Hornady 200gr Interlock RN from .35 Rem

[Hunter26]

The 200gr Interlock RN in the .35 Remington is becoming one of my favorite bullets. I have these loaded over IMR3031, Hornady brass, CCI primer & crimped with the Lee FCD. I haven't chronoed this load but I'd guess around 2000 fps. It shoots into 1.5 inches or less in my Marlin 336. I put one into the jugs at 25 yards and it expanded beautifully and held together very well. Weight retention was over 80%. That bullet is pictured below. Besides the deer pictured, I've also shot a smallish 6-pt with the same load several years before hand and he was a bang flop around 80 yards with a nice exit.

I used the same gun and load to shoot this nice 8 pt last year that I called Curly because of his unique browtines. I was only getting night time pics of him for about two months. Then on November 1st I got multiple daytime pics. I was in the woods on the 2nd but didn't see him that morning. While at lunch, he was at the stand! I cut lunch short and decided to get into the stand for a long afternoon sit. I figured he was still close by and decided to walk as slow and quietly as possible to the stand. I hadn't made it 50 yards towards the stand when I heard foot steps, but I was still several hundred yards from the stand on a narrow logging road. I caught movement coming my way in some young thick pines. I saw the rack of a shooter buck and took a knee. I waited for him to pass by one open spot and shot as I saw shoulder at roughly 30 yards. There was blood spray behind where he was standing and a really good blood trail led 30-40 yards to Curly! The exit is seen in one of the pics. I've never had a hunt like that before!

 

[HeathSexton]

The old 35 Rem is hard to top.

 

[SJB358]

Great buck and agreed, the 35 Rem is a great one.

 

[DrMike]

You did well and the old cartridge performed as it always has.

 

[JD338]

The ol' 35 Rem is a great freezer filler. Congratulations on your success!

JD338

 

[NYDAN]

Congratulations on your deer. I will have to try those bullets in my 358 Win.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Hard to not like that!! Great job, thanks for reporting the results!

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Congrats on making meat with an old classic that still gets the job done. 35Rem is one of my favorites. I had my Rem 760 sighted in with this same bullet but didn't get it to the woods.
Dan.

 

[PJGunner]

Congratulations on your deer. I will have to try those bullets in my 358 Win.

Make sure you test it on jugs or a bundle of wet newspaper before you use it on game. I used the wet paper and the bullet didn't fare all that well. I shot it in two Ruger M77s and a Browning BLR and M99 Savage. The two lever guns were decidedly more accurate than the two Rugers which I found surprising.
Paul B.

 

[RL338]

Nice buck

 

[sako2]

The 35 strikes again. Congrats on a nice buck.

 

[Guy Miner]

Congrats and thanks for the great write-up & photos!

I first used that bullet this year with the 360 Buckhammer - sadly for range purposes only so far. Accurate for sure. I pushed it to 2311 fps avg with book loads from Hodgdon's and got roughly 3/4" 100 yard three shot groups. Those old style round-nose bullets still work just fine where appropriate.

Enjoy that venison! Guy

 

[M1Garand]

Great performance and results!

 

[358Goat]

That's a nice buck ! I'm proud for you! I've killed quite a few deer with the 35caliber Hornady 200gr RN bullets out of my BLR in 358. My experience echoes that of many others in that it does well up close and personal but once it slows down a bit it is kinda slow to expand. There's an article somewhere on the MarlinOwners website about the different .35caliber bullets that are usable in the 35 Remington. His findings are the same as mine on the Hornady 200gr RN bullets in that they do their best work while velocity is at its highest. Out past a hundred yards wounds are not as severe and the animal may run a ways but blood trails are still still easy to follow. YMMV

358Goat