336 micro groove 30-30

[Ndbowhunter]

Just took this in on a trade. Always wanted to have a dirty thurty.

Apparently a circa 1975 build

Any hints on ammo it'll like? Expected accuracy?

any non bubba upgrades over the jenky buckhorn sights?

Is it worth the 150$ I paid in trade value?

 

[JWP58]

Some folks run an xs scout rail with a mini red dot like an Aimpoint micro. I would say any 170gr or 150gr load should work well.

 

[robtattoo]

In my experience my Marlin's have always preferred 170gn bullets to 150s
Either Federal blue box or Core Lokt will shoot great. Hornady LeverEvolution is worth trying, but it's a 50/50 shot whether your rifle will like it or not. 3 of mine love it, 3 hate it. Honestly, at open sight ranges (100 & under, in my opinion) it really gains you nothing over traditional bullets.

If you're wanting to scope it, give some thought to a strap on cheek riser. It's very hard to get good cheek weld without one. If not, have a look at Skinner peep sights. Spendy, but worth every penny!

If you reload, you can work up some screaming varmint loads! 100gn half jacket .30 carbine bullets can be pushed to north of 3k & are brilliant coyote medicine out to 300yds! Don't be put off by the Microgrooving either. As long as you stay heavy & slow (sub 2000fps), or load gas-checked bullets, you can load & shoot cast lead very effectively.

 

[robtattoo]

I have a bit of a 'thing' for 336s!
If you need any help or advice on smithing or trigger work, gimme a holler!

 

[Shooter19802003]

It is worth way more than the $150! The pre Remington guns command a premium. I ran the xs scout rail on mine and also had the Skinner sights. The sights are bullet proof. I ended up taking off the sights because I never used them. Red dot is the way to go imo. The new gen of red dots are small, tough as nails and the batteries last forever. I personally run aimpoint, but that is just personal preference. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I'm a Marlin nut. The older guns are definitely examples of fine craftsmanship and pride in a product. However, Current condition is price dictator. But, being pre Remington if its in good condition, guys on Marlin Forums would be asking $400 or so. And, probably get it.



I'm a huge Marlin fan prior to Remington ownership. However, due to huge profits over buying prices, I'm down to only two 336 Marlins in 35 Remington. It is a hammer of a round. I hunt with a '67 model sometimes and have a safe queen with a perch belly made in '57.



You got a great gun. Those older pre safety, pre Remngton guns really reek of superb craftsmanship. And, yours should shoot great. God Bless

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Any bullet and load data for h4895 or imr 4320?

Any way to run a modern sst style round chambered and just one in the mag?

Can't run red dot sights, stigmatism makes it look like a smear.

Kinda neat I backed into a apparently kickass rifle. Get lucky once in a while

 

[hodgeman]

I love using mine. The best sighting system is a Skinner aperture sight. Don't get exotic with ammo...plain old 170gr FP stuff is good for 150ish and one of the neat things about the 30-30 is that you get perfect bullet performance out to that range. The old .30WCF punches well above its class largely due to the FP bullets that were perfected in the cartridge before the 20th century.

You can scope it, but it ruins the lines of a handy rifle. I'm the 4th generation owner of mine, dating from the late 40s.

 

[robtattoo]

My pet load is 29.8gn of IMR 4895 under a 160gn ftx or 30gn under a 170 core lokt.
I've never actually chrono'd those loads, but they both give me around 1½-2" with a peep sight at 100yds & they'll both drop a hog or deer in its tracks.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I run mine open sights but rarely past 100. They are damn fine little brush guns. Mine likes heavier bullets.

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[sn.outdoors]

I have 2 336's and they're both great rifles. You got yourself a heck of a deal at $150. One of the best aspects of the 30-30 is cheap factory ammo, so buy a few boxes of different stuff and try them out.

I use 42gr of leverevolution behind the good 'ol 150gr sierra FN. Its shooting about 2200fps into a 1.5-2" group reliably, and has put down many deer and a few pigs.

 

[Bearlodge10]

Lots of good info thus far so I will just add to it. Its a consensus, you got a deal at $150. Good rifle and should get decent groups...definitely minute of deer. I have had good results with Hornady 150 grain round nose. the 170 Grain Silver tips my granddad loaded were death on elk but never grouped well. I too have thought about shooting the SST type and think you can get the 160 gr. LeverRev's from hornady. However The LeveRevolution never grouped well out of my gun, just seemed to have lots more muzzle blast. Besides it takes away the nostalgia of the rifle in my opinion. Handload recipes are pretty similar to what I run. I use 30 grains of IMR 4895 (It is like Frank's hot Sauce.. I use that Shit with everything). The other go to is IMR 3031 30 grains here too. FWIW I run see through scope mounts and love the set-up.

