Marlin medium bore lever gun caliber; .30-30 Win or .35 Rem

[kmrcstintn]

Here's the scenario...you are getting a Marlin 336 w/ 20" barrel chambered in a medium bore caliber...which one would you choose...

.30-30 Winchester or .35 Remington

Please share your opinions (pros vs. cons) or your experiences with the caliber of your choice. Thanks.

 

[Fast Frank]

You can get .30-30 ammo ANYWHERE that sells bullets. It's cheap.

Not so with 35REM.

 

[.45Guy]

Heck I picked up seven boxes of 200 grain Remington Core Lokts at the Viroqua Wal-Mart last year. The kicker was I got them for $5.00 a box. I love my .35

 

[berettashotgun]

I NEED a 35 caliber something to shoot, the ammo for the 351 is hard to make brass for.

 

[db_tanker]

well, you have already been told that the 30-30 is about as common as water...and it is. the 35 isn't too far behind, however.

I chose 30 WCF simply for the fact that I am a sentimental bastard and love the cartridge.


Rather it be in a Model 94, but its your rifle and I have nothing against the 336's.


Good luck!
D

 

[qajaq59]

I picked the 30-30 because the words lever action and 30-30 just seem to go together.

There's a 35 on my "buy next" list though.

 

[Bearhands]

d.) all of the above plus.......

The Marlins are excellent guns, no question about it. My choice though would the the Mod 94 Win 30-30 for a few reasons: (forget i said that if you're sold on the Marlin )

1. ITS LIGHT! Carrying any rifle all day long becomes laborious. the Win is lighter.
2. The Look. Call me nuts, but I just enjoy the way it looks and feels
3. Ammo Availability....... it's just everywhere. I shop @ Gander Mtn often and the choices for 30-30 are 10 times that of the 35.
4. A 30-30 (and I know this is an often posted statement) has downed more big game in North America than any other round.

I also know that the 35 has a GREAT reputation and if I were looking for another levergun, it would certainly be #1 or #2 Choice (32spl too). But if I'm hunting in the boonies and forgot/lost/ my ammo... most corner grocery/mom n' pop stores will have 30-30's and -0- 35's.

Best of luck with your choice! Either will be sure to give you plenty of BANG and enjoyment for YEARS.

 

[GooseGestapo]

SIMPLE SOLUTION: GET BOTH !!!

I own both. I prefer the .35 as it is just a bit "more". However, I truly love the .30/30. Either is all you really need in north america.

Bullet selection is very important for either to give optimum performance. However, that is made very easy.

Remington Corlokts.

Dosen't matter if you shoot factory or reload as I do.

With my .35 shooting a 200gr Corlokt over 40.0gr of H4895
(NOTE: THIS IS ABOVE SAAMI PRESSURES BUT IS LOWER THAN NOMINAL MAXIMUM PRESSURES FOR OTHER CARTRIDGES CHAMBERED IN THE MARLIN 336. USE WITH CAUTION AND DO NOT USE IN ANY SEMI-AUTO FOR .35REM.)
I find accuracy to be amazing and power adequate for any reasonable use.

Ditto the 150gr and 170gr CorLokts in the .30/30. I load the 150gr over 35.0gr of RL-15 for 2,400fps. This year I finally broke down and used the 170gr CorLokt over 34.0gr of RL-15. Also amazingly accurate! (Sub MOA from my Glenfield 30 - half magazine carbine).
I "vaporized" a deer with it on the run at about 110yds. I fired three times at the fleeing deer. On the second shot I saw a white vapor/cloud. I thought I'd hit a frosted pine tree and knocked frost off it, and missed the deer. However, the deer ran off obviously "hurt". It ran about 40yds and collapsed. I'd broke the left front leg with the first shot, hit it in the right paunch and bullet exited the upper left shoulder/chest with the second shot with the exiting blood mist causing the "vapor ball" I saw, along with a 3" dia. exit wound ! About 20" of penetration, and very similar to what I see with the .35rem. (Third shot was pulled, and deer was making the "low-crawl, mad-dash to eternity" anyhow......).

Of the 12 deer I killed this year, I took the last 4, including the largest one- a 180lb 8pt with the "ole' .30/30". It's my favorite "walking around" rifle as with a 4x Nikon scope, it weighs less than 8lbs and points/swings like a british fowling piece. It's also a very "lucky" rifle too. Of the last three "trophy" size deer I've killed, two have fallen the the "hurty-gerty". (As my brother calls his ancient (pre-'64) Win M94). Also took the largest pig I've killed with the .30/30.

Now my delimma......... Carry the .35 or the .30/30 ??????????
I'm "democratic", I take turns !!!!!!! (also with the Rem M7 in 7mm-08, usually reserved for places where shots might run in excess of 200yds, along with too many other rifles in the collection to get around to hunting every year. (It's been two years since the darling .257Roberts drew blood. It gets to go next year !).
I killed one deer with the .35 this year; and thought "oh well, too easy !!!!!"
Bang!, thud! ............. drag deer.... (Shoulder/spine shot at about 75yds.)

You really can't go wrong with either.

(I also own a Marlin 1895G in .45/70, but can't say it's any better on our "little deer". But, it does well too. Just dosen't handle as well as the little .30/30)

And BTW, in my neck of the woods, the .35 is alive and well and most mom & pop shops do carry the .35. In fact, two that I stopped in last January had sold out of .30/30, but still had several "dusty" boxes of .35. Go figure !!!!

 

[Old Time Hunter]

.30-30...because the unwritten law of the land has placed this cartridge as the one that anybody remotely associated with hunting in North America, is required to have at least one of!!!

and because almost every rural gas station has a box for sale...just in case!

 

[Fred Fuller]

But you didn't tell me where I live 8^).

