I am looking to buy a deer rifle - the gun I am looking at comes chambered in .35 Remington or .30-30. I found some articles nostalgically extolling the virtues of the .35 Rem. I was about to bite but did a ballistics comparison and I am struggling to see how the .35 Rem is a better choice:

.35 Rem (Remington R35R2 - 200 grain @ 2080 muzzle fps):

Velocity at 100 yds - 1698 fps
Energy @ 100 yds - 1280 ft/lbs
Energy @ 200 yds - 841 ft/lbs
Trajectory @ 50 yds - +0.5"
Trajectory @ 100 yds - zero
Trajectory @ 150 yds - -3.5"
Recoil - 13.5 lbs

.30-30 (Remington R30303 hollow point Core-Lokt - 170 grain @ 2200 muzzle fps):

Velocity at 100 yds - 1895 fps
Energy @ 100 yds - 1355 ft/lbs
Energy @ 200 yds - 989 ft/lbs
Trajectory @ 50 yds - +0.3"
Trajectory @ 100 yds - zero
Trajectory @ 150 yds - -2.7"
Recoil - 11 lbs

The differences aren't dramatic but it looks to me like the .30-30 has a flatter trajectory, more energy and less recoil (plus it is easier to find) - am I missing something?

Thanks in advance, Doverham

Larger hole and 30gr more weight. The .35Rem will fling 180's out at around 2200 and still punch a bigger hole.

Admittedly, I am a HUGE 35 caliber fan, so FWIW.

Doverham,
Just buy one of each.
Mike

At low velocities I tend to like to make a big hole going in so I tend to favor the .35 Remington over the .30-30. That said either one is will do the job you want so just pick the one that suits you best.

Jerry Liles

For many years, I was a disciple of the Roy Weatherby school of lighter bullet and high velocity. Then I started easily killing my deer with a low velocity round ball fired from a flintlock. Given equal shot placement, the deer were dropping just as fast, if not faster than those I shot with high velocity cartridges.

I looked at the ballistics of my anemic .50 cal round ball. It just didn't make sense. There was no reason that something with less K.E. than the mild .30-30 should kill with such authority, but it did... over and over and over. With the .35 Rem, I don't know that a .050" increase in caliber means all that much to killing game, but the extra weight certainly gives better penetration. My current centerfire deer rifle is a .45-70, and the .50 cal. flintlock is still my favorite.

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like it comes down to a variation on the theme that Bigger is Generally Better.

Mike - I tried the one of each one approach with shotguns. It gets pricey in a hurry!

Are you picking between these two because it's a short range brush rifle. When it comes to ballistics, the .35 Rem may shed velocity and energy quicker than the .30-30, but if it's recoiling at around 20% more, then there may be more ballistic oompf at short range. On the other hand, either is plenty.

I like the .35 Remington for what it is. If it's new to you, it's not the worst thing to try out just for fun. I doubt most would notice much recoil problems. Lever gun?

Have not looked for .35 Remington ammo lately. Is it readily available? Certainly .30-30 is.
Chuck

I am looking for a shorter range brush rifle for New England whitetail primarily. My father had a Marlin 336 in .30-30, and shot his first deer with it. It was the first centerfire rifle I shot (back in the day and place when I could walk out the back door and shoot a centerfire rifle), so there is a bit of nostalgia involved in the choice.

.35 Rem ammo can be found, but is not as available or varied in offerings as .30-30.

Kittery Trading Post has a few used pre-safety 336s for sale - I am hoping to check them out next week. Yes, these are lever action.

For short range deer, I would prefer a .44 Magnum to either. Shorter package, at least in a Marlin or Ruger. Kills them DRT. Ammo very available in a wide variety of loads. Similar felt recoil. Plenty accurate. Just my opinion.

That would be a great rifle in either caliber. Nostalgia is a fine reason for inspiration in firearms decisions. It is probably safe to say that the older the Marlin the better, given equally high condition. Pre-safety is just scratching the surface of Marlin lever guns.
Mine is a M-36, just prior to the 336 and was originally a 30-30. I converted it to .38-55 and did much unnecessary custom work on it for the sake of nostalgia. It is a great rifle but has stopped me from buying a .35 Remington several times over the years simply because I already had a .38-55. The last .35 Marlin I had I swapped for a GSP puppy I named Willamette Sam, a fine dog for sure.

i have a m36 marlin 30 30 i think the 170 30-30 has the same muzzle energy at 100 yards as the 44 mag does at the muzzle.i used it a lot for deer hunting worked perfectly.i even used cast bullets for informal shooting.30 30 would be my choice.

