Lever 30-30 vs Short barrel SKS

[Mencius]

How do you think a 30-30 lever action like the Marlin 336 compares to one of the SKS paratroop models for deer hunting? I think ballistically they are very comparable. Length is pretty close, SKS might be a touch shorter. SKS offers 10 shots and the Marlin has 6. Seems like the lighter bullet for the SKS is a little flatter shooting, but the heavier 30-30 would give better penetration. Both are pretty reliable. Think the Marlin can be scoped a little easier.

What do you think about taking a Marlin lever action 30-30 in the woods for deer compared to taking a SKS paratrooper?

 

[Wolfgang2000]

I have both. The 30-30 has the ballistic edge, especially with the newer lever evolution rounds. In a modern rifle the 30-30 reloaded, can get close to the 308.

The carbine SKS is a real handy rifle. I've taken several deer with mine. I bubified one, Butler Creek stock, ATI bolt on scope mount, Simmons 1.5 to 5 scope, at my back door for varmints and such.

I've had the best luck with the cheap Russian HP rounds. I've found some custom loaded ballistic tip rounds loaded by Precision. Very accurate, but I haven't taken a deer with them yet.

Bottom line either gun will do well if you put the bullet where it belongs.

 

[joeq]

It's not even close in my eyes. I would take the Marlin 336 any day over the SKS paratrooper. People have been killing deer with the Marlin for a very long time. If your worried about flatter shooting then give the Hornady Lever Evolution ammo a try.

 

[Col. Plink]

Might depend on how MANY deer you want to shot at once...

 

[CaliCoastie]

go marlin. chose your shots, you dont need 6 shots in one sitting, unless your missing that much, in which case you need more time at the range, that and the deer will be gone after 2-3 shots any how. hit a pawn shop in the area and check the used guns. good luck

 

[jimmyraythomason]

It's a toss up. Both are fast handling and the deer won't know the difference and neither will you. The SKS is cheaper to feed allowing for much more target practice at a lower price.

 

[GuysModel94]

Handsdown the Lever, the 336 and 94's are some of the best balanced and easiest guns to shoulder and shoot ever made. Being old fashioned i think every rifleman should own one and they make great family guns.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

Check your state laws for mag capacity restrictions, especially for autoloading rifles (SKS).

Here in Mi, I believe you would need to switch to an aftermarket 5 round mag for the SKS and possibly put a plug in the Marlins tube to restrict capacity.

 

[chicharrones]

Unless you just want a semi-auto carbine, I'd get the Marlin 336. The Marlin is lighter, has a better trigger, can be more easily scoped, and an aftermarket receiver mounted peep sight does not have to be removed for full cleaning.

The SKS paratrooper has a short sight radius and that magazine hanging out the bottom can be in the way when carrying one handed. Although, the magazine might not be a problem if you live in an area that requires a 5-round magazine to be fitted.

The SKS will have a bit less felt recoil, if that matters any.

 

[coyotehunter223]

I've used both on deer, either one is fine. I'd give the accuracy edge to the Marlin, especially over about 75 yards obviously. With a humane shot, even the cheap wolf/barnaul junk ammo would fit the bill for a deer.

 

[Bud Tugly]

Just my opinion, but I really feel uncomfortable about semi-auto's in the deer woods. If you miss the first shot and the deer bolts there's a temptation to just empty the magazine at him, and running shots are seldom accurate ones. Not saying the OP would do that, but I've seen it from inexperienced hunters.

More often than not you're just going to get a chance for one shot, at least in the thick woods around this area.

 

[PapaG]

Had an SKS...ugly, noisy, only adequate in accuracy. Add in a scope and it is also heavy. Bought a 336 that was scheduled for auction for a song, already had a marlin scope on it (did I say it was old?) and it shoots 2 inches with 170s and under an inch at fifty with 160 lead/8 trail boss. I paid less for the Marlin than the sks and got twice the gun.

