Remington Model 81

[rromeo]

You found 150 grain .35 Remington loads? Wow. They almost never load that anymore. A quick internet search shows that they do indeed still make it. But it is NOT an ideal choice for this caliber. I pretty much stick with the 200 grain round-nosed bullets simply because within the effective range of this cartridge, the difference in ballistics between a spitzer and a round-nosed bullet is negligible. And this cartridge made its name using the 200 grain bullets to drop game more effectively than a .30-30 with a lighter bullet. These days, you are most likely to find factory ammo from either Remington or Hornady. I believe Federal does some seasonal runs too, but not often. In terms of a preference? You are unlikely to see much difference between any of the brands. I haven't really noticed any.

If you reload for this one, you can play around with several different bullet weights and styles if you like. Given the range limitations, I don't know how much you will gain, but you can use spitzers in the Model 81. That also means you can use some of the lead-free varieties for hunting if you need to. Just remember that many of the .35 caliber bullets are designed to open at much higher speeds that you will be getting out of the .35 Remington.

-Mb

Yeah, 200s are all I've ever used in my levers. I have a bunch of RN bullets, as well as a few boxes of ammo from Federal, Hornady, and Remington. I didn't know what else to use the pointed bullets in except the 8 or 81.

[Wyatt Burp]

I snagged a 1949 Model 81 right before they went through the roof. A local shop was selling a collection of 8s and 81s for $200 -$300. This is a .300 Savage. Easy to break down in seconds using a dime for a screwdriver. This is a great shooting historic gun that I'd never ever sell. It kicks harder than my light Savage 99, also with metal buttplate, probably because f that barrel slamming back in recoil. It's worth having one just to hear all that clanging of steel when you shoot it.

[Discogodfather]

I rarely am interested in non-military firearms but the 81 is a special case. It seemed so far ahead of it's time, and it's still a viable rifle. I love the .300 savage cambering, that round is always in everyone's top five underrated cartridges. It's basically a .308 in terms of ballistics.

Can you imagine if the US army had actually adopted this rifle when it was introduced? Semi-auto .308 fire power 50 years before the M14. Totally ignored potential.

Does anyone remember a guy who made these weird military style Model 8 and 81 rifles? I saw some of his rifles on gunbroker a few years back but have lost track. He basically recreated some of the models ordered by the Army for trials in the mid 20's and even made some period correct imagined sniper versions, it was very cool.

[hambam105]

Recoil:
When you get old, have surgeries out the ying yang, birth defects, blah blah, then recoil is a consideration.

As for the rest of the readers concerned with the robust & brutal recoil on a Remington Model 8...I see airsoft and virtual shooting range activities.

[rromeo]

I rarely am interested in non-military firearms but the 81 is a special case. It seemed so far ahead of it's time, and it's still a viable rifle. I love the .300 savage cambering, that round is always in everyone's top five underrated cartridges. It's basically a .308 in terms of ballistics.

Can you imagine if the US army had actually adopted this rifle when it was introduced? Semi-auto .308 fire power 50 years before the M14. Totally ignored potential.

Does anyone remember a guy who made these weird military style Model 8 and 81 rifles? I saw some of his rifles on gunbroker a few years back but have lost track. He basically recreated some of the models ordered by the Army for trials in the mid 20's and even made some period correct imagined sniper versions, it was very cool.

Not exactly. The 300 Savage came out in 1920, and was first offered in the Model 81 in 1940.


Anyway, I finally got around to picking up my 81 from the FFL. It's not terrible, the receiver and barrel shroud need to be stripped and refinished, but the bore isn't ruined.

[Bainter1212]

I finally bought an 81 the other day, chambered in .35 Remington. Will pair up nicely with my JM Marlin 336 also in .35

[rromeo]

The Marlin is what got me started with 35 Rem. Actually, something about .35 " bullets attracts me. I have a few 357 Mag revolvers, more than a couple 9mms, a Winchester 1907 351 WSL, 35 Whelen, and of course the 35s.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

The French did adopt the Model 8 for WWI. I believe they went with the 35 Remington model. Of course, they were grabbing anything that could shoot at that point, much like the Russians. It saw, IIRC, limited use in the trenches because of a lack of ammo and a susceptibility to mud. It was mostly used on trench raids when the semi-auto was a major advantage, and for guarding prisoners.

The .300 Savage was originally developed to mimic the .30-06 cartridge in the Savage 99 rifle's shorter action. It was only 100 fps slower than the standard .30-06 loads at that point in time. I believe it was originally loaded with a 150 grain bullet moving at 2,600 fps.

As for Spitzers in .35 Remington, you can also use those in the Model 14 or 141 pump action rifles. They have a tubular magazine, but it has a spiral design that keeps the point of the bullets off of the primers in front of them. But again, I would steer clear of the 150 grain loads for hunting. They have a horrible sectional density.

-Mb

[rromeo]

Just back together. It was well worn, so I had it Duracoated.

[hambam105]

My Grandpa tried to convince me into buying one. I thought it wouldn't be powerful enough and the bullets would just bounce off the paper targets.

Non of the current gun magazines that I ever read never mentioned anything about these rifles so how could they be any good for deer hunting? Kids.