Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Buying a 30-30 was a crazy idea.

I have several center fire rifles that I like and reload them all.

I recently purchased a Marlin 336C 30-30 and I am having a lot of fun with it. I am buying factory ammo for it off the shelves of hardware stores, gunshops, sporting goods stores, big box stores and even a gas station or two.

This was a crazy idea.

Sounds like a crazy fun idea.

I must be crazy too. I picked up my first 30-30 in the form of a used 336W 3 weeks ago. I found it likes 170 grain Federal Blue box well enough to put 5 rounds under 2" at 100, looking through a Weaver V3. That should do.

Fun rifle. Already installed the Trigger Happy kit last week. Big improvement. Should be fun in the thickets back home this Fall.

The 30-30 is great rejection thearpy.

The usual scenerio for me when I walk into to a retail store, is there any 257 Roberts factory ammo...nope; 250-3000...nope; 7x57mm...nope; 35 Whelen...nope; 22 Hornet...nope.

Not crazy at all. You'll soon realize that hall the comments of rainbow trajectory and only being effective to 100-150 yds are ridiculous. No it isn't the top choice for f class shooting matches but for general field use it is pretty handy and much more capable than people realize.

Been that way for more than 100 years.

I had the same crazy idea.................. Mine is a 336SC, 3/4 magazine carbine. Light and handy. Stuck an M8-4X on it, but it liked 170 CoreLokts pretty well with irons.I just can't see well enough without glass these days.

I only have 4, 30-30's. And I do the same thing with off the shelf ammo .

30-30? Easily a 300yd deer gun, with proper ammo, plenty of experience, and a good rest. Hell, the 14" Contender I shoot is a 300 yd deer gun. I've only shot to 200, but the accuracy is there, and the drops with pointy bullets aren't that bad: less than 2 feet low at 300. Paco Kelly has some interesting writing out there on the web regarding what lever guns in 30-30 can do. I recommend his writing highly.

Oh gawd.......you bought one too? Rolling aluminum cans at various distances with a 336 is more fun than free beer at a Sunday picnic. At the range 2 weeks ago a young guy with an AR came down to my bench and said he had never seen a lever gun up close. Young whipper snappers anyway. I have bolt guns with turrets but for fun this whole lever action thing is addicting.

I have three .30-30's. A '49 Winchester 94, a '79 Winchester 94 XTR and a Marlin 336. The Win's both have Williams receiver sights and the Marlin wears a Weaver K-2.5. I've killed more deer with those rifles over the years than any others I've ever owned. Killed one at 314 yards with the '49 Winchester. One shot through the top of the heart and dead after a 30 yard death run. Mostly just use factory ammo and they'll all group 3 shots under 2" at 100 with one brand or another. So much for needing expensive rifles, premium optics and handloads stuffed with high BC bullets to consistently fill deer tags. Only if you SUCK I reckon.

I like Winny 94 .30-30 best for levers, but when I want to stretch the range of the cartridge I grab my M788. Had a 336 in .35 Rem and it was a hoot, but it was way easier to feed the .30-30.

Lever guns rock......been saying it for years.

I also find the 30/30 "Therapeutic".....

While it is wonderful we have so much to pick from, truth be known, if it has to do with Deer Hunting in most of North America, the old 30/30 is about all one needs...

although I load for many other calibers, come deer season, most used are loaded to 30/30 velocities....and to 250 yds haven't really been handicapped in the least...

Killing a deer with a 30-30 is part of a 12 step program for recovery from rifle looneyism.

Nonsense, long magazine tube lever rifle is the best HD rifle/carbine money can buy. Light weight .30-30 lever carbine is still gold standard for deer hunting in dense dark woods.

Which step? I'm just wondering where I am in the recovery process.

A couple of "fire": friends PM'd me to say no pics it did not happen.

OK

There is nothing more common at garage sales than 30-30 ammo. I have picked up dozens of boxes for around $5.00 each. I finally had to get a 30-30 for the ammo...

I'm not in recovery yet!

I'm in denial !!!