clayshooter25

That was a very informative post by Mr. Deer Hunter - Thank you! I'm getting differrent opinions regarding the .35 Rem in terms of what game it would be sufficient for, but the crux of my question pertained to the .308 vs the 30-06. From what I have heard on this site and what I have gleaned elsewhere, it sounds like the round that best suits my needs is the 30-06. Since I'd have the 30-30 for strickly deer in woodlots, the 30-06 would cover any "bigger" game needs should they arise (and I can only pray they they someday do).

Thanks,
Michael

Teddee5

Well, IMHO the 30 30 and the 35 Rem do differ. On low velocity rounds, the 30 30 is designed for a 150 gr bullet. The 35 rem for a heavier 180 and larger frontal diameter. Bigger is better till you get over 2800 FPS.
The old 270 was used for deer to moose adequately. One fine round, the 280 was IMHO much better than the 270, only due to the availability of bullet weights.
The by modern standards humble 7mm mauser was and still is a fine round as evidenced by the interest in tye 7mm/08, almost identical ballistics, especially in a modern 7mm mauser, as the shells are kept to a certain pressure level, due to the older guns still in existence.
The 7mm, 7mm/08, 280 all use the same diam bullet as the 7mm Rem mag. Must be something in that caliber as they all do a fine job. I personally like the 280 as it is almost the same as the 7mm mag, without the recoil and blast.. Interesting that the 7mm, 7mm/08, 308 and ought 6 all have the same case diameter. Probably as the 7mm was used as the basis of the ought 6 case, ought 6 longer. If you think that modern ammo is great, you should obtain a copy of cartridges of the world and see whay England and germany came up with in the 20's.

rjhans53

heck, go with a 338/06 or a 35 whelen (cept you'll have to roll your own more than likely), I sort of like the 338 fed and the 358 win they hit hard and critters seem to go down quick.

Sheridan

"Many years ago the .35 Remington was used on bigger game, but it is seen at its best when used on deer, black bear, and wild boar at ranges not exceeding 150 yards or so."

The Reloading Bench


I forgot about boars...........................and now there is Hornady's leverevolution ammo (200 yards).

BTW - in the old days every hunter had a 22lr, .30-30, .30-06 & a 12 gauge and felt they had everything pretty well covered.

8mm/06

I thought the 760 Gamemaster was a pump? Yes, I know it has a "bolt" assembly and carrier, but it's not a bolt action, is it?

homers brother

You are absolutely correct. The Remington 760 is a pump, not bolt action rifle.

I'm a little puzzled as well regarding the comment about the .35 Remington being "worthless" for elk or moose, and would completely disagree if it's being implied that the .30-30 is better.

And, having used a .308 with 180 grain CoreLokts twice on elk, I'm afraid I'd also disagree about that combination "failing miserably" on elk. That statement drips with drama, but it's not true. There are quite a few statements in this post that, in actual practice, can be disproven or excepted.

Armed with a .22LR, a 12-gauge, and a .30-06, you're set to hunt anything on this continent. Invariably, the argument here will ensue that the .30-06 is inadequate for big bears (the big bears are in AK and Canada, if you have money to arrange a hunt in either, you have money to buy yourself a specialized rifle). I'll go one more and suggest that most of the magnums I see down here set up for "elk" are handicapped for an Alaskan hunt by having too much magnification on top of them, anyway.

My recommendation would be this: Keep the .35. Even if your dad never used it, it has sentimental value. It's more functional than you may have been led to believe on deer and bear, even on moose and elk. Replace the .30-30 with a 30-06. Top it with a fixed 4x or a variable 3-9x scope, no more. If there's a "jack-of-all-trades", workaday caliber out there, it has to be the .30-06, IMO.

clayshooter25

I think this post has gotten slightly off target from when I orginally posted my question. The info that Homers Brother provides comes closest to what I had understood about the viability of the .35 Rem prior to my original question. When it comes to calibers, so much is based on personal experience and opinion. That's exactly why I posed the question on this forum in the first place. There is truly a wealth of experiece out there that I wanted to tap into.

If I can refocus the thread...

I'd like to keep my Model 94 30-30 because of its light weight for use on smaller tracts when strickly hunting Deer. I am/was considering selling-off the Marlin .35 Rem for a caliber that would serve me when hunting in areas that have Black Bear BUT that would also allow me to hunt Elk or Moose (again, not Alaskan, but Maine). I don't imagine that I'll ever get to Alaska or the NW Territory so I am not concerned with the big bears and if I do win the lottery, then I will be able to afford another gun (just as Homers Brother suggests).

So... Would the .35 Rem suit my needs? I'm thinking it wouldn't have the reach possibly required for a longer shot. If so, then does the .308 have the punch needed or is the 30-06 the better choice. I'm thinking strickly about the merrits of the calibers, not the easy availability of ammo in any Walmart, etc. Some other calibers have already been suggested, but please remember that I really don't want to carry a cannon.

Thanks Again!

semi

for the shots that about of 75% of people take, a 308 or 30.06 is just fine. Don't sweat it. Either will do the job. Personally, i have the 30.06 but would like a 308 as well but just can't justify it. Overall the 30.06 is probably better.. this is my opinion. The fact is you can get ammo at 150 gr, 165, 180, 220 which makes this a true work horse gun. Its great for whitetail but could be used on anything in the lower 48 with the right bullet. With the 308, you are limited a little more but it doesn't make it bad for hunting. I just know that if i go elk hunting, i will take my 06 with a good 180 gr bullet.. harder to do with the 308 but then again you could go with a 165gr.

homers brother

Given that clarification, consider that the .35 Remington (and for that matter, the .30-30) have been around for an awfully long time. They may have been state-of-the art back then, but today are probably not seen so positively in terms of capability. Some of that gap has been compensated for lately in the development of Hornady's FTX bullets.

By Hornady's data, a 200 grain, .35 Remington FTX drops just over 17 inches at 300 yards. In comparison, most "standard" calibers (.30-06, .308, .270, etc.) are dropping that amount 100 yards farther downrange. At 400 yards, the .35 has essentially become a mortar.

But, unless you're absolutely certain your shots on moose are going to be 300 yards or greater, there's little for you to gain in replacing your .35. And, if you can't hit a target at 300 yards with 17-some inches of drop with your .35, you're probably not going to do it at 400 or beyond with any of the standards.

Additionally, your .35 OR your .30-30 are adequate for black bears (I know many people who've killed them with .243s and 7mm-08s).

Now, mind you I'm not a fan of the .35 at all. It's probably one of the last calibers I'd consider adding to my collection. But, let's be objective here, unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket, I don't think you necessarily NEED a different caliber. What's a "longer shot" to you? - REALISTICALLY. If you can honestly say "over 300 yards", then you might want something different. And in that case, between the .308 or the .30-06, I'd take the .30-06.

clayshooter25

You (Homers Brother) make very good points about questionning what is long range. Living in the Northeast, long range "ain't that far" - - LOL! I have honestly never taken a shot over 100 yds either in the field or at a range. While I may not be compelled to replace the Marlin, if it sells, I will have sufficient funds to purchase another firearm (I've sold a number of other firearm related items toward this same cause). I'm leaning toward a Winchester Model 70 if the gun sells (hey, there's another thread if I ever saw one ) OR a Marlin XL7C if I pull the trigger before it sells. Given everything I've heard above, I see no downside to the 30-06 and that was the point of this thread.

Thanks to everyone for your input!