Best Lever-action 30-30

[ZJHoban]

Hi everyone,

I have been wanting a lever action rifle for some time now. I really like the look of the Henry rifles and the reviews are great, but I prefer the idea of the side loading gate on Marlins and winchesters. Marlins having worse reviews and winchesters seeming to be the most expensive.

I have only had my pal since September and currently do not have a centre fire rifle, just a 12ga and a 22.

This will not be a gun for a collection, it will be coming in the bush with me as I scout and wander in the woods trying to teach myself about tracks and spotting animals.

I have learned a lot from this forum over the years and value whatever input may be had.

Thanks

I did use the search looking for threads similar to this but nothing came up.

[BuckCuller]

Henry has just recently come out with a rifle that has a side loading gate.
You can still also load from the tube.
Nice looking rifle.
I’m partial to the pre 64 1894 Winchester but just for the nostalgia aspect.

[obsessed1]

I love my Marlins. They are heavier than a 94 and not quite as slim. They can have scopes or red dots mounted easily and they have fewer moving parts than a 94 ( simpler design). cost is also a factor. You can almost get a new one for the price of a beat up old winny. Both are great guns though. If going marlin look it over really well before buying. I have had to fix a few crooked front sights for friends, but all my Marlins have been great. 2, 336 30/30s 1,1895 45/70 1 39A 22LR.
Go handle a few of both come to terms with cost and buy the one you love most.

[Pioneer2]

Remington hasn't touched.

[curtz]

I like my Mossberg 464.

[Dick284]

Vintage 336 Marlin, all the way.

[Coulee]

I have a 30-30 Marlin 330AS made in 1984. I can hit a pop can at 100 yards with it and I know for fact I can hit a whitetail in the neck at 60 yards with 170 grain Remington core-lokts. Remington bought Marlin recently, which won't hurt it's quality.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by Coulee

I have a 30-30 Marlin 330AS made in 1984. I can hit a pop can at 100 yards with it and I know for fact I can hit a whitetail in the neck at 60 yards with 170 grain Remington core-lokts. Remington bought Marlin recently, which won't hurt it's quality.

Recently? That purchase happened in 2007 and it was a well known fact that quality of marlins went down after that transaction.

I wouldn’t have any issue buying an older marlin. In fact they are one of my favorite rifles. If you can find a glenfield they were made by marlin and are the same thing only mass produced for box stores back in the day. Minor differences were things like birch stocks instead of walnut, pressed checkering instead of cut and a lower quality sight but the mechanics of rifle was the exact same. I had to replace the loading gate on my glenfield and it was the same part as the 336.

[W921]

Marlin actions just feel clunky to me compared to old Winchester's. If you short stroke or have some kind of cartridge malfunction or even just trying to get dirt or some foreign object its hard to access the inside of the action with the side ejection. With the open top you can get at everything.
Pre 64 Winchester's are just a thing of beauty in every possible way. Good triggers, silky sexy actions, nice lines, historic lineage, they just got it all.
Another thing is they don't have the owners manual ingraved on the barrel or those awful crossbolt or tang safety's

[58thecat]

JM Marlins....

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by curtz

I like my Mossberg 464.

I've been interested in one of those. How long have you had yours and how do you like it? Also what kind of a safety do they have besides the half cock.

Personally dual safeties bug the heck out of me, so if I could find an older rifle that still had only the half cock safety that would be my choice.

[Pioneer2]

Pre64 win 94 / 64A or JM Marlin 50's pre -crossbolt safety version with Ballard rifling.U planing on scoping as that changes options.

[Savage Bacon]

I've shot some 30-30's out of my 303 savage... does that count?

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I've been interested in one of those. How long have you had yours and how do you like it? Also what kind of a safety do they have besides the half cock.

Personally dual safeties bug the heck out of me, so if I could find an older rifle that still had only the half cock safety that would be my choice.

You can do a cross bolt delete. Or just don't use it. I only ever use the half cock. But I have trained my wife ( who does shoot but is not a true gunny ) to use it when she drops the hammer on a live round...it's our acreage rifle so she often uses it

[Pioneer2]

An automotive 0 ring in the crossbolt safety groove ,when off neutralizes it and is reversible.

