35rem or 30-30, honestly, whats better?

The best thing you can do is conduct a survey of all the deer that have been killed by either. They will tell you anything you need to know. (The truth is, I'm not sure if they would be certain which one they got shot with though)
 
I can't comment on the 35 Rem., as I have not shot it nor know many people who have. However, the 30-30 makes a good bush gun. Short range deer, 150 yards, and you've got venison in the freezer. The 30-30 still is a popular deer hunting cartridge; their must be a reason for that.
 
Honestly? who cares?
Both do the job well. Price of ammo, I'd go for the 30-30 unless I was shooting Moose with it, then the heavy slugs on Moose have the edge. If you want to blast yotes on the off season with the rifle then the 30-30 takes the nod.

PS. Dead deer don't know the difference. Oh and for those that think the 30-30 is a 150 yard or less are wrong. 200 yards for the 30-30 using the PMC Starfire as long as your rifle is accurate enough, not all are by a long shot (pun intended).
 
Unless you're likely to hunt moose or bear often and so want the bigger, heavier bullets, the 30-30 has the edge IMO. Even then, for a cartridge in that range, there really aren't any flies on the 170gr for SD and penetration. The 150's slightly better trajectory makes hitting out to about 225 easier, though neither is a ballistic missile by any means.

The 30-30 will be a little easier on the shoulder too, and ammo is ubiquitous. You can also play with the newer whiz bang LeverEvolution ammo from Hornady if you like.

Lastly, if you relolad or intend to, there are some great lightweight bullets in the 100-125gr range for smaller game in the 30 calibre.
 
It is a hard hitting short/medium range round with the traditional factory & handloads,
With the Leverevolution from Hornady it's only down 1.3 inches at 200 yards and 17.5 at 300. There's also lots of good information about handloading the .35 Rem at marlinowners.com and handloads.com

If it were me I'd buy both
 
the 35 rem is way better, if you can find ammo for it easily that's the one i would get. 200gr vs 150gr or 170gr the 200 wins every time, but as applefarmer stated " deer don't know the difference. you can get leverevoluion for a 35 rem, it worked VERY good in mine
 
I've had the 336 in a .30-30. Good rifle..it drops em pretty fast. I also have a .35 Whelan in a Rem. 700 CDL. Although it drops em fast, the range is limited to 300 yds, without sacrificing killing power. Recoil is very manageable(slightly less than the 300 Win Mag). Truthfully? I like em both. But, you can get .30-30 cartridges anywhere.
 
pharaoh2 said:
The best thing you can do is conduct a survey of all the deer that have been killed by either. They will tell you anything you need to know. (The truth is, I'm not sure if they would be certain which one they got shot with though)
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That's Gold right there. :D
 
Just think of a 35 rem. as a 30-30 that shoots a 200gr bullet instead of a 170gr. with the same trajectory.

As stated, factory ammo is everywhere for the 30-30, if you reload, it doesn't really matter though. If you don't, buy extra when you see it.

I bought my wife a 30-30(336), but I seriously considered a 35. Only reason I went with the 30 is it was her first gun, and I was concerned about how she'd handle the recoil. Add a limbsaver and it kicks like a 22. I'm sort of wishing I would have bought her the 35.
 
----Just think of a 35 rem. as a 30-30 that shoots a 200gr bullet instead of a 170gr. with the same trajectory--------


You should look at some ballistic and range tables!
 
only a fool would say the 30-30 is an not a deadly cartridge, but if I had to pick between the two I would personally go with the 35 Rem. At the closer ranges in which both cartridges are ideal, I think the slightly bigger caliber will give a bit more "thump", especially if pressed into service on moose or big black bears.
 
There isn't really a wrong choice, but if it was me, I would go with the .30/30. When you want more you could switch up to a modern high velocity number for open country or a powerful medium bore when chase a grizzly into the willows, but harvesting deer in the bush is what the .30/30 does well.

At the range a few days ago I picked up 20 once fired .30/30 cases, I don't come across .35 Remington very often, but I do know there's at least one here. The point is that .30/30 ammo or components are never difficult to source, but the same can't be said for .35 Remington.

From a performance point of view, yes the .35 factory load uses a bullet 30 grs heavier than the .30/30's 170 gr, but the bigger diameter of the .35's bullet means that it requires more mass to penetrate as deeply when the impact velocity is the same. If the bullets are of similar construction the upset will be similar giving the .35 the potential of a larger wound volume, but whether or not this matters on medium game could be argued endlessly.

The handloader has more options in either case and lighter bullets can be driven faster, which could be useful should you get a shot along a power line or lake shore. I would be inclined to load up a .30/30 as 2 shooter (one in the chamber and one in the mag) with 125 gr spitzers at 2600 if there was the likelihood of a longish shot.
 
Neither one is going to bang flop deer with lung shots etc Too slow a velocity! It comes down to hole dia and ammo availability unless you're a reloader.Dead's dead..............Harold
 
...I think the slightly bigger caliber will give a bit more "thump", especially if pressed into service on moose or big black bears.
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I agree - recently I replaced a 30-30 Marlin lever with a 35Rem Marlin lever for those reasons. I feel I have a bit better combo for my bush hunting now. Got no issues with the 30-30 though.

The 200gr Remimgton factory ammo works very well so you don't need to reload but it's better if you do. Federal and Winchester load it too. Just don't expect to see it for sale everywhere. Use 200s -not 150s.
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