The 336 Club

Status
Not open for further replies.
Yeah I checked a while back and thought it might be $350 or $450. Sounds like $450. I know for a fact it wasn't over $500. Thanks the ballpark for the W and A models helped me remember.:rolleyes:
 
I've seen the xlr for sale at sportsmans warehouse for under $600. The C is about $450, and the A & W are pretty low, as low as $330 at academy and walmart.
 
I have Dad's old 336SC in 35 Rem. He bought it sometime in late 52 early 53. and went deer hunting a few times. He never shot it much until I started reloading and finally got a nice S&W K-38 and learned that the 150swc made good plinking loads in his 35. In '98 I got a 200 gr Lyman mold for it and cleaned it up and had taken it out to test fire some, got home and had a call that he was in the hospital( 200 miles away in Louisiana where I grew up). I put the gun aside but did throw a target in and took off. He was in bad shape but was pleased to see how well the old gun had done. Sadly he died three days later. I still have the rifle which shall go to my son someday when he gets a larger house and a place to store it along with my collection. Hope thats a long time though, he is now an attorney in Jackson, Ms and I live in E. Texas so if I part with them too soon I will not be able to shoot and have the memories close by as I get older.

I just ran across this "club" and one for the 39-a . How does one sign up or is it a post as you wish affair?
 
I just ran across this "club" and one for the 39-a . How does one sign up or is it a post as you wish affair?
Jkingrph, welcome. I saw your post over on the 39A Club and added your name to the roster there.

We're a "post as you wish affair". I'm aiming (so to speak) to keep an "official" roster of any one who posts. Not really "official", but just so we can see all the names in one place. I'll update the roster p probably tomorrow.

Great story, although a sad one. Did your dad actually get to see the rifle before his death?
 
Yes, he did see it, I had cleaned it up, gotten some new action screws from Marlin to replace ones that I had buggered up as a teen ager. We actually went out to shoot it at the Ouachita Parish range, In Monroe, La. about a month to six weeks before he died but did not get too. This was an old Army/Air Corp range located adjacent to the airport. One of the approach/departure routes carries aircraft just over and downrange of the bullet barrier which is hugh ( they used to use for light artillery and heavy machine guns) Some times in fairly recent years , early to mid 80's I think, the FAA made the Sheriffs dept install a concrete block wall in front of rifle benches with windows (holes) to shoot through, the idea being no one could hit airplane , not considering that it had not happened in over 50 years of use. To make a long story short, just prior to that weekend there had been some extremely violent, strong straight line windstorms and they blew that concrete block wall down , so he did not get too fire his now new looking rifle with the new loads. Wish it could have been!
 
Add me to the club please.

I'm shopping for a 336, my first, this weekend and would love to join. This thread has been a BIG help for me and could not have come at a better time.

Thanks all! I'm on my way.
 
JR, welcome to the club.

MDig, thanks for the ping. I was intending to put up something (see my range report below) later today after work.

I agree we need to keep this going. I've still got a LOT of questions to ask about many aspects of this rifle, but just too little time at the moment to devote.

My apologies for not doing better with it for the last few days. Last Saturday, I started my two week "spring break" (until my next set of classes begin), and had hoped it was going to be a vacation. It's turned into more of a working vacation. :( I'm hoping to take four days off next week before I have to go back to work again, but it's not looking good. I'm busting buns to get all the work done so I can get to the mountains for a few days, and have been slacking in this thread.

OK, I'll stop whining.

I did manage to get to the range yesterday with my 336 complete with new XS GR. So far, I have mixed feelings about them.

First off, I still haven't gotten them satisfactorily sighted at 50 yds. If I understand correctly, they're supposed to be factory set for 100 yds, but I just can't imagine starting with them at 100. Not with my eyes. So I wanted to adjust down to 50 to start.

After a lot of shots just to hit paper, and a fair amount of adjusting, they're hitting about 5-6" high. (I can get dead bullseye by aiming at the bottom edge of the paper.) But the rear is cranked almost all the way down already, so I'm almost out of room.

This is with the integral ramp front sight (the one the XS rep told me by phone I needed).

So, I'm not quite sure what to do next. I ran out of time (and nearly out of rnds) before I could explore any more options yesterday.

