A Hypothetical Question Concerning Lever Guns.

milton · Post by **milton** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 4:05 pm

Assume you are going to be away from your home for three months or so staying in a good hunting cabin.The weather will be moderate with max highs 85 degrees and max lows 25 degrees in the time span quoted.The largest game animals available are wild hogs and small whitetail deer. You have a choice of a Rossi 92 in .357 or a Marlin 336 in 30-30.Both guns are blued and the best ammo needed is made available to you.
Now which rifle will be the most durable or the least likely to break in the field while you are hunting ?

Lassiter · Post by **Lassiter** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 4:14 pm

Assuming both are tried and proven rifles (not NIB) I would have to go with the Marlin 30-30...........just cuz

Pisgah · Post by **Pisgah** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 4:27 pm

Oh, I dunno... but were you at this conference by any chance?

http://www.theonion.com/article/nations ... supp-53002

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 4:34 pm

The Marlins do have fewer parts, and the parts are bigger....

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 5:08 pm

I have both and shoot them quite a bit at Metallic Silhouette. I would take the Marlin.

Post by **Old Savage** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 5:25 pm

http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/rossi.htm

Read here. Junior Doughty. Right up your alley.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 5:36 pm

Marlin. I have found Rossis to be less than reliable.

Joe

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 6:09 pm

Old Savage wrote:http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/rossi.htm

Read here. Junior Doughty. Right up your alley.

Did you mean that for this thread - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=66590?

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 7:52 pm

Frankly, my Winchester mdl 94 "Trapper" in .30-30.

One shouldn't carry an ugly rifle!

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 7:58 pm

My Puma has been trouble free since I took it out of the box, once I found the bullets it will feed reliably, and I don't own a Marlin. But I think I would choose the 30-30. I know reloading can produce much better ammunition, but the .357 isn't quite the round the 30-30 is...

Post by **Old Savage** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 9:16 pm

http://www.castbullet.com/shooting/rossi-s.htm

this is the idea, not the sights.

MrMurphy · Post by **MrMurphy** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 9:55 pm

I'd take the Marlin by preference.

The .357 can certainly kill hogs and deer, the .30-30 will absolutely kill hogs, deer, smaller bears and anything else you could conceivably run into. They also do well on car bodies.

Keep a Sentry Solutions Tuf-Cloth, wipe all parts of the gun down once and you won't have any rust issues for a year.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 11:45 pm

30wcf

pshort · Post by **pshort** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 12:32 am

Marlin...

bigbore442001 · Post by **bigbore442001** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:13 am

I'd have to vote for the Marlin 30-30 lever action rifle in this situation. I believe under the circumstances you have described the gun would be more versatile for a three month sojourn, so to speak.

Judging from what you have described it sounds like the situation is in the mid south. Being more humid the biggest issue would be one of rust.

milton · Post by **milton** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 4:02 am

Thanks everybody for the help!!!!! The Marlin it is then!

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 8:34 am

That's like comparing apples and oranges. The 357 is soooo much more accommodating to different tasks than the 30-30 but I do have a distaste for Rossi guns.....and for that matter, any Marlin made after the early nineties.

If I HAD to choose, I'd take the Rossi...because of the caliber........wring it out real good to eliminate any bugs......then buy a few essential extra parts.......and use that.-----6

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 8:42 am

Inside 75yds there's not much difference.

Past that and out, the .30-30 is the better round, whichever manufacturer makes the gun.

For over-all utility, I'd take the Marlin.

milton · Post by **milton** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 2:02 pm

I do already have a set of spare parts for my Rossi and it has been worked thoroughly so that so far it has been a very reliable carbine.I do know this is sorta like comparing apples to oranges but in this case all I own is an apple and an orange.The Marlin is about 50 years old and is as slick as can be,the thing about the Marlin is that it also fits me and comes to point very accurately when I carry the rifle for hunting.I am just interested in overall durability comparison,which gun is less likely to break if used hard for an extended period of time.
Thanks for all the help!

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 2:12 pm

What about the ease of carrying all day for a three month trip?? a Marlin is sort of clubby to me.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 4:03 pm

I'd take a .30-30 over a .357 any day.

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 4:48 pm

The most logical answer is to take both

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:36 pm

Given the OP's stated choices, I'd go with the 336. I've found the Marlins to be more reliable and generally have a better trigger. Besides, what if you come across that once in a lifetime buck?

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 8:20 pm

If one is limited to any kind of factory ammo, the most logical choice is the 357. 30-30's make lots of noise and blitz anything they hit. With the 357 you can load light 38's to hunt squirrels, foxes, birds and heavy loads for big big deer. It also make for a better defense gun within normal ranges as it will easily drop any two or 4 legged predator and has twice the capacity as a 30-30. Ammo is lighter and the Rossi is much more handier. A 50 year old Marlin weighs 8 pounds compared to what ...6 lbs for the Rossi.

With hand loads things change a little but not enough to go to the 30-30.

Like Streetstar said, it makes sense to have both. I'm sure the cabin is not so small that both can be there along with a .22 rifle......which might even be my first choice.

Anyone who uses guns a lot will agree with me. Guys who read will pick the 30-30.

