best NEW 30-30?

I know it is not an ideal round. but it is very nostalgic, and I keep reading mixed reviews, it will be used for white tail deer, and I will be wanting to keep it and never get rid of it.
any recommendations?


thanks

More deer are taken with a 30-30 than any other caliber. IMO the Mossberg is the best deal for the price.

Yes the Mossberg 464 is a good choice, but if I were buying new (and could live with the lack of a loading gate) it would be a Henry all the way.

The older Marlins , 336 are available at decent prices yet . I realize he said " new " , but I would go with an older Marlin . I have one , love it and yes I shoot cast bullets in mine , Lyman 311046 . Regards, Paul

I bought a brand new Marlin in 30-30 2 years ago and it is a great gun. I also have the same gun from the mid 50's it is also great. You cannot go wrong with a Marlin 336 or Winchester 94 they have both been made for many many decades for a reason, new or used they just work well.

cowboy4evr said:

The older Marlins , 336 are available at decent prices yet . I realize he said " new " , but I would go with an older Marlin . I have one , love it and yes I shoot cast bullets in mine , Lyman 311046 . Regards, Paul

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before what year?
thanks

When they were stamped " JM " and I believe that was up into the 90's . I'm not sure , totally about that and yes it was before they were bought out by Remington . I'm not saying the new ones aren't any good . Just saying the older ones , back in to the 70's are plentiful and at decent prices . I would take a look at some of the internet sites , you will find a nice used 336 for a decent price . I just looked at gunbroker , used ones for $450-$550 seems pretty common and you can get a brand new for less than $500 . I would go with the marlin , as the brass doesn't hit you in the face when ejected and it doesn't collect moisture into the receiver on rainy days like the winchester . Regards, Paul

For the purpose you have stated, I must disagree with your opening assertion. The .30-30 IS the ideal round for whitetails in 99.9% of whitetail-hunting situations.

As for decent NEW .30-30 rifles, there really aren't any all that great. Best thing going in the market as far as a .30-30 rifle is still a 1940's-'50s-'60s-'70s Marlin 336. Online is not the best place to find a deal on these -- much better to search local pawnshops and small gun shops. Around here, I guarantee you that if I wanted one today I could find it within 30 miles for $300 or less before sundown. Prices will vary around the country, but in sure-enough whitetail country you'll find a bunch of 336s at decent prices.

JM-marked 336. They are excellent rifles, and .30-30 is still a fine deer or hog caliber. The 336 is also made in .35 Remington, which my son has used to take a boat load of Pennsylvania deer. It would be a good hog gun.

hillbillydruggist said:

I know it is not an ideal round. but it is very nostalgic, and I keep reading mixed reviews, it will be used for white tail deer, and I will be wanting to keep it and never get rid of it.
any recommendations?


thanks

Click to expand...

I favor the Marlin 336Y Model. It has a nice short barrel making the weapon easy to handle.

NOSTALGIA???

Then why buy new? My vote (for the $) an older JM Marlin 336 short barrel carbine in 35, it gives you more thump/a bigger heavier bullet without much more recoil. If $ is no object, I'm a bit of a Winchester 94 XTR snob. A 30-30 will work just fine at REALISTIC woods ranges.

Marlin

I too prefer the Marlin, mainly because its solid top receiver allows for conventional scope mounting. A 1-4X variable scope on any of the Marlins makes an ideal woods gun for whitetails.

I understand that the first Marlins produced after the Remington takeover had a lot of rough edges. For this reason, I too would go with an older Marlin.

I prefer the Winchesters. To me they just look, feel and balance better.

I'd go all out on nostalgia and get a pre 64 '94. It will appreciate in value rather than bump along at what ever the market will bear for current production.

Savage made slide and bolt 30-30s if you feel exotic.

I agree with the Marlin 336 JM marked. I can add a couple things
look for a pre cross bolt safety model. This has nothing to do with the safety itself but this feature was added about the time Marlin was having financial troubles and finish started to suffer. Also Marlin sold 336 under Glenfield line and was the economy grade
which was cheaper. There is no difference other than cosmetics
and hardwood stock. They can also be found branded for chain
stores. These can usually be had for less. Win 94s are good rifles
only the Marlin is better choice if you want to scope, due to side ejection. The new Marlins are a **** shoot. There is to many that have to go back to CS to suit me. Both guns are very common and you should get into a hi condition shooter for $350-$500. You
keep in good shape and will never be worth less.

I'm not at all familiar with what's 'new' out there now. But personally I'd ride along with just about all here and look around for a used MArlin 336 or a Winchester 94 in that caliber.
Both were made in a number of different versions. Differing bbl lengths, mag tube lengths, stock styles, sights, ect.
The Pre-Remington era Marlins seem to be in more demand as are the pre 64 mfg Winchesters.

All will do the job and it doesn't sound like you';re buying for collecting purposes, so look around with that in mind. A few beauty marks or some lost finish does not make the rifle any less useful in the woods.
With care it'll still look the same 50yrs from now as it does the day you bring it home.

Some of the trainload of Commemorative issues made by Winchester on the 94 were made in rifle configuration and with things like an octagon bbl and fancy wood.
Any of those that have been shot and/or used have no collector value and as such go begging for owners. Some good looking rifles among them. Some are a little too glitsy looking for some tastes!
These will be Post '64 mfg, 94 Winchesters so there again the collectors backed off from buying them.
Perfectly fine rifles for walking the woods though.

Another one you may run into is a Mossberg 472,,or you may have seen one and just past it by thinking it was a Marlin336 as they look very similar.
Made in the early to late 70's it was a decent rifle but nothing about it to really recommend it over the Marlin or Winchester. Some around with WesternAuto Revelation house brand marking on them too.


If a lever action is not your only option there were a few bolt action editions made over the years.
Remington Model 788.. These command a pretty good price as they have a record of excellent accuracy in this caliber
Savage Model 340..A utility grade bolt rifle also made in .222Rem.
...Don't loose the detachable box magazine in either of these..

Winchester made the Model 54 bolt rifle in 30-30. The 54 was the grandfather of the Model 70.
Not too awful difficult to find one in 30-30 but the usual source will be on-line. Prices more than the average L/A for sure.
Some other odd ones around like the Remington Lee Sporter, but your chances of running in to one of those is pretty slim. Buy it if you do though!

94's just look way more cool than any other 30-30. Mine shoots great. I have a trophy from winning a 200 yards buffalo shoot with it. We shot metal plates of various sizes.

An old Marlin or Winchester is a thing of beauty for sure. Among the new ones, handle a Henry before you make your choice. They're very smooth and also accurate. Marlin QC suffered when Remington moved the old machines from CT, but they've since been replaced with modern CNC equipment, and current quality is much better.

Simple answer if your going to use open sights buy Winchester if your going to use a scope buy Marlin .

"If a lever action is not your only option there were a few bolt action editions made over the years. Remington Model 788. These command a pretty good price as they have a record of excellent accuracy in this caliber. Savage Model 340. A utility grade bolt rifle also made in .222Rem.
...Don't loose the detachable box magazine in either of these."

The Savage 340 is an excellent choice, available in both .222 and .30-30. Many years ago I had one and it shot superb groups. I remember doing a little trigger work on mine to get a crisper letoff, and it was fairly simple to do. 340s are not rare, and at about every gun show I attend I see at least one of them, usually scoped. Some years ago I talked a friend into buying one in .30-30 and he is very happy with it.