Looking at the direction sheet that came with them, I find two "sight picture" images, but I found a confusing explanation of them.

In one, labeled "tall front post in a ramp", the top of the post appears to be higher in the ring than the post in the other image which is labeled "front post in a ramp". (Not "tall post", just "post".) There is no elaboration of that anywhere I can find.

So, I'm not sure if I have a "post" or a "tall post".

Guess I'll call XS and discuss this.

Any advice from you all appreciated of course.

OK, back to work for a while, er ... vacation.

You folks please keep the conversation going in my sporadic absence. :eek:

Nem
 
Nematocyst-870,

I found this on the XS Sight Systems web site (faq #10):
I am shooting way high and the sight is bottomed out!! This normally occurs with shooters who have used regular aperture sights before but not Ghost Ring style sights. Most aperture sights have disc in them with a small sight hole through it. The hole is so small that sometimes target shooters will fire on the wrong target because they can see only the bull’s-eye of the target. A Ghost Ring Aperture gives you a wide field of view. You will see all the front sight, some of the ramp or barrel and a whole lot more. This confounds some shooters who try to see just the blade of the front sight. Doing this sets the front sight low in the aperture and then when they place the tip of the front sight on target it causes the bullet impact to be way high. Once again concentrate on the tip of the front sight and don’t worry about what else you see in the aperture unless it is the eight point buck standing just to the left of the six point you are aiming at!

See it that helps and don't be afraid to give'em a ring.
 
I am a Marlin 336 fanatic. I currently own 4 in 35 Remington, 2 in 30-30 in addition to several other Marlin leveractions. To me, the Marlin 336 is the best balanced, smoothest operating, best looking leveraction ever made.

My current go to gun for deer hunting is a 336RC 35 made in 1960. It is topped with a Leupold 2-7 compact and will put 4 rounds of the new Hornady Leverevolution inside of 1" at 100yds every time if I do my part. My backup is usually my 336 Marauder 35 topped with a Leupold 2.5X compact. It is one light, handy rig and will shoot 2" groups all day.

I just found this thread, and have enjoyed reading it.
 
Found a 336C for $249.00 yesterday, 95% like new, in 30-30 should I go buy it now?

Sniper, if it's 95%, then - IMO - don't walk, RUN get that 336C before it walks off! :D

JR, you are a kind, helpful scholar. Thank you very much for that XS FAQ. Sounds like it was written for me. I'm virtually certain it addresses my specific issue.

I just checked with mine; yep, i can see that would make a difference.

I've also resolved to:

1) take off the rear buckhorns (but keep for emergencies). Even folded down, they're interfering with my sight picture in the GR.

2) install the smaller aperture in the GR. For sighting in and learning how to use it, I think that will be better, more like an aperture. Once I learn how to use them, then, for hunting, I can put the other one back in. Thoughts? Good idea or no?

TBB, welcome to 336-ville and THR. Glad you're here, 'specially since you're one of those heretical scope folks like me. :rolleyes: Can't wait to hear more about both your scopes, but especially that Leupold 2.5X compact. Exactly what I've got in mind for this puppy, with the GR's as backups.

To me, the Marlin 336 is the best balanced, smoothest operating, best looking leveraction ever made.
Oh, you're gonna like it here.

...my 336 Marauder 35...
Oh, now there's one I've not heard of. Marauder? Details? Links? Images?
___________

Thanks, everyone. It already feels like a good space here; very homey and comfortable. I'm enjoying reading and learning lots. Looking forward to a long, interesting, informative thread.

Nem
 
OK, let me just admit up front here that I may be an idiot.

(I am a biologist, and they didn't always let us take a lot of physics, especially optics and such...:rolleyes: .)

But something about this doesn't make sense. (My emphasis.)

A Ghost Ring Aperture gives you a wide field of view. You will see all the front sight, some of the ramp or barrel and a whole lot more. This confounds some shooters who try to see just the blade of the front sight. Doing this sets the front sight low in the aperture and then when they place the tip of the front sight on target it causes the bullet impact to be way high. Once again concentrate on the tip of the front sight and don’t worry about what else you see in the aperture unless it is the eight point buck standing just to the left of the six point you are aiming at!
OK, but wait. I'm holding my unloaded 336 now. (Well, a second ago; had to put it down to type this.)