 

[HoosierQ]

SKS is a neat piece of machinery...but they're heavy. A lot heavier than a 30-30 lever carbine.

 

[Abel]

For target fun, I'd say that the SKS is pretty neat. But for deer killin', I just like the 30-30 ammo better than I like the 7.62x39 hunting loads. I like the thin profile of a 336. Its just a great rifle for its intended use, killin' medium-thin skinned game within 150 yards.

 

[seasmoke]

Not a Marlin, but Win 94 #882xxx next to a Norinco SKS(not a Para).
Win: less then 7lbs
SKS:9lbs(w/bayo)
Here in Maine, you can't beat the '94' for a brush gun.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Marlin, by far. I've made 200 yard shots on game with a Marlin 336T and 150 or 180 gr bullets. The iron sighted Yugo SKS accuracy at 100 yards didn't give me confidence at 200 yards. Scoped it might fair better but that action and barrel move around a LOT when firing. The SKS suffers from a lack of premium game ammo available. Up close, either will likely do the job. In many places the magazine most be pinned to hold only 5 shots. At 50 yards.. it's a toss up. At 100 the Marlin at 150 The Marlin. At 200 The Marlin.

I have seen someone hunt with one, but I've seen all manner of hunters.

I'd alter this slightly if my choice was a 44 Marlin, the SKS has the longer range. I'd choose an SKS for a 150+ yard shot if my other choice was a 44 in stead of a 30-30. 44 just drops like a rainbow after 100 yards, but up close it hits with authority. I'd scope that SKS and shoot it a LOT until I knew its quirks.

 

[FlyinBryan]

i have an sks

i would probably go with the 94 and some of that leverevolution stuff

 

[elmerfudd]

I'd choose the Marlin for one big reason, scope mounting. IMO, that's huge. I wouldn't buy a rifle for hunting that didn't have a good solid system for mounting optics.

SKS's are great milsurps and plinking guns that really aren't very good at much of anything else. They're accurate enough, but nothing spectacular. They don't take optics well. As fighting rifles, their day came and went over 40 years ago. Their only real saving grace is that they are super reliable and they used to be dirt cheap. Go ahead and get one, but get it to take to the range and for plinking out in the woods.

For hunting get the 336.

 

[WardenWolf]

An SKS is a fine rifle, but I'd not hunt with one. If you get a railed receiver cover they can easily take a red dot, but scopes are completely impractical. I love my Romanian SKS, but I leave the hunting to the Saiga .223 and PSL. They scope easily and are more practical overall. Get the lever gun.

 

[Tirod]

Just my opinion, but I really feel uncomfortable about semi-auto's in the deer woods. If you miss the first shot and the deer bolts there's a temptation to just empty the magazine at him, and running shots are seldom accurate ones. Not saying the OP would do that, but I've seen it from inexperienced hunters.

More often than not you're just going to get a chance for one shot, at least in the thick woods around this area.

I've been hunting public land for 35 years, I've seen all the bolt and lever guns in the parking lot. Shoot enough, you even get the ear to discern different calibers, and even the report of a specific rifle.

Elmer empties his bolt gun or lever at running game all the time, and has to lose sight picture cranking those actions between shots. A SKS gunner will at least be on target more often, which means more likely getting a hit.

It's possible all the shooting I hear in the woods is mag fed Russian imports, but somehow, with 95% of the guns I've seen in the field, it doesn't turn out that way. It's Elmer and his manual action blasting away most often. Has been since I started hunting, when nobody could even get a Soviet import, and 5.56 wasn't legal. There's the real situation.

Semi autos with magazines are the minority, many are trained and fairly well skilled prior service using them. I've been using them since the '70's, and find that service training puts quick sight picture and control as the emphasis, just what's needed for hunting. Paper targets have their place, but shooting pop ups at various ranges is closer to reality. Elmer never gets that practice, misses, and tries again, and again, and again, and again.

As usual, the public perception is exactly wrong about what really goes on.

