I need help with decision. 357 mag or 30-30 lever gun

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TheRyno865

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I am looking to buy a good multi-purpose rifle I live in the country off a gravel road that people like to dump animals and some of these have attempted to harm the ones that I own. I use a single shot 12 ga as of now but would like more distance 100-200 yds. I would also like the rifle for small game such as rabbit and squirrel. But the occasional deer would be good. So long story short. A steel sight lever gun because I'm a lefty and already own a 308 bolt gun. I just want it to fit a scabbard, ride in the truck and atv, and kill what I shoot clean cause I don't want to mame. I'm looking at the marlin 336bl or 1894c but would consider a rossi or different but am not sure on what caliber and rifle to choose. Even thought I would love a 45-70 marlin guide gun but not on a stray dog it would need to be bigger game for that baseball of a bullet.
 
It is going to come down to a matter of personal preference, but for what your are talking about, I would consider the .357. Great for smaller animals, with still plenty of power with the right ammo for deer. As for the yardage, I doubt you are going to do much at 200 yards. That would be difficult with open sights period, and I do not know if the accuracy would be there either. Any thing 100 yards and less, it would be great; maybe even 150. you also have the advantage of being able to shoot cheap .38 ammo for some fun plinking/practise.

On the other hand, the 336 has some pro's as well. You are going to find 20 or more for sale for every one .357 you find. You can find used one very reasonably priced as well. If you are thinking of doing much deer hunting, especially at longer range, it may be your better choice. The downside is that the ammo will cost you considerably more, and that is not talking about the cheap .38's, just hunting ammo. The recoil is going to be a lot more if that makes any difference to you.

Anyway, just my thoughts on your question. Hope it helps.
 
I almost said .30-30, but then I read that you already have a .308.
You also said you would like to use the rifle for small game, so that would steer me towards the .357 mag. It would also be adequate for deer within reasonable ranges. That being said, if you're going out specifically after deer, I'd pack the .308 over the .357 ten times out of ten.
 
I have a couple of Rossi Puma 92s that are very good shooters. I wanted Marlins, but they are having some serious QC issues right now, so I went with the Rossis, and really like them. I have a .357 and a .45 Colt., both with 16" bbls. While not the refined rifles that Marlin makes, they are accurate and reliable. And cheaper. And they work without having to be sent back three times and waited on for 9 months, which is what happened with two Marlins I bought.
 
I know it is not a leveraction, but Ruger is making a bolt action .357 now. I looks light and handy. I might work out for you.
 
I have a Winchester Model 94AE in .357 and it is a blast to shoot. I put a William's receiver sight on it and it is plenty accurate out to 100 yds. I mainly shoot the bulk Remington 125gr ammo available at Wal Mart and there is very little recoil. I also have some hot Buffalo Bore ammo that claims near 30-30 energy that I bought to hopefully put down some deer and hogs. That Buffalo Bore ammo has some noticeable recoil but is not unpleasant.
 
the only way I'd consider a .357 lever gun over a 30-30 is if I really needed a long gun to be a companion piece to a handgun. Otherwise, I'd go with the 30-30 for anything a levergun is intended for.
 
Mixed feelings on this, but I'd prolly take the Rossi in 357. 30-30 will work, but for small stuff close it it's a lot and out there the trajectory is not great, unless you restrict yourself to LeverEvolution which is not my favorite round. Yeah, the more i think about it, I'd do the 357. You have the longer ranges covered with your 308.
 
ECVMatt said:
I know it is not a leveraction, but Ruger is making a bolt action .357 now. I looks light and handy. I might work out for you.
Click to expand...


The only reason I would steer away from the Ruger bolt in this case is that the OP has specifically stated an interest in taking small game, and Ruger is advising that one should not chamber .38's in their new carbine due to feeding problems.

Any of the lever-action .357's (yes -- even the much-maligned Winchester, which I can actually attest) will chamber the .38 special. And once the OP accounts for POI with the reduced loads, he can use .38's for bagging small game.


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JFrame said:
The only reason I would steer away from the Ruger bolt in this case is that the OP has specifically stated an interest in taking small game, and Ruger is advising that one should not chamber .38's in their new carbine due to feeding problems.

