hammertyme
Well-Known Member
25 years ago now I looked and looked for reasonably priced 35 Newton cases as I wanted to build a gun in this caliber. Alas I had to settle for a 358 Alaskan because the brass was readily available.
Must be 4-5 years ago now a friend here in Kodiak called me and wanted to know if I had heard of a 35 Newton. I answered Yes why! He had just acquired a large box of odds and ends of which a set of RCBS dies and 8 boxes of Speer brass for 30 and 35 Newton were present. He wanted to know if I wanted them? Yes! I stopped at the bank on my way to my riends house. I had absolutely no idea the worth so let my friend set his own price. I think I paid $40. but no more than $80. for the lot. I then called a collector friend on the Newton brass!
When I got the find home I called the oldest active smith I knew to see if he had a reamer for 35 Newton. He did so I sent a 16" break open barrel blank I had to Harry McGowen in Illinois to be chambered!
History- I love history and always have. Gun history is even more special to me. The 35 beltless Newton cartridge came at the hands of Charles Newton in the year 1915. Newton many consider the father of the high pressure cartridge ( 22 Savage Hipower and the 250X3000) designed actually the 375 Ruger case nearly 100 years before the cartridge came out.
In that the 35 Newton case is 2.520 long and has a diameter of .525. I have had a couple of reloading books from ideal and Belding and Mull that had at the best limited reloading data. Since I acquired the Speer brass I figured that they may have had some reloading data. I spoke with members at Speer and they new nothing including if there was more than one run of brass. Having followed a number of websites and particular Speer reloading books for years I finally found a Speer # 1 reloading manual for sale and asked the seller if 35 Newton data was in the book? Yes extensive was the answer along with 22-3000 Lovell, 243 Rockchucker,285 Luft Magnum. I bid so high on this supurb manual no one was going to get it.
Nosler has announced and I called them to confirm, they are coming out with a 200 grain Accubond in 35 caliber in March. I put the barrel back on one of my frames and loaded up some bullets to shoot yesterday in preparation of the new Accubond bullet. I suspect if all is well I will shoot this combination for Sheep and Goat this year along with a griz if he walks by.
Had to drive 50 miles to find a beach I could get to for a bit of shooting. Record snows have curbed winter shooting this year.
Neal