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I scratched an old itch this week with a straight grip 1955 ‘pre Texan’ Marlin 336RC in 35 Remington. I’ve always liked the straight grip Texans but hadn’t seen a 35. Marlin just made too few of them. We are about the same age and both showing signs of hard use. It has the early flat-top rear sight, factory bead in good shape and a Ballard cut barrel with nice crisp rifling.
I found three boxes of Hornady 200 grain Leverevolution for deer etc. I’ll scare up some dies and concoct an XTP load for groundhogs and the like. I shot it a few times this AM with 200 grain Hornady. A minor sight adjustment put it in the middle of a 7" paper bowl at 100 yards. Casual shooting from sitting position suggests 2 MOA from this load and I’m sure it’ll beat that from a rest. I really like the old gun.
People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.
I have an older 336 in .35 Rem, but it is not the straight grip. I like the cartridge. In a levergun, it is a great cartridge for practically anything I hunt.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
The .35 Remington cartridge has a decent amount of power without being unpleasant at the bench. I see people using 7mm Magnums around here, and they are not enjoying the practice at the range. The deer they get are pretty well torn up. Those old old timers who use the older cartridges get the job done. A .30-30 or a .35 Remington will put the deer down without overkill. For larger game it may become helpful for more power, but I have never heard of a whitetail deer which would need more than a .35 Remington to do the job. Sure, long distance or bigger animals might need more power.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Thank you all for the kind comments. I am still surprised at how slick this old gun works.
I hit a pretty good lick this morning. I got an email from Midway saying they had Lee Pacesetter 35 dies back in stock, so I ordered those along with the trimmer and 100 Hunter's Supply 358/190 cast flat points. Also located a guy with 210 cleaned, deprimed 35 cases for sale so I ordered those too. I'm good on primers and I keep H4895 on hand for 30-30 and 30-06. It's a comfort to know you'll have ammo regardless of shortages or political stupidity.
People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.
Imr 3031 also works well for it and several other calibers.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Fall is here and it's time to check guns before hunting season. I had to replace the front sight on my Marlin 35 Remington, because the factory bead worked loose and was wobbling in sort of an elliptical circle. This doesn’t help accuracy and sooner or later, it would have departed. Based on earlier shooting I used a 0.010" shorter Marbles with a 1/16 brass bead, aiming for a usable 200 yard zero on the lowest notch. I also wanted to deep clean the old gun, brush out & oil the magazine to and clean/oil the internals.
In the process I discovered the front barrel band was way too tight--practically driven on the barrel--and I opened it up for a slip fit. I shot the rifle some to re-establish the windage setting & swatting random targets. Then I plopped down on a seat cushion at the 200 yards. I fired three, 200 grain Sierra handloads at the diamond plate, covering up the circle with the front bead. I’m calling it good enough for iron sights and shooting from field positions. Photo-bomb by Dixie, who was shaking hay off her ears after chasing lizards. I’m just glad she didn’t knock that rifle over on the sights!
People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.
Sarge I agree with you about open sights. Used em all my life, mostly on my 22lr squirrel rifles. I growed up with them, have confidence in them. I've got for me anyways, the best set of opens I've used yet. I filed down the folding rear sight on my 1977 Marlin, totally flat, and even down into the U. I filed just a slight flat spot on the front bead. Now the bead just fills the U when the bead is flat even with the wide flat rear. It's just so much more precise than a deep U and big bead! It's improved my aim at 100yds. I zeroed it to hit dead center of the front bead at 100yds, as if the bullet was laying on top of the bead. And put a Marbles rear tang on that's zeroed at 175yds with the Hornady 160gr FTX load, which this rifle loves. It's a Dandy hunting rifle. Killed deer, coyotes, and shot one turkeys neck in two at 65 yds with these sigbts.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life"
"Better drawdown Alvin!"
"If you gotta shoot, shoot don't talk"
Conservative since day one and until the last!
Drawdown wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 2:39 pm
Sarge I agree with you about open sights. Used em all my life, mostly on my 22lr squirrel rifles. I growed up with them, have confidence in them. I've got for me anyways, the best set of opens I've used yet. I filed down the folding rear sight on my 1977 Marlin, totally flat, and even down into the U. I filed just a slight flat spot on the front bead. Now the bead just fills the U when the bead is flat even with the wide flat rear. It's just so much more precise than a deep U and big bead! It's improved my aim at 100yds. I zeroed it to hit dead center of the front bead at 100yds, as if the bullet was laying on top of the bead. And put a Marbles rear tang on that's zeroed at 175yds with the Hornady 160gr FTX load, which this rifle loves. It's a Dandy hunting rifle. Killed deer, coyotes, and shot one turkeys neck in two at 65 yds with these sigbts.
Hey Drawdown, I agree with you about open sights, plus peep sights. I told my kids "the bead is the bullet" ! You are the first person I've ever heard say that. Thanks for posting that.
Drawdown wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 2:39 pm
Sarge I agree with you about open sights. Used em all my life, mostly on my 22lr squirrel rifles. I growed up with them, have confidence in them. I've got for me anyways, the best set of opens I've used yet. I filed down the folding rear sight on my 1977 Marlin, totally flat, and even down into the U. I filed just a slight flat spot on the front bead. Now the bead just fills the U when the bead is flat even with the wide flat rear. It's just so much more precise than a deep U and big bead! It's improved my aim at 100yds.