 

[Patriot]

Lots of good info thus far so I will just add to it. Its a consensus, you got a deal at $150. Good rifle and should get decent groups...definitely minute of deer. I have had good results with Hornady 150 grain round nose. the 170 Grain Silver tips my granddad loaded were death on elk but never grouped well. I too have thought about shooting the SST type and think you can get the 160 gr. LeverRev's from hornady. However The LeveRevolution never grouped well out of my gun, just seemed to have lots more muzzle blast. Besides it takes away the nostalgia of the rifle in my opinion. Handload recipes are pretty similar to what I run. I use 30 grains of IMR 4895 (It is like Frank's hot Sauce.. I use that Shit with everything). The other go to is IMR 3031 30 grains here too. FWIW I run see through scope mounts and love the set-up.

+1

LeveRevolution seems to be the only thing my 336 doesn't like. I also use see through rings.

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[Ndbowhunter]

Funny how life figures itself out. Been after an intermediate round for a while. 6mmbr or 6.5 Grendel ilk. Availability was always a big draw back. 30-30 never was on the radar. Funny enough my old mans offered his depression era 1894 multiple times but scoping the gun isn't an option and I wasn't interested in the fudd 30-30. The 1800's called they want their cartridge back.

However i have an idea of ackley improving the 336. One 125gr nosler bt chambered and one in the mag. 2700 fps it'd be a 450 yard gun. Under 400 yards, under 400 lbs type of gun.

Can always run factory fodder if need be. That's huge.

Swfa 1-4 either slammed on a picatinny rail or talley extra lows. Iron sights and my eyes don't jive. Mag tube mounted light for bump in the night with a mag full of factory 170's.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

 

[WV Mountaineer]

FWIW, there is a guy over on Marlin forums that takes a 35 Remington and does something similar. 250 grain bullets at 2500 fps whens he's done. That's serious medicine. I'm sure he could do the 30-30 the same way. God Bless

 

[mcseal2]

My 336 likes Winchester 170gr factory loads. I have a Leupold mount with a VX-2 1-4x scope, seems like a perfect fit for the rife. It is a 18" barreled version with a 4 shot magazine. It's the gun I take when someone asks me to help them find a deer they wounded. I wind up in the timber trailing while they stay up top where they can see the whole area. I have a colorblind neighbor who shoots a doe on our place. If she doesn't drop where he can see her he calls me before looking. Usually the rifle isn't needed but I would hate to let a wounded deer suffer because I didn't have it.

 

[LaGriz]

View attachment 52919View attachment 52920View attachment 52921
I attached 3 pics of my 308 Marlin Express. I have a Williams rear peep and a taller fiber-optic front sight. This rifle has never been in the woods and is becoming a safe queen. Good looking walnut and blue steel finish on the 24" barrel. Anyone need a dark-timber rifle?

LaGriz

 

[FlyGuy]

I just came into an unscoped 1977 Marlin 336 30-30 myself that I am quite happy about. When I was a younger man and too busy for midday naps at deer camp, I'd go for walks and always pack this gun with me looking for whitetails. Hell, I think I only went on those midday hunts just so I could carry it. But, I guess I wasn't much of a still hunter b/c I never remember actually firing it! Anyway, I was back home visiting family last week and my dad pushed me to take it home with me. He's about 70 now and with the back problems he's fighting he doesn't think he'll ever shoot it again. Anyway, I'm pumped to try and put it to use soon. I just ordered the 150 and 170 gr leverevolution rounds from midway to try out. I'm thinking it makes a good texas truck gun (hogs), and really wanting to do bear hunt in the next year that it could be perfect for.




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[ATX762]

As mentioned above, this is a round that punches above its weight. Often does more internal damage to whitetail sized animals than a 30-06 with soft nose ammo does. That flat nose round starts expanding instantly.

The 150's are def the choice for anything under 200 lbs. The 170's in my experience will often shoot end to end through a whitetail.
The 150's will usually exit on a 200-250 lb animal if you only hit one shoulder. The 170's will punch on through no matter what. 150's def make a bigger hole.

The ammo is cheap, you can often get it for $15 a box. I would just buy a box of each of the big brands (rem win fed) in each of the weights and you'll know what it likes.