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Looking at Marlin 336's over the weekend and I think I was hit with lever rifle fever again. I've owned a few Winchester 94's and a couple of 336's but for some reason or another I never kept them. Gentleman at the gun show was trying to tell me that although he has the .32 Special and .35 remington on his racks for sale as well...the .30-30 is the best choice of the 3 cartridges. I figured that there are more bullet choices for the .30cal...but do the other cartridges offer much more in velocity/energy? Reloading books show that they are all pretty similar...and the .30-30 would be the most economical if anything Now I just need to decide if I want a pre-safety Marlin or just a JM barreled Marlin once I decide the caliber...or just get all 3 and be done  "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | ||
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The 30/30 and 32 Win Special should be considered the same. The 32 throws a 170 grain bullet at 2380. The 30/30 throws a 170 grain bullet at 2200. These are averages of 24 inch barrels. If you want to be picky, then the 30/30 has better SD will hold velocity better. The 32 is .323 vs the ,308 of the 30/30. No one can argue any of this is a difference worth a nickel. The 35 Rem gives a bit more weight with a 200 grain bullet at 2200 FPS. The 35 Rem found new life in TC Encore pistols. You could load a 250 grain bullet at I guess 1800 FPS. You can find 30/30 ammo rolling around in your friend’s truck. If you care about that sort thing of thing. Take your pick. | |||
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Yes .30-30 ammo is very cheap and available compared to the others, especially the .35 Rem which would be better as primarily a reloading only proposition today. I suppose the .35 is a slight bit more powerful. But in reality the .30-30 gives you by far the most options when looking for a nice rifle. Besides everybody in the western hemisphere needs a .30-30.  Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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I could never tell where the 35 Rem killed any better than a 30-30, even the 30-06 or 300 Wby becomes a 30-30 at some point when the range increases, yet many think the 30-06 and the wby is a great killer at any range. They all run out of gas at some point. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I have had all three, and currently am working up loads for a .35 Remington with cast bullets, after having played with "our first wildcat," the .35-30, in a 1950s Model 94. If you don't reload or cast, I'd stick with the .30-30. There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | |||
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I'm going to move some items and just get one in each model/caliber so I don't have to decide  "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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Spoken like a true gun nut!  Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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I have the 35 and the 30-30. Never been a fan of the 32. That said they all work the same. | |||
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35 Rem factory loads are held to lower pressure (circa 33K) due to the possibility of ammo being used in weaker Rem Model 8 semi autos that are still in circulation. Most loading manuals reflect the same low pressure. Marlin 336's are fairly strong actions and loading the 35Rem to the same pressure level as the 30/30 will generally see an increase in velocity of approx 200fps. I've loaded cast 250gr pills to 2000fps. Loaded like this it is treading on the heels of a 358 and starts to show a reasonable difference over a 30/30. | |||
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I have them all and will always choose the 35 Rem, but if you want a 94, then that is out. Either the 32 or 30-30 are equal. I never consider buying ammo, which I never do. Make it. So, yes, get them all. | |||
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I have had a few Winchester 94's and I prefer the Marlin 336 style. I like to reload and own more than a few lifetimes worth of brass and bullets. I definitely want another .30-30 and a .35 Rem...and my guide gun needs the longer cowboy 9+1 model to go with it in the safe. I even held a 60's model 336-44mag over the weekend. These were discontinued quickly due to a jamming issue (something about the 336 action size was better for the .30-30 size cartridge over the .44 mag length). It was a cool rifle though...and would have been a quick trade into owning. I'd hate to get into a headache rifle though. "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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They stopped making the 336 in 44 when they brought out the 94; a short action made for pistol cartridges. Winchester did the same thing with their 94; I have one and have had others. While not optimum for pistol cartridges; they use a blocked off carrier; they do work; just not as smoothly as an action made for them. I never had any problems with them. | |||
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Plus the correct size Winchester 92's and Marlin 94's are both cool guns. But saying that the .44 Marlin 336 is somewhat of a rarity if that matters to you. For me the .30-30 is enough, I often take mine out during the late season deer hunt. I like them so much I have three! . Like potato chips you can't just have one. For some reason I feel like I'm really hunting when carrying one.I don't bother to reload for them anymore since ammo is so cheap especially when buying in bulk. Not much of a cost saving by reloading. There isn't anything in the American continent that hasn't been taken many times over including the biggest bears with a .30-30. A Roosevelt elk is my biggest kill with one and he went down in pretty short order. The 125 grain Federal load makes a pretty good short range coyote getter too. Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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Picked up a Marlin 336rc (1959) .30-30 yesterday in Amarillo. Very clean for the age..even came with a Vortex Scope lol. I passed on a couple very nice .35 Rems..I keep thinking about the .44mag 336...I'll see if it is at the gun show again next weekend I took the scope and rings off...going to put a Skinner sight on it and try to find the hole fill screws for the other 2 spots on the receiver. The buttstock has a little bit of up and down play. I checked the screws and they were tight. Pulled the screws off and it looks like the buttstock needs to be shimmed or bedded so that it will stay still. Cool to see that the stock is stamped with the SN# of the rifle. "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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The 30-30 is an excellent elk and Moose rifle if you keep the shots to under 200 yards, depending on your shooting skills...It kills these animals as well as a 30-06 or 338 at these short distances..Ive shot some very large animals with the 30-30 and they make about 20 to 30 yards, about like any other caliber.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Bugle, I know you will soon favor us with a photo or two of your new friend. There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | |||
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Hey Bill! I'll get some pictures posted up. a 1979 Marlin 1894 in .44mag came home today with me along with a Freedom Arms field grade 454 Casull Eventually I'll figure out what I like and quit trading things off. But the lever rifles are cool  "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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Thanks Ray! I ordered a few replacement screws for the gun from Numrich since the previous owner really chewed them up at one point trying to take them off. After that it is range time then hog time! Before the end of the year I'll have Skinner sights put on the 1894,1895 and this 336. I've never shot "great" with the factory Marlin sights...and the scope on my .45-70 just made the rifle lose the look I wanted. "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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Bugle, now with that .454 Casull you are ready to hunt rhino! Really. A friend had his hunt filmed and he shot the beast from a few yards. It just stood there for a while and eventually fell over dead. Much like a bison will. NRA Life Benefactor Member, DRSS, DWWC, Whittington Center,Android Reloading Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/ | |||
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You want a lever gun--get a Win 88 or a Savage99 in .308. Compare the ballistics of the spire pointed around 2800 fps to that of the 30-30 blunt around 2400 fps---no comparison. BTw have people actually killed deer with a 30-30? | |||
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I shoot the 170 grain bullets as my .30-30s as they all seem to like it fine. It has killed every deer I’ve put it on, except the couple I missed. If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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An old fellow here, long dead now, used both 30-30 and 32 spl his whole life. I wouldn't even guess the number of deer he shot. He was adamant that when a 30-30 knocked deer down it stayed down, but not always with the 32 spl, they might get up and run. His theory was the faster twist in the 30-30 was responsible. Never owned a 32spl, nor at this point use one enough to make up my mind if I did. | |||
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30-30 is better for ammo availability, by a considerable margin. The 35 wins for fun factor. Neither one of them would accompany "me" on an Elk hunt, but both work fine for deer. Just my .02 c. | |||
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I've done an informal survey hunting deer back east. Two calibers that stood out among others for anchoring deer were the 30-30 and 35 Remington. In it's infancy the 308 sucked because at first they didn't have bullets designed for it. See many well shot deer run forever with that round. It's cousin, on the hand, the 300 Savage anchored them to. I would see no differences in the 30-30 and the 32 Special. The 32 Special actually had a higher velocity with the 170 grain bullet then does the 30-30 with the same weight. | |||
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There has been a LOT OF DEER KILLED OVER THE YEARS WITH A 30-30, but even though illegal so has the .22 I have to agree that the best feature is the ammo availability. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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Of course the 88 and the 99 are more in all respect compared to the 94 and 336, but that's a given and not the question here.. I like the Win. 94 and the Marlin 336 in 30-30 caliber and have both, the only difference I see is you can mount a scope on the Marlin, and that's a positive factor and great for some..My 94s have peep sights and barrel mounted irons..I believe there is a place for each of them, and I use them all, mostly for Texas whitetail and sometime on Mule Deer behind my house..I liked the 35 Rem, but it was just a little more of the same, and brass is hard to come by from time to time.. I was not aware however that the Rem mod. 8, 81, was a weaker action than the 94 or 336, I shot the same loads in both..I liked the pump and auto Remingtons in 25, 30 and 300 savage and 35 REm...I have to challenge that statement inasmuch as the auto handles the 300 Savage and the lever guns do not, at least in factory persuasion, that in itself tells me the autos are plenty strong for the calibers they come in. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Put a little more money in and get the best of the bunch, the Win 64 in 30/30 | |||
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Well I guess because the Model 8 & 81 Remingtons being a weak action is why they loaded the high pressure 300 Savage on it huh? | |||
