16-inch .30-30 performance - The Firearms Forum

Snowman366 · 01-24-2004, 06:49 PM

Does anybody have any experience or knowledge to share with regard to taking deer or wild boar at short-range with a shorty .30-30...?

I have a Marlin "Spikehorn" Model 336 .30-30 lever gun with a 16.5-inch barrel. Do carbines like this have a preference in bullet weight or style in order to get the best hunting performance out of them?

Thanks.

Smokin Guns · 01-25-2004, 06:16 AM

Welcome to TFF Snowman366! I don't have any experience hunting with the Carbines. But I had a Win. 94 Carbine in .45 LC that I liked a lot just shooting targets. Maybe one of the hunting folk will be along soon...

misiu · 01-26-2004, 07:31 PM

Hello Snowman366-

Welcome to our little corner of cyberspace!!

In answer to your question having owned a 30-30 short barrel carbine I can say that as long as you keep your shots within and reasonable range (100 yards or so for deer sized game) it should be more than enough rifle if you place your shots well (this applies in all cases anyway-even if using a 460 Weatherby Mag.)

I would recomend the 150 grain bullet as it has the best all around ballistics for this cartridge. I have chronographed my loads at around 2300 feet per second and this is plenty of power at close range. Remember that for every 1" of barrel you gain approx. 25-30 ft/sec that is why the velocity is so low with the short barrelled carbines.

Hope this helps:

Snowman366 · 01-27-2004, 09:18 AM

Thanks, guys....appreciate the help. I'm an LEO and thought this shorty .30-30 would make a dandy cruiser carbine for euthanizing road-injured livestock.

JohnK3 · 01-27-2004, 11:35 AM

Hey, John (misiu), mind sharing the load data on your loads? I'm getting a Lee Anniversary kit for my birthday (next week!) and want to start working up some loads for my 336.

misiu · 02-03-2004, 01:39 PM

Hello JohnK:

Sorry to take so long to answer you-have been on the road for a while-I will send you a private message with the info if I can figure out how to do that.

Snowman366 · 02-15-2004, 08:40 PM

Have taken my shorty Marlin 336 to the outdoor range twice now. Last trip was yesterday when the weather finally thawed out some. It's a stock gun, except for the William's "5-D" aperture rear-sight I had installed.

Astounded at how accurately the little carbine shoots. I fired it at an 80-yard range from off a sandbag at a rifle bench. Had three 3-inch groups, which was REALLY gratifying since I'm not a stellar rifleman, now or when I was a youngster.

Hoping I can improve on it when the warm weather gets here and I can experiment some more. Was shooting Winchester 150-grain jsp's. Ordered in some of Federal Cartridge's 125-grain jhp's to try, also.

01-24-2004, 06:49 PM	#1
Snowman366 Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 3	16-inch .30-30 performance Does anybody have any experience or knowledge to share with regard to taking deer or wild boar at short-range with a shorty .30-30...? I have a Marlin "Spikehorn" Model 336 .30-30 lever gun with a 16.5-inch barrel. Do carbines like this have a preference in bullet weight or style in order to get the best hunting performance out of them? Thanks. -->

01-25-2004, 06:16 AM	#2
Smokin Guns Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: "Gun Culture Members Clubhouse"... Posts: 4,463	Welcome to TFF Snowman366! I don't have any experience hunting with the Carbines. But I had a Win. 94 Carbine in .45 LC that I liked a lot just shooting targets. Maybe one of the hunting folk will be along soon... __________________

01-26-2004, 07:31 PM	#3
misiu V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: British Columbia Posts: 158	Hello Snowman366- Welcome to our little corner of cyberspace!! In answer to your question having owned a 30-30 short barrel carbine I can say that as long as you keep your shots within and reasonable range (100 yards or so for deer sized game) it should be more than enough rifle if you place your shots well (this applies in all cases anyway-even if using a 460 Weatherby Mag.) I would recomend the 150 grain bullet as it has the best all around ballistics for this cartridge. I have chronographed my loads at around 2300 feet per second and this is plenty of power at close range. Remember that for every 1" of barrel you gain approx. 25-30 ft/sec that is why the velocity is so low with the short barrelled carbines. Hope this helps: __________________ Good hunting and shooting: John

02-03-2004, 01:39 PM	#6
misiu V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: British Columbia Posts: 158	30-30 loads Hello JohnK: Sorry to take so long to answer you-have been on the road for a while-I will send you a private message with the info if I can figure out how to do that. __________________ Good hunting and shooting: John

02-15-2004, 08:40 PM	#7
Snowman366 Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 3	Snowman366 Have taken my shorty Marlin 336 to the outdoor range twice now. Last trip was yesterday when the weather finally thawed out some. It's a stock gun, except for the William's "5-D" aperture rear-sight I had installed. Astounded at how accurately the little carbine shoots. I fired it at an 80-yard range from off a sandbag at a rifle bench. Had three 3-inch groups, which was REALLY gratifying since I'm not a stellar rifleman, now or when I was a youngster. Hoping I can improve on it when the warm weather gets here and I can experiment some more. Was shooting Winchester 150-grain jsp's. Ordered in some of Federal Cartridge's 125-grain jhp's to try, also.

01-27-2004, 09:18 AM	#4
Snowman366 Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 3	Thanks, guys....appreciate the help. I'm an LEO and thought this shorty .30-30 would make a dandy cruiser carbine for euthanizing road-injured livestock.

01-27-2004, 11:35 AM	#5
JohnK3 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,636	Hey, John (misiu), mind sharing the load data on your loads? I'm getting a Lee Anniversary kit for my birthday (next week!) and want to start working up some loads for my 336.