Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Never had a 30-30, if I want to try one, which maker is the one to try

Just snapped.

Henry and Mosberg are options. I have had both the Marlin and Winchester they both have pro and cons.

go for a SAvage lever action bullets are all in the receiver for better balance,,they are setup for peep sights ,and if not drilled and tapped for scope , there are mounts available to mount scopes .

Savage made their last 30-30 in about 1946 but there's about 20 modles to chose from.

with all bullets in the receiver it allows you to use pointed bullets which are not recomended in Marlin or Winny rifles.

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I am a Marlin guy but I don't think that you can go wrong with a Winchester or a Savage. Nothing handles better in the N.C. mountains than a lever gun.

I've owned a Marlin 336, a Rem. 788, and a old, rather odd looking Mossberg lever action (external safety and trigger stayed with the lever when cycled) all chambered in 30/30.

If I were to get another 30/30 I'd probably go with the fairly easy to find and relatively inexpensive Marlin myself.

Besides their great lever action, Savage also had the 170 pump and 340 bolt action chambered in 30/30.

Remington's 788 bolt action and Model 14 pump could be had chambered in 30/30, as well.

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The Winchester feels better in my hands but I have and use both.

Not as easy to find as a Marlin or as common as Winchester but a Savage 99 in .30-30 is rarely a wrong choice.

pretty good advice. and the atvantage of the non levers is the pointed bullets. I have had a winchester 94 since i was ten. I think personally the marlin is the better engineered gun. I would say stay to the older winchesters. Few years ago i bought a post 64 winchester, new in the box, that had sat unused in a swamp cooled, high humidity house. It was a pile of rust on the outside, and became a project. Looks like a new one now. Had to cerrakote the reciever as the allow material would not hold bluing. It's kind of a two tone now. As time went along winchester cheapened them in the wood, and other areas to maintain a price point. Older ones are definitely much better.

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Except when the OP wants/needs to mount a scope. Unless he finds one that someone has already drilled

Stith?

Yeah, I know. A whole 336 can almost be bought for what a Stith goes for these days.

Long way round the barn. I've bought 336's for less than the price of a Stith.

The one I just bought was drilled and tapped long ago. Bad for a collector since it's been altered.

Good for me since it kept the price down and my blind azz needs a scope anyway.

All the assorted older lever guns - the pre-safety Marlins, pre-64 Wins, and Savage 99's are fine tools, each with their pros & cons.

Contenders make a pretty good .30-30. Very light & compact yet still has a 23" barrel, and can take any bullet you want.



Ruger also made a small run of the #1A in .30-30. That would be the rifle, if one wanted to load up the round to higher pressures.

But one of these days I'd like to get one of the modern Low Walls, either custom built or rebored, in .30-30. I think a good Low Wall would be the optimum choice for strength & handling.

Hmmm...

Stuck between a Marlin 336 with a scope or a 99 - I need to get info on putting a scope on a 99 though. Always wanted to try a 99, that would be killing two birds with one stone

Ummm...you're forgetting the best one out there Mannlicher-the unbeatable Savage 99. All others just fight for second best.

A .303 Savage in a 99 would be cool. I know where there is one, but it will never be for sale. It belonged to a friend of mine who died of early onset Alzheimers. His sons will never part with it.

lets see, a savage 99 in 30.30 costs how much?
a marlin 336 costs how much?
ouch.

I went through this about 4 years ago. I started by hitting the pawn shops and bought a few Marlins

'70's 336A..24" Barrel 2/3 magazine pistol grip
30A.. Custom wood $500.00 checkering job 20" barrel 2/3 magazine 20" barrel.
336TS.. 18.5" Barrel straight stock
336 LTR..16 3/4" barrel straight stock

Photobucket isn't working or I'd post pictures, After playing around with all 4 I hunted with the TS & factory sites. Killed a pig but no deer. If you hunt out of a tree stand, I'd use a later model with the safety because they are much safer getting out of the stand with a chambered round.