35 XCB over LeveRevolution in M91 35 Remington

A while back (ok, a long time ago…. ) Tim sent me some of his 35 XCBs to test…..I finally got around to it yesterday……..

Tim cast them of his MBT in house alloy and HT’d or WQ’d them to a BHN of 27 according to my Lee tester. Tim can probably fill us in on the details. I sized them to .360, lubed ’em with 2500+ and seated Hornady GCs on them. In W-W Super 35 Rem cases primed with WLR primers I loaded them over 39, 40, 41 and 42 gr of LeveRevolution powder. The 42 gr load was at 100% load density.

Yesterday was a really nice day here with sunshine, little wind and hardly anyone at the range. Testing was done at 100 yards with 10 shot strings of course. I used the Oehler M43 each load. The M91 Argentine was rebarreled and finish chambered by me. The barrel is one of the pre threaded, short chambered 14″ twist 26″ SR Mauser Shilen barrels from Brownells. I did the rebarreling back in the late ’90s. It sports a Lyman SME aperture rear sight and I modified a Mauser front sight band for an M14 front sight. It gives a very good sight picture, one I am very familiar with. It has been a stellar performer with the RCBS 35-200-FN bullet at 2150 fps. I tool an excellent 8 point WT in Texas some years back with it. I also shoot a lot of Lee’s 356-120-TCs over 5 gr BE in it.

1st photo is the M91 with 2 groups (practice load) shot at 100 yads.  I was refining the zero and there is 1 moa rear sight adjustment between the right and left groups.

In years past I could hold moa with aperture sights. Not so anymore. My old eyes aren’t what they used to be and 2 moa for 10 shots is about it these days. I was pleasantly surprised at the overall accuracy of the 4 loads, on target anyway. Yet having the ability to measure internal ballistics demonstrates the difference that a even single 10 shot groups don’t. In the following data printouts of each load note the five “ES” figures (Velocity, Prf, Peak,, Area, Rise) under the “Summery” section; observe under the best load (42 gr) that they are the smallest and most consistent) . In the long run that load will produce the best and most consistent accuracy.

NOTE: The SAAMI MAP (Maximum Average Pressure) for the 35 Remington is 35,500 psi(peizo-transducer/strain gauges). Thus I would consider the 39 gr load at a measured 35,800 average psi as a maximum load for use in lever, pump and semi-auto actions. The remaining 3 loads should only be used in strong bolt or single shot actions.

2nd photo 39 gr load Oehler M43 data sheet; 2.75″ group

3rd photo is the 40 gr load Oehler M43 data sheet; 2.15″ group

4th photo is the 41 gr load Oehler M43 data sheet; 2.18″ group

5th photo is the 42 gr load Oehler M43 data sheet; 1.58″ group

As we see from the internal ballistics data the 42 gr load is where LeveRevolution begins to burn consistently under the 231 gr cast 35 XCB bullet. Also at a muzzle velocity (the M43 converts the screened velocity to muzzle velocity and is listed under the Standard Atmospheric Ballistics section) of 2314 fps LeveRevolution powder makes the 35 XCB bullet a real thumper out of a 35 Remington.
I would suggest anyone building a rifle in any standard 35 caliber cartridge such as the 35 Remington, 358 Winchester or 35 Whelen to use a 14 or 16” twist barrel.  There really isn’t much need for any faster twist.  The Remington factory M700 in 35 Whelen has a 16” twist and it shoots cast and jacketed bullets upwards of 300 gr just fine.

Another excellent NOE XCB bullet that performs well at HV.

Larry Gibson