Lead Free 35 Remington Bullet Preferences

[jackstrawIII]

Hey guys,

Getting ready to start working up whitetail loads for the 35 Remington and would like some feedback regarding the lead free bullet options out there.

I've used monolithic copper bullets in higher velocity cartridges (2800+ fps) with good success, but am wondering if anyone has used them in a slower cartridge like the 35 Remington (~2000 fps). Impact velocity is a serious factor in the effectiveness of copper bullets... which causes me some concern.

Here's the question:
For those of you who've tried copper bullets in a slow cartridge like the 35 Rem, have you had better luck with the solid designs (GMX, TSX, etc) or the fracturing designs (Cutting Edge, Hammer, etc)?

Thanks.

[taylorce1]

First question I'd ask is what rifle are you shooting it from? If it's a single shot rifle or pistol use any solid copper projectile 200 grains or lighter. If you're shooting from a tube magazine I'd use Hammer or Maker Lever Rex bullets as they're made for tube magazines. As far as I know Hornady doesnt offer a GMX bullet in .358 caliber.

[jackstrawIII]

Taylorce1, it’s a Marlin 336. Been looking at the Maker bullets. They look similar to the Cavity Backs, which I’ve used. CB doesn’t make a 35 cal bullet tho.

I think I like the idea of a broad-expansion mono style (like the Maker or CB) vs a break apart style bullet (like the Hammer or Cutting Edge).

Any experience comparing the effectiveness of the two styles?

[taylorce1]

I've only seen what CEB Raptors do to whitetail deer, and they work very well. The .223 becomes very a effective deer rifles with the Raptors. However, out of a .300 WM it's too much of a good thing. I have no experience with low velocity cartridges.