Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

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Goat
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Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by Goat »

Deer season in my area of Louisiana is winding down and I am getting the "end of season blues." It has not been the best of seasons but I have managed to kill a doe with my Savage 99-A in 250/3000 and two bucks with my Marlin 336 in 35 Remington, a seven point and a four point. I know I am not old but I am not as young as I once was. As I age I find that I am far more prone to hunt with guns that have that "right feel" about them. I currently have ten guns that I classify as deer rifles. They range from stainless/synthetic bolt guns to my Marlins and a BLR in 358. For several years I thought that a real deer rifle had to be a bolt gun with the ability to reach out across a clearcut or down a gasline for several hundred yards while shooting as flat as a string. The passing of time has brought me back into the woods and creek bottoms where shots are more likely to be well under a hundred yards. It is this love of the close range woods that has driven me back to the lever actions that I once considered out dated and to cartridges I once thought of as anemic and barely able to take a deer. I had a wonderous affair with the BLR in 358 that brought me back to the lever gun. It is a TREMENDOUS combination that I have used to kill between fifteen to twenty deer. But even with such success I have found some thing that just feels better in my hands. My Marlin 336 in 35 Remington is now my favorite deer rifle. I have only been able to kill seven deer with it but the results have been very predictable and satisfying. The average distance traveled has been less than 25 yards after taking a 200gr Core-lock from a handload that includes AA2230. This combination simply works! I finally realised that a gun is carried a lot more than it is shot and the Marlin carries well. I currently have a Leupold 2-7x shotgun scope with the heavy duplex crosshair reticle in Millet all steel rings and bases mounted on this rifle. Since I now have acknowledged that my least expensive deer gun IS my favorite I think I will upgrade the scope to a Leupold VX-III 2.5 -8x scope. I realize that the top end magnification is more than is necessary but I have three more of these on other rifles and find that they are just about perfect for my style of hunting. They can be turned up for sessons at the range or left down low for hunting in the woods.I wish that eveyone who hunts had a combination that worked as well for them as this does for me. The 35 Remingotn hits with authority without a large dose of recoil . And when properly applied behind the shoulder a deer is not long for this world. What more could I ask for?
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iceman
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by iceman »

Sounds like you got it figured out. 35 cal is the way to go. I have a 356 and love it. I had a 35 whelan in a rem 700 but prefer levers. As far as I'm concerned your preaching to the converted. just my .02.
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trapshooter
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by trapshooter »

I am 65 years old and after starting with the Marlin 336 in .35 cal. many years ago at 16 years of age I switched to a Remington 700 bolt action in 30-06 because I thought I needed more gun. I am now back to a 336 in .35 cal . and I will never look back. It just feel's right and works for deer and black bear like no other gun I have owned. I call it my bush gun. It just belongs in the woods like it lives there.
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Old Savage
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by Old Savage »

In your situation I would get the 1.5 - 5x Leupold. Great scope - I have both but I think that would fit better and carry better with the 35.
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AJMD429
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by AJMD429 »

Love the .35 Remington, and nothing to apologize about for an 8x top-end on a scope!

Scope-wise, I really like two sizes of scopes if the gun isn't to be a light weight 'carbine' (in which case I will probably opt for an aperture sight) - a 5-20x for a 'hunting/plinking' gun, and a 10-40x for a 'varmint/target' gun. Everyone seems to brag on using lower power scopes, but if you have old eyes like mine, and want to sight in a gun at the bench with any precision, you'll need every bit of the 20x to get that last half inch at 100 yards, or the 40x to get that last quarter inch. Then you can zoom back down to 5x or 10x if you want for field conditions. I find I can hold even a 10x well enough for a standing shot sufficient to head-shoot a feral cat at 50 yards, so I'm not sure I 'need' any LESS magnification, unless I was to be shooting at a running target, which I really never do.

I guess the way I see it (no pun intended :roll: ) is that the only real advantage to a lower power scope is a bit less weight (moot on a large rifle), a bit more tolerance with eye relief (moot unless your gun recoils heavily), and a wider field of view (moot unless shooting in a hurry). So I guess I am just a slow shooter of big, wimpy guns - but I can at least SEE what I'm missing! :lol:
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flb
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by flb »

Hey trapshooter! I am too, 125,000 registered and I'm 66 yrs old now and love my 336 too. Mine is a 30-30 but am wanting a .444 or a .35 if I could find one. They are scarce here in Colo for some reason but have my eye on a nice .444. I still shoot a receiver sight(Lyman) but a scope is needed soon. I have a Nikon shotgun scope on my 340, I like it, has the heavy reticle and is 2 X 7. Take care, and enjoy those levers.
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marlinman93
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by marlinman93 »

Good choice on a scope. I would usually choose a fixed 4x for a 336 in .35, but the variable is probably a better choice if you've already got experience with it, and might possibly change it to another gun some time.
At 58 yrs. old I've also gone through a wide variety of guns and calibers over the years. Started out with bolt actions in 7mm, .30-06, .308, and .22-250 calibers. When I hit 50 years old, and had taken a fair amount of deer in my life, I decided to switch to old guns. I took a different old lever or singleshot rifle each fall, and since then I've really had some memorable hunts! Not that the early hunts with my bolt guns weren't fun, but there's just something about taking a buck with a rifle from the late 1800's that makes success a bit sweeter!
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slabsides
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by slabsides »

