acceptable accuracy for 30-30 Marlin

[WARPhEAGLE]

I have a Marlin 30-30 in the safe that is over 30 yrs old, it was my first centerfire rifle
but has been hunted with very little in the last 25 yrs at least. I got it out recently to
let my 8th grader nephew shoot, he is starting to show interest in hunting and it is
a good size for him to handle. The scope on it is a Deerfield 4x 32mm. It is about the same
age as the rifle, and I can't believe how bad it is. Open sights would be better than this.
With a decent variable scope what kind of groups should I expect?
Has anyone tried the Leverolution cartridges by Hornandy, and how do you like them?
Thanks

[bilmac]

I haven't shot much factory ammo in my Marlins but I would say you should be able to get 1.5 to 2.5 inches at 100 yds.

[targshooter]

I have not owned a Marlin 336 in .30-30 for about as long as yours has been in the closet. I last used it in a central PA hunt in 1979 as my backup rifle during heavy rains. I used 170 grain bullets over a charge of IMR 3031 that yielded 2000 fps. I had a Lyman #66 peep on the rifle, probably the very one that has been on my Model 39 since I sold the .30-30. Never shot a deer, but did shoot quite a bit of paper. I do not have my range notes anymore, but remember the accuracy was good, around 2 MOA if memory serves me. A friend bought the rifle and used it with lead target loads for many years, and it gave solid 1 MOA with these loads and a target peep sight.  That was the old Micro-groove rifling. Had it in my original Marlin Model 1895 also (bought that in 1974).
Is that the old Simmons hunting scope? I would suggest trying the rifle with the iron sights first, as your nephew probably has the visual accuity and resilient eyes of youth. Additionally, the natural pointability, great handling qualities and light weight of the firearm will be enhanced by not adding a scope. Good luck,

[woodchukhntr]

How bad is it?  For some people, 2" groups are bad, while other will do backflips for joy if they got that.

[Keith L]

After doing a trigger job on my 30AW 3/4 inch groups are the norm with Federal Premium ammo (170 grain NP).  It has a 2.5X7 Tasco from the old days. 

[Mule]

I also shoot a Marlin 336.
I am getting sub 2" groups, from the bench, at 100 yards with 125gr handloads.

[Mikey]

Warp - you didn't say how bad it was (if it is really all that bad)....  How large are the groups at 100m??  Was it you or the 8th grader shooting the rifle.  If the groups opened up either your scope has gone south or the (microgroove) barrel needs cleaning

Chuck that scope for a new Bushnell, sight it in and make sure it shoots; then let the 8th grader shoot.  At least then you will have a baseline to go by..............

[AtlLaw]

With a decent variable scope what kind of groups should I expect?

A whole lot of individual rifle and shooter variables are involved in that question pal!     Personally, I think anything between 1.5 - 2 inches at 100 yds is good stuff for a lever gun.

Has anyone tried the Leverolution cartridges by Hornandy, and how do you like them?

I bought a box to try in my 2 new to me this year lever rifles; a Marlin 30TK and a Winchester M94.  The 94 didn't especially care for them but in the Marlin I got 2200 fps out of it's short, 16.5 inch?, barrel.  This is much better then I could do with handloads.  It also shot around an inch and a half at 100 yds with a Leupold 1.5x5 VariX III; also better then the handloads I had time to try.   

I killed one of our smallish WT's with it opening weekend and it made big holes in and out with almost no bloodshot meat.  I was favorably impressed with the 30/30 LeverRevolution rounds.   

[WyoStillhunter]

With a good scope you should be able to get 2" 3-shot groups at 100 yards with a Marlin 30-30...IF you do your part.  And that is plenty good for deer, hog, and bear hunting.

[rbergum95]

both of my marlins are over 30 years old and both will shoot 1.5 inches or less at 100 yards using their preferred ammo, with iron sights or a scope. i would suggest changing the scope out and give the rifle a thorough cleaning.

[Snareman]

x

[bfpgw]

The Hornady LE rounds have been the most accurate fired from my 3 yr old 336C in .30-30.  At 100 yards it holds around 1" to 1.25" groups with a cheap Tasco 3-9x40 scope and Weaver medium height rings.  You didn't say what condition the barrel was in.  Sitting that long may have allowed a little rust to form but I assume you checked that.

