Talk me into or out of a Marlin 30-30

Why would I talk you out of it? A .30-30 levergun is a great all a rounder within its practical range limits. It's also one of the cheapest centerfire rounds to shoot factory ammo out of.

I've actually been spending too much time lately wondering why us gun people are often so tied up in practicality and justification. In my younger days I was something of a guitarist. I would never have let raw practicality dictate a guitar purchase. It always boiled down to what felt and sounded right; what I thought was coolest. Why should guns be any different.

In a world of pure practicality, no one would ever shoot anything besides .22 lr, 9mm, .223, and .308. And no one would eat anything but bland meatloaf and boiled potatoes, listen to only anemic top 40 music, and be in bed by 8 p.m. sharp every night.

It sounds like the 30/30 is what you want, the Marlin is an excellent choice. Great sights, easy to scope.

If you want to save a few dollars, look for an older Glenfield M30. They were a budget grade Marlin M336.
I've got 3 .30/30's. Two collector grade Winchester's, and a Glenfield M30, with half magazine. With its birch stock, it's nearly a pound lighter than my M336 in .35Rem.
One of my favorite pig/deer hunting rifles. I only use cast bullets in the .30/30 now.

You should get two....

Aside from practicality few rifles are as fun to shoot as a lever action

Can't go wrong. Do the right thing and bring that beauty home.

If I were only going to own one centerfire rifle, it might very well be a marlin 336 in 30-30

Sounds like a good deal. I bought one used last year for my kids to shoot. I have another that was my FIL's from probably the 60's or maybe 70's and other than the quality of the wood, they seem to function the same.

If you want a lever action 30-30 that would be a good choice. Just do it for the right reasons. If you want one for nostalgic reasons then go for it. But for under $400 you can do a lot better from a practical perspective.

The 30-30 is probably the most underrated round in the USA. In a Marlin Lever Gun it's a dream to handle and shoot. It will take down anything you can hunt, in the lowered 48, but it would not be my choice hunting Brown Bear or Moose. If you know your gun and know how to shoot it, it's a deadly 200 yard shooter. Ammo is plentiful and reasonable, especially if you don't reload.

Listen. You know how sometimes you get caught unawares by a sudden overwhelming sense of emptiness and futility? It doesn't happen a lot and certainly isn't something you talk about, but you know what I mean. That's because you sold your Marlin 30-30. Fill the void. End the pain. Make yourself whole again. Get the Marlin (JM, that is). Your life will be better. The universe will gain balance. It will be good.

I would step away from that and buy a Ruger American in a more modern cartridge (street price $400 or less, new. As lever rifles go, IMO the Marlin is the best value and easiest to mount a scope to, but the round is "wanting", esp. when compared to rounds like 300 BO, 243, 308, etc.- all (and more) which are available for the Ruger. I have a 336 at a friend's house out of state, and I intend to get rid of it next time I'm out that way.

First you'll get the .30-30...

Then you'll 'need' a 336 in .35 Remington...

Then you'll want an 1895 in .45-70...Then a .444 Marlin, and then a few 1894's, and then...

Sorry...

It's a sickness...

FL-NC said:

I would step away from that and buy a Ruger American in a more modern cartridge (street price $400 or less, new. As lever rifles go, IMO the Marlin is the best value and easiest to mount a scope to, but the round is "wanting", esp. when compared to rounds like 300 BO, 243, 308, etc.- all (and more) which are available for the Ruger. I have a 336 at a friend's house out of state, and I intend to get rid of it next time I'm out that way.

Click to expand...

But again, there's more to this whole gun and hunting thing than price and practicality.

True, pointy bottleneck rounds shoot farther and flatter, but a lot of people don't hunt an area where such cartridges can be used to their full ballistic potential. Additionally, a lot of us would still rather wrap our hands around walnut than a synthetic material, and if you hunt on foot, the ergonomics of a lever are, for most people, a better decision than a bolt a gun.

It's really ok to ignore spec sheets and ballistic tables in favor of what's interesting or just plain feels good when you shoulder it.

FL-NC said:

I would step away from that and buy a Ruger American in a more modern cartridge (street price $400 or less, new. As lever rifles go, IMO the Marlin is the best value and easiest to mount a scope to, but the round is "wanting", esp. when compared to rounds like 300 BO, 243, 308, etc.- all (and more) which are available for the Ruger. I have a 336 at a friend's house out of state, and I intend to get rid of it next time I'm out that way.

Click to expand...

Hold on. This, I've got to hear. Please illuminate us all to the deficiencies of the 30-30 vs the 300 BO.

One can use a 300 BO to hunt hogs and, if the goal is suppressed fire, it may even be a good choice. A baseball bat studded with nails also works. One can use the 243 for hogs, but why one would use such a fine flat shooting, long-range, small-bore cartridge on hogs is very unclear to me. The OP didn't mention recoil sensitivity and, if he had, the 243 wouldn't really suit much more than the 30-30. The 308 is a great hog cartridge. Can't argue with that. Ruger American has been proven a capable and reliable rifle. So good advice there. And if the OP wants to wander around with a ubiquitous caliber in a plastic, characterless rifle, it's even great advice...

Buy that 30-30 Lever Gun!!!

The Marlin 336 inn 30-30 is like an original govt 1911 in .45acp or an original Browning Hi-Power in 9mm. They are classic, they are among the best at doing what they were designed for, even today!

OP, your post #18 seals the deal.

Buy the gun and enjoy it. That is actually a pretty good price for nowadays.

I have had one for years, it is a good all-purpose rifle for the 100 yard line. Recoil is mild and manageable. It is a pleasure to carry and easy to scope if you want.



Be assured that if you don't get it rather soon, someone else will. I am surprised at the current going rate for these guns.

If I were to own only one centerfire rifle and it had to be light, low on recoil and under $400, it would be something like the Ruger American in 7mm08. The gun comes with a recoil pad.

The more modern cartridge will do what the 30-30 can do, plus extend your range at least another hundred yards.

A 30-30 pushes a 150 grain bullet faster than a .300 Blk pushes a 125 grain bullet. Inside 200 yards I believe a 30-30 is considerably more powerful.

A 336 shooting a 150 grain bullet generates around 12 lbs of recoil. That is a whole lot less than a .308. With a grind to fit Pachmayr my 336 is a pleasure to shoot and I'm recoil averse because of a bad shoulder too. OP's stated max range is less than 100 yards. At that distance a 30-30 is excellent for elk and moose with minimal recoil. Great combo in my book. There are many 30-30 bashers out there. But facts are facts. 30-30 is my favorite hog cartridge, I'll keep using it for that purpose.

Why would you want to be talk-out-of a Marlin 30-30?

$325 for a JM made Marlin, assuming in good condition, would be a "Buy now" price for me. Recoil is not bad with the .30-30, great woods caliber. I have the 336 in .30-30 (1980 Texan) and .35 Remington (2008), both handle and shoot great. Plus a 1895 in .45-70, 1894C in .357 Remington Magnum-these are deer caliber legal in Ohio (no bottleneck cased cartridges). Sounds like a good choice for your needs.