[James Gates]

JFD....There is nothing unsafe about the two .35 Remington loads I mentioned! The 34 grs of Re7 is Ken Waters load for 200 gr jacketed bullets! That load pushes them at 2100'/"+/- and is the standard load used down here with 200 gr Rem CL bullets. One powder measure was set up for that weight, so we loaded the BTB 185 gr FNGC know it would be safe with the lighter cast bullets! The bullets were sized .358" and had been used to test the new BTB lube in 6" S&W 686 @ plus 1300'/" with 16 grs WW296/H110 (Marshall's favotite load). This 34 grs of Re7 out of the 22" Remington's barrel shot pretty good groups with minimum lead wash....and that's what we wanted to see! We dropped back to the Lee Dipper that dropped 28.2 grs of Re7 and found that load grouped as tight as the 200 gr jacketed load. With in 185 crimped in the groove with a Lee collet crimper, the bullet was slightly marked by the lands. About what I like when shooting cast. This is a Remington Mod 141 pump in excellent condition with a perfect barrel. Someone else will have to tell you about the Marlins.I would estimate the 34 grs of Re7 would be pushing the BTB 185 gr well over 2000'/", which is fast. The 28.2 gr maybe 2000'/". From what I have seen the 185 do, I would shoot a deer or hog in a heartbeat! What all this proves is you can push a BTB alloy bullet, with the new lube, fast!!!!
Best Regards, James

 

[James Gates]

Jack....Very interesting on the Rem.180 gr bullet. It just goes to show you what I have said about all these pictures of peferct mushroomed bullets....It's BS! When a bullet reaches a certian velocity impact limit it goes to pieces! That same bullet, with a factory load, holds together and penetrates great in the hanfguns and rifles chambered for .357 Mag. The word has come back to me from South Florida that the Hornady 180 HP/XTP is looking real good. As of yet I don't know what they are loading it at. I want to find out so the boys, during our tests, can compare it against our control load of 16 grs WW296/H110 and the BTB 185 FNGC is the handguns.
Now...As far as IMR3031 is concerned. If I could have only one powder for all rifle applications, it most likely be IMR3031. The only reason we switched over to RE7 for the .35 Rem is the tests that both Layne Simpson and Ken Waters did. For some reason it seems to be the most accurate load. I always thought it was a little on the fast side for 200 gr bullets, but that didn't pan out. They shot the 200 gr Rem CL with 37 grs of IMR for a velocity of 2080'/" in a 20" barrel at 34,000 psi. Well under the agreed working pressure of 40,000 psi for the Marlin 336 series. I feel that 34 grs of Re7, still under the 40,000 psi @ 2185'/" (20" barrel) is as hot as I want to go. We did run up some 45,000 psi loads in a Rem.760 with the Speer 180 gr spitzer, but accuracy fell off above 40,000 psi. Going back down to the 34 grs of Re7 in the Rem.760 with a 4X scope...it shot just as good a groups as any other caliber in that rifle.
Best Regards, James    Oh Yes, The "new" Hornady 200 still does not expand as we want it!....jcg

 

[James Gates]

JFD.....All these answers are right on the button!! To answer your question on what I thought would be the best full power load...As much as I like the BTB .358" bullet in the handgun, and it is interesting in the rifle, I would have to have the tried and true Rem. 200 gr CL....period! I think the factory load's velocity can be improved on, but I would still want that bullet.
However, I can't agree with those who say do not use a throat reamer on those rifles with a short throat or those shooters who want to use cast bullets. I have used throat reamers for years made by JGS in Coo Bay. I very much like the way they set up the leades. With an extension handle, is is very simple to touch up the throat and leades using a loaded round as a guide. The only care that must be used is to use a firm slow turn so the reamer does not chatter. When the rifle will accept the loaded round, about 10 tuens on the reamer backwards will burnish your work.
Best Regards To All, James