[Redrooster]

Last week I sold my AR-15 (the market is crazy). I still have several other rifles in inventory. My new go to rifle will be either a Marlin 336 in 30-30 (seven rounds) or a Marlin 1894 in .44 magnum (11 rounds). What are your thoughts on both for long term survival weapons.

 

[jfountain2]

Get both....


I can't believe you sold your AR.

 

[Redrooster]

I got both Marlins already.

AR prices will be back to normal soon. Lots of gouging by dealers going on right now. I sold this one to a good friend for a bunch less than the market price but still at a profit so we both did good.

 

[New_Pollution1086]

Im selling my m1 for the same reason.

as for your question...
For general survival the .44- it can take down game albeit at closer ranges than the .30-30
plus the extra capacity for two legged beasts. also ammo is smaller and lighter.

for hunting only the .30-30

T

 

[OzarkRidgeRunner]

Get a .44 mag pistol to go along with your Marlin and you will have (2) survival weapons that use the same ammo.

 

[nebguy]

Get a .44 mag pistol to go along with your Marlin and you will have (2) survival weapons that use the same ammo.

The considerably longer range of the .30-30 would be my reason for making that my choice.

i guess if i thought it was close up social work a .44 rifle might be about ideal.

 

[malcontent]

i'd go with the .44 and the addition of a .44 revolver to go with it.
unless you have a scope on the .30 .30. yess the 30 30 has longer range, but with open sights you will not be able to take advantage of it.

 

[Hill Walker]

What sort of range are we talking about. I regularly hit medium size game at out to about 120m with 30-30.

 

[malcontent]

hill, you're a better shot than i am.

 

[Hill Walker]

Even from a standing position at the range with a goat target I don't think I've ever missed the vitals at 100m. Goats and pigs in the bush at 100m now and then. Got a fox at about 100m too over Easter. Never seemed like anything special to me.

 

[nebguy]

From Jeff Coopr, 1994


This is the centennial of the great Model 94 Winchester, one of the outstanding artifacts of modern times. It is unsound to make the claim that any one instrument "won the West," but the 94 was the mainstay of the wilderness during the early years of the twentieth century, and in the days of my youth it was a rare household that did not contain one. This excellent weapon is still with us today, and rendering good service wherever it is found. It you do not own one, you should get one, and not only for the sake of sentiment. If the public scene turns nasty, as some say it may, you will be far better off with an M94 in 30-30 than you will be with an SKS, AK47, or an M16.

 

[Rifleman336]

As many of you people know, I love leverguns and what can be done with them. As far as which caliber has more range their actaully very close. The plan old factory loaded .30-30 is capable for game up to 300 yards. But if you say shooting at another person thats shooting at you, you can shoot and kill a person at much farther ranges than you think.

The Secret Service did a study several decades ago to study how much does it take to kill a person. There findings: It takes only 58 foot pounds of energy by a projectile to kill a man. At even a thousand yards a .30-30 or .44mag has more energy than that, going for it.

Theirs a 220 RNL bulliet that when loaded to safe pressure it will cover a thousand yards while being only 100 F.P.S. slower than the .30-40 Krag. Yes, I am talking .30-30 here.

Then there the .44 Magnum. If two men with 7 3/4" Barreled Ruger Blackhawk revovelers. Shooting Hot, 300gr .45 Long Colt loads can shoot in one side and out the other of a log cabinat 800 yards, than a .44 magnum will also!! Never mind a 16" or 20" barreled rifle chambered in same.


The thing that goes for the .44 Mag is the heavy bulliets that retain energy at distance. The .44 Magnum has more energy at a hundred yards has more foot pounds of energy than a factory loaded .30-30. Sad but true.


When it comes to shooting game most people in the East can easily get to within 200 yards or less to make a clean, ethical shot to harvest game. But in the West game can see for ever and get skiddish easy favoring long rang and flatter shooting cartridges. But when shooting against humans at distance, one has a lot more lattatude when it come to egagement distance when the terrain and curcumstaces allow.

Now alot of people are already saying that such long distance shots aren't possiable with a levergun. Truth is their partially right. Those brass bead front and "buckhorn" rear sights are fine close game sites, but lousy target sites. If one were to get the sqaured front sight and ladder sight rear available from Skinner sights than one can have the sight that made long range shots possiable in our great grandfathers time before good, economical scopes became common place.

Yes, you will be lobbing these rounds at the target, but ask than target if it really mattered that the .44 came in at 20 degree angle versus a sexy 5 degress of 7.62 NATO round.

Some thing to think about.

Redrooster I say you have a no win situation, trying to decide between the two. About to only thing I can advise is get a .44 Mag revolver so as to have a handgun that shoots a common round.


Of course It's often not how powerful you have to be when taking small game and with a piece of 00 buckshot over 5grs of any pistol powder and one can shoot squirrel and rabbit without vaporizing it. That favors the .30-30.

Again I am just making the debate worse so I'll shut up now!! ::


Rifleman 336

 

[1st MAW]

Rifleman 336,

The marlin 44 mag carbine loaded with Buffalo Bore 300 gr or garrett 330 gr is one hell of an impressive rifle, at 100 to 150 yds they drop wild hogs and deer on the spot....and even at that range the bullets usually go completely through them, except for a 400 lb feral hog that I shot at an angle a few weeks ago....

 

[strider72]

Hard call between the two... I love them both.

 

[nebguy]

And the Savage 99 featherweight .30-30, straight stock carbine.
A shame they dont make them anymore. They are all a bit different, the Marlin Savage and Winchester. blonde, brunette, asian... which is better?

 

[mjhewett]

My vote is for the Marlin 336 in the .30-30.
While the .44 magnum has heavier bullets the main problem for the .44 magnum is that in terms of factory ammo that you can just walk into wal-mart and get off the shelf usually has the 240 grain bullets. Up close at pistol velocities this is a good round. When you get to the increased velocities of a rifle then the pistol bullet usually comes apart a bit easily because the construction of it was only for revolver velocities.
I have the Marlin model 30AW which is basically the 336 just made to be sold by the mass retail market. I handload ammo. This is where a .30-30 shines. You can load ammo for small game and you can also load ammo for game a bit larger than deer. Handload a 190 grain hard cast bullet at safe pressures and the bullet has extremely good penetration. I have a good friend who used such a handload and took down a trophy bull Elk at about 125 yards.