Hello, I;m new here and I have just aquired a 1970 336 in 30/30 improved. Did Marlin make a delux version? Mine has a high comb butt with cheek piece in some pretty nice walnut,Just wondering if its factory or not....also has a inlaid walnut diamond on the grip..which has a palm swell...I've never seen this before.......Thanks

Hello, I;m new here and I have just aquired a 1970 336 in 30/30 improved. Did Marlin make a delux version? Mine has a high comb butt with cheek piece in some pretty nice walnut,Just wondering if its factory or not....also has a inlaid walnut diamond on the grip..which has a palm swell...I've never seen this before.......Thanks
Never mind, upon further reading I have come to find that it is not factory...no bullseye....also has a shortened mag tube

Welcome to the forum.
If you get a chance attach a picture.
Several .30-30AI shooters on board.

Welcome to the forum.
If you get a chance attach a picture.
Several .30-30AI shooters on board.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told a 30-30AI, is a waste of time in a lever action rifle. In a single shot, or bolt action, it's a whole other story, because of the ability to use spitzer style bullets.Maybe next year, when Hornady brings out their new evolution bullets for reloading, it might make sense in a lever action????? Enlighten me about the AI 30-30.

The 30-30AI is a good cartridge. It allows the use of regular 30-30 shells or 30-30AI shells. You can purchase shells on the road if necessary. I had a 30-30AI. Bullet speed increased 9% (about 200 ft/sec) for 150 grain bullets. Heavier bullets did not gain as much speed and lighter bullets gained a little more speed. 200 ft/sec may not sound like much, but it adds about 60 yards to the rifles range. One more neat thing, the average person can rent a reamer and do it himself. Willaim Iorg is a good person to ask for help.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told a 30-30AI, is a waste of time in a lever action rifle. In a single shot, or bolt action, it's a whole other story, because of the ability to use spitzer style bullets.Maybe next year, when Hornady brings out their new evolution bullets for reloading, it might make sense in a lever action????? Enlighten me about the AI 30-30.

I don’t think the shooters who said this ever really compared the standard .30-30 to the .30-30AI. If you take a look at the links below you will see quite a few shooters and contributors to the Beartooth forum have achieved significant velocity increases across the board from the 20” barrels. It is important to remember the velocity increase come at the expence of high pressure – how much pressure? So far no one is certain. Results across the board indicate the loading data in the threads is safe in a modern lever action rifle. One of the threads discusses how I decided I was loading at a level that did not give us a reasonable margin of safety and I rethought and backed off my maximum loads with certain powders. I enjoy talking about this as do several other forum members so take a look at the threads and lets start exchanging ideas.
The guy with the most experience appears to be Terry Murbach but he generally lets the rest of us stumble around for awhile before he helps out!

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=12144&highlight=30-30ai

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=9924&highlight=30-30ai

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=6794&highlight=30-30ai

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=9669&highlight=30-30ai

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=5813&highlight=30-30ai

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=11363&highlight=30-30ai

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=15167&highlight=30-30ai

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=12629&highlight=30-30ai

Like William said the boost the 30-30 AI receives is from increased pressures. These are accomodated by the lever actions because of reduced bolt thrust in the AI cartridge - the things dont stretch like the parent 30-30 does. This is due to the reduced taper of the "improved" AI case.

Thus, you can increase the pressures somewhat without the stretching problems and thus bolt thrust that would otherwise hamper the .30 WCF if you could load it as hot as the .30-30 AI. This AI is one of those "mysteries," giving results somewhat in excess of the formulaic sum of it's parts.

But, and this is key, this is only achieved if you are willing to push it. If you intend to stay within .30-30 loads and pressures then, indeed, there is little point to it. The concensus is that pressures are up into the mid 40K psi range before you start to experience sticky case extraction or other over-pressure signs. I say 'consensus' because, it is, even after 50 years, still a wildcat and there is little - if any - pressure data on it. However, rest easy, such pressures as are generated are handled by the 336 with aplomb.
(What most folks who have these converted rifles do is to load upwards, until they experience "sticky" extraction - that's where they stop and call it max.)

All this is achived by the AI case adding 2-2.5 grains of powder capacity as a result of the reduced case taper and a sharpened shoulder. No, its not alot - after all , we've only "improved" the 30-30. But its enough to get 200 fps, give or take. Plenty of folks are pushing it and getting 2500 + fps/150 gr from the 30-30 AI.
That's mid-level .300 Savage stuff. You gonna argue against that? And the 30-30 AI tends to be consistently accurate across the board, too.

There is one downside that some folks balk at and that is cycle feeding. It seems the reduced taper and sharpened shoulder of the AI case causes it to feed, well, not as well as the long, smoothly tapered .30-30 parent case. I don't know how true this is, or if it is even a bother for the average person. Perhaps, just slowing down on the lever yanking would help - too many shooters try to cycle their lever guns as if they were autoloading, SHTF guns.

Personally, after much research, I think the AI makes more sense than the .307 conversions you hear so much about. It's easier to do, even for the DIY'er, and the logistics are not demanding, as long as you can handload.
Remember, in doing the .307 conversions, were converting an old design lever gun to a .308 class blaster ... the ice can start to get thin out there. If you want the .308 WIN's power, then get one. A Remington Model 7 is as handy as any lever gun and will happily deafen you while knocking you handily out of your tree stand, if that is your wish.

Deer hunting is supposed to be fun and most lever guns are just that, fun to shoot. This is because (aside from the Savage 99 and BLR) they are handy guns, chambered for low pressure rounds. They move well with you and perhaps most importantly, they dont blast the snot from your nose when you set them off.
Coupled with this is their intended use of hunting deer at close ranges - fun in anyone's esteem!

Keeping all that in mind, The 30-30 AI conversion lets you stretch the range to 150-200m and still be comfortable both in the shooting and peace of mind departments. And lets face it, if you are attempting shots at greater ranges than this with a lever gun, you really should consider hunting closer.

Thank you William Iorg, and Old School. It sounds like something I should take a look at. I will surely check the sites you gave me. Once again thank you very much ButchB!!!!

Thank you William Iorg, and Old School. It sounds like something I should take a look at. I will surely check the sites you gave me. Once again thank you very much ButchB!!!!

((Bowing)) It is a pleasure to serve, sir. I made a change or two to my original comments, go back and have a look-sie...