best lever action 30-30
 

in anyones opinion what maker has the best lever action 30-30. and feel free to ellaborate

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Marlin, hands down.

It is stronger, smoother, side eject and IMO much better looking than the Winchester. Not that the 94 is a bad gun or anything but IMO the marlin is definetly a better gun.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Another vote for the Marlin, the Winchester M94 can't compare to a Marlin 336.

Ruger Redhawk

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Annother vote for Marlin. They are just strong, sturdy, good shooting guns.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

MARLIN !! Good luck.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Marlin 336 with out a doubt !

I have had mine for about 16 years and love it more each day :)

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

I have both a marlin and a winchester 94 the marlin is a far nicer gun and very smooth!

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Does Marlin make a 24" barrel for their levers in a 30-30? I have never owned a 30-30, someday I want a good lever gun in 30-30 with a 24" tube and 7 round magizine.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

From a lefty point of view, model 94. Mine is a '62 model and it shoots 150g or 170g into 2-3" groups at 100 yds. with open sights. It's been good enough for the deer that I went out with and has put a lot of meat in the freezer.

The Marlins are nice looking rifles and easier to scope.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Marlin is the strongest, most rugged, of lever actions. I have a Marlin 30AS and it is a heck of a sweet shooter! [8D]

Butch A.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

i have to say the model 94 well the ones prior to the cross bolt saftey. i have two pre 64s and both shoot very well and handle better than the marlin imho.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

i like both but i like my marlin 336 best, top it off with a fixed 4X or a 2-7 varible and your set, the only drawback as mentioned earlier is the scope mount on the 94' if you were going to hunt iron sights i think either gun would serve you well, as far as the actions there both lever guns but the bolts are nothing alike and that could be why some people perfer the marlin, but i have never considered the win. 94' as sloppy, all i've shot were great shootin little guns. BTW i've got an old browning shotgun, that behind my benelli i thinks is the finest shotgun ever made, an belgium made auto-5, but let someone that has only shot a gas auto shoot it and they'll think its falling apart[:-], for those of you that have never experinced it the barrel moves backward with the spent case and then ejects it, i let my best friend shoot it one day he said "i've never shot one of those", i told a friend of ours there "watch this" he handed me the gun back after one shot and said "man i think your barrels loose or something" we just laughed at him and showed him how it worked, he said he didn't know if he could get used to that or not

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

MARLIN

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

I have both, the Marlin is probably the better, it is heavier, easier to scope, the 94 is not scoped would need a side mount, I prefer the Marlin.. of those two, but I mostly use a Win Model 88 , lever action in 308.,however I did take the 30-30 to the mountains this year as a backup...

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

mine is a marlin, and i think i want one of those stocky guide guns that they are making now.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

I've got a Marlin / Glenfield model 30A in 30-30 and I love it.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

I love the Marlins.

I'm left-handed and the side ejection doesn't bother me in the least.

I was originally drawn to the Marlins because they're beefier yet cheaper than Winchesters (at least they were when I bought my first one).

They sure are fun to shoot, too. But for real fun you should try a Marlin 1894C in .357 magnum. What a hoot!

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Marlin... if you want to scope it has best reciever for that purpose and is a slicker,smoother action and has a better trigger. By removing the bolt you can easily clean rifle from breech end, try that with a Winchester.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

another vote for the marlin!:D

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Man, I fell sorry for the Winchesters. So I'll vote one for them. (I do like the Marlins though) I've owned both a pre-64 Winchester, and a new (at the time) Marlin 30as. The marlin did operate smoother, and was nice with the scope, but I found myself shooting without the scope most of the time. The Winchester is lighter, more slender, and I think more attractive. You shouldn't worry about reciever strength, your buying a 30-30. Both guns will hold up to anything safe to fire out of either. On note: I do wish Winchester would offer a half pistol grip on a 20" barreled model. They do a $3000 custom shop that is gorgeous, but not one I could afford or take hunting. If you need strickly a hunting gun, consider the marlin 336a or Winchester ranger. They are both around the same money, use I believe beechwood for the stocks, and can be knocked all to crap without worry on damaging the nice wood. Either way, buy whichever one fits you best, and comes to your shoulder and lines up right for you. Good luck.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

I own both and I like the Marlin better. Though either gun is a great gun. They are both one of the best selling guns of all time. Marlin has sold more tham 4 million lever action guns so they most be doing something right.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

I like them both, and they are both excellent leverguns IMHO. But, I would take a Winchester 94 30-30 over a Marlin. I know the Marlins are probably stonger, are easier for scope mounting, etc. etc., to me the Winchester handles better, and I can bring it up to my shoulder quicker. I also have a little trouble cycling a Marlin while I have it to my shoulder, but I have no problem with the Winny. Not saying that the Marlin is bad though, I just prefer a Winchester to a Marlin. I would love to have my gramps let me take his beat-up Marlin to be refinished with new stocks, and Ghost Rings sights. So, my vote goes to the good ol 94, but I still like the Marlin;)

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Marlin hands down!!!

Since others mentioned other lever guns, why not THE baddest and strongest lever on the market... The BLR Browning. For 05 they are releasing a pistol grip version (instead of that upland/flat grip of yore). They are available in mags, I just might have ta get a 300WSM in one for fartsNgiggles!

Chuck O'Conner eat your heart out,
RA

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

Absolutely a Marlin.

RE: best lever action 30-30
 

MARLIN HANDS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!