***I zeroed it to hit dead center of the front bead at 100yds, as if the bullet was laying on top of the bead.***
And put a Marbles rear tang on that's zeroed at 175yds with the Hornady 160gr FTX load, which this rifle loves. It's a Dandy hunting rifle. Killed deer, coyotes, and shot one turkeys neck in two at 65 yds with these sigbts.
Thanks Drawdown. That's exactly how I zero pistols, too. Carry guns at 50 yards and hunting revolvers at 100.
Which is another reason I like flat-top rears on my rifles- same basic hold across the board.
And thank you too, JOG. That pup is a good one.
People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.
Lotta really good muzzloader rifle makers around here late 1800's into 1900's. Squirrel hunting was their game for most part, and shooting matches where weekly, family event. But I reckon it was common practice, a finished rifle's first test was to develop the load. What ball, powder weight, and patching material and thickness, and just how to lube it! The sights where mostly a blade front, wide flat rear, but just flat to start. After load development, they would cut the V or U with a file, but mostly very shallow, bring the sights to where the ball was hitting with the best load, and most liked a very fine V, blade even with flat top rear. I'm sure some where different, but I reckon vast majority learned this is the easiest, quickest, most precise aiming method.
For most part the shotgun had replaced everything by the 40s-50s, but quite a few carried on the tradition!
Long time ago me and a n old gun buddy shooting a rifle with a peep, it being his first time ever using one. After a while, I asked him, How do you like a peep sight? He kinda embarrassed like, said, Really I don't understand how to use it! He was serious! I think he was trying to lay the front sight down in bottom of the O!
I'm serious! And when I growed up, most everybody was in that way thinking. An open sight was natural to them, but a peep was to them, No Presicion!
I got a receiver on my 94, but its because I'm 62 now and eyes are slipping. I learned how to shoot with a receiver sight when I was less than 10, with a CO2 Target Rifle. It had a blade front sight. Guess how I zeroed it? The base of the blade in the bottom of the O, set the target on top. To much rooming there for error! Great rifle but sure needed sights. At same time before I was 10, with my open sights, bird didn't stand a chance! Neighbors saw me shoot a bird out a tree in their front yard while they where sitting on porch. While I was running!
The man Ol Jim xxxxx, stood up a hooping and hollering, "Gxx xxm, what a shot, and at same time his wife was swearing me out, get outta her flowers and leave them birds alone.
So so many great memories, because of open sights! And they can be very precise, with good trained eyes, but only out so far. For me, when I could see good, 125 yds was about max for precision, 150 max usefulness!
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life"
"Better drawdown Alvin!"
"If you gotta shoot, shoot don't talk"
Conservative since day one and until the last!
i've met people who had issues with peep sights. it's easy if you ignore the rear sight, don't even think about it. just put the bead where you want the bullet to go. your eye will center the peep without even looking at it. that way the bead is the bullet and there's nothing to line up.
That's best way for me to Griz with a receiver sight. Small white or brass bead, center it, shoot thru it. But if I don't consciously line up, I begin to string my shots up. I'm a dead eye as far as windage, but they'll be up & down. Whereas with opens, they'll be in a group usually all around, but tight! And you already know, the light direction determines often whether a little right or left!
I'm not saying I don't like peeps, got one on my M94, it'll stay, I like it. Got a dandy in a Mossberg 44US b 22lr target rifle. Micro adjustable, deadly as a scope, very small peep.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life"
"Better drawdown Alvin!"
"If you gotta shoot, shoot don't talk"
Conservative since day one and until the last!
best one i have is on my chicom fake 870. blade front and peep rear. somehow it just centers itself. my guide gun has the "non-adjustable" marbles rear peep sight and a green plastic bead to help the eyes spot it. I set up that rear sight over ten years ago and it is still on for my load. my hunting revolver had an Omega peep blade in the rear sight and a very fine bead that I dovetailed into the front where the original blade had been. made lots of meat with that rig. good memories, but I don't think i can shoot as well as Blaine or Kirk these days . . .
Sarge wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:27 pm
I shot aperture sights for years and get along fine with them. I'm just picky about which one I'll use on a rifle like this.
I agree Sarge. I gave a son a Marlin 35. We last shot it years ago in Va at a gun range on Hwy 50 I believe. He is a crack shot regardless of the sights. Musta got it from my Mom I guess. Isn't this the perfect companion to 357 pistols?
Growing up here in the 60's & 70's, this was Marlin Country, even way more so than 94 Win's. I got my 336 in 1980 a 1977 made 30-30. There was quite a few 35 Rem's around, why I never got one, I'll never know, just didn't. Now that I reload, and can see the truth of it, I sure wish I had one. Ill keep my eyes open, I'll eventually find one local. It and 348 along with the 30-30 are Big 3 of leverguns for my interest, just can be beat for eastern woods & mountains whitetails!
When I got out HS went to work in 77, I worked and rode with a older hunter for long time. His only deer rifle was a Marlin 35 Rem.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life"
"Better drawdown Alvin!"
"If you gotta shoot, shoot don't talk"
Conservative since day one and until the last!
Sarge wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:27 pm
I shot aperture sights for years and get along fine with them. I'm just picky about which one I'll use on a rifle like this.
I agree Sarge. I gave a son a Marlin 35. We last shot it years ago in Va at a gun range on Hwy 50 I believe. He is a crack shot regardless of the sights. Musta got it from my Mom I guess. Isn't this the perfect companion to 357 pistols?
It's a fine companion to 38/357 revolvers if you reload. This old Marlin loves 140 grain XTPs.
People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.