Any of the lever-action .357's (yes -- even the much-maligned Winchester, which I can actually attest) will chamber the .38 special. And once the OP accounts for POI with the reduced loads, he can use .38's for bagging small game.


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Jframe - What do you mean by much-maligned Winchester? Have you had issues with yours? Not trying to be rude, I am just curious. Mine has been great since I got it.

Sorry for the thread jack.
 
acmax95 said:
Jframe - What do you mean by much-maligned Winchester? Have you had issues with yours? Not trying to be rude, I am just curious. Mine has been great since I got it.

Sorry for the thread jack.
Click to expand...


No -- Actually, that was my point. I HAVEN'T had any problems with mine...But anecdotal on the Internet, I see quite a few people complain about FTF's using .38's with their Winchesters.

And I don't think this is a thread jack, since the OP asked about .357 lever guns. I figure any info he gleans in the discussion is for the good... :)

ETA: I realize that how I phrased my comment in my previous post might lead to some confusion -- Sorry! :)



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What do you mean by much-maligned Winchester?
Click to expand...
Lots of folks on the 'net squall about feeding issues with pistol cartridge-chambered Winchester 94's. Even folks who have never owned or shot one. ;)
 
Just also wanted to add how well would the 357 hold up to a hog hunt? And anyone have a good pro and cob fire the Rossi and Marlin comparison?
 
Around here, used .30-30's are not hard to find, but .357's are scarce and they cost about double. I have a 1894C for kind of a suburban assault rifle that doesn't look too "evil". I like that it holds twice as many rounds as a similar .30-30, and mine handles .38 Specials just fine. I don't know that I'd use it (.357) out to 200 yards, but that's as much me as it is the gun. Not sure I could hit anything with a .30-30 and iron sights at that distance.

Don't know if this matters, but you can carry a lot more .357 and .38 ammo than you can .30-30. Also you can keep the magazine loaded with Magnums and manually feed in a .38 Special to take a rabbit or squirrel. But maybe you can do that too with a .30-30 -- keep a couple of rounds in your pocket lightly loaded with 110 grain bullets?

They are both good choices, pick the one that speaks to you :)
 
Get a Thompson Contender. That way you have both calibers, along with alot more if you choose. So what if it is only single shot. Learn to hit what you are shooting at with the first shot.....OTH, I have two Rossi 92 win carbines, 357/38 and 45LC. Both are alot of fun....chris3
 
For 200 yards I think a .357 might be pushing it. Conversely, a 30-30 can reach out to 200 yards. I offer up my own thread as proof and potential ridicule that somebody unskilled at long range shots with a rifle that is not dialed in can at very least hit something the size of a deer. Somebody with skill on adjusted hardware should easily be able to do better.

I would be worried about clean kills from a .357 at that range, however, especially if deer are thrown in at the max range you're considering. If you were planning on just for critters at shorter ranges, I'd be all in for the 357. It may be a bit harder to find, but by no means impossible.
 
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I have both 30-30 and .357 Marlins. Per OP situation I recommend the .357mag.

If you reload you can go with .357 brass and run at .38spl power levels, which would negate any issues with a Rossi 92. My Marlin feeds .38's just fine, but does not like SWC in either case length.
 
since you have a 308 bolty I would go with 357 over the 30-30.. Only because you can shoot 38's out of that one. If you reload cast bullets will save a bunch of $$
 
I have Winchesters in both .357 and 44 Magnum and have had good luck with both as far as feeding the ammo and accuracy is a little better than expected in the lever action. Prices on these are much higher than with a 30-30 and are harder to find. The .357 would be great for both small game and deer. Chuck Hawks has a great article on the .357 out of rifles. The Uberti is also very good but not cheap. I have never seen one of these used.

The 30-30 will be your cheapest route with the greatest selection both in new and used. It has always been one of my favorites but is more expensive to shoot.
 
If you want to use standard open sights I'd go with the .357mag. because 100 yards would be about the practical limit with that set up.

But if you plan on mounting a receiver peep sight I'd go with the .30-30 to benefit from the increased range and accuracy potential of that sight set up.
 
I'd go with the 357. The ammo is less than half the cost of the 30-30 and your gun will probably also shoot 38s which are even cheaper still.

I have a Winchester 94 in 357 that I mostly shoot 38s out of.
 
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