I'm interpreting "Doing this..." as "...try to see just the blade of the front sight".

They're suggesting that's NOT the right way to form a sight picture, correct?

Based on the experiment I just did with mine, if I'm looking at only the tip of the blade through the GR, my barrel is lower (and therefore a shot should be lower) than if I'm looking at the entire blade AND the ramp AND some of the barrel. The former situation - tip of blade only - should LOWER my shot, not RAISE it.

What am I missing here. Am I misinterpreting what XS is suggesting in that FAQ?

Is this so obvious that an eighth grader could figure it out
the night before deer season begins, after math homework?

Was my acceptance into several graduate schools a mistake? :confused:
 
Pumpkin on a post: correct sight picture

Just for reference ...

I found this image in another thread a while back.
I even made it my desktop for a while, just to burn the image into my mind.

Admittedly this image is specifically for an "aperture sight", not a GR, but isn't the principle the same?

If the front post goes lower, the barrel goes lower, the shot goes lower ... right?

attachment.php
 
TnBigBore

I agree. The 336 is the purtiest rifle ever made and very well balanced. I have a 39A and the 336 is even better than it. I love the way my 336's just jump to my shoulder ready to go!
 
Nem,

Your graphic shows the correct sight picture for an aperture sight. I don't care for the way that the paragraph quoted from XS website explains how to use aperture sights. Differentiating between the front sight as a whole and the tip of the front sight is confusing things.

When shooting with iron sights, you are dealing with three optical planes:

1. The target.
2. The front sight.
3. The rear sight.

The human eye can focus on one plane only at any given time. So ... the key to using iron sights -- ghost ring or open -- is to focus on the front sight. Period. The target and the rear sight will be fuzzy. That's OK.

When aiming your 336, look through the rear aperture. Don't consciously try to center the front sight in it, your eye will do that naturally. Focus on the front sight. Even with the target blurry you'll be able to put the front sight where it needs to be. Do this consistently and you'll be able to shoot tight groups.
 
Nem

Do you reload for you 336? Making your own really cuts down on the cost of sighting in. Sorry to keep brining up handloads, but I love it as much as shooting.:)
 
336C in .30-30, and I'll take a pic 'n post it.

Since my teen years in the '80s, I've owned a Marlin levergun. On weekends you'd find a friend and me trekking in Blanco Canyon, he with his .50cal frontstuffer, me carrying my trusty 336CS. I used that rifle as a brace, I wedged it between trees for a handle so I could climb a steep stream cut (dry most of the year), shot mostly rocks and pine cones... At times, life was damned good.
In a fit of stupidity, I sold it after 14 years of faithful service, and with a little elbow grease it looked nearly new, so I got a decent price for it.
Only months later, experiencing seller's remorse, I picked up my current rifle.
I'm planning on mounting a peep sight, and maybe that scout scope mount posted earlier in this thread.

velojym (velo)


added for Nematocyst:
If you edit new members into the opening post of the thread, and include a link to that page in your posts, you won't have to always post new member lists, or keep up with 'em. Then, you can just leave it to the new members to get your attention so you can edit their names into the roll on page one.

Also... did I meet you off the coast of South Carolina? That hurt like hell, ya know. ;)
 
Last edited:
When aiming your 336, look through the rear aperture. Don't consciously try to center the front sight in it, your eye will do that naturally. Focus on the front sight. Even with the target blurry you'll be able to put the front sight where it needs to be. Do this consistently and you'll be able to shoot tight groups.
Dave, I understand. That all makes sense.

But I confess - and maybe I'm being dense here - I'm still confused about how to get this elevation thing solved. I still don't understand why I'm hitting so high at 50 yds.

Somehow, I've got to get that barrel down, and that means adjusting that rear sight so that when my eye naturallys center the front sight in it, I'm on target. That's the part I'm missing.
 
B'man, I don't reload yet. I've been just too poor and too busy to take on another task right now. I really, really hope to someday though. A shooting buddy and I have talked about the possibility of investing in some equipment for shared use.

