for me! The pictured buck below was shot in 2014 with one Sierra from my late father's 336A in 35 Rem made in 1950. Actually, I'd rather shoot a Sierra bullet above anything else.

 

Over the years, in many calibers, I've had good results using Sierra bullets. They've never let me down. I can say the same for Hornady too.

 

Thanks for this topic. I have never seen or heard of a Sierra .358 in 200 RN. I wrongly assumed they did not make one. I do still have some of the Rems and my 35 does like the Hornady, but it is nice to have options since the Hornady bullet is a little tougher design.

 

My brother in law shot the Hornady 200gr factory many moons ago and every time he shot a deer we had to track it, the bullet never seemed to expand at .35 rem velocity.He is an ex navy seal and could shoot better than me, as an excuse he is 10 years younger and don't wear bifocals!Since he started to use my reloads with Rem and sierra bullets no such problems.

 

The Hornady 200-grain RN has a stiff jacket which makes it ideal for the .35 Whelen, but I agree with the other observers that it acts like a solid on whitetail deer.

The Sierra bullet is lightly jacketed and and is close to ideal as a DEER bullet, but I would not use it on heavier game such as elk or moose because it will not give adequate penetration and in one instance (on a moose) I had the core separate from the jacket. The moose was killed OK, raking shot from behind trotting at about 40 yards, but the mushroomed jacket came out with the gut pile, however the expanded core continued on and was recovered in the off side shoulder. Adequate penetration in this case, but had the core taken off on a different course after shedding its jacket, all bets are off.

Recovered bullet here is a Saeco #351 converted to plainbase with wider front and base base bands and reduced lube groove to retain full 200-grain weight while truncating the point to a 1/4" meplat flatnose, for tubular magazine safety, with 60 degree conical cup point by Erik at Hollow Point Bullet Mold Service: Specializing in multi-cavity hollow point bullet mold modifications and repairs. Custom speciality screws, machine shop services including micro TIG welding. Bullet was cast of wheelweights and driven with 36 grs. of IMR4064 with a 1.0 grain tuft of Dacron betwen the bullet base and the powder charge to protect the bullet base maintain powder compression. Velocity is very close to factory loads, and the rounds are accurate in my Marlin and DOES NOT LEAD. Bullets sized .360" and lube grooves are filled with 50-50 Alox-Beeswax while entire bullet is then coated with Lee Liquid Alox (wiped off bullet shown here for the photo).

 

I have also had good results with the Sierra 200 RN (with a +P load using TAC), with full thru penetration. Not necessarily a bang-flop, but 20-30 yards to drop and the blood trail looked like a spilled 5-gal can of paint. I definitely would prefer over the Hornady in the 35 Rem WRT terminal performance. The Sierras have also given me sub-1' groups consistently.

 

I used the Sierra for decades before discovering the Corlokts. Back in '02-'05, the Corlokts were the least expensive jkted bullets available. Bought , shot, a LOT of them and developed a preference for them. Ammogeddon happened, CEREBUS bought Remington . Now, Corlokts are unobtanium,, and over priced.
The Sierra's are great. Typically most accurate of their genre. Hardest I've ever hit game is with Sierra 200.358" RN. They are my preferred .35 projectile. However, I bought a RCBS 200gr FNGC mold during absence of Sierras from market. The cast do everything I need a .35 to do. Will never buy another .358" bullet for .35Rem. I'll make my own!
too bad! For Remington and Sierra!

 

The cast do everything I need a .35 to do. Will never buy another .358" bullet for .35Rem. I'll make my own!
too bad! For Remington and Sierra!

Got a few 185gn Cast GC in .359 from beartooth bu llets and I am so happy with their performance in the .35 and .357 Marlins.

 

What distance are you guys shooting the Hornady 200gr RN and not getting the results you want? Also whats your velocity and load?

 

Caseful compressed of IMR4064 to the base of the bullet, about 2050 fps, from 24" Marlin, shots at average sized whitetail deer within 100 yards.

In fairness to Hornady this experience was in New Hampshire in the mid 1980s and they may have changed the bullet construction since then.

 

When I used to be into 35 Rem ... I really liked the Speer 180gr bullet.. Double tuff

 

I tried the 200 gn round nose. Didn't like it.

Tried 158 gn and 180gn HP's made for handguns.

The 180 Hornady was made for the .357 Maximum and tipping over iron targets.

180gn XTP HPs work very well on white tailed deer.

