Lever Action Rifle for Deer Hunting - Need Advice

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My old 336 in .35 remington has been my go to deer gun for the past 11 years since I started hunting. Don't know much about the new ones but the old one I have with microgroove barrel is accurate and reliable each time. Handloads give me a great group with the scope. Scopes not the best for a brush gun, but my eye's have never been the greatest with Iron sites. Plus it's an old Weaver with post, so limited clutter

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i have a 336w in 30-30 and LOVE it! i believe mine was made somewhere around 2001-2002 if im not mistaken and it has been excellent. i messed with just about every sight option and eventually came to some conclusions:

1- the factory sights suck bad. they were hard for me to use with any accuracy and the elevation screw on the rear sight was constently slipping, even when glued in place.

2- a normal powered scope in the 3-9x range, while nice for shooting from the bench, was not what i wanted in the woods. i have missed more than one shot at deer because i had too much scope and/or i just couldnt get it lined up in time.

3- a low powered scope, such as a shotgun scope, is a very handy thing. if you want a scope, i would REALLY recommend something with about a 1-4 magnification range and a good amount of eye relief. the long eye relief isn't really needed for recoil, but they seem (for me at least) to come up on target faster and keep your view more open.

4- what i finally ended up with was a reciever mounted aperture sight from skinner sights (http://www.skinnersights.com/1895_sight_4.html). i LOVE LOVE LOVE these sights! at 100 yards i can still maintain very near scope-like accuracy without all the added weight. they are very fast to get on target, they hold their settings like a rock, and they also increase your sight radius by 7-8 inches. i also installed a new front sight (also from skinner) in the square post variety. i never was a fan of the little brass knob on the top of the factory front sight and have found the plain post to be much more accurate for me.
 
DITTO ON POST 26 AND 27!

If there is ever America's favorite huntung cartridge it says 30-30 but for woods hunting it says 35 Remington. The 35 Remington earned its reputation in Eastern Woods as a brush buster deer round with its 200 gr. round nose jacketed bullet.

It is also one heck of a hog gun.

A scope on a woods gun is s poor choice.

For one thing a scope upsets the light carry and handling of a carbine.

The distances in woods will vary but none of them will be long but most will be close.

The lighting conditions in woods will vary a lot.

Threading a shot though the woods is more difficult with a scope. A scope may not let you see the branch that is blocking your shot until you miss your shot at the deer by hititng the branch.

A reciever mounted peep rear sight is the ideal setup. In my case I use a Williams but if I was doing it over I would probably go with the Skinner.

Oh shop used and avoid that dang crossbolt safety.
 
Very hard to beat a Winchester or Marlin in a .30-30. Great rifles and a great cartridge I have a Winchester 94 with Williams 'Fire' Sights that is a pretty good combo for me. The Williams consists of a fiber optic front sight and a ajustable 'peep' sight that mounts on pre existing hole in the reciever. My 94 has the checkered Walnut and it matches my 9422M. Those are two that I doubt I will ever part with.
Too bad the powers that be decided to discontinue making the 94 in America. If you want one now (new) they are twice the money and made in Japan. That doesn't make them bad, just seems out of place to me, but so is the Browning BLR.
 
I love lever action rifles, always have. I own three now all Marlin .357, .44 mag, and .30-30, I can tell you that in my experience both field stripping and detail stripping the Marlins are easier going than the Winchester Pattern levers. Less moving parts and more solid to me.
You really can't go wrong with a .30-30 for Hunting in an area where you don't expect to see shots over 150 yards. I hunt with mine in Northern Minnesota and can't remember taking a shot 100 yards out because of the cover that is predominant there.
I practically stole mine for the price I paid for it but you can find great deals on them new or used.
 
I'd suggest a used Winchester or Marlin and adding a receiver sight like the Williams Foolproof or Lyman 66.
 
Oh shop used and avoid that dang crossbolt safety.
Click to expand...

not bad advice.

however, if you should happen to end up with a newer 336 with the crossbolt safety, it is easily disabled should you choose to do so.

first, remove the tang screw and remove the stock. now as you look at the back of the reciever, you will find a small hole on the left side that is filled with red locktite. next, take a pin or a paper clip and dig out the locktite. once this is done, you will reveal a small allen head screw. make sure your crossbolt safety is in the FIRE position, and tighten that little screw down tight, but not overly so. doing this will render the safety button immovable. this is the method i used to do away with the crossbolt safety.

another option is to just get rid of the safety compleatly. Clyde Ludwig makes a replacement kit that consists of a plane bolt that looks like a screw. the kit and installation instructions can be found here.
 