Velo, welcome in. Sorry about all those nematocyst discharges in S. Carolina. It's just automatic for us. :p

Your idea is an interesting one, but alas, there's a short window when the EDIT function is open. After a few days, it closes, and no more edits of previous posts are possible. So, I just have to keep updating the list.
 
Updated club roster

Speaking of updating the list...
Here's quite a fine gathering of folks.

Current count: 73 ... and growing ...

.45Guy (45)
Action_Can_Do (ACD)
Applekev (Apple)
BamBam-31 (Bam)
B.D. Turner (BD)
Bob79 (Bob)
Brassman (B'man)
Bud Tugly (Bud)
Cavman (Cav)
Charshooter (Char)
Chorlton (Chorl)
Christophera (Chris)
CrackerJim (CJ)
Davera (Davera)
Dave Markowitz (Dave)
D-Man (D-Man)
Duckbill (Duck)
Dr.Rob (DR)
Electrode1998 (E'trode)
Essex County (Esx)
FastFrank (Frank)
fiVe (fiVe)
FXR (FXR)
Gns4me (GNS)
Glockman19 (G'man)
Grizz (Grizz)
Hokkmike (Hokk)
Ironbarr (Andy)
Jkingrph (J'King)
JNewell (JNew)
JRLaws (JR)
JustsayMo (J'Mo or Mo)
Karate (Karate)
KMBRTAC45 (KMB)
Lee Lapin (Lee)
Legionnaire (Legion)
Logan5 (Log5)
LotI (LotI)
Magyars4 (Mag)
Marlin (Mar)
Matt Dillon (Mr. Dillon)
Mattw (Matt)
MDig (Mdig)
Mgh (Mgh)
MikeWSC (Mike)
_N4Z_ (N4Z)
Nematocyst-870 (Nem)
NWilliams (NWill)
PapaDog (Papa)
Oregonhunter (OH)
Otony (Otony)
Quickdraw Limpsalot (Quick)
ReadyontheRight (Ready)
Rockerz71 (Rocker)
Ryoushi (Ryo)
Scrat (Scrat)
Sistema1927 (S’tema)
Skud_dusty (Skud)
Sniper X (Sniper)
SSN Vet (SSN)
TexAg (Tex)
Texas (Texas)
The Lone Gunman (Lone)
TnBigBore (TBB)
Tubeshooter (Tube)
Tuna (2na)
Ugaarguy (Uga)
Velojym (Velo)
VMIRat1995 (VMI)
Waywatcher (Way)
WJR (WJR)
W Turner (WT)
Xd9fan (XD9)
Z_Infidel (Z)
 
Last edited:
Ah, darn. Well, I thought it'd be a good idea, anyway. :rolleyes:
Another way might be to have the list on another site, like MySpace, and linked on the sig line. Just trying to figure a way to make your life a little easier.

One of my dawgs has the same issue with his tongue... I think it's a nervous condition, but he has to lay that big sloppy thing on every freakin' thing.
 
Just trying to figure a way to make your life a little easier.
Thanks for the thought. :eek:

It's a five minute job to update though. I just cut and paste the last one, then scroll through new pages, cut and paste new names into the old list.

It's actually kind of interesting to paste the new list in to the thread every-once-in-a-while to see how we're growing, remind everyone who's here...

One of my dawgs has the same issue with his tongue... I think it's a nervous condition, but he has to lay that big sloppy thing on every freakin' thing.
LOL.
 
But I confess - and maybe I'm being dense here - I'm still confused about how to get this elevation thing solved. I still don't understand why I'm hitting so high at 50 yds.

Somehow, I've got to get that barrel down, and that means adjusting that rear sight so that when my eye naturallys center the front sight in it, I'm on target. That's the part I'm missing.

If you need to lower the point of impact then you lower the rear sight. If the rear sight is bottomed out and you're still hitting high, you need a taller front sight blade. You can get taller front sights from Williams or Brownells, maybe Midway.

How high are you shooting at 50? Have you tried it at 100? I'd go for a 100 yard zero, which will increase your point blank range (the furthest range at which you can hold dead on and the bullet will impact within a few vertical inches of your POA, close enough so that it doesn't make a difference to the shootee).
 
I'm in! I have other rifles but my 336 is so handy, versitle and fun it's the one I shoot the most. If I could afford fancy ass scopes I might feel otherwise.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top