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Hello just got a Winchester 94 30-30 it has sat around in a closet and I need to find instructions on how to dismantle and clean. So that said what kind of accuracy can I expect with precision handloads? I should mention it is a post 64. Dan. Thank You for any help

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Most I've shot with open sights are minute of deer. I much prefer Marlin 336's

I thought I preferred Marlins too until I got one, a 1979 336C. With a 2.5x Leupold on it weight was as much as a M70 EW I had, and the fit and finish were mediocre. Last year I found an M94 AE with no safety at a very good price, and in excellent condition. Shoots well with Hornady 160gr FTX using a Weaver Classic 2.5 and is much better finished than the Marlin. Weighs a good bit less and handles well. I think the Marlins are excellent guns, and the Ruger-made ones I’ve seen online look nicer than the old ones.

My 94 groups three of those FTXs into about 1.5 inches. Bought 100 when I got the rifle and may not buy dies for it.

I’ve mainly had experience with the pre-64 94’s. Some were better than MOA even with full power cast bullets.
I shot a 1964 model 94 that my cousin and her dad brought over to see if we could sight it in. The bullets landed mostly on a 12” round plate. That was the most inaccurate rifle I’ve ever shot.
The M16 the USMC handed me came in a close second.

You got lucky with the 94 and unlucky with the Marlin in regards fit/finish. I've seen post 64 94's that were pretty rough and Marlins that were pretty good. There's exactly a half pound difference in weight between my pre 64 model 94 and my Marlin. That's without scopes of course.

I have a Marlin 336 in 30-30 (1992 MFG) and with Hornady 160gr FTX handloads can put them in 3/4"at 100 yds with a 2x7 Leupold. Only drops like 2" at 200 yds. Best bullet for a 30-30 that I have tried. Will drop a whitetail way out there and I can remember years ago the 30-30 was considered a 100 yard gun.

2" at 100 yards

The 160 FTX is big medicine.

As a hunting gun they are fine. Paco Kelly has an arti le on accurizing the lever gun. A good read. I used it on my Marlins and get groups that nearly cloverleaf. Even my Marlin 1894.
Full.tube magazine guns just don't shoot as well as half mag rifles due to pressure of the mag tube and barrel. You can try removing the forward barrel band, spring it open a bit and then rei sent the screw but don't make it real tight. There is a small channel in the tube and barrel for the screw that keeps it in place. Use a small drop of blue Lok-tite on the screw to keep it from walking out. That and relieving the forearm channel are the main points of Kelly's article. Winchesters are more complicated to take down for trigger work. If that is bad, I would spring for the cost of a gunsmith.

That is about what I could expect from my Winchester M94 until I stumbled onto the load it really likes, then it becomes a matter of me. With its preferred load, 1.25 to 1.5 inch groups are about what it'll do. Typical shot is 40 or so yards.

My 1979 model 94XTR Wears a Holosun 407cx2 on a Turnbull mount and will do 1.5" for 3 shots at 100 yards repeatedly. My 1949 model 94 wears a Williams receiver sight and would do 1" when I was young and my vision sharp.

Thanks for the replies

I'm working with 2 94s right now. One is a 1950, the other is a 54. Both with open sights. Neither shot that great until I loosened the barrel band screw as loose as I could make it. Put a drop of loktite on it so it wouldn't come out. Both rifles shot very well with consistent groups of 1/2" 2" at 100yds, which is pretty good for the open sights. I am reloading 150 grain sierra flat nose bullets with 31 grains of varget. Imr 4895 also shot well at 31 grains. Blue box 150s also shot good for factory ammo. Not sure but they look like Sierra bullets in them too.

Sights are my weak point. I don't see as good up close as I used to, but a Williams FP makes it good. Deer still die and the bullets are properly placed.

I really dislike my eyesight situation with open sights, but receiver sights have saved the day. In addition to the M94, I also shoot an M1 Garand and M! Carbine quite a bit.

But I have to accept it and it seems to not be getting worse, so.....

Honestly never really shot mine for groups. If I can keep shots centered on 6" steel at 100 yards it will do all I need out of a 94.

Anywhere between 1 MOA and 4 MOA. They are all over the place and a lot depends on when it was made. Rifles made 1964 through the 1970's were a low point for Winchester. I think you're less likely to find an accurate one made during those years but that doesn't mean they are all bad. The 1980's and 90's rifles were much better but by the early 2000's quality slipped again.

Most of the time it's a pretty safe bet that a Marlin will be more accurate but not always. I'm down to two 30-30's, a Marlin 336 and a Winchester 94. Both were made in 1958. The Marlin is one of the least accurate Marlins I've ever shot. It's an anomaly that hangs around 4" at 100 with irons. The Winchester is the most accurate I've ever shot. It shoots 1.5-2" at 100 and that's the best I can do with irons. I get the feeling this one could be sub-MOA with a scope.

That's better than any 94 I've seen. I do agree, the 336's always shoot better.

they are meant to be a 200 yard and in gun, I would say they are accurate enough for anything you will shot at to that distance. There is a reason the '94 sold more than the 336. the 336 is half a pound heavier. the 336 isn't as trim and light as a 94. I also prefer the straight grip that comes on most 94's its just a touch easier to lever quickly. I still own both, if I had to have a scope 336 otherwise I prefer the 94 in every other way.

Had it not been for the Winchester 94, I suspect that the 30-30 cartridge would have faded away by now.
You will hear reports of great shooters and bad shooters. The guns are individuals. You can tweak them for better accuracy but most guys don't care that much. Basic thing like a thorough scrubbing of the bore with a good copper and powder solvent, polishing the bore with a buffing compound on patches, then go to forearms and barrel band issues.
I still prefer the Marlin over the Winchester but that is because of the pistol grip stock and it is found to be chambered in 35 Rem. I don't care about a 1/2 pound weight difference. In the end, it is up to you.
So far as dismantling the gun, I would leave it alone unless you have a strong reason to do so. Open the action and spray it with GunScrubber and let the juice run out onto newspapers. A light coating of a dry lube can then be applied. It has probably seen several coats of WD-40 over the years and they need to be cleaned off. Again, Gunscrubber.
Don't bother with anything until you give it a good cleaning and test fire it. Likely not needed beyond that, but wait to see.