Marlin 336SS 30-30

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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by Rod_outbak » 11 Aug 2018, 5:30 pm

I have a Marlin 336CS (~1995 YOM) Blued with standard loop on the lever.
I bought it 2nd-hand in 1999, and it came with a Williams Peep sight on it. I nailed a lot of pork with it over the years since, though the Williams has been replaced with a C-Moore Railway red-dot sight.
[Not sure if I mightnt go back to the Williams; the C-Moore isnt as easy to use as I hoped]

If you arent loading up your own ammo, the very best .30-30 ammo I've found for Hot Pork, is the Winchester 150Gn Hollowpoints. They dont deform in the mag like most other .30-30 projectiles, but they hit REALLY hard, and create a lot of chaos.
Still havent been able to track down who makes the projectiles, or where one might buy them for rolling my own, but Gees; they work a treat!

I've used a lot of the factory Hornady 160Gn FTX loads, and also loaded up quite a few as well, and it's funny; even though they fly a lot flatter than the standard 150gn bricks, I find them hard to figure out. I think it's to do with the expectation that .30-30 rounds will fly like bricks, and so when you get one that has some semblance of a ballistic arc to it's flight, you dont know where the heck it's going to land. They grouped pretty well when my brother and I tested them out, but we both found that the second you have a live target, all your hard-learned knowledge as to how much holover etc to give, is all screwed up.
I've also loaded up a set of the Barnes all-copper 150Gn HP rounds; freaking great big eggcups! Sadly, only tested them close-range on a few grasshoppers, and they were pretty brutal. The rest are still waiting for a chance at smoking bacon.
As an experiment, I did also load up a set of 20 Speer 130Gn HP projectiles, with a LOT of reminder stickers on the box to the effect that they can only be used single-shot only. Something to run over the chrono some time, just to see how they go...

A great Hot-Pork-Negotiation tool, is the 336....
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by in2anity » 11 Aug 2018, 6:00 pm

With respect to the FTX pills - how much flatter do you think they actually sling? Compared with say a 150gn round nose?
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by No1_49er » 11 Aug 2018, 8:20 pm

Bridgy wrote:For those interested:
http://rangerpointstore.com/shop-all/ma ... op-levers/
I put a deposit on a 336c today, couldn't help myself. Ordering one of these to suit (PTA is 6 week wait at the moment so no rush :( )

Ranger Point make some very nice after-market goodies for Marlin, but they still have the ITAR rules which prevents them from being able to supply us. The following is the bulk of an email that I received from them back in July: -

Thanks for contacting us and for your tremendous interest in our parts.
We’re crossing our fingers and toes that the US changes the laws. We’d love to be able to simply sell our parts overseas. I’ve never understood why we’re blocked from selling “parts” that can’t do anything until they’re attached to a firearm a customer already owns.
We’ll be singing it from the roof tops as soon as the laws change!

Kimberly Devine, Ranger Point Precision, LLC

5 Star Reviews

Email: rangerpointprecision@gmail.com
Phone: 832-429-7044
Address: 11115 Mills Rd, Ste. 122 Cypress, TX 77429
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-6pm
Match-grade Rifle Builds: http://www.rangerpointprecision.com
Performance Rifle and Pistol Parts: https://rangerpointstore.com

I believe that progress is being made with changing from ITAR to EAR, which will allow far greater freedom for us folk "down here" to get all the goodie we've been denied for so long.
Patience, young man.
Proud member of "the powerful gun lobby" of Australia :)
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by Rod_outbak » 11 Aug 2018, 10:25 pm

[quote="in2anity"]
With respect to the FTX pills - how much flatter do you think they actually sling? Compared with say a 150gn round nose?
[/quote]

It's 3 years back, so not 100% sure, but we found that we had roughly half the drop at 300 metres.
For the tests, we had a 3-9x40 scope mounted on the 336, though I removed it afterwards.

We had a target at 100 metres, and then we had a mound of dirt at 300 that we were using for comparison.
Cant remember the actual inches drop, but pretty sure it was roughly half what we were getting from the 150 HP rounds(which perform much the same as 150RN loads).

Bear in mind we dont often shoot a .30-30 that far, but it was interesting to see that the FTX ballistics made the rifle perform a lot closer to a .308, rather than chucking large bricks as per normal for a .30-30...

April 2015:-
Federal Factory 150 RN loads chrono'd at ~2422fps
Winchester Factory Hollowpoint 150's chrono'd at 2315fps
Hornady Factory 160 FTX chrono'd at 2337fps

All out of the standard 20" microgroove barrel.

NOTE: I ran the exact same ammo through my Win 94 .30-30 at the same time, and found they were all almost exactly 100fps slower than the Marlin. I've owned the Win 94 since new (1986), and it's probably had much the same number of rounds through it as the Marlin.
My guess is that micro-groove barrel on the marlin isnt all hype...

I'm not saying the FTX ammo is bad; more the opposite. It's just that it doesnt seem to behave the same as almost all the other ammo you punch through a .30-30, and so unless you are only going to use the FTX loads, then you find switching between FTX and other loads gets mighty confusing.
[Thats just what I found..]
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by in2anity » 12 Aug 2018, 11:45 am

Rod_outbak wrote:
in2anity wrote:With respect to the FTX pills - how much flatter do you think they actually sling? Compared with say a 150gn round nose?


