30-30 expected accuracy.

[Todd Earhart]

The rifle I'm working with is a 336 marlin. What would be acceptable 100 yard groups? Factory ammo and reloaded. 2.5 inch is best I've seen. This was with 180's over 4064 and factory leverevolution rounds. Anyone have some info that might help. Maybe my expectations of 1 inch groups was to high. Thanks for any information.
Todd

 

[Lone Hunter]

The rifle I'm working with is a 336 marlin. What would be acceptable 100 yard groups? Factory ammo and reloaded. 2.5 inch is best I've seen. This was with 180's over 4064 and factory leverevolution rounds. Anyone have some info that might help. Maybe my expectations of 1 inch groups was to high. Thanks for any information.
Todd

I used H4895 with Sierra 170 FP and got 1” three shot groups with a scope on it. Plenty accurate enough for deer hunting to 30/30 distance. Haven’t shot that rifle in several years either. Rifle was a Marlin 336 C in 30/30 made in 71 or 72 with micro groove rifling. You should get better than 2.5 “ groups. Try 150 gr bullets or 170 gr and you probably will get better accuracy.

 

[DShortt]

I tend to agree with the above. 180s are a bit too heavy for a 30-30 IMHO.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

The Hornady 160 ftx(30395) shoot very well in my 336 and Win commemorative. Under 2" shouldn't be a problem.

 

[SG4247]

1” to 1-1/2” is certainly doable with my 336s.

I can look up some loads for you later.

Yes I loaded and shot these. N133, W748 and IMR 4064 seemed good with the 160 ftx bullet.

The 170 Nosler Partition worked well with W748.

 

[Tommie]

The cartridge isn’t the biggest factor. Is the gun scoped? Shooting a 336 off bags isn’t easy. Lever actions can produce reasonable accuracy but nothing like what a bolt gun is capable of. Considering that the effective range of your combo is realistically inside of 200 yards, anything inside of 2” groups (3 shot) will put meat on the table.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Last spring, a friend had a Marlon 336 loaded with 150 grn bullets and the new LeverEvolution Powder.
He shot it over my Ohler 35 Chronograph at an average just over 2400 fps with 1 1/2 inch 3 shot groups. It was scoped with a 4x Leupold.

I thought that was pretty good For East Texas White Tails.

As a note, as popular as the Winchester 94 is, I see far more Marlin Lever Rifles at the range than 94’s.

 

[Todd Earhart]

Thanks everyone. The rifle is scoped. I've killed a lot of deer with this rifle and I don't remember the last time I had checked the zero. My mistake was shooting at paper. I was just surprised because I was expecting better. Dang leverevolution is almost impossible to find. I also loaded some of the 160 ftx with 8208 but probably the worst of the few loads I've tried. Thanks for the help.
Todd

 

[Kurz]

The cartridge isn’t the biggest factor. Is the gun scoped?

The first several years I hunted the UP for Whitetail, I carried a Marlin 336 chambered for the .30-30 Win. I did have an older 6x scope mounted so I wasn't handicapped with the open sights. Woods ranges up there usually ran from about 50 yards to maybe 200 yards where the trees thinned out a little so long shots were unheard of. I used the Remington Core-Lokt ammunition virtually all the time since it was usually a 1" rifle at 100 yards with this ammunition.

Then I switched to a Contender in .30-30 Win. with a 14" barrel. The same ammunition worked as well in this handgun. I never has to reload for either of these when I limited my shooting to this area of the world.


If you still feel that you need to reload for achieving the best accuracy, try the Nosler 150 gr. Partition over IMR-3031. You will get a little more velocity and your accuracy should improve over your current attempts.

Enjoy the process!

 

[Gary in MD]

It’s been quite a while since I loaded for a 30-30 (my first real deer rifle) but remember getting decent accuracy using IMR 3031 and Sierra 150 & 170 bullets.

 

[rjtfroggy]

My 336 is the first rifle I bought, 1970. Shooting factory 150gr. round nose it was good enough for deer hunting but nothing to brag about. Then I started reloading the 150's using IMR 4895 and 3 shot groups almost got covered by a quarter @75 yards, in the woods in Ct. that is about the limit for a clean shot on anything. Almost forgot 4x scope not open sights.

 

[Firearmsunlimited]

Try some Hornady FTX bullets. https://www.hornady.com/bullets/ftx#!/

 

[Bojo]

30/30 lever gun
AKA “ Amish machine gun”
Those that grew up hunting around the Amish will understand.

I traded off a marlin in 444 a few years ago , I miss it , but the deal was for a pre64 Win88 in 308.

I flipped a few doe with that 444 and the buckhorn sighting.

 

[CharlieNC]

As a reference point, there was a fellow several years ago winning BR matches with a custom 30-30 bolt action. Point is the cartridge can shoot!

 

[Jim Hankins]

Try holding your hand under the forend instead of having the forend directly on the bags-my two Marlins -a 336 A and a 336 C both shoot better this way, usually 1.25-1.5 at 100.

 

[jobhopper66]

As a reference point, there was a fellow several years ago winning BR matches with a custom 30-30 bolt action. Point is the cartridge can shoot!

I think the shooter you are referring to might be named Turner if I remember correctly. I have tried to find information on his 30-30 shooting and have come up empty.

 

[CaptainMal]

All three of my Marlin levers like the same load of LeverRevolution powder and the 160 FTX bullet. The two 20" barrel ones are 2" 100 yard groupers. The 24" ballard rifle lever one is a serious MOA rifle. Last year I took one deer at 240 yards with it DRT and with a smaller one a deer at 190 yards. Again - DRT. In all cases I have worked the metal bands and wood forends to improve accuracy plus bedded the tangs of the stocks.

Without digging to look I think the one load I settled on for all three is like 35 gr of LeverRevolution. You look and check carefully before trying. It is not the fastest load but for me certainly the best so I can have one ammo for all the rifles.

 

[joshb]

1935 Winchester Model 55, open sights at 100 yards. Standing 64 year old that forgot his glasses.

 

[old codger]

The 30-30 is considered a minute of deer cartridge. I would consider 2 to 2.5" accuracy at 100 yards acceptable for deer hunting.

 

[Ken]

1935 Winchester Model 55, open sights at 100 yards. Standing 64 year old that forgot his glasses.View attachment 1371176

Dead Deer