1st time loading 35 rem. for T/C Contender

[willymc]

I’m getting ready to load my first .35 Remington’s for my T/C Contender. I’ll be using once fired brass from the same Contender. I’ll be loading Speer 180 gr. Hot-Cor flat nose over 34.2 gr. H335. That is 10% below max. of 38 gr. and just above min. of 34 gr., in the Speer book. I plan to increase the load in .5 gr. increments until I’m just below the 37.5 max. load per the Lee manual. I plan to neck size only. The brass came from my T/C and the finished rounds will only be fired in my T/C. I’ve checked and the brass slips easily into and out of the chamber even before resizing. I am going to decap using a lee universal decapper then tumble with stainless steel in my rotary tumbler. I plan to lube the neck in a cup with graphite and lead shot. I’ll be resizing using a Lee collet neck size die. I’ll be hand priming with CCI #250 LRM primers. I’ll be using my Dillon 550 for the powder dispensing, seating with the Lee “dead length” seater, and finishing up with a light crimp using the Lee factory crimp die. I think I’ve got all my ducks in a row. Now to my question. Will a quick wipe, inside and outside the neck, with a cloth, be sufficient to clean off the graphite? Any other suggestions will be appreciated since this is my first time loading bottle necked rifle rounds.

 

[243winxb]

I dont think neck lube is needed for a Lee collet die. I never used one. When you get near max, a FL die will be needed. No need to crimp for a single shot.

 

[rcmodel]

NO crimp necessary or desirable for a single-shot pistol.

Crimp is used in tubular magazines to prevent bullet setback, box magazines on hard licking calibers to prevent bullet set-back, and military ammo used in full-auto weapons to prevent set-back.

Also used in revolver ammo to prevent recoil pulling the bullets out.

Your Contender is subject to none of those things.

You will get longer case life, and probably better accuracy with no crimp.

+1 on no neck lube needed with a collet die.
Neck lube is needed with a full-length die that has an expander button pulled kicking & squeaking back out through the sized case neck.

rc

 

[willymc]

COOL. Saved me a couple of steps. One more thing. After sizing, I won't be chamfering the inside on the case mouth. If the bullet doesn't want to go in, after resizing, I'll have to bell the case mouth slightly with the powder funnel in the powder drop die, correct?

 

[243winxb]

No bell on the 35, you need to chamfer inside the neck. After trimming, in and outside.

 

[willymc]

Looks like I'll have to go to the Trading Post here and see if I can trade my Lee factory crimp die for a chamfer/deburr tool. Thanks for all the help!

 

[mbopp]

I load a Contender in 357 Herrett, rimmed and just a bit smaller case than a 35 Rem.
For cheap practice I load 158gr .358" hard cast SWC bullets. Get yourself a medium 35 cal Lyman "M" die to put a bit of a flare on your resized case. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook lists loads for the 35 Rem, in the 357H I'm using 20gr of 4198.
Actually, I use the "M" die for jacketed loads also, it seems to let the bullets start seating square in the case.

 

[Dthunter]

If you "DO" lube the case necks with grafite, a quick couple of passes with a nylon case neck brush will clean it up fine.

You can necksize your cases even with a max load "IF" the case rechambers easily.
I neck size and run the cases through the barrel to prove the functionality.
It takes a few minutes but its worth the check.

Its good to maintain as much case/bore alignment as possible.
Neck sizing is just one of the techniques to minimize the resizing change.

35rem is a good cartridge for that rifle. I have used a contender carbine in .357Maximum to take many bears ,and deer. I wish I could find a 35 rem barrel here in Northern Canada. Dealers here just cant seem to get barrels with any kind of regularity. Darn it!

Straight shootin and keep it fun!

 

[GooseGestapo]

I think that you'll get better results from your Contender with H322 or H4895....Also try IMR3031 as it's the "classic" powder for the .35Rem.
Also, I've had poor results with the 180gr Speer bullet from either the Contender or M336 or Rem760. The Speer bullet is a bit "too hard" for the .35, better from the .358Win or .35Whelen, IMO. Also, the H335 will be accurate, but will come up bit "slow" for the Contender. Don't rule out LVR. It will give the best velocities with the 200gr and up bullets. I don't recommend anything other than the 200gr Rem.Corlokt or 200gr Sierra ProHunter from the Contender besides the Hornady 180SSP or the 158gr FnSpt's or 180gr Hp's for the .357mag/.357Maximum.

I suggest that you use the Hornady 180gr SSP. They had some "blems" for sale about a year ago. Didn't see any recently however.... This bullet is tailor made for the .35Rem/.357Herret Contenders.... They're devastating on deer from my .358Win at ~2,800fps but don't "blow up" as they're "Interloks"....
Besides, the Cannulure is in the right place for the .35Rem.

I wouldn't discard the Lee Factory Crimp die. The .35Rem cases are thinner than the .308/'06 family of cases. You may, especially with a slower spherical powder such as H335 get better accuracy from better ignition if using the factory crimp in the crimp grooves of the "true .35Rem" bullets...
Just my experience.....

Also, you may find the chamber of your Contender on the "small" side. A friends Contender required that I pull all of the bullets for "his" ammo, and grind down the bottom of his sizer die to get enough shoulder/head diameter set-back and diameter reduction to allow him to get his action to close on brass previously fired in other firearms....