Way down south of the Mason-Dixon Line, no question- .30-30 is it. Critters are smaller and the ammo is ubiquitous.

Along about northern NC and further north, where critters are bigger, I'd rather have a .35 and its heavier bullets.

lpl/nc

 

[rbernie]

Bigger holes are always better. If the range to target is less than 200 yards, the 35 Remmie is all you need.

 

[Limey46]

The 35 kills bigger things better, and all things quicker, than the 30-30. I like 'em falling over and dying right here, not running off and dying way over there.

 

[Essex County]

I've owned about ten 336s and three were 35s. Two of the three were incredably accurate...I am also a big fan of the 30-30, but given the choice I'd prefer the 35 Remington. Essex

 

[MinScout]

I've never owned a .35 Rem, so I can't personally comment on its effectiveness. If it were appreciably more effective than the 30-30, it would be more popular. I'm sure Marlin sells vastly more 30-30s than .35 Rems.

 

[mainmech48]

My 336 is a .35 Remington, but the reason for that is probably extremely atypical.

At the time, I was living on and working a small ranch in Webster Co., MO about 20 miles from the closest village, a 'town' of fewer than 175 folks. I needed a CF rifle that I could buy and feed at the absolute minimum cost. Since my only hangun was a Dan Wesson M15-2, and I already reloaded and cast my own bullets for it, the fact that I could use the same bullets (Lyman 358429 & Speer 146 gr. JHP-SWC) and powders (Hercules 2400 & Unique) for utility and practice loads in the .35 Remington cartidge is what sealed the deal.

I used it with my reloads for small game, varmints, marauding coyotes and feral dogs, and saved the few factory loads I could afford for deer. It served me well and remained my only 'deer' rifle for several years. I still have both it and the DW.

 

[chad1043]

Buy the 30-30...

I would say ... Buy the 30-30. It is a must have gun. It kills everything even up to moose... You have to be able to shoot... The new leverevolution is out now and the 30-30 can reach out to 300...

I bought both. The 35 Rem is part of history just like the 30-30... I would suggest you get the 30-30 and then get a 35 later...

If you want somme real fun, post this question here....

http://www.marlinowners.com/board/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=88bc7db326090c3bcd1afc9eddb25521

There are about a thousand threads on which one is better...

I say go woth the Dirty Thirty...

Peace,
Chad

 

[one-shot-one]

what is its primary purpose?

just to have a rifle in the house or for punching paper: 30-30

for hunting: .35 (just make sure you have your ammo with you when in the wilderness)

 

[Sean85746]

My first centerfire rifle was a 336C in .30-30. I still have it. It has taken quite a few Michigan whitetail over 26 years.

Pro:
1. You can get ammo ANYWHERE that sells ammo.
2. Good accuracy out to 150yds (my LONGEST shot in MI was about 50yds)
3. Factory ammo is less costly than .35 Remington
4. Reloading for .30-30 is easy. I had a "Lee Loader" kit I used for years.
5. Dagummit...it's just a classic!

Con:
I can't think of any

Heck, you'll be well served either way you go. I am really just partial to the .30-30 for a fast handling lever gun ca'tridge!

 

[SwampWolf]

I own a Winchester 94 (a firearm I think every rifle "loony" should have at least one of, just like I think every pistol enthusiast ought to have at least one 1911 variant in their arsenal) in 30-30 cal. I have used it successfully for whitetails in Michigan and Pennsylvania but I would opt for the 35 Remington if I had to choose between the two.
Actually, my favorite whitetail set-up that I have used for the past few years is a Savage 99 "Brush Gun", chambered in .358 Winchester. Though I have a Redfield 1.5x5X scope, mounted in a Weaver "Pivot" style mount on the Savage, for strictly personal aesthetic and handling opinion reasons, I would never put a scope on a 94 or 336 or their ilk. My Winchester 94 and "Lightweight" 1886 repo as well as my over 50 year old Remington 760 all wear William "FoolProof" receiver sights.

 

[R.W.Dale]

35 Remington BABY


1 If you reload bullets are WAY cheaper 38/357 bullets shoot great

2 significantly more powerful than 30-30 giving you a good 50 to 75 yds more range should you need it

3 a bigger hole is always better

4 used Marlin 30-30's are a dime a dozen, but you almost never have trouble getting your asking price when sellin a 35

5 without a pesky rim a 336 is way easier to load when it's chambered for 35

6 wal mart sells ammo for both so why settle for ground beef when for a couple dollars more you can eat steak




AND yes I've owned 336'es in both calibers

 

[wilson]

I voted for the 30 30 i want one. I shot one a few times and i liked it.

 

[scrat]

you know where my vote is. just you picked the wrong brand.

If you want a chevy 350 you buy a chevy not a pontiac.

Who designed the 30-30.

 

[chad1043]

Let's not start this conversation... Unless you wanna ask who went to China? Then went out of business...

Marlin has been around a long time... Look at the 39A...

Here's an interesting article...

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/3030history.htm

Let's look at the past before we start calling another gun a lower version of another...

Peace,
Chad

 

[BobMcG]

.35 fan

I had to vote for the .35 due to the fact I've owned two 336Cs in this caliber and still own a Rem mod 8 in it. I feel that between the two calibers, the .35 is the more effective round. I never found ammo hard to find and besides, once I began handloading for this caliber it became a non-issue.

Although I've used numerous Marlin and Winchester lever .30-30s and even a couple of bolt action ones, I've never owned one and most likely never will. But hey, that's just me.

 

[obxned]

I have Marlins in both 30-30 and .375 Winchester. The .375 Winchester throws a 250gr bullet about the same velocity as the .35 with a 200.

Sadly, the .375 Win never really caught on, and is now about extinct. The .35 is still quite alive and well, and readily available.