I got a small buck this opening week with mine and LE ammo.  Like others mentioned, plenty of things including the user can contribute to larger groups.  Try checking the scope mounts for tightness.  Mine can come loose when I expect they haven't.  If these groups are being fired with little time between shots the barrel could be getting warm and moving around.  CHeck some of the tuning tips on this site and marlinowners.com.  Barrel bands are accuracy killers.  Yours needs to be just tight enough to keep some tension on the clamp screw.  I loosened mine up some time ago and put a little Loc-tite on the threads.  It keeps groups much tighter now when I am shooting multiple rounds out of it at one sitting.  The barrel band is just there to keep the magazine hanging onto the barrel.

[salvo]

My first levergun was given to me by my Dad, I shot my first Mulie with it at age 12. It is a 1949 Marlin 336A 30-30. That old rifle will still easily shoot 2" 100 yd groups with iron sights.

I just bought a 1969 336 Texan 30-30 and took it out shooting a few weeks ago. I load two loads for my 30-30's a 150 gr and a 170 gr. This 336 really likes the 150's here is the 100 yd. group that I shot once it was sighted in.

[dpe.ahoy]

Nice looking Texan, salvo.  DP

[Lloyd Smale]

about any marlin 3030 is capable of 2 inch groups with loads it likes. Ive got a couple that will do less then half of that.

[Blowtorch53]

Hi WAR(P),

Any Marlin (almost) .30-30 in good condition will shoot a 2" group at 100 yards or better with almost any good scope.  I don't know how much yours has been shot, but for it's age it probably needs a good cleaning and you need to lose the scope.  Get a good 4x or a 2 x 7x for him and you will be better off.  You can get better accuracy with certain factory loads if you experiment a little.  Commercial reloaders make "heavy" .30-30 loads for more power and range but I have not tried them.  The 150 grain factory loads are probably a little better for range but the 170's have always shot more accurately for me.  They can keep the "revolutionary" ammo. as I have not found it to be as accurate as the "big box" special ammo.  I am an experienced reloader and I have tried improving the .30-30, but it's hard to improve on what already is excellent.  The .30-30 is a great round for what it is, and in the Marlin with the right sighting equipment, it is optimized.  It is not a long range powerful magnum.  It is a light recoiling, accurate round and it will put a deer or black bear stone dead at 150 yards with one shot in the proper place every time.  No exceptions.  That's what it is in a light, handy rifle.  It's a very good old round and it's still just as good as it always was.

Enjoy the time with the young ones!

BT53

[Troll64]

Hi WAR(P),

Any Marlin (almost) .30-30 in good condition will shoot a 2" group at 100 yards or better with almost any good scope.  I don't know how much yours has been shot, but for it's age it probably needs a good cleaning and you need to lose the scope.  Get a good 4x or a 2 x 7x for him and you will be better off.  You can get better accuracy with certain factory loads if you experiment a little.  Commercial reloaders make "heavy" .30-30 loads for more power and range but I have not tried them.  The 150 grain factory loads are probably a little better for range but the 170's have always shot more accurately for me.  They can keep the "revolutionary" ammo. as I have not found it to be as accurate as the "big box" special ammo.  I am an experienced reloader and I have tried improving the .30-30, but it's hard to improve on what already is excellent.  The .30-30 is a great round for what it is, and in the Marlin with the right sighting equipment, it is optimized.  It is not a long range powerful magnum.  It is a light recoiling, accurate round and it will put a deer or black bear stone dead at 150 yards with one shot in the proper place every time.  No exceptions.  That's what it is in a light, handy rifle.  It's a very good old round and it's still just as good as it always was.

Enjoy the time with the young ones!

BT53

Amen!!!

[sasu]

I would be happy with 2" groups at 100 yards. My Marlin 1895 45-70 and Winchester 94 30-30 can do that any day, one with a scope, the other with plain open sights. I will take my new Marlin 336 35 Remington out tomorrow for the first time, expecting 2" groups or better.

[WyoStillhunter]

My 30-30 is a Revelation Model 200 which is pure Marlin made in the 1960's as a house-brand rifle for Western Auto.  It has original factory trigger, etc.  The picture shows a typical group.  I think you can read the details written on the target.

