Teach me about leverguns...

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TFin04

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For some reason, I feel the sudden urge to own a lever action rifle. Seems like a nice light rifle for hunting, backpacking, or even just plinking at the range.

30-30 seems to be the most popular caliber here, and it has certainly withstood the test of time.

It appears a Marlin can be found for around $300 in good shape.

Is anyone else here a 30-30 levergun addict? Show me the way...
 
depending on where you live,nice used marlins can be had for 50.00 or so less than that.

Lever guns are just plain fun to shoot for some reason.for me it's the nostalgia thing,having grown up as a kid in the heyday of Saturday morning cowboy serials.

If you are a reloader,there are nice mild plinking loads for the thurtty thutty that are just fun to shoot.

A .357 carbine,or a 45colt like mine is another way to go.Marlin makes them in these calibers,as do others.The side eject Marlins come drilled and tapped if you need/want a scope,and the side eject is a plus in that instance.

Pick up a marlin and give it a shot,you won't be sorry. And should you decide to sell it....not likely...they are easy to sell.
 
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Hey, TF. 30-30 is indeed one of the most recognized lever actions out there. I have one and love to play with it. I'm not an "addict" but they are cool guns. It all depends on what you want to do. If you are considering possibly using it for hunting, the 30-30 is a good choice. Don't rule out other lever actions in smaller calibers if you are considering a "fun" rifle. A friend of mine has a .357 lever action that he carries with his S&W hand-gun when we shoot. He is obsessed with cross usage of ammo in rifle and handgun and it is a pretty damn fun gun to shoot as well. You can even go up if you want to the 45-70 range, but you usually have a specific purpose for that kind of gun.
 
I have a 336 in 35 Remington. I only hunt the thick stuff with it as it's rather range limited. I've shot one in 357 and it's a ball. I don't think I'd hunt with it though. IMHO a 30-30 would be the minimum. Pick one up and do some shooting, if you don't like it put it back on consignment.
 
I've been considering the 1894 in 357 as well. I reload 38spl quite heavily, and this gun would MOST likely be used as a plinker.

However, I do plan to do some rustic camping in Northern MI and the Dakota's eventually, and I think 30-30 would be my best bet against four legged critters. I don't know that I plan to go out hunting with it, but it would be nice to have that option.

I don't really want to carry a modern tactical rifle either. I own quite a bit of that stuff but I get bored with it real quickly. There is just something about nicer lever gun, nice revolvers and nice over/under shotguns. I can't explain it, though I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about.

One question on 30-30:

What's a good price for factory ammo?
What can one reload this round for?
 
Wal-Mart (if ya have one that still sells guns in your area) sells Marlin 30 30 lever actions for a decent price.
 
Was thinking about doing the pair. Ruger SP101 and Marlin 1894.

However, for my purposes, I think my money would be better spent on a 336. Prices are much lower than an 1894 and the round is much more capable.
 
Mostly, 30/30 factory ammo is so inexpensive and so high-quality - and .307 bullets appropriate for tube magazines are so few - that I think when you put a pencil to it you'll see that reloading doesn't provide enough benefit to be worth the trouble.

HTH :cool:
 
Another pair you might think about is the .44 mag. I own an 1894 in .44mag and love it. Shoot mags for hunting and plink with the .44 specials. I've taken deer and hogs with this rifle no problems. Marlin is a great value and I don't think you can go wrong with whatever caliber you choose. For the pistol I carry a 4inch 629 mountain gun.
 
That is good information. What's a fair price for factory 30-30 ammo?

I have collected a good number of 30-30 brass already from the local rifle range. I tend to collect common caliber brass as I'm sure I'll eventually have a gun for it.

A while back, there was about 100 once fired pieces even put back into the plastic holder and factory boxes after being fired. Couldn't pass that up...
 
Nobody seems to be able to answer my question:

How much does a box of inexpensive 30-30 ammo cost? I'd rather not scour every store to compare prices to figure out where the deals are.
 
In western Washington 30-30 ammo seems to run $12-14 for the cheap stuff and $17-22 for the Hornady LeverEvolution
 
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In this area (Wyoming) wal-mart 30-30 ammo runs about $12/box. Some guys in other areas say they get deals in the $8/box range.