[Attilathecanuk]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

You can do a cross bolt delete. Or just don't use it. I only ever use the half cock. But I have trained my wife ( who does shoot but is not a true gunny ) to use it when she drops the hammer on a live round...it's our acreage rifle so she often uses it

My 464 has a kind of grip safety that has to have the lever squeezed in order to fire. For a 30/30 that’s under or around $500 it cannot be beat. The lever ‘purists’ Hate on it but I rather like mine. Very accurate, tru-glo sights, dull chrome finish and side loading gate are what I like. The safety squeeze is weird at first but it’s a good shooter with low recoil.

[ZJHoban]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.
I am not planning on scooping the rifle, I like the cowboy look.

Most of you are suggesting an older rifle, which I am all foot. The only thing that worries me is buying used when I am not well versed in firearms. Feels like buying a first vehicle at 16.

[Smoky buck]

With the different styles of stock you may want to shoulder a few different brands

Personally I hate the feel of the straight stocks. The best fit for me was the marlin 336 so that is what I bought

[Coiloil37]

A pre safety marlin. I prefer them with the slim front stock which is a little harder to find but they are out there.

[W921]

A straight grip fits in a smaller scabbard and is noticeable nicer to pack around.
Old Winchester's can be rebuilt to.
When wholesale sports went out of business they had huge sales. I didn't see anything there I wanted for any price. I dont just mean lever guns either. They just don't make em like they used to.
Years ago I downsized,had two different original 1886s and one first or second year production 444 and also two cross bolt safety marlins. One in 444 and another in 45/70.
Got rid of the new marlins and the old Winchester's and kept the 444 because it was so much lighter than the Winchester's and nicer to pack on a horse.
I really miss the old Winchester's. They were just nicer. I regret my decision. I think a 86 with a button magazine, straight grip stock, and a light barrel in 33 or even a 40/65 would be really nice.
You know if you dont feel confident buying an old rifle you just need to get someone with experience to help you out. The looking and finding used to be part of the fun but probable everything is done on line now.

[curtz]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I've been interested in one of those. How long have you had yours and how do you like it? Also what kind of a safety do they have besides the half cock.

Personally dual safeties bug the heck out of me, so if I could find an older rifle that still had only the half cock safety that would be my choice.

I've had it for probably 5 years, I havnt shot it a ton but I like on the quad in the bush, it's got a normal safety plus the safety on the lever, once you get use to it, it's fine, for $500 it's a nice bush gun.

[YYC338]

Originally Posted by Pioneer2

An automotive 0 ring in the crossbolt safety groove ,when off neutralizes it and is reversible.

Works for me. I've done that on a couple of mine. Nice tight o ring in the fire position and you're back to a half cock safety. Cheap but effective. Lots of good Marlins out there with a cross bolt safety, don't overlook them.

[JD848]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Vintage 336 Marlin, all the way.

x10,Had one in my cabin for decades, plus nice and light to carry and they do very well for hunting.

JD

[Puma]

1899 Savage in .30-30
JM Marlins x 5 ?
Win 94 .30-30
Rossi/Puma M92

Favorite ?

All of them !

I heard Henrys have some plastic internals ? Is this true?

[Puma]

Originally Posted by Pioneer2

Remington hasn't touched.

Remington Model 76 lever-action.

[CMichaud]

Marlin 336 (older).

Also love my Winchester Model 64.

[Pioneer2]

Savage 1899 .........Stevens lever action in the rarer dept.

[tullfan]

1971 Marlin 336 here. Narrow fore stock. I use it in the bush and for spot and stock bear hunts. It works well. I bought a newer version of the 336. Missed a dandy mule deer because of the danged cross bolt safety. If chambering round after round 3 times without the gun going bang is bad enough. Realized after the deer ran off that it was the safety and not the ammo that was the problem. Don’t own that rifle any more. I can’t be trusted with cross bolts.

Tullfan

[lyallpeder]

I’d go for a used marlin or Winchester. I like both but I also use a savage model 99 in .308 as my go to deer gun. Detachable magazine and a lever.

[lyallpeder]

Originally Posted by ZJHoban

Thanks for all the replies everyone.
I am not planning on scooping the rifle, I like the cowboy look.

Most of you are suggesting an older rifle, which I am all foot. The only thing that worries me is buying used when I am not well versed in firearms. Feels like buying a first vehicle at 16.

Buy a used one face to face and bring some snap caps to cycle it. If you get a bad vibe walk away.