Consider .357 and .44 mags in marlins as they bring home deer but are fun/cheap to target/plink with. Threads have been done on these cals for deer hunting. Try a few of them especially since your hunting shots are close. Both of these cals. have specials that shoot in them. 38 spec. here sell for $8. a box of 50 on sale. Good for rabbits and cans. Have fun and bangaway.
 
Any of the guns and rounds listed here will be great for deer hunting. My son just bought a used Savage Mod 99 in .300 Savage. It has a 4X Tasco scope. He got it for $350 from some guy who put an ad in the paper.
Now, if I can just talk the kid into selling it to me...
 
How I solved this problem

I have been looking for a 336-type action to add to the collection for a couple of years.

I finally found a new one that "spoke" to me (you know, you pick it up and have trouble putting it down).

It is a 336 BL: 18.5" barrel, no barrel band, nice bluing, smooth action with decent trigger, and nicely checkered laminate stock. The laminate was very nicely done and is an eyecatcher.

I plan to top it with a Leopold UL 2.5x fixed power scope with QD rings.

This is not an inexpensive way to go, but since I got the rifle specifically to have a scoped 30-30, I might as well do it right.
 
Ok. I visited 4 local pawn shops today. I was surprised the they all had 3 to 8 lever action 30-30s mostly in Marlin or Winchester. Most were post-64 Winchester or post-safety late model Marlin in the $300 - $400 range for good shape. I did find at my last stop a Winchester 94 vintage 1952 that was in pretty good condition. No marks on the stock. Beautiful patina on the wood. No rust, but lots of wear in the blueing. Action smooth. Bore shiny with clean grooves. Asking $499. I think I might go back tomorrow.
 
See if you can get that 1952 for $450. That'd be a good buy for sure, and you can always sell it if you don't like it.

Otherwise, I'd go for one of the late model Marlins.
 
30-30, low power variable scope or fixed 4x, used Marlin = better fit and finish (pre-2008) - otherwise you may be rolling the dice on a newer one manufactured under Cerberus ownership.
 
30-30 in a Winchester 94. I have both a 336 and a 94 and I like the 94 better. My 336 is in .35 remington which is another good lever cartridge for deer.
 
I've been using a 30/30 as my primary hunting rifle since 2003 and don't plan on changing. I used to use a 4x scope but soon found it lacking when hunting areas with thick vegitation. Even a 4x was to much in areas like that and I found myself wanting a little more on the top end. I settled on a Bushnell Elite 3200 2-7x32 set in low rings. I have since found this setup works exceedingly well for my uses.
 
I am very partial to Marlins in .35 Remington. Having both 30-30 and .35, the .35 just causes more trama on living animals, not so much on paper. Ammo is more expensive for .35 remington but if you are mainly hunting with it, the cost is negligible unless you are a really bad shot. :)
Either will serve you well but give me a .35 any day of the week.
 
A scope on a woods gun is s poor choice.

For one thing a scope upsets the light carry and handling of a carbine.

The distances in woods will vary but none of them will be long but most will be close.
Click to expand...

I love it when people ease into that "you don't need a scope" line. How does someone give this advice? How can you, from hundreds of miles away, tell what sort of sight device a person needs? I need a scope. On every rifle. Period.
 
If you're interested, my LGS has a .35 Remington. IIRC, it's pretty much like the one in post #26

For me, it would be a Savage 99, probably in .250 or .300 Savage, or .308
 
I've bought and sold over 100 guns in my lifetime, the vast majority of them blued. I've never had to "chase" rust. :rolleyes:
 
IMO a Marlin will be your best bet. I would personally take the .35 Rem. over 30-30 if for nothing else the increased sectional density. Myself, I'm a huge fan of the 45-70 and would take it over any 30-30 or 35 Rem any day. There is simply nothing better than having one rifle that can be loaded from 300 grain pussycat loads (that will flatten a deer and soft on your shoulder) all the way up to 540 grain Hammerheads for anything on this p[lanet, and the Marlin will handle all of them.
My thick deer woods rifle of choice:
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