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Handi in .35 Remington

9K views 80 replies 21 participants last post by  bucmeister 
#1 ·
I found a hen's tooth here in the classifieds and I'll need to find some more to shoot it, but I'll manage that. I have always been intrigued by this cartridge and decided to go on the hunt for a handi. I was unsuccessful in finding one - just missed getting one, but I did manage to buy barrel and reciever set from a fellow here parting one out. So, in a few days I'll have half of the puzzle solved. Then I have to find some ammo to shoot it and I have to put a stock set on it to make it more comfortable to shoot. I've got a stock set, a laminated wood set so I can at least put together a complete rifle.


Since ammo is hard to find and a premium price and brass all but unobtainable, I plan to reload for this thing. Buillets for it will probably also be hard to find, so I'm thinking about casting bullets for it after I shoot the ammo I can find. Based on the relatively low pressure of the round and the case shape, I think case life should be reasonable.

Any advice from you folks in the know about what cast bullets work well for this caliber in a handi?


This project will probably keep me busy for a while. Probably until I get out of shooting altogether which I don't feel is very far down the road.



EJ
 
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#2 ·
#3 ·
Ghosth said:
Congrats TLARbb.



FYI there is a .35 rem .444 combo for sale at budsgunshop 300$ last I looked.

Lee makes a .358 200 grain gas check lube groove bullet that should do very well in the .35 rem.
http://leeprecision.com/mold-dc-c358-200-rf.html



Enabler!
;)
I was just going to start working up some 35Rem loads today.


--g
 
#5 ·
I was at Orion's in Jeffersonville, IN today and saw 2 cases of Remington brand 35 Rem ammo. I'll post a pic from my phone here soon but, most amazingly, they were all loaded (NEW) with 150gr Corelokts. And all this time I thought those bullets were discontinued years ago. ???

Thanks, Dinny
 

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#6 ·
Remington .35 ammo is in stores around here pretty regular.

Load .35 Rem for a Remington Model 600 bolt gun as well as a .35 Rem Handi......been looking for .200gr RN bullets , used to be popular as may lever guns were the .200 gr RN.
Hard to find now with the LEVERevolution ammo out.

Been casting the 200 gr rngc with a Lee mold, shoot good in the bolt gun...haven't tried them yet in the Handi.
 
#7 ·
Dinny, will they ship?


EJ

Dinny said:
I was at Orion's in Jeffersonville, IN today and saw 2 cases of Remington brand 35 Rem ammo. I'll post a pic from my phone here soon but, most amazingly, they were all loaded (NEW) with 150gr Corelokts. And all this time I thought those bullets were discontinued years ago. ???

Thanks, Dinny
 
#8 ·
Actually, I found 2 stores with the Hornady FTX in stock and bought 3 boxes of it. This is enough for me to get started, i.e., sight in, hunt primitive season and then experiment some after hunting season.

I appreciate all of the input and will contact Grumpa over on CastBoolits about cases. I see he makes quite a few different ones.


What's you folks opinions on the Hornady FTX loading?


EJ
 
#9 ·
I had a Contender. 35 rem and it shot MOA when I was 'on' with Hornady FTX factory loads. I did a few ladders with 180 and 200 round and spire points and couldn't improve on the factory. It was very hot load compared with my book loads but more accurate so it was my hunting ammo. The caveat is that I didn't try Leverlution powder and that may have been the key. I had some .357 XTP that were 150ish I believe and they shot pretty good and close to the Leverlution factory ammo.
 
#10 ·
The 200gr .358" FTX bullet is a good one. I have shot them at 2000fps from a 357 Maximum and they mushroomed in wet packed newspaper very well.

Thanks, Dinny
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to shooting this thing when it gets here. Probably end of the week next week.


I need to find a forend attachment bolt. I've got the forend, but no screw. May have to take the barrel down to the local Tru-Value Hardware Store and see if they've got something that will work. Numrich has them for $9.00 a piece plus shipping. About 15$ all in. Ugghhh!


EJ

smong2000 said:
I had a Contender. 35 rem and it shot MOA when I was 'on' with Hornady FTX factory loads. I did a few ladders with 180 and 200 round and spire points and couldn't improve on the factory. It was very hot load compared with my book loads but more accurate so it was my hunting ammo. The caveat is that I didn't try Leverlution powder and that may have been the key. I had some .357 XTP that were 150ish I believe and they shot pretty good and close to the Leverlution factory ammo.
 
#12 ·
TLARbb said:
Thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to shooting this thing when it gets here. Probably end of the week next week.


I need to find a forend attachment bolt. I've got the forend, but no screw. May have to take the barrel down to the local Tru-Value Hardware Store and see if they've got something that will work. Numrich has them for $9.00 a piece plus shipping. About 15$ all in. Ugghhh!
Take a look in the FAQ. 6mm screw if I remember correctly.
 
#13 ·
if i'm not mistaken mine takes a 1/4 bolt.
i got my last ones at either ace or elliot's hardware.
a dollar some-odd for a 2 pack
 
#16 ·
Vash, that's what I do. If we could find enough idiots to buy them we could get wealthy on ebay ;D ;D :D :D ;) ;)

I might get a bit windy. Centuries ago, when I was a Wildlife Management Freshman at University of Maine, Orono, a buddy and I were deer hunting. I was carrying a '94 .30-30 and Tony toted a Marlin .35 Remington. It was dark thirtyish and we were heading back to the truck. In a clear cut, a doe popped up off her bed to our right about 30 yards away. Tony spotted her and I was in the way. I shifted left and Tony took the shot. The doe's head stayed in place in space and her entire body and legs rotated in the air in a circle around it. She crashed to the ground dead. The 200 gr. bullet had removed the off side of her head. Ever since then, I wanted a .35 Remington.