I don't shoot factory ammo in 30-30. I sure can't figure out why someone thinks it isn't worthwhile to reload. Your cost goes down dramatically, meaning you can shoot more for the same money, and you can do more with it. I load .315 round balls with 3 grs Unique for small game and grouse, it's about as loud as a 22 standard velocity (not HV), and doesn't tear up meat. Makes a good snake or camp varmint round also. You can load cast bullets, either self made or commercial cast for medium power loads, or full power cast loads for hunting, as well as jacketed loads in weights from 110 HP to 170 gr fp. Some makes of bullets are better aerodynamically, meaning they will shoot noticably flatter at longer range. Hornady 170 gr bullets have given me under 1" groups in a couple winchester 94's, but they are real clunkers aerodynamically, (low BC). Speer, and no doubt others have better BC's.

Sight in 3" high at 100 yards, and you are very close to right on at 200 yards, and about a foot and a half low at 300 yards.


I'm a Winchester fan, but you may be very happy with a Marlin. Older Winchesters (often pre-64's) can be had for what you quoted for the Marlin price.
 
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I have levers in 22 LR (Browning), 22 mag (Winchester), 357 mag (Marlin), 30-30 (Marlin saddle gun) 308 (BLR 81).

The 22 is a real blast. It has a short throw, so all you have to do is open and close your hand to chamber a new round. Lots of fun, real fast.

The 22 mag is a nice and very accurate rifle, but the 22LR is more fun.

The 357 are very fun guns. It's one of those guns, that when you run out of ammo you are disappointed. I had a marlin 44 mag, and it was a good shooter. But it was one of those that you shot a little then put down and pick up a "fun" gun. The 357 is the one you would pick up.

The 30-30 I got because it's a rule. If you were born in the south you have to have a 30-30 or they make you become a Yankee! :what: :neener::neener: Seriously I cut my teeth on the 30-30. My marlin has the straight stock and a saddle ring. If Marlin ever makes their stainless 30-30 with a straight stock I would jump on it with both feet. Till then I'll stick with my saddle gun.

My BLR 308 has a Burris 1.5 to 6 scope which makes it a great little package. It's handy in the woods or in a open field. It's my number one hunter, and has taken many deer. The detachable magazine makes it easy to clear when you are getting into or out of your stand. It deadly accurate.

There is something AMERICAN about a lever action. Personally I think it is a faster action than a bolt, and it easier to stay on target as you chamber a new round, but that is my opinion. There is just something about jacking that lever. It related to racking the slide on a pump shotgun. It means you are serious. OH did I mention they are just fun to shoot? :D
 
I started off hunting deer with a .30-06 when I was 18 years old. It was a Savage 110 -- a great, accurate gun, but not terribly light. I'm not the world's largest man, so it had a bit too much kick for me, too.

Then, almost on a whim one day, I bought a Marlin 336 in .30-30. I took it to the range and fell in love with it: The recoil was nothing, it was light and handy, and, with a fixed 4X scope, I was easily shooting passable groups for hunting at 150 yards. (The instant affinity may also have had something to do with the John Wayne Westerns my Dad had me watching when I was a baby in a high chair.)

I haven't used the .30-06 for whitetails since then. Also, because about 75 percent of my shots happen well within 100 yards anyhow, I've even been debating reverting to the iron sights.

The bottom line for me is that I spend more time shooting my .30-30 than any other deer-sized caliber. When you buy a lever rifle, I think you too will find yourself spending a lot of time with it. That makes it a good purchase in my book!

As for other models, the Winchester 94 is also an excellent lever gun, but remember that most of them eject spent casings from the top of the receiver, rather than the side, ruling out the use of a scope. (You don't necessarily need to go scoped, anyhow.) Browning's BLR is a magazine-fed lever rifle offered in a broad range of calibers, even up to .30-06. I've always found the BLR's lines a little ugly, but some folks seem to really like the way it looks.

No matter what you go with, there's just something damn satisfying about working a slick lever action.
 
I've had a couple of Marlin 30/30's and traded/sold them off for some, I'm sure what seemed at the time a, good reason.

