i own a pawn shop in indiana... don't visit the shop often. just have them send me a few nice/cheap rifles every now and then, when they come out of pawn. anyway, i just acquired a marlin 336 in 30-30 caliber. i was looking at the ballistics and they are not impressive. what is this gun used for? i hear it is a good "brush" gun....however, the energy and velocity at 100 yds seems a little on the light side for big game...

ps. i own a couple of 30-06's and would like to get a 7mm. something to hunt elk and deer with....

Strictly rumor now; but I have heard the 30-30 can possibly kill a deer if the hunter is able to place his shot accurately (not all that likely with these outmoded leverguns) and said deer is pretty close.

All in all; a 30-30 Marlin can't do anything a more modern firearm can't do better, except put a big ol' grin on your face.

Welcome to the forum... it'll do just fine :)

it's been said repeatedly by well known gun scribes and unknown shooters and hunters alike , that the "Thutty Thutty " has killed more deer than all the other so called deer cartridges combined. if you hit right with it, it makes deer dead

Ballistics are controled environment shooting data.. real world put meat in the freezer is what the 30-30 does and has done for over a Century..

It has taken elk, moose, bear ect. also.. But you need to be a hunter, not a road poacher / shoot into the next County type Hunter..

If you do a little research on the power levels of the Kentucky/Pennsylvania rifles of Dan'l Boone's time, or even the 38-40/44-40 type rifles so popular in the early west, the 30-30 begins to look pretty powerful by comparison. It was considered a 300 yard killer when it first came out.

None of the deer my dad has shot even took a step after getting hit. They just dropped. This includes quite a few at 80-100 yards, and we plan to sight in our 30-30s this year at 200 yards with the Hornady rounds.

I have hunted with the same 336 for about 10 years. It has taken many deer and none ran more than 30-40 yards. I think the practical range is probably around 150 yards for most shooters but I think the Hornady rounds will stretch that a bit. Standard rounds start to drop off quickly after 150 to 175 depending on the load. The other thing to note is it is fairly accurate and fun as heck to shoot.

I don't have a .30-30 but I know lots of people that do. They tell me that a .30-30 is effective at killing just about anything east of the Mississipi. Deer, black bear, elk, moose, whatever you wanna shoot with it. It's definitely not a long range sniper rifle - just a solid, dependable, consistant killer at moderate hunting ranges. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race!

I've used various 336 .30-30's for forty years, and have shot several scores of deer with them at ranges anywhere from 10 yards to a measured 225, sometimes using 150 gr. bullets, other times 170 gr. bullets. To my recollection, I've used more than one shot exactly once -- and that deer didn't need it, he was just being slow about falling down.

Anyone who has a .30-30 and thinks it isn't fit for at least 95% of all deer hunting is welcome to box it up and send it to me!

I think it is a oustanding caliber. It is not a long range cartridge but up to 200 yards, it will do the job. It is IMO very accurate if you understand what this cartridge does. My Marlin and Win 94 ( both in 30-30) are my favorite rifles.

my 336 30.30 has dropped 5 bucks. all between 75-100 yards. i don't hunt food plots. i hunt the adirondacks of ny. all hard hunting. brush, mts. "working" hunting. it's my baby

what is this gun used for? i hear it is a good "brush" gun....however, the energy and velocity at 100 yds seems a little on the light side for big game...
What hasnt the 30-30 been used for? For deer out to 100-150 yards, little else is needed. Handloaded down to 1500 fps, any varmint will succumb. Hot loaded with 150gr Speer FP's, deer gonna fall down.

As for that "brush gun" concept, toss it. What matters in the brush is a handy gun - not the ability to punch through brambles and branches. That's a lot of phooey. Hit a branch instead of your intended target and you no longer have a target... you have a puff of dust where the target once stood.

I agree, that the .30-30 is light for big game - but then, I dont consider whitetails "big game". Elk, moose, bear; thats big game. After all, people have been killing whiteail for ever with everything from sharp sticks to .30-30's. Personally, I prefer the middle range in .30 caliber, and that means .300 Savage/.308 Win. But, that's just me.

However, if you ever process a Model 99 Savage through your shop in either of those calibers, I'd like to consider buying it.
You can email me. Thanks.

i own a pawn shop in indiana... don't visit the shop often. just have them send me a few nice/cheap rifles every now and then, when they come out of pawn. anyway, i just acquired a marlin 336 in 30-30 caliber. i was looking at the ballistics and they are not impressive. what is this gun used for? i hear it is a good "brush" gun....however, the energy and velocity at 100 yds seems a little on the light side for big game...

ps. i own a couple of 30-06's and would like to get a 7mm. something to hunt elk and deer with....


You can't go wrong with a Marlin 30 - 30 especially in deer and/or black bear hunting. 150 gr. for deer and 170 gr. for bear. That would cover about anything in our southeastern part of the country. I just traded a Browning 308 Bel. made mouser action that I killed a deer with last fall but it was a bit over kill and to much value to hunt with.
I give a AAA to my marlin 336.

I was down in the hill country of Texas this past weekend. I took an Axis deer, about 130 pounds with my Marlin 336 in 30-30. The shot was at 135 yards and once hit, she didn't move except to hit the ground.

I would not try a thing like that much over 150 yards but they are a great little rifle and I love mine.