[zoner]

try a new scope...a fixed 2X would be good...enough magnification with a good field of view( the variable guys will bomb me for that one), a variable would be good too but since it's a carbine i would go with a compact size...and don't completely discount the aperature sight...it's basically a 1X scope..i use a tang sight on my top eject M94...when i mount the gun and put my cheek to the stock i am ALWAYS looking thru the hole at the front sight and my target...when i try to get the front sight off center in the hole it seems like i can't do it....if i'm looking thru the hole it seems my eyes make the rest of my muscles center the front sight....in the process of learning to hit with the aperature he will develop real good trigger control

[Mannlicher]

I get a consistant one MOA from my Spikehorn Marlin.  The load is a Speer 170 grain FP over 4320 powder.

[STUMPJMPR]

Troll,
You staged that picture, you know you can't kill a deer with an old out dated 30-30 .  lol.  Its my favorite caliber.  I carry it more than anything else I own.  Mine will hold less than a 2" group if you let it cool between shots.  I tried the Hornady's they seem to be the most accurate, but I went back to winchesters.  I don't like pointed bullets for some reason.

[cwlongshot]

I agree with previous posters and say that 1 1/2-3" groups at 100yards is what I would expect. 1 1/2" +- with a scope and a good rest and more like 3" from open sites.

 I only shoot my own loads, but recently ordered some of them 160 flextip Hornadys. (Same as what the leverevolution round use) I will be loading some up with 748 powder... Fully expecting at least the accuracy I got with the old bullets! 

 CW.

[OneShotTx]

My "go to" gun for hunting is my Marlin 336 in .30.30 made in 1968. I use my loads using Remington 170 gr RNCL bullets and H335 powder.

I get consistant 1 1/2" groups.  I use a Bushnell 3.5X10X45 scope, and it is excellent.

My son has a new Marlin .30.30MXLR rifle, and gets sub 1" groups with the factory Hornady 160 gr. L/R ammo, and the same grouping with my reloads in the 170 gr. Rem RNCL

Both the Hornady 160 L/R and the Rem 170 RNCL are outstanding bullets for deer hunting....and pigs, etc.

I just bought a box of the Hornady 160 L/R from Midway, and will be reloading them later this week...can't wait to see what they'll do.

Will be using H335 powder.

[T.R.]

This fine group was fired from a concrete bench with scope set on 7X.



My Glenfield carbine is 30 years old but still shoots straight.  - TR 

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  I would suppose my Marlin 30-30 with group under or around 2". Truth fully I never worried much about it. It is a 24" barrel with a half magazine. Have a 94 carbine also, but the Marlin is my favorite. While I have lots of brass, I loaded up on factory ammo when it was cheap. Since I don't shoot varmit much with the .30-30 and it is mainly a 200 yard or less rifle, I never tried to work up accurate loads. Factory has been fine. My 94 has taken antelope. the Marlin has taken whitetails, antelope, and mt. lion. For what they wer designed for, the fact. ammo does it all for me. If I need more accuracy, I reach for one of my bolt guns. As others have said, give it a good cleaning, check the mts. and make sure they are tight, and I would replace with a modern scope of at least 4x. A small but quality variable would be excellent also. I have a 3-9 on my Marlin .25-35. But I do shoot varmit with it. There is nothing wrong with a young person learning to shoot open sights or peeps, but we all shoot better with scopes, and I for one feel they are safer because we see the target clearly.

[George63]

I tried the leverlution in 30-30 in my marlin and BFR revolver -did not do well in either

[NickSS]

I have several Marlin 30-30s (and Winchesters tpp).  They all will shoot under 2 inches at 100 yards with anything I put in them.  I use one of my Winchester 94 for long range cowboy matches and have developed cast bullet loads that will print 2.5 to 3 inch groups at 200 yards for it.  As for hunting my favorite Marlin has been with me since 1964 ( it was used when I bought it for $50 which was a lot of money for me back then) and has taken white tail and black tail deer, antelope, black bear, elk, and caribou.  I mostly used 170 gr flat point bullets made by speer for all of the game I shot.  I also load a light 115 gr cast bullet at around 1400 fps and use it for small game and varmints.  To date I have killed rabbits, raccoon, coyote and a lot of grouse while out hunting big game.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  NickSS, is you marlin a micro groove barrel? I would guess it is. Always wondered how cast bullets shot out of the mico-grooved rifling

[S.B.]

After doing a trigger job on my 30AW 3/4 inch groups are the norm with Federal Premium ammo (170 grain NP).  It has a 2.5X7 Tasco from the old days. 

You don't mention the distance your shooting these groups at.
Steve