.30-30

[Shane]

I ordered my first .30-30 rifle, a Marlin 336. The recoil butt plate is hard rubber. Will this be a problem when it recoils? Should I try to find a soft rubber recoil padd for the Marlin 336?

Overall, about how much recoil should I expect from this rifle, about half of a skeet load 12 gauge?

I've shot a .30-30 before many years ago, but not this particular model.

 

[ojibweindian]

Probably won't be any painful experiences.

 

[Jaywalker]

Recoil calculator.

Depends. The 30-30 is usually considered a fairly moderately-recoiling cartridge, even with the hard pad, but your mileage may vary.

Why not try it for awhile and see if it's a problem? If it is, there are several good pads on the market. Kick Eez is well thought of and probably reduces recoil the most. Pachmayr has a nifty optional piece on the heel of theirs that isn't quite as grabby as the base model; it help you to mount the rifle to your shoulder without the drag on your coat or shirt around the armpit.

Jaywalker

 

[Jim Watson]

Felt recoil is entirely subjective, I don't think anybody can tell you how it will feel to YOU. Although I bet some will try.

The only answer is to insert cartridge, aim, and fire.
Then do it again.
If it smarts, don't mess around, get the recoil pad.
If it doesn't, you are home free.

That said, I find a .30-30 in Winchester 94 to be a nasty little kicker. Marlin stocks fit me better, the rifles are a bit heavier, and are much more comfortable to shoot. For me.

 

[DillHarris]

First off, congrats on getting the 30-30. Mine's a Winchester Model 94, just slightly lighter. The first few times I took it out I thought it was horrible. It hurt like hell and I always had a huge bruise. Decided I was a recoil wuss. Then I learned how to properly hold the butt of the rifle. Turns out directly over the collar bone isn't the best place. Go figure. If it still hurts after trying it out a few times, then go get a new pad. Don't keep the old one and let it hurt just because the 30-30 is "supposedly" a light kicking round. Individual fit makes a huge difference. Just ask any shotgunner.

 

[jsalcedo]

I've had 30-30 recoil hard with heavy loads and feel like a pistol caliber carbine with published handload data.

If it gets painful you can always use an after market butt plate or one of those stock boots they sell at walmart

 

[C.R.Sam]

Jim Watson's post right on.
Depends on YOU and how the gun fits you.

You'll never know till you try.

Sam

 

[Hal]

My preachment dear friends you're about to recive on John Barleycorn, nicotine and the temp--ta--tions of Eve
Oh,,wait,,we're taliknig about one of my least favorite things (shoulder felt recoil). not one of my..errr...hobbies (hehe the "tolerance" thingie kinda threw me for a sec)

Yes,, I admit,,, I am a "RECOIL WUSSY" when it comes to long arms of any type. The .30/30 WCF is the absolute upper limit of my tolerance and even at that,,, I don't care to fire more than 20 rounds at any one session.

The good news - - If I can stand ~ 20 rounds, then any normal person should be able to fire an infinate number of rounds, and any slightly recoil sensitive person should do fine with any reasonable number of rounds.

 

[Dot_mdb]

Marlin makes a replacment rubber butt pad which they sell for about $16. It has to be fitted to the rifle.

I have one on my 336. What I like most about it is that it "sticks" to the shoulder unlike the original one that can be a little slick.

Bill

 

[JNewell]

I have a 336 that I fitted with a checkered steel buttplate -- I really like it, and I don't think the recoil is a problem, but as noted above it depends a lot on how the stock fits you. I want to point out that in many cases being seated at a range bench is the worst position from a perceived recoil perspective (but YMMV). If making the stock too long isn't an issue for you and the rifle, Pachmayr makes a line of Decelerator pads that are supposed to be pre-shaped for many rifles.

 

[Shane]

Yes,, I admit,,, I am a "RECOIL WUSSY" when it comes to long arms of any type.

I'm the same way. Handguns are pretty much no problem for me, but shoulder fired guns tend to sting me more in recoil. 12 gauge Shotguns are the worst offenders for me--they flat out hurt regardless of load or recoil padd type.

I can tolerate most rifles up to and including .243 Win, but extended firing of the more powerful rifles in the .30-06 class and up tends to wear me out quickly.

My last experience with the .30-30 was a good one (I don't remember that cartridge giving me much trouble with recoil), but its been several years since firing the .30-30 and I'll probably have to get use to it again.