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Remington produced an Express load for the 35 Rem back in the 30's. They advertised a 200gr bullet achieving 2400 fps. The reason it was dropped was because the Remington semi autos were experiencing problems. Hercules used to list higher pressure loads for the 35 REM but these loadings were also dropped, again apparently because of the older Rem semi autos still in circulation. All the manuals now list relatively low pressure loads for the 35 Rem. | |||
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I believe the rifle that had special lower pressure 35 Remington rounds was the Standard Arms Model G. https://revivaler.com/standard-arms-model-g-m/ The Model 8 &81 Remington was certainly up to the task since the 81 was chambered in the 300 Savage a much higher pressure round then the 35 Remington even in express loadings. Using elevated pressure rounds beats the action unnecessarily. The only sure way to know is do a blow-up test and who really wants to sacrifice one of the old Remingtons. | |||
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If you want a plus 30 Winchester lever action which is a true step up from the 30/30 but below the 40s you have to go to the 375 Win, heavy 38/55, or the best of the bunch a 348 Winchester. If not limiting to tubular magazines then one of the Repo 1895s. I went with the 405. | |||
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Well the 375 would be a step up because it's still on the 94 platform albeit with a beefed up receiver which by the way shows the standard receiver isn't up to snuff for that round. The 348, come on, that's a different much stronger platform the 1886. My choice in the 1886 still would be the 45-70. | |||
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If someone can bring Remington Autos, 300 Savage, and Winchester 88s into the discussion, the I can bring the Model 71. Point being, of the three original caridges the OP asked about you get little to no difference in any of them. If you handload p, I am sure the 35 Remington either over book or with 250 grains bullets would make an argument as being more. However, a better solution than hot ridding a 35 Rem or any other cartridge is just step up in caliber/cartridge. I still would like to see pick Buglem of your pick. | |||
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I have been eyeing the Model 71 for months...but they are just out of my price range...each one I find is around $2100-$2400...I'm not yet ready to get rid of a Cooper rifle for one. I did locate a cache of brass and loaded ammo in .348 along with .50-110 brass that came from an estate. I hope it is still at the store if I ever do buy a rifle. It seems finding a large quantity of that brass and ammo is rare these days. I owned a Savage model 99 in .308 and at the time it was neat but I didn't keep it long. I should have. I do have a Browning BLR in .308 though.. "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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i owned a 30-30 win m94 and i killed alot of deer with. recently i gave it to JES and he rebored it to 35/30. it is now a shooter!!!! 200gr fn gc with 20.0gr of 2400/dacron can do 3 shots, 3/4" at 100 yards and it goes 1726fps avg. its more than enuff for deer. next, i'll go a 270gr bullshop stomper. https://bullshop.weebly.com/bullets.html http://www.35caliber.com/ “All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed — only to emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle.” ― Nikola Tesla | |||
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I can push a 215 grain cast bullet from a 32 Special at just a hair under 2000 fps with no issues what so ever. You know in that 35 of yours you can use regular rifle powders and you don't need any stinking Dacron. I can imagine who put you up to that! Oh and if I want something in the 35 caliber range I'll use my 9.3x57 with my cast 270 grains bullets. I can move them fairly bast too! | |||
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yep, but i have 12lbs of 2400. i use that in my 444 marlin and the 35/30. since i am hunting deer/black bear close up, i don't need the velocity. i can use my husky m46 in 9.3x57 and 280gr fn gc too. i use imr4895 in the 9.3. “All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed — only to emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle.” ― Nikola Tesla | |||
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Sounds like a plan!! | |||
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The mod 8 and 81 Rem is a stronger action than the 94, but both are suitable for the 30-30 and 38-55 but the REm was never in 38-55 and later went to the 300 savage and 35 Rem because it was a stronger action,..end of story.. The US border patrol at one time were issued Rem mod 8s in 25 Rem. and Im told in the rimmed 25-35 win.????? unusual, and never released to the public.. the 71 is a improved 1886 win. and stronger than the win 1886 by a tad, but not enough to impress anyone..both great rifles.. Comparing any of the aforemention calibers or rifles is a waste of ballistic intelligence, they are just too close to call.. but for agrurment sake the 30-30 is still the king.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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If you consider the 280 Remington equal to the 7mm magnum, then you'll believe the 30-30 is the equal of the 32 Special--there's actually more difference between the two. Winchester developed the 32 Special to provide a round somewhere between the 30-30 and the 30-40 Krag round in power; it incidentally turns out to be a better cast bullet shooter than the 30 but that's secondary to the original intent. I have both; with the new LeverEvolution ammo the difference is not as pronounced, but still there--the 32 Special shoots flatter than the 35 Rem, and hits harder than the 30-30 with factory ammo; even more so loaded to the same pressure. One thing they've got right: there are more bullet options for the 30-30, unless you cast your own. mind yer topknots! windy | |||
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