If I load a 35 rem w/ 158 gr hornady xtp's in marlin 336, would it be considered a hunting or plinking round? If anyone has tried this, how well did the bullet group? I don't want to try anything out of the ordinary or push the limits of the bullet.
Better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Posts: 28 | Location: lenoir,nc | Registered: 02 January 2006
Depends on how fast you push the bullet. Each box of XTPs come with a slip of paper that give the velocity parameters for best performance with the XTP. With the .35 Remington you can exceed those parameters. I can assure you that at 2200 fps the 158 XTP out of a .35 Remington is a varmint bullet. They turn rabbits into 'bits. a bit of 'em goes here and a 'bit of 'em goes there! Guess it depends on what your "hunting" as to whether they were a "hunting bullet at that velocity. I would not use them on deer at that velocity. Accuracy was very good but I was shooting them out of a 26" barrel on a M91 Mauser.
Larry Gibson
Posts: 1489 | Location: University Place, WA | Registered: 18 October 2005
I wanted to hunt deer with the round but I know that I was borderline in what I was expecting the bullet to do. I just wanted to hear what others had experinced.
Better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Posts: 28 | Location: lenoir,nc | Registered: 02 January 2006