I have a friend who is a late bloomer on the hunting scene. He stopped by a gun shop after work one day and called me to ask questions about a few guns. Now, I am by no means an expert at all. I hunt with a Marlin 336 30-30 and love it to death. It accomplishes exactly what I need to do with it -- brush hunt for Whitetail in the wooded hills of Pennsylvania.

He told me that they had a used Marlin 336 in the case for $250. I told him that I could find him one cheaper if he could wait a week or two. Unfortunately, neither he nor the gun shop owner wanted to heed my advice so he put a down payment on the gun with the intent on picking it up the next day. (The gun shop owner wouldn't sell him the gun outright because the shop wasn't going to be open late enough for him to finish the paperwork -- lame!)

He gave me the serial number over the phone and as I pulled up a few sources (wikipedia, a few random articles and the shooter's forum, which is how I found you all) I discovered that the overpriced brush gun was a 1951 model with a ballard style rifling. The gun was also NOT a 30-30. but was a .35 style, which I found out was a slightly more expensive round.

The gun dealer never explained any of this to my friend. In fact, he never explained anything at all. He didn't even give him the year of the gun on the paperwork.

Since there was already a down payment on the gun, my friend was locked in to buying it. Upon further review of the paperwork for the gun, no year was listed on it at all. My friend still had very little of an idea of what he had just purchased.

After calling around to several commercial sporting goods stores, he was still having a hard time finding any ammunition for it, except at the gun shop he was buying it from. He was sold, by the same gun shop owner, a box of .35 center fire ammunition.

I told my roommate about it and we were both searching around for information concerning the 35 ammunition. Somewhere he came up with the notion that the 1951 Marlin 336 was a rim-fire rifle and thus could possibly explode if it tried to fire a center-fire cartridge.

We immediately called my impatient friend who just bought the gun and informed him. Tomorrow he intends on trying to return the gun.

However, over the past few hours I have continued to do as much on-line research as google would allow and I'm not sure if we came to the right conclusion.

My question is then this:

Can a 1951 Marlin 336 .35 with ballard rifling designed for a rimless cartridge shoot modern Remington Core-Lokt .35 ammunition?

Yes. No Problem. The .35 Remington is downloaded a bit as the old Remington autoloaders are weaker than the Marlins. The Remington autoloader and the cartridge were introduced in 1906 and the mechanism gets battered by heavy loads. You can handload a bit hotter than factory if you're shooting a Marlin 336 of any age. There are some that load a lot hotter, but I don't. The Remington 200 grain Core-Lokt is the best bullet for the .35 Remington, but Winchester and Federal ammo is OK too. There are some handloader bullets that aren't so good, as they are designed for the bigger .35s like the Whelan.

Bye
Jack

Hornady also makes Leverevolution ammo for the .35. For one thing, the .35 Rem is fairly common and is not all that hard to buy ammo for. If you have to you can always get ammo through the mail from places like MidwayUSA and Natchez Sporting Goods.

For another thing, the .35 Rem is not a rimfire; it is a centerfire very similar to the .30-30. However, it is somewhat more powerful and has a larger diameter, and can shoot heavier bullets, so it has the effect of hitting harder on game.

There is some premium ammo from Buffalo Bore, but in my opinion, the .35 comes into its own via reloading. It can shoot .357 bullets as well as the aforementioned 200 Corelokts - arguably the best jacketed bullets available for the .35.

Cast shooters should look no farther than Beartooth Bullets which makes several terrific bullets for the .35.

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"They got us pinned down. How many of 'em are there?"

The 35 Rem is a great woods deer cartridge. The $250 price tag is not really too bad if the rifle is in good shape. I have seen several in the last few years that were very rough and they were still asking over $300. Anyone armed with a 35 Rem or a 30-30 has about the perfect set up for the PA woods. Buy Remington corlocks and enjoy shooting.

Russ

Your friend did fine. Get some 200gr. Rem loads and just enjoy it. If I had seen that gun around here, it would have joined my other .35 Rem in the safe

There are plenty of on-line sources for ammo.

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MikeG

I don't believe your friend was deceived by the gun shop, they expect/think that you know what you're looking for/at, like you said your friend is a late bloomer, we all started some where.
As the guys have already said the Marlin 336 chambered in 35Remington was purchased at a fair deal and the round it's self is a GOOD round too! his new riffle should be virtually identical to mine and I wouldn't give it up for ANYTHING!
And as also said the 200grn Remington Core-Lokt is an EXCELLENT round for this riffle and quite available as well!

Although he didn't get what he thought he was getting , he did do well!

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Thanks so much guys. That just puts me at ease knowing that his face won't blow up if he shoots it.

We're going out shooting this afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing the difference between our guns.

Your buddy is lucky to have a friend like you. He will be well equipped for deer hunting with his "new to him" 35 Remington. I have lots of rifles but enjoy hunting with my Marlin 35 and 30-30 as much as I do any of them especially in the heavy cover I usually hunt in.