 

Today, I saw 4 boxes of 35 Rem corloks at a local Gander Mountain , and a listing for this same ammo online at either BPS or Cabelas.

If your wanting Rem ammo it's becoming available.

 

Hopefully I'm wrong. I have 100 200 gr.core-lokts left in my inventory plus a goodly amount of Speer 220 grainers. I understand from another web site that Remington is discontinuing the sale of component part bullets for re-loading. i don't use the .35 Rem. that much anymore. Rely more on the 1895SS 45,70. But I'm sad to hear about discontinuing the bullet sales.

 

Got lucky this past weekend at a gun show and picked up 4 boxes of Remington 200 gr. core-lokts from a guy for $30 a box. Heck for what brass is selling for now that's like a $20 rebate on every box.

 

The deer I've shot with the 200gr Hornady RN were with 42.0grn BLC2 for ~2,150fps. Never recovered a bullet, lost two LARGE deer, well hit with double lung shot. Those recovered were shoulder/spine hits. Expansion was minimal. According to Hornady #8, minimum recommended muzzle velocity is 1,800 fps, which suggests that it's the minimum expansion threshold for the bullet.
I've had similar difficulties with the FTX 200gr .358". On Jan. 1, 2010 I shot a ~175lb buck at 27yds. Shot was broadside heart shot.. Bullet perforated ribs in and out, and put a 3/8" hole through the middle of the heart. Entry and exit wound were ~1/4" due to elasticity of skin. If I hadn't got lucky and found deer lying in fire break on property line, I'd never have recovered it! It ran ~125yds after having heart perforated! Load was Compressed load of H4895 (over published max!) chrono'd at 2,350fps. One drop of blood at site of shot impact, NO blood trail!

Contrast that to cast bullet of 50/50 ww/plumbers lead @.360" over 39.0gr BLC2 for 2,050fps. 1.5" exit wound, copious blood trail, and deer made it 50yds. Entry wound was near 1/2" due to meplat of RCBS boolit.
My experience with 180gr Speer was equally disappointing.
I wil counter that the performance of the previous poster regarding the Sierra bullet is text book performance per Sierra, and "old school gun scribes. (Ie; Jack O'Conner). Moose died forthwith, and all energy of bullet expended in target. I've had similar performance on deer with the Corlokts, however, bullets remained intact, with recovered bullet retaining 187.5gr of weight after penetrating ~28" of deer, breaking humerus and pelvis in the process. FWIW, I've never recovered a Sierra! Most were fired from a Remington M760 over a HOT (but VERY accurate) load of H322 for 2,400 fps.

I've seen temporary wound cavities from impacts on deer where I could see daylight through the deer. Wasn't sure what I saw the first time. I've seen it with .45/70 and hollow point 405 cast at 1,600 fps, and .30/06 with 165gr Sierra hpbt GameKings, but more so from the .35Rem than others. The .35's hit hard! With the right bullets.
Now that I have a beautiful BLR '81 in .358win that will get the jacketed bullets, the .35Rem is a dedicated cast bullet gun. But, they play third and fourth "fiddle" to the two .338ME's. I have a "lifetime" supply of 200 gr Remington PtSpt .358", and 180gr, 200gr Hornady PtSpt's for the .358 so Remington's departure won't be missed.

 

OK - forgive my ignorance. When you pour and shoot pure lead "boolits", don't they crap up your rifling? Don't make fun - just asking because I've not fired pure lead bullets

 

Practically no one shoots pure lead bullets. My cast are 50/50 wheelweight (quite hard, lots of antimony, tin, and a little arsenic) mixed with pure lead (scrap window weights, plumbing gaskets, roof flashing), with gilding metal gas checks. Accurate at any .35Rem speeds; ~2,250fps)
A LOT different from swaged lead pistol bullets notorious for leading.

 

Great posts!! When you cast - you are no longer held captive by "the factories". Your inventory is what you make it. I "LOVE" the Saeco offerings, particularly the 250gr, but Outlook75, your modified 200gr bullet looks like a real winner!! Thanks for posting.

Cast bullets that fit do not lead, period, helped along with a good lube for the purpose. My cast bullets are wheelweights and anything I have on hand for range lead, fishing weights, flashing, nothing scientific, and I water drop them all. Makes them plenty hard enough to get there and soft enough to get the job done. My 32SPL runs 183gr cast @ near 2300fs and my 356W runs near 2600fps with 200gr cast. No leading and they hold together - that 32SPL load puts elk down and breaks shoulder bones in the process.

Jeff