First hunt and a jammed 30-30

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95XL883

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I’m an inexperienced hunter and have a problem with my 14 year old son’s first deer hunt. My 336 in 30-30 has developed the “Marlin jam” and I’m having a difficult time getting the jammed shell back into the tube. I obviously have two choices and a possible third choice.

One, I can continue trying to clear the jam but if I can’t the hunt is over. (Missouri firearms deer season runs Nov 10 through Nov 20 and we’re working a nice funnel with lots of sign, fresh scat, tracks and the big 10 point I saw at 5 pm on 11/9.)

Second, I can try to find a 10 round magazine for my AR-15, but then I would also have to pick ammo. (So far I’ve just used my AR for target shooting.) Would these Black Hills 68 or 77 gr HP’s, http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...=SBC;MMcat104792580;cat104691780;cat104532480 be suitable? All of our hunting is close range (125 yards max, with 50 to 75 yards most likely.) The AR is a Windham Weaponry with a 1 in 8 twist.

The third choice is to borrow a nephew’s 7mm-08. It is set for 200 yards as he is an elk hunter. (I’m not wild about this choice as I don’t like hunting with an unfamiliar rifle.)

I’ve got some work to do and then I’m back on the jam. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
If the elk rifle is zeroed for 200 yards you should be able to make a confident shot with it anywhere from zero to 250 yards.

Probably will be about an inch or so high at 100 yards.
Well within your wobble-area.

On the Marlin, I'm not exactly sure what is the "Marlin jam."
Is that a round that has backed itself behind the loading gate, preventing you from pushing it into the tube?

If so, you may need to remove the mag tube to release the pressure on the round.
Unscrew front sight.
Remove barrel band.
Unscrew tube.
 
The 7mm-08 is a good choice, less recoil than the 30 cal., unless your a real good shot the .223 is not a great deer round. I've had a Marlin 336 for 30 yrs. and have never heard of the Marlin Jam, is this a result of Remington putting out more junk, or is this an older rifle. Is this a failure to extract or failure to eject.
 
Manually load? I've had a 336 for decades but not sure what a marlin jam is either?
 
I would either use the 7mm-08 or try to clear the jam ASAP.
My father has a Marlin as well and had a jam, It was a PITA to get it done but I got it loose after messing with it. Took a good 15 min or so.

I am not sure if it is the same jam you have or not....
 
Jammed how?
I've got a 336 I've had since it was new about 1969 and it spent many years as a "pick up" gun and I can't remember ever having a problem with jamming. With any ammo.
 
When I leave home to hunt, I always take at least one back up rifle, maybe 2 or 3 if friends are with me. I needed it once when the Simmons POS scope on my 7 mag went wonky out in west Texas. I shot a nice deer a day later after missing one with my old reliable Remington in .257 Roberts.

Once, a guy on that same lease was having problems with his old Winchester turn of the century autoloader , M1907 IIRC, in .351 Winchester Self Loading (wsl), old chunka iron. I let him use the Roberts for the rest of his hunt, didn't shoot anything, but he was appreciative. Nice fellow, but needed better iron. LOL I mean, I got nothing against old guns, but that old Winchester was an antique. Not having back up for THAT is not smart.
 
Three generations of hunters in my family have used only 2 336s (one in 30-30) and I'm not familiar with a "Marlin jam" either.

Any insight folk?

I'm wondering if this is a bleed over from 39s jamming when neglected.
 
I can't imagine what problems he was having with his 1907 .351 Winchester. With halfway decent ammo (reloads) mine function every time the trigger is pulled. I had one that had a pitted chamber and sometimes would not extract, but a little polishing solved that. I wish my ar's were as relaible as those old warhorses.
 
I can't imagine what problems he was having with his 1907 .351 Winchester. With halfway decent ammo (reloads) mine function every time the trigger is pulled. I had one that had a pitted chamber and sometimes would not extract, but a little polishing solved that. I wish my ar's were as relaible as those old warhorses.
Click to expand...

It was 20 years ago. All I remember is something broke on it and he couldn't get the cation open or get the round out, IIRC. Anyway, he was having problems with it. LOL
 
If the marlin is messing up, then you can't use it for hunting. Use the bolt gun, one practice session to ensure it is sighted in and to get used to the trigger and you'll be good to go. A bolt gun isn't too hard to become used to very quickly. My prediction is that if you borrow the bolt gun, you'll probably end up buying your own for hunting. :cool:
 
Never heard of the "Marlin Jam" happening with a 336 just the 1894 and 1894C. Try holding the gun upright when you cycle it. Lots of times people will jam up the gun by canting it inwards as they cycle the action and the round will drop out of alignment with the carrier.
 
You have two easy solutions. If he's experienced with your AR, get a mag and ammo for the AR and go hunt. Be right next to him to help him pick his shot. If he's not experienced with the AR, but is comfortable with the Marlin, then borrow the 7-08, take him to the range to put a mag or two through it, and go hunt.

Of the two, I'd pick the 7-08, but then I hunt with a bolt action anyway, and both my kids can run one as well.
 
Thanks guys. I had never heard of the Marlin jam either until I started looking for a solution last night. Given the number of Marlins out there, it appears to be somewhat rare but once it occurs is a real pain. What happens is there a malfunction in handling a round to be chambered. What I have read so far is that it usually tries to load two rounds resulting in neither round being chambered with the second round jamming so that the lever is inoperable. To clear it, I have to somehow force the jammed round back into the tube. The real solution is apparently pretty simple in that the clearance between two parts needs to be adjusted. Looks like I'm going to get intimately familiar with the internals of my Marlin.

Think I will call my nephew and borrow his 7mm-08 and see if I can get the 10 round magazine and appropriate ammo for the AR so we can get back in the field quickly.

And special thanks to McGunner. This is a good reason to get a second deer gun. Geez, I love great ideas!
 
I have had good results on large deer with an AR15 using 55 gr SP. The 7-08 is an excellent deer round and will give you more range should you need it.
 
I'm not familiar with a "Marlin jam" either.

Any insight folk?
Click to expand...

It is more common in pistol calibers, but will happen with rifle caliber guns. Lever actions are by far the most complex of all repeaters. It is a wonder there are not more problems than there are. The problem comes up most often when working the action slowly, and more often with newer guns not broken in from lots of use. When the lever is pushed forward it hangs up and will not move to the rear. Ammo has nothing to do with it. If it hangs up it is as likely to do it unloaded as loaded.

Often shaking the gun or moving the lever side to side will get things moving again, but at times you may have to remove the lever.
 
"When I leave home to hunt, I always take at least one back up rifle, maybe 2 or 3 if friends are with me"
I understand the concept but I have problem with leaving several hundred to well over $1,000.00 worth of hunting rifles unatended in camp or in the truck.
 
I have used a 336 in 30-30 for years and had one jam that I can recall. I had purchased some of the Monarch ammo from Academy(cheap) to get some kids a little practice and had a spent casing jam in the chamber. Rather than using my limited gunsmithing skills I took it to a gun shop where the guy got it working in about 5 minutes. I still have two boxes of that ammo and will not shoot it again. I have probably put 200 rounds through the gun since then with no jams and I have no idea if it was the ammo, that one particular case or just user error but it sure ruined that brand of ammo in my mind.
 
why do you need to buy an AR mag? just single load it.

HB
 
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