Thinking about setting up a Winchester M94 Trapper 30-30 for stalk hunting hogs. Any experience with these w/ 16.5" barrel? Max effective range? What should be my expectations for accuracy out to 100yds? Scope recommendations; Maybe a Leupold VX-2 2-7?
Thanks

My friend has a Marlin he cut to 16.5" and it is most handy. Iron sight accuracy at 100 yards is about 2" give or take. Id bet a scope would bring that down considerable. The scope you mention would be great, altho i've become a fan of the 1-5-ish scopes lately.

Here is my Nikon UCC on a 16.5" 444 handi rifle.


I have three of these scopes. Love em. But i also like the 2-7's

I just chopped a Winchester 94 barrel to 16.5". Testing has just started but it looks like accuracy will be better than it was as a 20" barrel. Maybe the old crown was nicked or something. I have a Marbles tang sight on it. I have to shoot it more before I quote any numbers. That will have to wait because deer season is open!

I should add that I did run a 150 grain load over the Chrony and it didn't lose much velocity at all compared to the 20" barrel. I don't remember exactly but I think it was less than 100 fps.

Got a Marlin Glenfield 30-30 with an 18 inch barrel and mounted with a Weaver K-2. At 50 yrds it will stay just inside an inch with Remington factory Cor Locks. Have not yet tried it at 100 yrds yet, but I bet it will be minnete of deer. With the short barrel and compact scope it makes for a tight little package.

I had a Win 94 trapper in .30-30. I put a Williams receiver on mine rather than a scope. I never accuracy-tested it at 100 yards but with 170 grain Remington factory ammo at 50 yards it'd keep all the shots inside a matchbook (folded) cover, so 1.5" or less. Plenty good inside 100 yards.

I had the same gun in .44 magnum. I had a Weaver K2.5 on it. That seemed a good balance. Accuracy was about 0.75" at 50 yards. I don't think Weaver still makes that scope. Today I'd go with the Leupold 2.5X or possibly 1.5-5X if I were scoping a short lever action.

Another cool scope for short lever actions is the rimfire version of the Leupold 2-7X. If you're staying inside 100 yards, the 60 yard parallax adjustment is "better" (compared to the std 150 yard adjustment) and I prefer the fine duplex to a standard duplex. I had one on a 16-1/4" barreled Contender carbine in .357 maxi for a while.

Tom

I have done the super short barrel 30-30 thing several times including cut rifles and original Marlin Marauders. They work very well with a compact scope, but did not work well for me at all with open sights. The sight radius is so short that the front sight appears huge and was pretty useless for anything beyond about 75yds for me. If you are sure your shooting is going to be close and fast then by all means go with a shorty 30-30 and aperture sights. Othewise, a Leupold 1-4, 1.5-5 or 2.5X is just the ticket.

To me a 16in lever gun cries out for an XS Scout Mount and scout scope. Put XS ghost rings on it and use Leupold QR rings and have glass or not.

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IDK of any Trappers issued with a 16.5" bbl.

My .30-30 Trapper has it's original 16" bbl, but now wears an older (steel) Lyman peep sight. (below, with a Henry .22)



It's worked better for me than the 16"/ported & scout-scoped .44 Marlin 1894 I used previously (uppermost rifle, below)




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16" it is

These thread is useless w/o pitchers-
Button mag short barrel 30/30. Mmmmm Hmmmmm!

I used to use my Mom's 94 Trapper 44 mag a big. Had no trouble dropping deer or hogs at 100 yards using irons. Now a days, I need a scope.

She has gotten old enough she was never going to use it again and gave to my brother. I snatched a nice Win Border Patrol commerative in 30-30. Would like to have had the 44 mag for short range handiness, but the 30-30 will do just fine.

Long story short, that Trapper 44mag will do the job at 50 to 100 yards with no problem. If you can hit with it, out to 125 yards.

i have a 336 sdt with a 16" barrel and a nikon monarch 1.5-4.5x20 on talley extra lows. it is a sweet rig. so sweet in fact that my son has claimed it. when i went to buy another one, i found that people now want $2k for them. i paid $500. it is good out to 100 with factory corelokt 170's. not a target gun but it doesn't claim to be.

Nice picture! Thanks for that.

Had a 94 Trapper in 30/30 and traded it for a Trapper in 44 mag. ,mainly because I already have several 30/30's. Should have kept it cause it was the most accurate of my 30/30's. Set it up with an XS sight and loved it.

336 Texan I had to cut just at the rear of the front band screw groove. 17.5" gave me a very nice length especially with the 3/4 tube length. And not nearly as loud or flashy as the 16". I think the shorter mag tubes look and balance better. Still deciding on either a Leupy M3 4x compact or a Burris 4x mini. Hey it's a 25 year old gun, deserves a good vintage scope.

Shorty lever guns are seriously nice.

Does anyone know how the front ramp on a pre 64 Win 94 is attached? I have one that is pretty beat up in front and cutting it down might be the ticket it to revive it.

Mine look like they are silver soldered on.

I've always enjoyed the little Marlin 30TK.

That's nice!

Irving D needs to show off his beauty of a savage.

I suspect that they are soldered on, but it is hard to tell.

I bought this Marlin 336Y new, from Bass Pro Shop, back in 2003. The youth stock was too short, so I installed a temporary Walnut spacer. It's still there.
The short 16.5 inch barrel is very handy. It is also very accurate, giving < 1 inch groups at 100 yards.
I shoot my handloads. 170 grain Speer SP over IMR 4320 powder. My Chronograph shows 2200 fps.
Scope is an older Redfield 1-4X. Together, they are a great combination for where I hunt, in swamps and Palmetto thickets.

I have a 16 incher but prefer 18" when scoped because the scoped 16" seems a little back heavy to me. Now that chopped handi rifle is interesting up there.

thanks... still havent shot it, but i did load up some full cases of trail boss under a 310 grain gas checked cast wide nose flat point... one day, i will make it to the range. hopefully, before deer season...