bang for buck lever

I own a couple levers, including the Mossberg 464. The Mossberg is okay and haven't had any issues with it, but the Marlin 336 is head and shoulders above for only a little bit more money. The Savage 99 is my favorite lever; great balance, allows pointed bullets and it has an excellent trigger.
 
If you're don't mind a different caliber I'd say a Browning BLR 308. They go for 500 bucks used all the time. Nice feel, good shooters. 308 ammo can be found cheap sometimes.

For a 30-30, marlins are the ticket.
 
Drillbit said:
If you're don't mind a different caliber I'd say a Browning BLR 308. They go for 500 bucks used all the time. Nice feel, good shooters. 308 ammo can be found cheap sometimes.

For a 30-30, marlins are the ticket.
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yea, but brownings have that stupid mag hanging out- the savage 99 does not
 
I have a mint pre 64 win 94 (1957) buddy has a new Marlin 336 SS lam. 336 has a Slicker action IMO. both killed deer last year. If you are going to buy a new Marlin, consider the .35 Rem chambering. Lots of info. on marlinowners.com
 
I have a Mossburg 464. It shoots great but I don't care for the rear sight leaf, I had to file it down or it would shoot a foot high at 100 paces.
 
H4831 said:
Agreed on Marlin, but try the used market. All that great reputation that Marlin has, was earned with firearms from the past. The new rifles with the Marlin name are not to be compared to the vintage models.
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You said it, brother. Marlin if you want a scope, Winchester 94 if you don't. Older models of both guns are better. New rifles of just about any make don't compare with the older guns in my opinion.
 
If you really want cheap ammo for a 30-30, look at setting yourself up to cast. A 150 or 170 grain mold from Lee is really pretty cheap. Some scrounging and a little money spent will get you a decent melting pot and a dipper. Think Salvation Army for a pot, and WalMart for an electric hotplate...

You can pan lube and use a push through sizer, also cheap from Lee. It isn't Rolls Royce parts for sure, but you could save a pile of money in a couple weekends shooting.
Worth considering, anyway.

Cheers
Trev
 
Starting to sound like a Marlin love-in here. Are we in the 60's again? :) Anyway, I think the Winchester 94 and the (older) Marlins are a 'wash'. Don't forget there is a scope option in the 94 called the AE model. I have a nice Ranger AE with a suitable scope mounted. This is a very recent model of the 94 model mind you, since they only came out in the 80s I think.
I did handle a new Marlin in Epps last year, at the same time I handled the Mossberg lever. Both were horrible guns and I handed them back to the guy behind the counter forever putting them out of mind. I have never handled an older Marlin, but apparently they are very nice.
I would just buy the nicest Win 94 I could afford in any model year and be done with it. I cannot tell the difference between my pre and post 64s in any area of function or reliability.
If you do buy a Marlin, I suggest, as someone else did on here, that you may wish to consider one in .35 Rem, since they are a more versatile cartridge. Flip a coin. Heads buy the 94, tails buy the 94. :)
 
There's a really nice 336 circa 1975 on the EE right now priced reasonable for the condition, super woods rifle. The .30/30 is no slouch but the .35 is a better killer especially on heavier animals.
 
500's a good sized budget. For that kind of money you can get:
Win 94 in 30-30, 32, 375, 444, ?
Marlin in 30-30, 35, maybe even 45/70 or 450.
Blr, most likely in 308.

Personally I'd take a win over a marlin any day of the week, twice on sunday. :p
I'd take a blr over a win, too, even though J. Browning designed them both.

Marlin's iron sights suck, which is why you see so many used one's with those darn peep sights or some other aftermarket sight on them.

That being said, you realize for another 100 and change you can buy a brand new marlin? I'd personally take 2 used win. though. ;)

Being serious, you really can't go wrong with any of them, and you're budget is large enough to have a choice of any of them, and in VERY good shape, so be picky if you buy used.
 
i've never been exactly happy with a electric hotplate - they're simply not hot enough, even on high- what i use is a COLEMAN 2 burner stove ( naptha) you know the one- that i got from somebody that "got out" of camping, helped along with a propane torch- you only use the one burner so you can get the heat more intense- welder's gloves of course-
 
browning designed the blr?- that's news to me - jm passed in 37 or so- what did browning do- leave the blues in a tube somewhere for 40+ years?
 
right now, aside from the blr, there is no PROPER "hunting" lever action- hunting means pointy bullets, and anything with a tube magazine can't take those- the "classic " lever is the savage 99 in 308- hows THAT for a purist?- the blr isn't really a lever,in that it uses a gear machanism between the lever and the bolt- in effect it's a lever gear driven bolt
 
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