Hunting In Africa With The Remington Model 8 rifle

[sestoppelman]

Not my piece but the admin on the Remington Model 8-81 forum. I thought it might interest this bunch.

I have owned several of these rifles and they are pretty neat guns. Currently only have one, a Model 8 in .25 Remington. I call it the Frank Hamer Special as that was his personal favorite rifle and caliber. Hamer of course was instrumental in ending the Bonnie and Clyde crime spree.

The Great Model 8 & 81 » The Model 8 in Africa

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Thanks for sharing this! An 8 or 81 is still on my bucket list. Just prior to covid I won one on GB, then balked when they tried to significantly up the shipping. I am sooooo kicking myself for that now.

 

[Sarg]

One was on my list also, in .35 Rem but after the Big Shoot Up we lost all our semi auto center fire rifles, the worse of it was handing in the ones we had, knowing they are going to be crushed, I lost heaps but the .401 1910 Win was plain sad !

 

[typilotguy]

Years ago, I saw one at the Cabela's in Dundee, MI. There was just something about that rifle I liked. The price was good, even then (ca. late '90's, early 2000's), but I just could not afford it at the time. Really wish I could have, but hey...it gives me something to search for at the gunshows and such.

 

[BeeMaa]

Oh lord, now we are gonna have to hear about the great 35W from @Bob Nelson 35Whelen and how it should be the new legal minimum for DG.

In all seriousness, the 35REM is anemic at best in factory loads with a muzzle energy for most of them below 2000 lb-ft. I'd take a 35W with a muzzle energy of 3000 lb-ft at a minimum, with as much as 3500 lb-ft or more depending on how far you want to push it.

It sounds like Barton Hepburn was quite the marksman with a model 8 in 35REM. Hard to argue with that kind of success.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

As a sample-of-one counter @BeeMaa... I shot my largest moose (around 60") with a 336 in .35 Remington, shooting the 220 grain Buffalo Bore loads. That said, I agree it's better suited for smaller stuff. With a good load and personal restraint, it can do it though. I have considered taking a Model 141 in that caliber to Africa sometime, for medium plains game, at a hundred and a quarter or so.

I do acknowledge that a .35 that does not end in "Whelen" is heresy for some.

 

[sestoppelman]

One was on my list also, in .35 Rem but after the Big Shoot Up we lost all our semi auto center fire rifles, the worse of it was handing in the ones we had, knowing they are going to be crushed, I lost heaps but the .401 1910 Win was plain sad !

I have one of the .401's too, neat old rifles.

 

[TOBY458]

The 35 Remington is a nice old cartridge. I've hunted with one for a couple of deer seasons here in Georgia. Mine was a Marlin 336 Lever gun. It's not a dramatic killer on deer sized game, but will do the job. I'm sure with some good heavy loads it would work ok on most PG at short distances.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Not my piece but the admin on the Remington Model 8-81 forum. I thought it might interest this bunch.

I have owned several of these rifles and they are pretty neat guns. Currently only have one, a Model 8 in .25 Remington. I call it the Frank Hamer Special as that was his personal favorite rifle and caliber. Hamer of course was instrumental in ending the Bonnie and Clyde crime spree.

The Great Model 8 & 81 » The Model 8 in Africa

@sestoppelman
Where does the 25 rem sit on the 25 cal ladder. Is it 25/35 power or 257 Roberts
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

As a sample-of-one counter @BeeMaa... I shot my largest moose (around 60") with a 336 in .35 Remington, shooting the 220 grain Buffalo Bore loads. That said, I agree it's better suited for smaller stuff. With a good load and personal restraint, it can do it though. I have considered taking a Model 141 in that caliber to Africa sometime, for medium plains game, at a hundred and a quarter or so.

I do acknowledge that a .35 that does not end in "Whelen" is heresy for some.

@Tundra Tiger
Nothing wrong with the smaller 35s mate. The 35 rem is a great round loaded with the new flex tips. Works a treat on big pigs and deer. Like anything used within its parameters and it does the job.
A 35 cal hole beats a smaller hole any day.
Bob

 

[sestoppelman]

@sestoppelman
Where does the 25 rem sit on the 25 cal ladder. Is it 25/35 power or 257 Roberts
Bob

Hi Bob, its the same as the .25-35 Win, in fact when first introduced in the rifle, they called it the .25-35 Remington, which of course led to some confusion and it was changed to .25 Remington. Its a neat little round and I really enjoy shooting mine.
Here is a pic of my model 8 and the .25 Rem next to a .30-30 Win.