Check out the savage 99s. Brings in a lot more classic deer calibers in a livelier and more accurate rifle. I just aquired a 99f. featherweight, .308., 22 in barrel, what's not to like.

Another one to consider is Mini-Mauser CZ 527 in 7,62x39. If accurate with Cor-Bon 150gr soft point would make wonderful brush/woods deer rifle. Winchester, S&B, Federal make 125gr soft points in that caliber.

Thanks for the comments, all. Kittery Trading Post had a nice condition 336 in .35 Rem, with sling studs and scoped with a 2-7x RWS scope for just over $400. I couldn't resist so I took her home with me. I hope to go for a test drive with some Leverevolution ammo next week.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a 35 caliber fanatic. My first levergun was a 336 in .35 Rem...umm, 1960(?) vintage...have to check my files.

It seems a fair price from what I've seen lately.

They plain, flat out work.

Enjoy!

Edited to add: Here's me and my 336 and a pretty fair sow....umm, 2010 maybe?

They got hogs in Minnesota! Most of us dread the thought in Montana!

That iron sighted rifle is just the ticket for pig shooting…If I didn't already have a .38-55.
Congrats to Dover for getting a new gun. A guy outa get a new gun every once in a while. I just got another SAA .44 I'd like to shoot at a pig like that with it, but not in MT!

SDH, None sighted yet--thank goodness. That sow was a Missouri resident.

The .35 Rem. on a Marlin repeater is an excellent choice! If there is a drawback, it's from the standpoint of reloading supplies. The one weak spot in the .35 Rem. is it's lack of bullet selection. But when you are using a lever gun with tube magazine, even the .30-30 has a greatly reduced choice of bullets that will work.
I've used both to take deer and they both worked extremely well. I like the lighter bullets, as out West I hunt areas where longer shots are common. The lighter bullets in a .35 still are pretty heavy, and slow. The 130 gr. Speer in my .30-30 can easily be pushed over 2500 fps, and my favorite load is at 2600 fps. Very flat out to 200 yds. or farther.
I also am a huge fan of the old hyphenated rounds like .32-40, and .38-55, and hunt with both. Even at slower velocities in the 1400-1500 fps range, they have both proven to be deadly out to 150 yds. I'm sure they will take game even farther, but I don't push them farther for deer.
A .38-55 in a Ballard #8 took this decent mule deer at 140 yds. a few years back:

I own, shoot and hunt with both 30-30 and .35 Rem. lever action rifles. I load all of my ammo, using either jacketed or cast lead alloy bullets that I pour myself. I prefer the .35 Rem. and its larger diameter, larger flat-nose bullet for deer. But, if you will be relying on purchasing your ammo; I would strongly recommend that you go with the 30-30. -Ed

I agree with Hoot--the 35 Rem. kills almost out of all proportion to what you would expect. I have relatives going back three generations who are sold on it, and all agree it usually puts deer down where they stand. Definitely more authoritative than the 30-30 which itself has killed trainloads of deer. It may be going the way of the passenger pigeon, but NOT in the eyes of those who have actually used it!! Steve

A discussion similar to Ford vs Chevy. They're gonna get you where you're going and maybe a BMW is nicer but they all get the job done. I love the ( and my) Marlin lever guns. Don't forget to get a .22 to accompany it. My 39, 39-A, and 39AS all shoot as well as Coopers and Kimbers. My .30-30 of choice right now is a Savage single shot with 26 inch barrel and my .35 is a Contender. I imagine you will not be disappointed with your new 336.

Thanks all for the comments and feedback. I had a chance to shoot it last month with the 200 grain Leverevolution ammo. That is an impressive caliber and round - and I was surprised that the recoil was as manageable as it was.

If you're somewhere (like East TN) where there are bear and boar as well as deer, the 35 is a far superior choice. Bigger, heavier bullets kill better in the thick East TN brush where you never have a shot at over 75 yards or so. And they leave a bigger hole and conversely easier to follow bloodtrail.

Generations before and shortly after WW2 favoured the 30-30 for deer in Nova Scotia. Then madness set in. My hunting buddy and I have used Savage 250-3000 the last 50 years with no reservations of its performance. Most shots in eastern North America are relatively short-range, under 100 yards. Deer hunters are over-gunned.