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Marlin 336 30-30 pros and cons

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I noticed decades ago that Marlins came in different Models. Some had much thicker forearms and looked beefier. They made different versions of the "94 as well. I don't use my 94 much anymore but a 30-30 makes a great woods gun. Lever actions were popular when I was a youngster. There were a variety of versions and brands like Savage and Winchesters that looked like Savages and shot modern cartridges as well.
 
I put my marlin stock on a diet when I built it for my marlin refurbish project.

before (picture really doesn't do justice to how rough it was. Particularly how poorly fitting the wood to metal fit in the tang.
jV3Kbi3.jpg

after
omYz4qb.jpg
new stocks, cerakote, action work, butter scope and mounts, recoil pad.... I like the straight grip stock, but I wish it was in 35 remington rather than 30/30
 
One has to put all criticisms in their proper context. Several people have remarked that the 336 is heavier, less accurate, etc than modern bolt guns. These are both true, but the 336 came out in the late 1940s, and is still being sold mostly unchanged from that time. This makes it a relatively NEW lever-action design. The Marlin 1894 and the Winchester model 94 both came out in 1894 ... and are still being sold mosty unchanged from that time.
The nature of the lever action itself means it will always be heavier than a bolt gun. A bolt action is just the bolt running back and forth in a glorified tube, whereas the lever in a lever action needs a solid pivot point to work on the bolt, and that means a relatively large, solid steel receiver. Add in the lever itself and the magazine tube (both also steel in a decent gun) and thats plenty more weight than other actions.
Because lever actions are considered "traditional" guns, they are rarely given synthetic stiocks, which would lighten them up. Also because they are considered traditionl hunting--not target--guns, not much effort has been put into making them more precise or accurate over the years. They were designed for and sold to hunters for use at short-to-medum ranges, and thy are plenty accurate enough for that. The kind of effort Slamfire put into accurizing his is a tad unusual. Most owners of these types of guns never bother.

Personally, I like how lever actions represent throwbacks in design and build. That sold steel receiver, the click-click of the action flinging out the shell ... it's way more fun than just about any other type of gun. My Henry .22 lever action is my favorite rifle to shoot--and it weighs more than any other .22 I own too!
 
A number of my uncles had Winchester Model 1894’s. I’ve always liked their look better than the 336. My son wanted a lever gun for his first deer rifle but I wound up getting him a 336W because of it being more optics friendly, easier to take down and oh, 1894 production had just moved to Japan with the concomitant increase in price. It was during the worst of the Remlin production, but I was unaware because at the time I wasn’t a habitue of sites such as this.

Got it home, went to mount a scope a found out the base holes were drilled and tapped at an angle which put the scope so far to the left there wasn’t enough windage adjustment to sight it in. Academy sent the rifle to Remington in September, it came back in February and they hadn’t touched the rifle, and of course my son wasn’t able to hunt with it during deer season.

The store manager, who was a good guy offered me a refund or he bring every 336W they had in stock for me to choose from. To this day I’m not sure why I chose option two, especially since my son had changed his mind and now wanted a 30-06 bolt action.

Picked the best one, took it home, did some polishing and installed a Happy Trigger. Been using it for hogs ever since. I mounted a Fullfield II 2-7x35 and was lucky because it shoots right at MOA with 150 grain Corelokts. It didn’t like 170 grain bullets. In 2016 when I was getting dealer pricing I bought a VX-3 1.75-6x32 for it and had the custom shop install a German #4 reticle. I also got a Beartooth comb riser for it. The butt stock and forend have slowly turned different colors.

Whenever I go to a gun store I usually look at the 336’s. I believe they are good to go and have been for a while.

I’m pretty sure the 336W has been discontinued though I imagine there’s a fair amount of stock out there. What model 336 are you going to purchase OP?

zErtekV.jpg
 
The 336w
cdb1 said:
A number of my uncles had Winchester Model 1894’s. I’ve always liked their look better than the 336. My son wanted a lever gun for his first deer rifle but I wound up getting him a 336W because of it being more optics friendly, easier to take down and oh, 1894 production had just moved to Japan with the concomitant increase in price. It was during the worst of the Remlin production, but I was unaware because at the time I wasn’t a habitue of sites such as this.

Got it home, went to mount a scope a found out the base holes were drilled and tapped at an angle which put the scope so far to the left there wasn’t enough windage adjustment to sight it in. Academy sent the rifle to Remington in September, it came back in February and they hadn’t touched the rifle, and of course my son wasn’t able to hunt with it during deer season.

The store manager, who was a good guy offered me a refund or he bring every 336W they had in stock for me to choose from. To this day I’m not sure why I chose option two, especially since my son had changed his mind and now wanted a 30-06 bolt action.

Picked the best one, took it home, did some polishing and installed a Happy Trigger. Been using it for hogs ever since. I mounted a Fullfield II 2-7x35 and was lucky because it shoots right at MOA with 150 grain Corelokts. It didn’t like 170 grain bullets. In 2016 when I was getting dealer pricing I bought a VX-3 1.75-6x32 for it and had the custom shop install a German #4 reticle. I also got a Beartooth comb riser for it. The butt stock and forend have slowly turned different colors.

