Are lever action good/legit hunting rifles ??
- Thread starter BrownR
- Start date
freddyfour
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County, Ontario
1500 for a 336W is pretty steep, the W's are not the top of the line Marlins but he is asking top of the line prices.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Based on purchases that I have made - some turned out to be real "dogs" and some turned out to be real "gems" - and your stated purpose is for "hunting" - I presume to be shooting it - you mention many things about the "looks" but nothing about the important things that likely make it work well or not.
What I have seen - shot count can be misleading - if it was not being properly cleaned - the chamber and the bore can be a mess of pits, gouges and scratches - is not from shooting it - is from not knowing how to clean it, or not having the tools and supplies to do so - and rust and corrosion have done their thing - or build up of carbon or copper fouling? Muzzle condition - is it dinged or smooth? Firing pin tip - is it nicely rounded or are there chips missing? Firing pin main spring - is it shiny clean and oiled or rusted up dirty and grungy? Bolt face? Action ways? Clean or grungy inside the action? If you are considering to pay that price, then you should be able to check that stuff, or have the seller show you that stuff.
As mentioned above - "Pine Ridge", I think, was a made-in-China entry level scope sold by Cabela's for a while - so consider that about "bottom of the barrel" - although every so often one likely works well for a particular user. You made no mention of the ring and base system that attach that scope to the rifle - is kind of important - looks sort of like a Weaver "quad" ring and one piece base - are all the screws torqued to spec? Was Loctite or Threadlocker used on the screws that hold the base to the rifle - which kind? A 30-30 is usually considered sort of a 175 yard to 200 yard deer gun - certainly do not need a target quality scope for those maximum ranges, to shoot.
Are you getting the Owner's Manual that came with that rifle when it was new, or have you found it on-line - usually that manual contains a lot of pretty basic maintenance stuff, that the maker expected the owner to be able to do - usually how to remove the bolt - how to clean the insides of that gun and that bolt, etc. What parts of that rifle to lubricate - with what? And what parts NOT to lubricate. How to store it - how to get it ready to use it - how to clean it after using it and putting back into storage. If someone ignores all that for 20 or 25 years, then you get what you get, and THAT is what you are looking at to buy today.
I notice in your pictures that the hood is still around the front sight - do you see that within the scope view? That bothers some people. I also notice the elevator is missing from the rear sight - is that being included with the rifle? Probably no need to get overly wound up about scoping a 30-30 - it will not make the rifle shoot better - it might help you see and aim better - and you do not have to hit a particular hair on a deer to kill it - on a broadside deer, there is perhaps a 10" (25 cm) diameter "kill zone" - put a bullet through there and your deer is dead - was done for probably centuries with the iron sights up to 175 to 200 yards. Shoot enough and practice, so that you can do that - a not too bad standard would be a 6" (15 cm) diameter round thing - paper plate, black circle on target paper, 6" (15 cm) gong - can you put a hit / hole - anywhere in that - every shot - at the ranges that you expect to shoot a deer?
My own 30-30 is a made-in-1955 Winchester 94. I installed Williams aperture rear sight and taller front sight - my eyes getting old enough I could no longer see the barrel mounted rear sights well. I liked the idea of one hand carry with that little carbine - right hand around that action - I did not want to put a scope on it - would loose that "carry-ability", and no real reason for a scope for the ranges that the 30-30 would be used.
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Winchester 1894 AE (Angle Eject) might address your concern.
Try it out at the range: If most hunters are honest with themselves this kind of rifle is used inside 125yds the vast majority of the time. 4x magnification is enough. As for quality, you should start out by trying a cheaper scope (~$150) and see if you find it lacking. This class of scope is plenty good for lots and lots of hunters.
Disagree with both of you on this, I think that package is well overpriced, and I watch the ads come and go quite a bit.
With the 45 colt you're opening up a whole new can of worms. Will it kill a deer? yes. The numbers you are quoting are just projectile weight, not an indication of power.
I believe you would find the 30-30 far superior to the 45 colt for a hunting rifle, plus, if you intend to hunt with 45 colt you must reload, as factory loads are.... pathetic.
I'm not sure what province you are in, but in Saskatchewan the 45 colt is listed as "not legal for big game". Dumb, but what do you expect from the Government.
w ww.###########/ads/c/rifles-2/manufacturer/marlin-402/caliber/30-30-win-785
Five Marlin 30-30 listings on the first page of these results alone, all marked as sold with an asking price under $1000.
With the right ammunition, 45LC is more than adequate for deer hunting inside 100yds. But a 30-30 is a clearly a better bet for your first hunting rifle. Bullet weight is only part of the equation.
freddyfour
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County, Ontario
I would pass on it then, hold out for a nicer Marlin or pick a different brand. I bet you could get something nicer if you are patient.
freddyfour
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County, Ontario
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...Marlin-336-SC-waffle-top-35-rem?highlight=336
I know it is a 35Rem but this is such a better firearm for lass money. Hold out man, there are deals out there.
I know it is a 35Rem but this is such a better firearm for lass money. Hold out man, there are deals out there.
freddyfour
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County, Ontario
Henry would be my last choice of all the lever guns. But that is just personal preference.
That would be a good one.
There's always a better deal out there somewhere, just depends how long a guy wants to wait.
That 336w I would not pay 1500 for, but if he could be talked down to 1000 it wouldn't be too bad(still too much, but since covid.....) Prices are insane now.
