30-30 MARLIN
 

where i hunt is in heavy woods. all of my shots are less than
100 hundred yards. i think a 30-30 would work good for where i hunt.
i am going to put a red dote scope on it. how good will the 30-30 put deer
down after the shoot. what are the good and bad things about a
30-30 marlin. thank you

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

I think the Marlin is arguably the best choice for the situation you described.

It is easy handling,
Not too long,
More than enough power for deer,
and very accurate.

It is a very easy gun to shoot well, and it kills deer very dead.

C. Davis

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

Hey, I have a Marlin 30-30 and LOVE IT!! :D It had a small Glenfield 4x32 scope on it, but it broke on me last season, so I took it off. Shooting a "plain jane" 30-30 with open sights seems to be a little better and easier to carry. I just might keep it without a scope... I too don't shoot over 100 yards.




P.S. The 30-30 is a timeless classic that has killed more deer than any other rifle in any type of caliber. Grab one andenjoy shooting a real part of hunting history! ;)

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

You couldn't find a better gun for what you are wanting to use it for.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

The 30/30 caliber will do the deal as good as any other in the scenerio that you have given. I hunt in the same kind of place, and my Marlin has served me well. As far as putting a deer down, shot placement is your responsibility. I haven't tried them yet, but I would suggest you using the new Hornady ammo base on some reviews that I have read.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

I have the Marlin 336 in 30-30 and it is more that enough out to 100+. In Nov. I dropped a nice 140 lbs button buck at 150 yards in his tracks, he never moved. It will definately work in the senerio you described.

Good luck and enjoy that little lever gun.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

I got my doe this year with my 30-30 Marlin. 150 yds and she ran 30-40 and dropped. You'll be fine.

Spud

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

10-4, good buddy!

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

The deer I have seen shot with a 30-30 pretty much flopped at the crack. Its a fine piece for close range work.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

Now don't go forgetting the"rest of the story" asPaul Harvey would say!

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

Yep I love the 336

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

Try this link.... It lays it all out for you with the differences in Marlin 336 30-30 and Winchester 94 30-30.

http://www.1stconnect.com/anozira/SiteTops/weapons/3030faq.htm

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

I have always liked the 30-30. A lot of people say it isn't a good deer cartridge. The specifications are not so hot compared to the more modern cartridges. But they are not so hot for the 7x57 either and I think everything from a little dik dik to elephant has been killed with it.

I can remember filling out camp hunting rosters when I first starting hunting (a requirement in PA when a certain number of hunters hunted together). We usually had 25 people (maximum allowed) and drove the side hills for deer. There were usually 23 30-30's, a 270 in model 54 Winchester, and a 250-3000 in a model 99 Savage. All the 30-30's were in a model 94 except one which was a Sears bolt action (made by Savage). The rosters required name,address, phone number, rifle model and caliber. All deer killed had to be marked on the roster.

At that time none of the rifles had a scope.

I have shot a lot of deer with the 30-30. I can honestly say I never hit a deer with that caliber and not have it fall to the ground. Some got up but I was always able to get it. I even hit one in the foot one day and still knocked it off its feet. Probably the reason the 30-30 kills so well is there are no bad bullets made for them. They have a lot of lead exposed which gives a lot of expansion.

I still have around eight model 94's in 30-30 and one in a 99 Savage. I used to have over 20 in that caliber. As for killing power the largest bull elk I ever shot was from New Mexico and I used a 170 grain bullet at around fifty or 60 yards. It was a 6x6 and just dropped when hit.

Strangely, I have never owned a 336 but have used some of my friends. Overall I think it is a better rifle then the 94. One of these days I'll get one.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

The Marlin lever in 30-30 or 35 Remington is a wonderful package. Using the new Hornady LEVERevolution 30-30 rounds turns the 30-30 into a true 200 yard rifle. The newer 35 rounds aren't quite to the 200 yard range yet but a skilled shooter that knows his rifle and scope could do it.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

For shots on deer inside of 100 yds, there are no guns that are better than a 30-30. There are many more calibers with more energy and velocity, but it really isn't needed.

I think 150 gr bullets are best for deer. They deliver more energy on target than the 170 gr.

I've shot several deer with a 30-30, and been around many, many more. I don't think they leave the best blood trails, but deer never run more than 50 yds, so that really doesn't matter. On average, I'd say they run about 25 yds.

Also, no need to spend a lot of money on premium ammo. Remington Corelokts, at $7.99 per box of 20, are perfect for the task.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

Looks like theres a reason its been around forever. Not flashy just darn effective!

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

<100yrds it can't be beat, its light, fast, easy to carry all day.
Don't let anyone tell you its too small of a gun, my m94 Winchester has no problems with 200lb + Ontario deer.

RE: 30-30 MARLIN
 

I absolutely love 30-30s. I've never owned a Marlin, but my first deer was taken with my uncle's Model 94. My dad's only deer were shot with a 94. After that first deer with my uncle's gun, I got a 94 and used that exclusively for quite awhile. Never lost a single deer with it. At one point, though, I thought I needed something for longer shots, so I traded it in on a Ruger 7 mag. I still have that Ruger and I love it, but I've regretted getting rid of that 94 ever since.

A year ago in February, the day after my son was born, I bought a brand-new 94 30-30 for him. I wanted that to be his first gun. Last fall, I went rifle hunting for deer for the first time in almost 10 years. (I had stopped gun-hunting for everything but pheasants and had been strictly bowhunting for deer, turkey, etc.) I thought about using my son's 30-30, thinking maybe he would like it even better someday if he knew his dad had used it to take down some deer, but I decided to leave it at home, still unfired. I had a great time hunting, but the whole time I kept thinking I would have had more fun if I was using a 30-30 again. I decided I was going to try to buyanother 94with a peep sight for next year. Preferably new, but I love the old ones, too.

Of course, I never got off my rear and made it happen, thinking I had all kinds of time. Plus, I wanted the 94 Legacy 26" barrel and I couldn't find any. Then, the news comes out that Winchester's Connecticut plant is closing and they're going to stop making the 94. It didnt' take too long after that to make ALL of the 94's scarce (and overpriced) - at least around here, anyway. Scheel's still has some, but they got them by buying them up from other shops and then jacked the price up sky high, so I wasn't about to buy anything from them.

Went home for Easter last weekend and ended up going to the gun shop around my hometown where my dad and uncles used to buy all their guns. As luck would have it, they had one used 94 Ranger left and it took me about 5 seconds to make up my mind to buy it. Can't WAIT to get into the woods with it this fall. I'm especially looking forward to using that new Hornady ammo. ( I already bought a couple boxes of it )

Anyway - sorry to babble on and on. I just had to chime in. There's just something about 30-30s. Ya gotta love 'em. To me, 30-30s - especially Winchester 94s (no offense to the Marlin gang) are like muscle cars and harleys;if I have to explain, you just wouldn't understand. :)