Considering a 30/30, would like input from any owners

[ATCclears]

I'm leaning toward the Marlin 336C.
<broken link removed>

There is also the Winchester 94.
<broken link removed>

What say you?

Thx,
Peter

Read More

 

[Nwcid]

Pre '64 Winchester or Marlin.

I have both but overall more of a Marlin fan.

 

[RVTECH]

The Marlin is no doubt the 'better' rifle, the Winchester is a little lighter, trimmer and comes up to the shoulder more naturally. There seem to be a lot more Marlins than Winchesters on the used market though so if that is what you are after you may have better luck with the Marlin.

 

[bikejunkie]

can't go wrong with a Winchester 94 though- great rifle. I inherited one from my grandpa and love it

 

[Crazyeye24]

I really like my Winchester!!

 

[Redcap]

Marlin 336 is an excellent levergun. Side eject too, so you can scope it if necessary.

 

[jp1985]

id second the Winchester i have owed both the marlin and the Chester. I like the marlin because you can mount a scope on the top, and it ejects shells from the side but the marlin weighs more than the Winchester especially if you scope it out. I Like to keep my Winchester light for brush hunting and if i need a scope then i will switch to my .308 or my 0'6. Just my .002. JP *edit* I just forgot if your gonna get a Marlin get an older one before Remington made them into junks guns.

 

[RVTECH]

Please do not make a decision just because you can &#8216;scope' it. A lever gun (especially in the standard lever calibers) should not be scoped. It takes away from the inherent handiness and practicality of a levergun. Handle both and make your decision on what you like best. I own both but prefer the Winchester for reasons previously stated. As I said before use a lever gun as you would a muzzleloader &#8211; a 100 yard rifle. If you need a scoped rifle pick up one of your bolt guns.

 

[Bigbaddude]

I would go with the Pre 64 Winchester. I love mine and you can always sell them fast if you need $$$$.

 

[Izzy]

I have owed several of both. I still have a few Marlins, & sold all but one Winchester. The one I didn't sell, I gave to a good friend of mine!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Marlin 336C! It was my first deer rifle and I just bought one for my son. Get a used rifle. The older ones are much higher quality than the new ones.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Well, if you are in the market for an accurate 30-30 I say that you should go with a Savage bolt action.

 

[woodencrossIII]

hey there peter the 30-30 is a great little round, capable of taking majority of all north american big game, this is true but within certain distances, ur post asked what we thought of the 30-30, are u already sold on what rifle u want or is that still an option? i personally have owned several 30-30 rifles in the past. i personally like the littl savage model 340 bolt action. it come siwht a 3-4 round detachable mag, and is light and handi. these can be gotten anywhere from oh 75$-225$ just depends on condition. i picked one up for 150$ just the other day and its in about 80% condition. if ur wanting a lever gun and it seems u may have that already in mind a brand new marlin 336 is always a great gun. there not to hi priced and its gonna be accurate enough for ya to kill deer elk and bears. if u plan on scoping it then the marlin seems to be the easiest for doing so since its a side eject rather like the winchester model 94 is top eject. but the winchesters can be mounted with a scope on the side of the reciever i have seen this done, but not too practical. another thing is ammo. back just before about 5 yrs ago all we had on the market for sporting ammo was flat points and round nose bullets in factory ammo. now days they came out with the hornady leverevolution ammo which has incorporated an elastimer tip thats soft and plyable so while using pointed bullets in the old tube fed lever rifles it wont chain fire from hitting the primer. if u look up this ammo and read reviews even for the 30-30 u will be impressed. it gave the 30-30 an edge that it never had. so hope this helps plus i killed my first deer with a 30-30 and yep it killed him lol

 

[LarryM]

I'm new here to NWF but have been shooting a very long time. I've owned both the Win.94 and the Marlin 330A and the 336C. Personally I prefer the Marlins. Nothing at all against the Winchesters it's just a personal preference. I still have the 336, it belonged to my deceased father and it will be passed down to one of my sons as well.
With the new Hornady ammo the 30-30 can REALLY reach out there now so it's a good choice! Good luck to you!

 

[mjbskwim]

I have my dad's pre '54! M94 Winchester,but if I was to buy another lever gun to actually use,I would go with the Marlin (not the brand new Remlins)
Maybe an older Winchester if you could find one at a reasonable cost

 

[orygun]

Wow! a lot of opinions, but no one asked what you want the gun for...

To me, the 30-30 is a very capable cartridge, especially when shooting at 150 yards or so for a max. If your uses fit this category, buy either!

I've owned and shot both and they are both good platforms for the 30-30. Same with the Savage/Stevens bolt action 30-30s, or even the Savage 99!
It's true that the Marlin is easier to scope, but that doesn't mean you can't scope an earlier Winchester. The Winchester I now own once had a "Scout scope" on it.

Notice how I said "the Winchester I now own"? I'd buy another Winchester first, but that's probably because I grew up shooting a Winchester 1894, not a Marlin!

 

[Bon Sauvage]

If you have the coin a Ruger No. 1 in 30-30 would also be a fine choice.

 

[BillyDa59]

A lot of people are going to hate me for this, but I really think 30-30 is a poor choice of cartridge today for ANY rifle. Basically, you're buying medium power at the cost of high power ammunition. I just figured it'd be worth noting. Most 30-30 fans probably aren't worried about price as much as I am though.

Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy your new rifle.

 

[MikeE]

How about take down/cleaning of the Winchester. My Marlin is very easy. The Winchester seemed harder, but I'm probably missing something...

 

[ATCclears]

Thx for all of the input.

First, I've always wanted a 30/30. I just like them. Perhaps it is a stupid infatuation.

Second, the mission. I think it would be useful in a SHTF situation for deer. I have a Bushmaster AR-15 for defensive purposes, but I think one could also use the 30/30 in a pinch in that it is still a hard-hitting round and one could get off multiple rounds pretty quickly with a bit of practice.

I'll probably go with the Marlin 336C based on the feedback here. I don't plan to put a scope on it.

Peter