 

[fireside44]

Handsdown the Lever, the 336 and 94's are some the best balanced and easiest guns to shoulder and shoot ever made. Being old fashioned i think every rifleman should own one and they make great family guns.

I'd second that. They handle better than any weapon I've tried for deer hunting on foot in heavy underbrush. I use a bolt gun these days, and even though it's light and scout like, it is still clunky in comparison. The foregrip is superior for in-hand carry on the lever for the win.

 

[CaliCoastie]

Just my opinion, but I really feel uncomfortable about semi-auto's in the deer woods. If you miss the first shot and the deer bolts there's a temptation to just empty the magazine at him, and running shots are seldom accurate ones. Not saying the OP would do that, but I've seen it from inexperienced hunters.

More often than not you're just going to get a chance for one shot, at least in the thick woods around this area.

I've been hunting public land for 35 years, I've seen all the bolt and lever guns in the parking lot. Shoot enough, you even get the ear to discern different calibers, and even the report of a specific rifle.

Elmer empties his bolt gun or lever at running game all the time, and has to lose sight picture cranking those actions between shots. A SKS gunner will at least be on target more often, which means more likely getting a hit.

It's possible all the shooting I hear in the woods is mag fed Russian imports, but somehow, with 95% of the guns I've seen in the field, it doesn't turn out that way. It's Elmer and his manual action blasting away most often. Has been since I started hunting, when nobody could even get a Soviet import, and 5.56 wasn't legal. There's the real situation.

Semi autos with magazines are the minority, many are trained and fairly well skilled prior service using them. I've been using them since the '70's, and find that service training puts quick sight picture and control as the emphasis, just what's needed for hunting. Paper targets have their place, but shooting pop ups at various ranges is closer to reality. Elmer never gets that practice, misses, and tries again, and again, and again, and again.

As usual, the public perception is exactly wrong about what really goes on.

just to clear something up, you dont have to lose your target when cycling the lever actions, i have 6 levers, 5 of them different(caliber/configurations) and i dont lose my target. maybe people need to practice not droping the rifle from the sholder and holding it on target. as for people just shooting and not picking shots, yep ill believe that and i dont think it has as much on the action of the rifle, its all about the person behind the gun.

 

[Badlander]

Sks is best used as A door stop!

 

[Virg461]

Door stop?

C'mon, most SKS's are decent shooters. The problem is the short sight radius. Mine now has Tech sights, which are solid and give you several inches more sight radius. I can shoot 2 inch groups at 100 yards easy, and this one's a Norinco.

I've hunted with mine and killed deer, and it shoulders and shoots well. They are a bit noisy, they do tend to rattle a bit. Good hunting ammo is easy to find.

Ammo wise, there's little difference unless.....you go to the lever Evolution ammo. That little development has totally changed the game for the 30-30. You can now shoot very accurately out to 200 with this ammo, which gives the 336 a definite edge.

Which would I buy to hunt with, if I had neither? I would buy the Marlin. You could buy a used Marlin for less than a decent SKS nowadays, and it's simply a much higher quality firearm (and yes, I've handled the Russian SKS's. There still no comparison).

Now, which would I buy back when I bought my SKS, and they could be had by the crate for $79 bucks a pop, and practice ammo was less than 10 cents a round? The SKS. I should have bought a crate of 'em....:banghead: But then, the same is true when any new milsurp hits the US market in large quantities. Buy a crate of 'em.

Ditto on the scope mount issue. I like iron sites as much as anyone else, but when it's getting late, and the buck is 150 yards away, give me a scope any day.

My answer is the same as it is with most of these types of questions....get 'em both.

 

[556A2]

I also have both.

I find the 336/94 to be a superior rifle for hunting. Easy to scope (at least the 336), better hunting ammo selections, better triggers, better ergonomics, weigh less, and can be found at the same prices as SKS rifles these days.

Not that the SKS can't be a good hunting rifle, I just don't think its in the same league.