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A truely successful life is mostly based on how well you handle PLAN B.

I would have bought that rifle if I had seen a 35 remington for $250 if it was in good shape. I had to buy a new marlin just to get a 35 remington, the only one I could find was $375 and it was in rough shape.

The 35 remington is a great round, its fun to shoot and is great for handloading due to the extra performance you can get out it. Just make sure your friend doenst buy 350 remington mag ammo. It wont fit in the gun.

Im sure your friend will enjoy his new rifle.

Roshkoch, where I live a new or used Marlin 336 in a 35 Rem is hard to find. In fact in forty plus years have never seen a new one for sale and used ones are very very hard to find. But it is an excellent woods cartridge. I have a 30-30 and a 35 Rem.
The 35 Rem has more recoil than a 30-30. The ammo does cost more but it is worth it. The 35 carries a heavier bullet and will shot farther.

If he ain't happy with it, I'll take it of his hands in a heartbeat. Is it a Sporting carbine(shorter magizine than a 336RC). He'll like that rifle.

A bit of an update.

We took it out shooting at the state game lands range the other day. I put three rounds through it free standing, not leaning and clustered around (and in the bull) with maybe a 2 inch spread at 100 yards.

Honestly, I think his gun shoots a bit better than my 1997 Marlin 336 30-30. Of course my K-Mart scope (Tasco Pronghorn) needs to be replaced, I'm sure of it. I'm thinking maybe the red dot scope, but that's another post for another thread.

It is a very nice gun, and he is looking into reloading or having another friend of ours do the reloading for him. $28 per 20 rounds is a bit salty compared to the $13 I spend at WalMart for my 30-30.

Thanks for keeping us informed and away from returning the gun!

That's great news. I hope your friend enjoys his 'new' rifle. I think he'll find with reloading, that he'll easily beat your $13 price, and get better ammo too (with practice).

One source of ammo:
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Brow...g=653***690***

Cheaper still:
http://natchezss.com/ammo.cfm?conten...e&ammoSize=262

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"They got us pinned down. How many of 'em are there?"

If he changes his mind there's about 500 guys on this forum willing to give him his money back and take it off his hands, myself included. That is a desirable levergun, and I am looking for one myself. I have a 2006 336 in .35 Remington, and it is my favorite. Tell your friend I'm jealous.

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Make it 501! I have a 1951 version ADL in 35 w/ballard and it is a sweetheart - well worth the 500+ I paid 2 years ago - and yes I do shoot it - he got a great deal and you did a fine job helping him out - pats on the back too you - jb

That's a great price if the rifle is in good condition.

The 35 Remington is the last of the Remington line of rimless cartridges that emulated the cartridges chambered in the 94 Winchester, these where 25/35., 30/30, .32 Winchester Special. There was a 35 Winchester but it was chambered in the 95 Winchester and is in a different class of cartridges. Remington offered cartridges in 25, 30, 32, and the 35 all based on the same case. The 35 Remington is the best of what are now called Deer cartridges. I have experience with both the 30/30 and the 35 Remington both are good cartridges but the 35 Remington has the edge thanks to the 200 grain bullet is is loaded with. When looking for a Deer Rifle the 336 Marlin in the 35 Remington would be my first choice. You mention Ballard style Rifling. there is nothing wrong with a Ballard 6 groove barrel in fact should your friend ever want to load cast bullets Ballard rifling works better then the Micro-Groove barrels. The Bottom line is your friend did good

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From Wyoming where gun control is how well you can aim.
Kenneth A. Crips Radio Station W7ITC, ARRL, Life member of the NRA

Just a note on the Dealers paper work disclosure etc.

I have bought a few (probably over 100 firearms in my life and NEVER has a Dealer put down the Production year on the documents. Possibly if it was (a example) "2006 Goat Getter Special" it would be listed as Model. but generally a firearm is described as Make Marlin Model 336 Caliber/Gauge .35 Rem and S/N 123456 but on a written reciept to customer it way just read Marlin 336 S/N 123456 $250.00 paid cash etc.

I don't think he intentionaly mislead anyone or misrepresented the rifle and the fact he was the only one who had ammo nearby indicates a decent inventory of ammo and probably a store who should be partronized(sp)

I love my 35 and I think from what you wrote your friend did well and will enjoy the lil .35 Now have the dealer order up a receiver sight(peep) and really enjoy the combo

-2sigs

For deer within 150 yards, you can not get a BETTER cartridge than 35 Rem. Others may be just as effective. But arguably none better!

One of the reasons I got a .35 was that it threw a heavier bullet, and IME it just anchors game with more authority. The soft tipped bullets are more accurate (in my rifle), have more downrange energy and shoot flatter, plus cost less in my area; what's not to like about that?