The 336 Club

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Nem,
You are exactly correct, with optics or aperture sights the issue of front sight focus is nullified/mitigated.

Since I resist putting glass on a levergun I "solve" (or delay the inevitable) issue by putting the front sight out where my eye can still get a fairly sharp focus on it. That gives me ability to do more of the things I need my general purpose rifle to do. I give up some handiness and portability but I'm finding that is easy to adjust too.

At the moment my primarily use for my 336 Cowboy (24" barrel) is silhouette matches. It also is proving to be a versatile "ranch rifle." Last month I tested it while out scouting, plinking, long range dinger ringing and a silhouette match. Leaned up in the in the corner with 8 in the tube the cabin feels pretty secure too. Further testing is planned.
 
Further testing is planned.
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<Laughs> I see you got your priorities straight. :)

That all makes sense. I sorta thought that was the case, but just checkin'...

Hey, creeping up on 100 pages.
Time to break out some champagne soon.

OK, OK, a good microbrew.
336 doesn't exactly seem a champagne kinda rifle.
 
Mo -

I added a Williams FP aperture sight to your old SDT on Friday. Haven't got to the chance to shoot it yet, but the quick test shows it is a big improvement over the old rear sight. If nothing else, it moved the rear sight back a few inches, resulting in a much longer sight radius. With the old sight, 31cm sight radius, new Williams FP aperture sight, 50cm, about 160% of the original.

I couldn't hit anything with the original sight, and had a good experience with a Williams on my 1894C. I hope to get out and shoot it sometime after work sometime this week. I'll post my experience then.

I've been following your Cowboy conversion posts with interest. I did some testing with iron sights on barrels longer than 20 inches and find I can actually hit things with the longer barrels. The extra inches make a huge difference in how well I can see the front sight.
 
I'll post my experience then.
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I look forward to that report, PC.

I think that's eventually what I'll do with my 336: replace the XS GR set up with a smaller aperture. Williams, Skinner, ... not sure yet.
 
Bumping this as I think my post got buried on the bottom of the last page:

Still new, and I've already got a question. Figured maybe you guys (and gals?) knew the answer.

On the stock, there's a white dot with a black dot in the center that's just above the rear sling swivel. Anybody know what that is?
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attachment.php


Edit: Nevermind. Found the answer on the first place I should've looked (the Marlin FAQ page).

What is the small round black and white dot on the bottom of my Marlin stock?

This is the Marlin "Bullseye". This trademark has been used since 1922 on all Marlin walnut buttstocks. Please note that this is not a suitable place to install a swivel for you firearm. Swivels should be mounted approximately 2 inches from the toe of the butt.
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My wait to get my Marlin 336 Cowboy conversion in 38-55 back from Marlin just got tougher...

I sent a batch of Ranch Dog's TLC379-235RF bullets down to a friend in the Great State of Texas to test in his Marlin 336 Cowboy in 38-55. He sent me back some targets he perforated with the Ranch Dog Bullets.

bds50yrdrdtargetre7.jpg


bds50yrdrdtargetimr4198.jpg


Needless to say, he wants another batch to test on the silhouettes.
 
Yup, proud owner here, chambered in .35 Remington. Taken lots of deer, hogs and more than a few varmints. I'll have it for the rest of my life.

I've got a 57 model, if I'm reading this correctly:

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,33409.0.html

Date code of P for 1957 manufacture.

I've had it since I was a youngster, it was a gift from my grandfather. My brother has one just like it in 30-30.

It's currently wearing a set of Williams peep sights, but they're coming off soon in favor of a scope (Leupold VX-II is what I have planned) It's getting too hard for me to see "out there" and at dusk I can't see game out in the trees worth a darn.
 
Welcome to THR, G'Bear, and to the club.

Sorry we're not quicker on the welcome mat these days.

How cool that it was a gift from your grandfather.

I started with a 336 in .35, but sold it during tough times.

Now I got the .30-30.
 
30-30 @ 500 yards

Dudes, just got back from another fun weekend that included some long range shooting with my Marlin 336 Cowboy (conversion) over at Wind's place. Wind is one of those guys that ain't afraid to challenge convention thinking - he sure has opened up my mind to what is possible - last Saturday was another one of those days the way I look at my 30-30.

So here's how it played out, after our silhouette match (I'll write a report on that later) and lunch at the local Mexican restaurant, we jet on up to Wind's place. Last month I managed to ring the 400 yard dinger with my 30-30 336 CB and was eager to take another crack at it... In typical Wind style, he suggested we go out to 500 yards, 400 yards was "been there, done that..."