Fast forward a tad more than a half century. Here comes Dinny on the forum going on and on about the .356/.358. I had to try it and I did. It is a .35 Remington on steroids. 200 gr. Hornadys shoot like a varmint rifle. Unbelievable. Modest recoil and superior killing power. I only took one deer with it and that was two years ago. The boiler room shot was only 40 - 50 yards, but the deer went over like a silhouette target. Its tail quivered for a couple of seconds.

Mine was made by re-chambering a .357. cwlongshot reamed his from a .35 Remington. Both work well. If I had a .35 Rem and no .356, that's what I would do and not look back.

Pete
 
#17 ·
Growing up, I wanted two "deer" rifles...
The First was a Marlin 35 Remington and the second, a lil later was a 7MM Express. Hunting was a family affair and we all got together and hunted then back together at night. As a boy I would tag along with the "adults" and learn. As I got old enough I would bring a rifle. For a couple seasons I hunted with my Cousin, about 13 years my senior and he had a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. I was with him on a couple deer and I was hooked on the 35 caliber! That was mid 1970's.
Today I have a few 336 rifles in 35 Remington and I like them just as mush. I have probably used them on a dozen deer thru the years. I Built a 280 Rem on a Argentine 1909 Mauser but thats another story.

The first "deer rifle" I bought myself was a Browning lever in 358 Winchester. My father was almost mad at me. He wanted me to buy a 308 and my Grandfather a 30-06. My uncle and Cousin where the 35 cal guys and thats what I wanted! Thats what I got. That rifle killed like Thors hammer, my grandfather was with me a number of times near his end. (Mostly to help him and allow him to hunt longer) and he was amazed at the way that 358 with a 200g Hornady bullet, I hand loaded put deer down. They where literally dead on there feet. One deer was imprinted in my brain.. was a 40 or so yard shot, broad side walking. I touched the trigger, he "sucked" his legs up to his body and kinda quivered. Then fell straight down with a little bounce on his brisket and slowly rolled onto his side as if the muscles relaxed allowing it. He was literally dead in mid air...

I sincerely hope someone invents a way others can view our "minds eye" view of things we have experienced...

Peter is correct, he also arranged my getting that 35 Rem barrel and when I got it, the 356 Reamer was in hand and waiting... I never shot it as a 35 Remington. Its first shots where with a moderate loading of H335 powder and a 200g RN at about 2400fps. the first two bullets touched at 50 yards.

I have been amazed with the 35 cal and a steadfast fan ever since those first days in the mid to early 1970's I will remain one until I am no more.

CW
 
#18 ·
Pete,
Had Maine won it's independence from Britian or did you have to fight Red Coats to and from the university?

Thanks, Dinny
 
#20 ·
petemi said:
Yeah Dinny, I fought em, but I used my .69 caliber front stuffer :eek: 8) 8) 8) ::) ::) ::) George was there. He can tell ya all about it. Oh yeah, the Uniform of the day was blue Bibs 8)
Pete
You and George together nowadays = trouble ;D
You and George together 50 years ago = danger and destruction ::) :eek: ;D

Thanks, Dinny
 
#21 ·
Dinny, George and I are now very respectful Senior Citizens. We abide by all the laws and bend but a few ::) Ya never know, the freezer might be empty :eek: Hunger comes first. Back to the point of the thread:

The .356/.358 has removed all desire for a .35 Remington. When I first got it, I had a woodchuck out behind the barn in a mowed hayfield heading up the hill. The load I was shooting was a book, low end .356 with a 200 gr. .358 Hornady Spitzer. I shot once at about 120 yards; kicked up dirt behind and over him. Second shot: Now he's close to 200 and still going. I held the same, a little over, and thought I'd nail him. Wrong!! Shot over him. The third shot at 230 or so also shot over with the same hold. My .30-30 mentality didn't work. This sucker shoots flat :eek: :eek:

Pete
 
#22 ·
Gentlemen, I know absolutely nothing about .356/.358. I am going to shoot this as a .35 Remington since I have ammo in hand. If it shoots worth anything, it will be fine for my purposes without going to the bigger .35 Whelen.


I would, however, like to know more about it, like what do you use for brass. It's not a commercial cartridge, is it?


EJ
 
#23 ·
Yes, both .356 and .358 brass is put out by Winchester periodically. I bought a 100 (two bags of fifty) of each at a gun show a while back for something like 4 bags at 34.00 each.. I prefer the .356 because of the rim, but they both shoot and extract the same.

It is NOT a .35 Whelen. It can shoot like one, but it is a .308 family, not an '.06. I like the shorter .308 family even though I'm not using a bolt gun. I have Handis in .243, 7-mm-08, .308 and .356/.358. I need one or two more to round out that tribe.

If you do a search on this forum you'll find lots of good info on the Handi .356/.358. Every growing boy should have at least one.

Pete
 
#24 ·
Dinny said:
Pete,
Had Maine won it's independence from Britian or did you have to fight Red Coats to and from the university?

Thanks, Dinny
Maine was still a part of Massachusetts back when Pete had to fight off the Red Coats.
 
#25 ·
I have one and my daughter has one. They both have shot everything very well. From 158 XTP FP and cast bullets with Green Dot to 230 GC cast bullets over LeverEvolution powder and lots of bullets in between. 180-230 grain bullets (jacketed and GC cast) all shot great with the LeverEvolution.
 
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