I've still got a couple of boxes of 30/30 ammo. I really should get a gun to shoot it out of.
 
Hunting With .357

You will recall that plenty of substantial game has been taken with the .357 cartridge -- fired from a revolver. At distances over 100 yards. From a revolver.

I've seen a mile-wide on the face of a man with his knee on a full-sized bison and a S&W 686 on his knee. Shot at 71 yards, through-and-through, hard cast lead round.

The round will do the job from a revolver.

That round picks up another 300-400 fps out of a carbine.

It's not a long-range round by any means, but it will bring home the beef.

I own both a Marlin 336 in .30-30, and a Marlin 1894C in .357 mag. If I had to choose one to keep and let the other go, I would keep the 1894C, as it's chambered in a universally available, reasonably priced, very versatile, game-capable range of ammunition. I could plink with it and not go broke. I could defend my home with it and not feel under-gunned. And I could bring in game with it if needed.

On the other hand, if HD and plinkage were well-covered and the lever gun were for primarily game and varmints, then I'd go with the .30-30 round.

Happily, I don't have to choose between them. l get to enjoy them both.
 
If you are looking for a purely logical reason to buy a lever 30-30 there probably isn't one. But they sure are fun to shoot.

I use both the 94 and the 336 in 30-30 and I like both of them for hunting hogs. I load for both with either cast or jacketed. The larger calibers would probably do a better job, but so far the hogs drop where they are and I'm happy. Plus the cast bullets are easy to buy and cheap as dirt to load.
 
I got bit by the same bug. Just had to have a lever carbine. So, went to my LGD and low-and-behold, there she was. A Puma 44mag carbine 16" SS.
puma92a.jpg
After taking to the range, the former poster is right. You shoot it for a while, then gotta put it down. I lasted about 40rnds then had enough. It is fun though. Makes me want another in 357! Maybe this winter.:evil:
 
You will recall that plenty of substantial game has been taken with the .357 cartridge -- fired from a revolver. At distances over 100 yards. From a revolver.

I've seen a mile-wide on the face of a man with his knee on a full-sized bison and a S&W 686 on his knee. Shot at 71 yards, through-and-through, hard cast lead round.

The round will do the job from a revolver.

That round picks up another 300-400 fps out of a carbine.

It's not a long-range round by any means, but it will bring home the beef.

I own both a Marlin 336 in .30-30, and a Marlin 1894C in .357 mag. If I had to choose one to keep and let the other go, I would keep the 1894C, as it's chambered in a universally available, reasonably priced, very versatile, game-capable range of ammunition. I could plink with it and not go broke. I could defend my home with it and not feel under-gunned. And I could bring in game with it if needed.

On the other hand, if HD and plinkage were well-covered and the lever gun were for primarily game and varmints, then I'd go with the .30-30 round.

Happily, I don't have to choose between them. l get to enjoy them both.
Click to expand...

Okay, now you've got me thinking again. I think, overall, a 357/38 is a good choice economically for ammo and my use of the gun, but the price of the rifle is more than twice what I can find a 30-30 for.

I can load 357 for about $.08/round. It looks like I can load 30-30 for about $.20/round. With those numbers, I'll probably break even at about 2000 rounds fired.

I doubt I'll ever fire that many rounds through this gun. Besides, my main purpose is going to be for rustic camping in bear country. In those areas, I'd much rather have the 30-30 than 357.

Who knows...these are just preliminary ideas. I posted a want ad on a local gun forum and have two offers for 336's...both for $200.
 
Levers are very nice. They are not for the bench, but they are ball to shoot, and great if you hunt in thick cover. They just balanced in such a way that they are easy to handle, and generaly shorter barrels so it helps.

30-30 is damn fine. But don't forget pistol calibers like 357 and 44 mag, both of which you can put their respective specials through in most modles. Good for plenty of yardage, agian if you hunt in the thick stuff. Otherwise they are a ball to plink with.
 
I love lever actions, reload for most of them. I have levers in .22LR, .357, .45 Colt, 30-30, .308, .243, and 12 gauge. Hunt with them, and just enjoy shooting them.
 
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