 

[Gary A]

Shane, I'm no expert but here is my experience. I'm not a big guy, have two 30-30s which I don't shoot often enough. One is a Winchester 94 (my first) and the other is a Marlin 336. I love 'em both and love shooting them both but I have definitely noticed that my Marlin is the softer shooting of the two. Neither are bad but I think the added weight of the Marlin makes a difference and I also think the Marlin recoil pad is superior. I don't think either will cause you any great difficulty if you nestle it firmly. Enjoy.

 

[Baba Louie]

Thank goodness the old crescent shaped brass buttplate is no more, but it does snug in nice and tight and looks good while doing it.

Will the regular hard plastic buttplate cause more discomfort than a softer energy absorbing one? Absolutely. Relatively speaking.

The type of clothing can also help disperse some of the felt energy. Tee shirt in summer is one thing vs. jacket or coat over a sweater in the winter makes a difference.

Shooting vest or shirts with stiff leather shoulder facing are made for a reason as are the strap on recoil pad thingy

http://www.roc-import.com/gb/div/recoil_pads1.php

A box or two of 170 gr will be felt the morning after more than during the session I've come to find. And to this day, it still amazes me that every deer I've ever shot, I neither felt or heard the round.

Light rifle, centerfire round, no recoiling action to counteract or absorb part of that energy...like CR Sam and Jim Watson say, you'll never know till ya try.

Personally, I kinda (perversly) like the "rocking back" with each round.

Always brings a grin to the face. Should it bring a grimace, I know its time to bring out the handguns or switch to the 10/22.

Enjoy it Shane. Shoot both the 150's and the 170's. With padding and without. Comparing it to a shotgun? They tend to PUUUSH (unless its a slug) as opposed to SNAP. A light skeet load might be comparable (you ever wonder why all them shotgun shooters wear them padded vests?)

Adios

 

[Shane]

Shoot both the 150's and the 170's.

Big 5 gets specials about once every three weeks where 20 rounds of .30-30 is about $9.99. I'm going to take advantage of that deal next time it comes around and stock up on ammo. I'm not sure the bullet weight of the ammo they carry, but next time I go in I'll check it out.

 

[jrhead75]

Felt recoil is a funny and subjective thing. I'm not particularly recoil sensative, I don't mind firing 3 in mags from my 12 ga one bit. But I always hated (and flinched) firing my Win 94 30-30. For whatever reason, that light rifle, and thin stock with no pad was a nasty combo for me. Yet I can shoot my SAR-1 (7.62x39 being similar to 30-30 ballistically) all day without the slightest problem, and it's got that little narrow combloc stock.

Go figure...

 

[makarov1]

Word to the wise on hard, plastic butt plates, particularly on the model 94. I don't advise shooting a model 94 in just a t-shirt. The first time I shot my new model 94 three years ago, It was during the summer, and I was wearing just a T-shirt and blue jeans. The model 94's recoil is pretty light, but the sharp edges of the butt plate dug into my shoulder, and developed a bruise after just 20 rounds. I am absolutely convinced it wasn't the recoil, only a poorly designed butt plate. If you wear a coat, or install a slip on recoil pad, problem solved. Unless the shooter is totally recoil insensitive or a masochist, a butt plate should never have sharp edges like my Wallyworld model 94.

 

[Shane]

Ok, gentlemen I think I might have a problem. After picking up my .30-30 Marlin today, I tried it (a few shots) at my Cousins ranch. I find the factory recoil padd to be brutally unfomfortable. The overall recoil is NOT bad (I think a good fitting recoil padd would make this gun an easy shooter), but the hard plastic recoil padd is digging into my body. The problem is I can't find any soft rubber recoil padds online that are made specifically for this model.

And the ones that the buyer has to grind after receiving it is impractical....I don't have the equipment or the know-how to grind a recoil padd to specs.

Anyone offer a soft rubber recoil padd for the Marlin 336 that doesn't require aftermarket fitting?



One other annoyance.....the trigger has tons of side to side play, and fore to aft play. My other Marlin (1894 in .357 magnum does not do this). Does the trigger play suggest a quality control problem, or is it fairly common on the 336 model?

 

[Grayrock]

I picked up a 336 at a Best Products going out of business sale about 20 years ago brand new for $150. The 1st time I shot it, it knocked the snot out of me. I found a slip-on rubber recoil pad (at Wal-Mart, IIRC) and it improved matters considerably. Increasing the length of pull helped as did adding an extra cushion. My 336 claimed its first deer last year with a Gander Mountain scope mounted on it.