marlin 30-30

[Camshaft]

i just bought a marlin 30-30 lever action, im not sure of the exact model, in about 95% condition. i also got 100 rounds of hornady ammo, a soft case, a sling, and a tasco pronghorn (pos) scope. its all LNIB. i paid $200. did i get a good deal? im probably going to use this as my deer rig this fall. what kind of accuracy can i expect from this gun. i have never even shot a 30-30 before. if i keep it, i am planning on putting a simmons 44 mag riflescope on it. ive heard thats an excellent hunting scope. any suggestions?

thanks.

 

[JohnKSa]

I'm guessing it's a 336. Unless the gun is messed up, that's a good price.

I would rate the Simmons & Tasco scopes roughly the same. If you're going to get a better scope, get one that's a lot better or leave the one on there alone unless it's giving you problems. Actually, unless you're going to be hunting in low light, I'd put a ghost-ring or aperture sight on the gun to keep the weight down and handiness at a maximum.

Accuracy with these guns is impossible to predict. If nothing is wrong, I would guess that the gun will do better than 3" at 100 yards. Anything significantly better than that would be great, but maybe not very likely. Much worse than that and I'd start looking for a problem. I've heard of some of these guns that will group inside an inch at 100 yards, but the general rule is somewhere between 2-3" groups.

Conventional wisdom says that the 30-30 is a 200 yard cartridge--no more. The flat-nosed bullets don't give really good long-range performance.

If you stay within the limitations of your shooting ability and the ability of the gun, it will do the job every time.

 

[Camshaft]

i shot the gun today, the scope is pure ####, it fisheyes really bad. but i still managed to pull off about a 5" group at 100yds, that was without messing with the scope at all. im not even going to bother with that scope. the pronghorn that is on there is a $30 scope, and a simmons 44 mag is a $120 scope, so why do you say not to bother? the 44 mag that i looked through had a great image quality.

overall i like the gun, i think i got a great deal.

 

[Jorah Lavin]

Cam, take the advice about the peep sight

That scope on the lever gun is going to start bugging you after a while. Take the buck twenty and get a Lyman receive peep and a new front sight, and never look back.

Reloading for the "thuty-thuty" is pretty easy, and having your own cheap loads will encourage you to practice more with the gun. After you get it sighted in on the bench, do all your practice off hand, sitting, or however you are likely to use the gun during the hunt. I've got the exact same gun, and they are fun to shoot.

-Jorah

 

[JohnKSa]

simmons 44 mag is a $120 scope

WOW!

I have a couple of simmons scopes, but I paid under $50 for each of them.

They're ok, but I don't think I'd spend over $100 on anything from Tasco or Simmons. Just my opinion, and not based on a whole lot of anything but my own feelings.

If you're set on scoping it, I'd vote for a red-dot scope or a scout mount with an Intermediate/Extended Eye Relief Scope.

 

[dakotasin]

i never tried to scope my 30-30...never occurred to me to do it. i like iron sights on a short lever action.

as far as accuracy for my marlin- i can shoot mine to into 2- 2.25" groups at 100. my brother, for some reason, has gotten 1.5" groups out of the same gun. at any rate, where i hunt this gun, a long shot would be 50 yards...so 2" at 100 is plenty good.

 

[Bacchus]

To answer one of your questions, I think that you got a pretty good deal, as I've seen that model go for a little over 200 new, not including the scope, case, and ammo.

I have a friend who has a 30-30 Marlin; I don't know the model # but it's a lot of fun to shoot.

 

[keano44]

Sounds to me like you got a good deal. Deals like this are out there, but not everyday. Even if you throw away the (pos) scope, you still didn't do bad. The 30-30 is a great deer rifle if you don't try to make it into something it can't be, a long range rifle. Stay within its, and your limits. Good luck

I picked up a used Marlin 30-30 about ten years ago for $150. It has got the best trigger I've ever shot on any rifle. Six deer for six shots, so far. Ranges from five yards to 100 yards.

 

[BluRidgDav]

Another vote for a peep-sight.

Lever guns are just too handy, to saddle with a scope.

My Marlin .30-30 wears Ashley sights, front & rear, highly recommend 'em.
Williams Fool-Proof receiver sights are also good.

 

[keano44]

Scope on a lever 30-30? You bet! I can think of at least a couple of bucks I wouldn't have gotten because of legal-but-low light conditions where the scope made the difference in being able to see horns.
One morning, a few years ago, my hunt was over seven minutes after I climbed into my treestand. It was early dawn, and I heard "it" coming. Following the sound of a creature walking in dry leaves, I was able to make out fur through the scope. It was bucks only season, and luckily for me it came right under my stand, and finally I saw that it had forked antlers. This was only possible (IMO) because of the scope on my rifle. This deer never stopped and presented a perfect shot, but continued walking; however, with the light gathering abilities of the scope, I was able to aim and shoot as he passed under my stand.

In the dark, often foggy, grey, winter days in the swamps of south Louisiana, a good low power scope is definately a plus, even on a short range woods rifle. To each his own! Good luck.