----6

buckeyeshooter · Post by **buckeyeshooter** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 1:32 am

If it's a JM Marlin, I'd go with it. Like the 30-30 better. If it's a Remlin, I'll take anything else.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 11:05 am

What griff said. It's my favorite to take to cabin

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 12:14 pm

Sixgun wrote:<snip>

Anyone who uses guns a lot will agree with me. Guys who read will pick the 30-30. ----6

SNORT,

I've read and I've shot and carried my lever guns for years prior to moving to this God AWFUL section of the country. My comments are based on my experience, NOT what I've read. Reading things are for entertainment while your sitting back with a big glass of ice tea after the job (hunt) is finished.

milton wrote:Assume you are going to be away from your home for three months or so staying in a good hunting cabin.The weather will be moderate with max highs 85 degrees and max lows 25 degrees in the time span quoted.The largest game animals available are wild hogs and small whitetail deer. You have a choice of a Rossi 92 in .357 or a Marlin 336 in 30-30.Both guns are blued and the best ammo needed is made available to you.
Now which rifle will be the most durable or the least likely to break in the field while you are hunting ?

Given the parameters listed by milton I would still choose the Marlin. Yes they are clunky. But if I read this correctly he didn't ask about which cartridge would do the job, he asked about which rifle, Rossi or Marlin, would be "the most durable or the least likely to break in the field". Using those parameters I would take the Marlin without any hesitation.

Now, if I could alter the parameters to suit myself I'd take my Marlin 1894 in .45 Colt. I am convinced that it WILL do the job required without breaking on me. Something I CANNOT say about the Rossi I had. And the 1894 is well balanced and fits me just fine.

Joe

milton · Post by **milton** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 12:20 pm

Thank you,thank you,thank you! that just about sizes things up to my original question--the Marlin it is,at least in my situation!

mohavesam · Post by **mohavesam** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 5:35 pm

The choice is what does it. I had a perfectly reliable Rossi until it split the barrel one day with factory ammo. My shooting glasses were ruined from the flame and debris - my eye could have been lost simply by shooting without them.
I'll never trust another Rossi firearm.

The Marlin is the obvious answer, as-is the chambering.

Hope the trip works out and frankly, I'd take along a shotgun. Far more edible birds in the woods than big game in season.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu Aug 11, 2016 7:28 pm

I'll take my Rossi because I will, by default, also have my SP101.

Anybody have shot loads made up for their .30-30?

Didn't think so.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Thu Aug 11, 2016 8:30 pm

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Thu Aug 11, 2016 8:31 pm

MrMurphy · Post by **MrMurphy** » Thu Aug 11, 2016 10:22 pm

If you think either gun is "clubby"......try carrying a light machine gun.

it could be a lot worse.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Fri Aug 12, 2016 1:44 am

Old Ironsights wrote:I'll take my Rossi because I will, by default, also have my SP101.

Anybody have shot loads made up for their .30-30?

Didn't think so.

Because, it's so easy to confuse .357, and 30wcf rounds....

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Fri Aug 12, 2016 5:34 am

If I was in the market to purchase a Marlin 336...
It would be a 336T, 1951-64 Vin...
30-30...

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Fri Aug 12, 2016 10:09 am

Id take the Marlin over the Rossi, though I'm more of a Winchester fan.

The 30-30 works great with light loads for small game. A .310 or .315 round ball with 3 gr Unique puts it in 22 lr power and noise range, 100-120 gr cast @ 1200 fps puts it in 32-20 power/noise range, and you have full power loads as desired.

I haven't had much luck with shot loads in rifles. 20 feet being the most extreme range theyd throw usable patterns. Some were very thin much closer, with a large hole in the middle of the pattern. The round ball loads take care of ground and treed birds. I love them for grouse loads.

3 months isn't that long. 3 years of daily hard use for making camp meat and Id take the longevity question more seriously. In that case Id take a Winchester 94. A match grade 22 pistol may be one of the more useful things to have along.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Fri Aug 12, 2016 11:10 am

If you want catsneeze bullets out of a rifle, it is FAR easier to do it with the .357 (.45/70) than a .30 WCF.

Bottlenecks and micro loads are not the best combo. Try loading "collar buttons" into a bottleneck sometime to see what I mean.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Fri Aug 12, 2016 4:45 pm

Its been relatively easy so far, other than the 30-30 is greatly helped with a little tuft of Dacron over the powder to keep it near the primer for consistent ignition in various angles of shooting. What happens with collar button bullets in 30-30?

Havent tried collar button bullets in 30 cal, though have a 77 gr 2 groove 32 auto Lyman mold to try. Should be sweet. its listed in some of the old Ideal manuals as a small game load, as are the round balls in various calibers, Round balls work well in 348 and 45-70. Looking forward to trying them in 38 cal. Think I have a .360 round ball mold somewhere. I believe you can order them in bulk also.

3leggedturtle · Post by **3leggedturtle** » Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:15 am

Since you are gonna be based out of a cabin I'd go with 30/30. If you be doing a lot of walking and hiking I'd go with 357. You going to have a pistol or 22 for small game and recreation?

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:31 pm

Now I done went and got myself wanting a vintage Marlin 336T in the 35 Rem. Thumper

https://youtu.be/lGG6n4UGRGY

retmech · Post by **retmech** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:39 pm

For me it would be the Rossi. Both of my Braztec Rossi .357's have north of 5k trouble free rounds through them. Last thing I'd worry about is durability. Nothing wrong with 30-30's but IMO .357 in a rifle is a way more versatile cartridge.