We're shooting at this - 20" wide by 32" tall
400yarddingerhits_1.jpg


I take some shots to figure out where I need to hold to get on. Wind makes an adjustment to his tang sight and touches one off in his Winchester 1894. We have a variable left to right cross wind so his shot kicks up some dust to the right of the target. He levers in another, adjusts his hold and nails it! ;D check out the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiQGPmo3hmM

This reminded me of the scene from Lonesome Dove when Gus plugs a guy who thought he was safely out of range... What I witnessed was a real life "Gus Shot."

So once I figured out the hold we filmed this
http://www.youtube.com/user/WhitSpurzon#p/u/3/pT92PEgnIb0

Forgive the poor quality but most of that can be attributed to our electronic incompetence. It was basically a "hold my beer and watch this" without the beer...

After a bit more shooting we walked out to survey the "damage."
http://www.youtube.com/user/WhitSpurzon#p/u/2/QFt6IWuEcH8

This clip gives some of the details.
http://www.youtube.com/user/WhitSpurzon#p/u/1/kDtB-4YXTi4
In the vid I said 1200 fps but it is actually 1400 fps. Please note that my praise for the Ranch Dog Bullet and the Okanogan Shooting sticks is coming from a genuine PAYING customer. I like their products and they perform very well.

A few other notes.
-I developed this load for Silhouette shooting but have since switched to a load using the same Ranch Dog bullet over 2400 (1850 fps) for the Rams and Dingers 200 yards and beyond - unfortunately I left that ammo at home on that day so I had to make due.
-After Wind shot the 500 yard dinger he took on a stump at over 600 yards and was on it in three shots. :eek: :D ;D
-It was another great day and one that further expanded my appreciation for the 30-30.
 
Aw, now, Mo, everybody knows you can't hit anything with a .30-30 past 200 yds.

And even if you did, the bullet would just bounce off and fall in the dirt.

Who you tryin' to kid? We weren't born yesterday, you know? :rolleyes:

:neener:
 
New guy here that just picked up a nice, used 336W for a great deal. This thread has a bunch of great info and I'm looking forward to fixing up my 336 some. So far, I've got a Nikon BM 3-9x40 w/BDC that I'm going to slap on top via a Dednutz one piece mount. I also picked up a bunch of Leverevolution ammo. What's everyone's favorites for a sling and buttstock ammo carrier? The stock is a little dinged up and I'm considering just refinishing it or getting a synthetic stock. I like the idea of a durable, lightweight stock but there doesn't seem to be a lot of good options out there outside of the Ram-Line. Does it mess up the balance/feel of the Marlin?

Thanks for any input.
 
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I don't often use a sling because I'm typically carrying a pack when I'm out in the boonies with my 336. If the terrain is steep and I need both hands free to get around I use the Kifaru Gunbearer.
elk2007.jpg


As for stocks I think it is a personal preference thing. I like wood stocks and they seem more congruent with a levergun. Synthetic stocks -while very practical lack 'soul' IMO.

Dings are character, you can erase the history and refinish or just add more chapters to the history that is already there.

One of the things I like best about the 336 is its ubiquity. Few are truly collectible so they get used. A rifle that gets used has more practical value to me as a tool than one that sits in the safe that I have no adventures with.

Wasabi, by chance do you reload, or know someone who does? The 30-30 lends itself well to cheap shooting. Brass is usually free or cheap, the Lee dies for the caliber are excellent and inexpensive, using cast bullets and a fast burning powder you can shoot for less than $0.20/round buying the bullets. Cast your own and you are at about a dime a shot. The 336 (including the microgroove versions) shoot these VERY well and it is a great way to get a lot of inexpensive repetitions. Being very familiar with your rifle prior to burning up the spendy stuff (LeverEvolution) is good policy in my book.

If you can get a lot of repetitions, I recommend getting familiar with the factory opens. It ain't easy at first but once you've mastered it they are good enough to take shots on game at ethical ranges and they don't add weight to the very portable package that is one of the other real advantages of a levergun.
 
Thanks for the reply,

I like that Gunbearer, I'll have to check one of those out. Yeah, I may just go with the stock the way it is but was just wondering my options. I think light and durable was jumping out to me with the synthetic stocks but I can see what you mean when you say it lacks soul though.