My first deer rifle was also a .35 Rem. Marlin: a 1962 336SC. Pistol grip stock, half magazine. I set it up with a Redfield Sourdough front sight and a Williams Foolproof rear, and it was my 'shoots everything' rifle for two years. I put hundreds of pistol bullets through it, shooting crows, groundhogs and other vermin in the off season, and hundreds of the fine Remington corelock 200 grain in practice,at turkey shoots, and for deer hunting. It was explosive on vermin, and final on deer! I don't think much of the idea of scoping a rifle like that...makes for an unbalanced and awkward arm, and magnification isn't needed at the ranges and in the environment where the .35 shines. As a hunter of the Maine woods, I never longed for a scope on mine, even when I was trying for an occasional chuck across a pasture. I shot the barrel out of mine, and traded it off when it began to keyhole half its heavy slugs. Wish I had kept it and had it rebarrelled. I didn't buy another Marlin for a long time, mistrusting the durability of Microgroove rifling. But I now own a .357 carbine, and a .45-70 rifle, and both are shooting well with Microgroove: including cast bullets!
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tman
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by tman »

.35 caliber and a traditional lever is a hard combination to beat. in my case, it's a win, bb.356wcf. can't think of anything else that i rather hunt with :D
Nath
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by Nath »

I enjoyed reading that :D Give me the woods to sneak about in any day, you never know just whats around the corner.

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1894
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by 1894 »

Love the 336 in 35 Rem 8)
This one ( was my Dads ) built in '51 is not , nor will ever be, drilled and tapped for a scope. When I get to a point where I need a scope I'll be looking for one to put next to this one in the safe.

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Phil
1894
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by 1894 »

Better pic :D


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Phil
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2ndovc
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by 2ndovc »

I got one of the boys a 70s vintage 336 in 35 Rem. for Christmas this year. He's finally decided that he wants to go hunting with me next year.

I'm really pleased with this rifle, accuracy and it doesn't beat him up. I set it up like my 450 Marlin. XS Scout mount and scope.

Been looking for another one.


jb 8)
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Ravenman
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by Ravenman »

Goat,
Here some more reasons for the good old 35 Remington. A great bullet test with pictures!
http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/inde ... pic=7180.0
:wink:
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Mike D.
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by Mike D. »

I have a '47 336A in .35 and love it. It's the ONLY Marlin I own. :mrgreen:
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AJMD429
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by AJMD429 »

1894 wrote:Love the 336 in 35 Rem 8)
This one ( was my Dads ) built in '51 is not , nor will ever be, drilled and tapped for a scope. When I get to a point where I need a scope I'll be looking for one to put next to this one in the safe.

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Yep - even though I generally prefer scopes for rifles (vs. carbines), there are some guns it would be an aesthetic CRIME to put a scope on. My old Marlin .32-20 is wonderfully accurate, but never will wear a scope in my lifetime.
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Bogie35
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by Bogie35 »

In the GUNS Magazine 2008 Annual, John Taffin writes, "If there's a better levergun/cartridge combination for use in close to moderate ranges on anything in the lower 48 than a Marlin chambered in .35 Remington I certainly don't know what it is."

That's pretty powerful to me. And coming from Taffin, it's also pretty conclusive for me. :wink:

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jlchucker
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by jlchucker »

All of this praise for the 35 Remington and for 200 Gr Coreloct bullets is having an effect. 35's are now scarce as hens teeth in most gun shops, whereas before there'd always be at least one or two kicking around because the average Joe preferred a 30-30. So now the secret's out and we have to hunt around for bargain 35's harder than we hunt for deer. The other thing is the matter of the 200 gr Coreloct. Check the latest Midway catalog for 35 caliber 200 gr roundnose bullets. Look at the price of Sierra, Hornaday, then Remington. Guess which is now markedly more expensive! Used to be that Remington component bullets were a bargain compared to the other two. Apparently Remington is now including solid gold as a part of the composition of the 200 Gr CL these days, judging by the price. I'm glad I bought a box of 500 a few years ago and still have a lot of them. If I had known I'd have bought a thousand. If the CL gets any more pricey, I'll have to drag out my RCBS 200 gr flatpoint gascheck mold and make my own deer bullets.
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Dave
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by Dave »

The 35 is quite a thumper. This one belongs to a friend and as you can see it has been a place or two over the years. It will still stack them even with a bit of a rough bore and has taken a phenomenal amount of game. I am a believer that the deer are in the woods. I am really a meat hunter, but I see a good number of very nice bucks. They didn't get big standing in a field. The lever gun is a woods/sneak hunters best friend.
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marlinman93
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by marlinman93 »

Nice .35's! This is my 336 in .35 from 1957:
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GEOFF
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by GEOFF »

Geez Vall, what's the deal with that wood?????? That can't be factory is it???? It's absolutely gorgeous with that wood on it.

Nice pictures above, definitely want a Ballard rifled Marlin 336 in .35 Rem some day. Thought long and hard on that one that TnBigBore had for sale here a week or so back. Can't buy them all, and I've got to compile money for the Shiloh that will be built this year.

Geoff
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marlinman93
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by marlinman93 »

GEOFF wrote:Geez Vall, what's the deal with that wood?????? That can't be factory is it???? It's absolutely gorgeous with that wood on it.

Nice pictures above, definitely want a Ballard rifled Marlin 336 in .35 Rem some day. Thought long and hard on that one that TnBigBore had for sale here a week or so back. Can't buy them all, and I've got to compile money for the Shiloh that will be built this year.

Geoff
No, it's not factory. It belonged to a stockmaker friend of mine who passed away and left the gun to me.-Vall
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JDL
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by JDL »

marlinman93 wrote:Nice .35's! This is my 336 in .35 from 1957:
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I'm a fan of the A model and that's just simply one fine looking 336A!!
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marlinman93
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Re: Marlin 336 and the 35 Remington

Post by marlinman93 »

Thanks JDL. Bud was one of the finest stockmakers I've ever known, and he did this one for himself. Can't recall how many times I asked him to sell it to me!-Vall
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
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