I am really wanting to pick up one of these old rifles, but I want a shooter.

As far as ammo availability, .35 Remington or .300 savage seem to be the only real options. Any thoughts on which caliber would be better in one of these old autos?

.35 Remington is a fine deer cartridge.  My father-in-law had a M81 back in the late 50's/early 60's.  He got rid of it when the bolt started closing on his thumb as he loaded it.

He like it though, killed deer and turkey both with it.  Said he never had to shoot a deer twice with it.  I heard another old timer at home say the same thing about the same rifle/caliber.

It's a John Browning design, too.

300 Savage will be more accurate; very similar ballistics to 308.  35 Remington is usually hobbled by round nose bullets.

However, finding a 300 that runs right might be a challenge.  It came out in 1940, then production stopped for the duration of WWII.  After the war Remington decided the Model 81 was too expensive to produce and built guns out of spare parts until they ran out in 1950.

I'd go 35 just because .  

Always can make practice loads with pistol bullets.

2 bonus points because they're takedowns and have a clip guide

I own a 1946 Model 81 chambered in .300Savage

neat rifle but my God does it kick like a mule, inherent in the design due to the long recoil design



I wouldn't mind finding another 8 or 81 chambered in .35 that was in good shape

Nice collection!!!

.35 kicks pretty good too.  I think.  I have one in a Marlin 336 lever and it is a deer death ray.   Well, I've killed 3 deer with it and they all went down hard.  Or easy.  However you want to say it.  The three I shot it with were all DRT.  The third one was a huge blessing because I missed the first two shots and it just stood there.  LUCKY.  The third shot got it.   Anyways....   It's a good caliber.  But I prefer shooting a .30-30.