Whenever I go to a gun store I usually look at the 336’s. I believe they are good to go and have been for a while.

I’m pretty sure the 336W has been discontinued though I imagine there’s a fair amount of stock out there. What model 336 are you going to purchase OP?

View attachment 911054
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35 remington is ARGUABLY a better round. it has a wider frontal area, but lower sectional density. inside 100 it is marginally better, outside 100, it's marginally worse. It is also exponentially harder to find loaded ammo. I reload, and I enjoy oddball calibers, so I wish I had a 35 remington, but the lack of brass is a real issue, and it doesn't really offer any functional advantage over the 30/30. And while you can technically make the brass from a 308, it's a big hassle. The following is lifted from here https://www.marlinowners.com/forum/reloading/130489-forming-35-rem-308-win-cases.html

"Step 1:

I installed an RCBS carbide .44 magnum sizer in my Rockchucker, set down to bump the shell-holder firmly. Run the LUBED .308 cases through this die, which will leave a narrow "belt" at the front of the extractor groove, and also may shear off a microscopically-thin ring of brass. Considerable effort on the handle will be needed. This is why we build our benches SOLIDLY.

Step 2:

Run the swaged-down cases into a .30 carbine mouth-expander die (or a Lee "Universal expander die") to flare the mouth large enough to accept the expander ball in the .35 Remington sizer die. The flared part will be trimmed-off, so don't be shy about putting a good big flare on the mouth.

Step 3:

Size all the cases to the max in the .35 Remington sizer. Again, adjust so that the shell-holder has a good "bump" against the die.

Step 4:

Trim the cases to proper .35 Remington length. My standard Forster trimmer with a Makita 3/8" drill adapted for power drive made VERY short work of this, as little as two or three seconds per case, but I'd HATE to do it with the original hand-crank on the trimmer. Deburr the brass after trimming, and we're ready for the last step.

Step 5:

Using a sharp, clean, fine-cut flat file, and chucking the case in the Unimat (a drill press would work fine, too, or a good 1/2" drill mounted in a vise) I make about 20 file strokes across the case-head and rim areas, removing the "belt" thrown-up by the .44 die in Step 1. Some experimentation will be necessary with YOUR setup to determine how much filing is needed. Once that routine is established, you can also consider polishing the filed area for appearance's sake as a final step. Keep the file CLEAN, with a fine wire brush or other method. The teeth will load-up with brass cuttings, and I find it best to clean the file after using it on each case.

An important quality-control check is accomplished by keeping the rifle itself close by the filing location, and checking each case for fit in the chamber as it 's completed. If it doesn't fit VERY easily, I put it back in the machine for a bit more filing. concentrating on the rim diameter and the web zone ahead of the extractor groove. If the case is still too snug, I toss it. No point in excessive fiddling with a single round.

At no point do I attempt to measure anything, except the trim-to length in the trimmer.

All of the above may seem time-consuming and pointless. Not so. The time involved for each case is less than two minutes total, by my timing. To get usable .35 Remingtons for NOTHING except maybe 40 minutes spent per box of 20 is a great boon, in my eye. .308 cases are everywhere, but .35s....?? I have time; it's a hobby, after all. Ammohead, Buckshot, NVCurmudgeon and 9.3x62AL can all attest to the fact that the former .308s work well in the Marlin 336.
 
My 336 1,800’ vertical above the truck hunting mule deer last fall. Not sure on current production, but this 60yo one is going strong. The Leupold 1-4X20 seems perfect. No peeps or irons for me while hunting. It’s a .35 Rem and ammo hasn’t been hard to find as of yet.

AA027978-8F49-490F-897C-EA24AF7C7608.jpeg
 
Great choice in a rifle HHH. Marlin brand quality sunk after its relocation to Ilion due to worn old equipment and loss of the workforce that new how to run the old machinery. Remington replaced the worn machinery and seems to have trained up a skilled workforce. from about 2016, they seem to be making good rifles. Just make sure you handle and really eyeball whatever Wally World has on offer before you put money down. It's a great hog rifle.
 
I have five 336 JM Marlins all in 30-30

30-30 ammo can be found anywhere

No fancy bullets needed .. good ole factory ammo works perfectly

Easy to reload ... several powders work fantastic

Low recoil ...

Has a great reputation in the field & woods

Its a no muss , no fuss cartridge ..
been there done that

Will be around for 100 more years
 
Charlie98 said:
...I bought a 336 for myself a few years ago... a very nice JM from the '50's. It wasn't a bad rifle, but then I bought a Savage 99... and the Marlin went up on the block the next day.
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Best advice in the thread.

The 99 is (usually) more accurate, has a better trigger, smoother action and is more comfortable to shoot scoped. It'll safely handle spitzer bullets and was made in calibers far more potent than 30-30.

If a 336 in 30-30 is a 200 yard hog rifle, a 99 in .308 is easily good for 400 yards.