As for ammo, I don't plan on reloading but I do have a bunch of other cheaper ammo other than the Leverevolution that I can roll through also. This isn't my first 30-30, just my first Marlin 336. I've actually not had a lot of experience with lever guns and have had mostly pumps in my non semi autos. My other 30-30 is an older Savage 170 pump. I'm going to have to get used to the lever action. This is going to be a primarily hog/deer gun that I can carry around in the woods. Most of my shots will probably be under 100yds. We'll see how accurate it is with the Leverevolution before I try anything much further.

BTW, has anybody tried any inexpensive trigger upgrades?

Thanks again for the input.
 
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Wasabi, I think you'll find the 30-30 is capable and practical cartridge. It is also comparatively economical with a good selection of quality ammo out there. Sure there are less expensive military ammos but those are not typically good hunting or target ammo. Commercial 30-30 is highly effective on critters AND typically better on paper too.

Except for 22lr, 30-30 is the only commercially made ammo I buy. Hard to pass up a box of 20 cartridges for less than $10 on sale, and that's the good hunting ammo too... Can't even get that in 30-06.

I shoot a bunch so reloading is mandatory to support my habit. I like being able to produce enough ammo for a match for $5 instead of having to shell out $30 for a matches worth.

Hope you'll keep us updated about your 336 adventures. Don't forget to tell us about the backstraps it produces either.
 
Hi All,
I just wanted to give a quick update on a recent Frontsight class I took (as discussued above a few pages ago). I brought two rifles - a mini-14 and my 336C. I shot the majority with my mini-14 (sorry, a friend got my nervous about reloads during the class) and shot some with the the 30-30.

For the four day rifle, now that I've taken it, I can say that you will NOT need to be performing fast reloads. Most times at the line before sitting down for more instruction you rarely shoot even 20 rounds and that is even broken up into two separate strings with plenty of time to reload. I will go back and I am definately taking my lever action as the primary firearm.

As for the course, if you have never taken a training class before, you will enjoy it. It starts from the assumption that you have never shot before and slowly builds. Day 1 and 2 don't have that much shooting and if you have taken classes elsewhere these two days can be a bit slow. You will shoot the majority inside 50 yards and there will be four times or so (half a dozen to dozen rounds each time) that you shoot at 100 yards and four times or so that you shoot at 200 yards and one time at 400 yards (shooting 5 shots).

The class is a good mix of close quarters/home defense and long range shooting. There are other classes after this that then specalize in each. You are at no disadvantage with a lever action and you will be shown how to maniuplate your lever action for the various failure drills etc.

The class is safe and when you are not actually on the line shooting the range is cold (no ammo in firearm and bolt open) and when not shooting and getting instrucitons (sitting in chairs in the shade) the rifles are in the racks.

The funnest bits were shooting at night on steel at a distance of 50 yards, a simulator where you walk through a gully and need to shoot the bad guys but not the good guys, and the 200 and 400 yard distances.

The last day and a half is spent preparing for and taking a test in which many portions have time pressure. At first I found the time pressure annoying. Then, I realized it was a way to put some mild stress on me to better stimulate what I might feel in a realy self defense situation. Actually, much less stressful that what you would likely feel for real but still, it was good. Once I reallized this, I kind of liked the timed testing and the pressure.

There were about 60 folks in my rifle class (two relays of 30 and you are paired up with a buddy). There were two rifle classes going. At Frontsight between the rifle, pistol, and whatever else they have, they had about 580 people there for training for the weekend. It is really fun to be around that many fellow shooters.

There is plenty of free water and gatorade powder to help you stay hydrated during the class. There are a number of really excellent lectures at various times in the main air conditioned hall.

All in all, I really enjoyed it. I will definately do it over with my lever action. There is lots of Frontsight hype I've seen and prior to actually going I was skeptical of all the hype as just being marketing. Now having seen it in person, they are telling the truth. I talked to some who have been going for several years and they really have seen the place grow quite a bit.
 
I have a chance to buy a 336 RC 35 Rem (straight stock) for a mere $350. The gentleman said that it's never been fired, and is pre-cross bolt safety. To me that is a great deal, I was wanting to hear from some of you guys before actually following through with this purchase.
 
Forgive me for being ignorant, I thought that it would have a "T" or "Texan" stamped upon it for it to be a Texan.... am I wrong in my assumption?
 
Badlander has it exactly right - go buy it or tell us where we can. Major Score if it's a Texan and even better if it's a Marauder!

I've owned three Texans and every one was stamped RC.
 
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