You can't buy one at Wal Mart, but a little time spent in LGS's and pawn shops will likely turn up a nice rifle or two at decent prices.
 
Swampman said:
Best advice in the thread.

The 99 is (usually) more accurate, has a better trigger, smoother action and is more comfortable to shoot scoped. It'll safely handle spitzer bullets and was made in calibers far more potent than 30-30.

If a 336 in 30-30 is a 200 yard hog rifle, a 99 in .308 is easily good for 400 yards.

You can't buy one at Wal Mart, but a little time spent in LGS's and pawn shops will likely turn up a nice rifle or two at decent prices.
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I'd love to have a 99 but they're out of my price range, the Wally world Marlin is 399.00 and that's the upper limit of my budget.
 
Hog huntin Harry said:
I'd love to have a 99 but they're out of my price range, the Wally world Marlin is 399.00 and that's the upper limit of my budget.
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It's true, the 99 has a lot going for it. I have 2... a .30-30 and a .308, and they are both very fine rifles... but, you're right, they weren't cheap.

All things considered, the Marlin is a good rifle. It has a number of things going for it, too... you can disassemble it with one screw and clean it from the breech. Can't do that with either a Winchester or Savage. You can easily mount a scope or peep on it, or an express style sight on it, because of the solid top. The .30-30 is a reasonable cartridge and when used within reasonable distances works very well. The rifle itself is the question... I'm not a big fan of the Remington Marlins, but if you are patient and give the one you are looking at a good going over, you should be OK.
 
So yesterday I went to the local Wally world, they didn't have the 336w but they did have the 336c. I tried to purchase it but the background check got delayed, so whenever I get a call that it went through I'll pick it up.

I haven't had much time to research the 336c, so what are the specs, pros and cons, ect ?
 
I think the c model has a walnut stock rather than birch like the w.

Going from memory, so I may have that backwards.:uhoh:
 
I hate to inflate the already enormous and undeserved egos of the state's residents, but in my enormously well-informed and extremely influential opinion, THE Marlin 336 to own is the Texan. I do and so should you. The Marauder is also very cool.





(Before anyone goes all wobbly, there is no tongue-in-cheek emoji. I don't have to worry about Texans getting all worked up because the forum is written, but everyone else: all in jest ;-). :D
 
Hog huntin Harry said:
So yesterday I went to the local Wally world, they didn't have the 336w but they did have the 336c. I tried to purchase it but the background check got delayed, so whenever I get a call that it went through I'll pick it up.

I haven't had much time to research the 336c, so what are the specs, pros and cons, ect ?
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I don’t see any cons to the 336C compared to the 336W other than cost. I don’t believe the 336C is more accurate but it is a nicer rifle.
 
greyling22 said:
HEY, that one on the Right isn't a Marlin! I spy a wincherster hiding in there too! But seriously, what a lovely collection. I only have 4 in my safe at the moment, and one isn't mine...... Do you have a 35 remington in there? I'd love one in 35.
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I’m not who you quoted but the one in the left is a 35. It is a 1 of 500 336SSLTD (or 336SS LTD). I believe made in 2005. I once asked about it in a thread and also got crickets so I took it upon myself to find out more. I found it very interesting since I have a 336D which is a ported 18 1/2” barrel straight stock in 35. 1 of 1001. Basically a blued version of that one and I was unaware of the existence of a stainless 35 Rem 336 except for the XLR.

Many people have chopped down XLRs in all chamberings to make them more woods friendly so it is possible to run into a gun that looks like an LTD that is a chopped down XLR. The idea behind the XLR was pretty stupid to begin with but some good rifles came out of the experiment.

Hog huntin Harry said:
I'm missing something, quite a bit of y'all are speaking fondly of 35 Remington. Would it be a better option for me ?
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There are differences but really either will do the job equally.

For me, it seems every lever gun out there is a 30-30 so to be able to bring out your Marlin 336 and have someone say, “Oh a 30-30” and you give them a wink and say “Nope, 35 Remington” and then enjoy the confusion on their face.

Really though, it just adds a bit of rarity and interest to your gun. 30-30 is ho-hum in lever guns. Despite them being pretty equal and me being a lever gun enthusiast, I ditched all my 30-30s in favor of the 35. I also ditched my 45-70s in favor of the 444 which I see as being the big bore trend in coming years.
 
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earlthegoat2 said:
I’m not who you quoted but the one in the left is a 35. It is a 1 of 500 336SSLTD (or 336SS LTD). I believe made in 2005. I once asked about it in a thread and also got crickets so I took it upon myself to find out more. I found it very interesting since I have a 336D which is a ported 18 1/2” barrel straight stock in 35. 1 of 1001. Basically a blued version of that one and I was unaware of the existence of a stainless 35 Rem 336 except for the XLR.
Click to expand...


Ahh the ss ltd's. Very nice. My unicorn gun is an 1894ss LTD in 41 mag. But I'd settle for any caliber. I'm in the process of building a copy. I have the stainless 44, just need laminate stocks. Debating chopping the barrel shorter...
 
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