It's 3 years back, so not 100% sure, but we found that we had roughly half the drop at 300 metres.
For the tests, we had a 3-9x40 scope mounted on the 336, though I removed it afterwards.

We had a target at 100 metres, and then we had a mound of dirt at 300 that we were using for comparison.
Cant remember the actual inches drop, but pretty sure it was roughly half what we were getting from the 150 HP rounds(which perform much the same as 150RN loads).

Bear in mind we dont often shoot a .30-30 that far, but it was interesting to see that the FTX ballistics made the rifle perform a lot closer to a .308, rather than chucking large bricks as per normal for a .30-30...

April 2015:-
Federal Factory 150 RN loads chrono'd at ~2422fps
Winchester Factory Hollowpoint 150's chrono'd at 2315fps
Hornady Factory 160 FTX chrono'd at 2337fps

All out of the standard 20" microgroove barrel.

NOTE: I ran the exact same ammo through my Win 94 .30-30 at the same time, and found they were all almost exactly 100fps slower than the Marlin. I've owned the Win 94 since new (1986), and it's probably had much the same number of rounds through it as the Marlin.
My guess is that micro-groove barrel on the marlin isnt all hype...

I'm not saying the FTX ammo is bad; more the opposite. It's just that it doesnt seem to behave the same as almost all the other ammo you punch through a .30-30, and so unless you are only going to use the FTX loads, then you find switching between FTX and other loads gets mighty confusing.
[Thats just what I found..]


With all due respect, I’m not sure the benefits of the FTX pill are as profound as you think. For example a classic 150gr hunting pill slung at 2400fps with a bc of say 0.2 has 8” of drop at 200yds. The 160gr FTX pill (with a bc of 0.33) traveling at 2300fps drops 7” - that’s sfa difference considering the 30/30 would be lucky to group into 5” at 200yd. No, rather than projectile selection, IMO the key to long ranging with a 30/30 is to find an inherently accurate rifle like a Marlin CB or similar octagonal Winchester, and get across your trajectories through practice. To make matters worse, like you’ve identified, those FTX pills don’t seem to shoot above average. The way I see it - it’s just one big marketing gimmick by hornady that seems to have tricked a few deer hunters into thinkin they need the latest and greatest... just my opinion ofc - one way or another I think we’re both on the same page best to just stick to the tried and tested
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by Pythonkeeper » 22 Aug 2018, 3:41 pm

Behold the mighty Marlin 1895 SBL 45-70..... :D

Going to try and put some rounds through it this weekend but the weather isn’t looking to favourable... :(
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by Rod_outbak » 22 Aug 2018, 6:50 pm

[quote="in2anity"]
With all due respect, I’m not sure the benefits of the FTX pill are as profound as you think. For example a classic 150gr hunting pill slung at 2400fps with a bc of say 0.2 has 8” of drop at 200yds. The 160gr FTX pill (with a bc of 0.33) traveling at 2300fps drops 7” - that’s sfa difference considering the 30/30 would be lucky to group into 5” at 200yd. No, rather than projectile selection, IMO the key to long ranging with a 30/30 is to find an inherently accurate rifle like a Marlin CB or similar octagonal Winchester, and get across your trajectories through practice. To make matters worse, like you’ve identified, those FTX pills don’t seem to shoot above average. The way I see it - it’s just one big marketing gimmick by hornady that seems to have tricked a few deer hunters into thinkin they need the latest and greatest... just my opinion ofc - one way or another I think we’re both on the same page best to just stick to the tried and tested
[/quote]


Mate, I didnt know I WAS suggesting the FTX pills are a great improvement??

They certainly dont offer any improvement over the older projectiles as far as knock-down power(on pigs at any rate).
They do fly a little flatter, as I mentioned, but I dont think I suggested they were anything great.
Where did I say they were a great improvement??

The one .30-30 round that I think is a stellar performer for pigs, has been the 150Gn HP Winchesters, of which you cant buy the projectiles to reload.
It's not that the Win 150HP pills fly any better than the older 150gn RN pills, it's just that they are extremely destructive when they impact.

Lets face it; a .30-30 lever-action isnt the gun you buy for nailing targets at 400 metres. It's a good scrub gun, that is pushing it's limits by the time you go much past 200 metres. Yes; they WILL shoot accurately beyond that with a bit of care, but most people who use a .30-30 are looking for short-medium range work, and thats where they shine.
Got me completely stumped where I said the 160FTX was a great improvement...

Cheers,

Rod.
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by in2anity » 22 Aug 2018, 7:52 pm

Rod_outbak wrote:
Mate, I didnt know I WAS suggesting the FTX pills are a great improvement??

They certainly dont offer any improvement over the older projectiles as far as knock-down power(on pigs at any rate).
They do fly a little flatter, as I mentioned, but I dont think I suggested they were anything great.
Where did I say they were a great improvement??

The one .30-30 round that I think is a stellar performer for pigs, has been the 150Gn HP Winchesters, of which you cant buy the projectiles to reload.
It's not that the Win 150HP pills fly any better than the older 150gn RN pills, it's just that they are extremely destructive when they impact.

Lets face it; a .30-30 lever-action isnt the gun you buy for nailing targets at 400 metres. It's a good scrub gun, that is pushing it's limits by the time you go much past 200 metres. Yes; they WILL shoot accurately beyond that with a bit of care, but most people who use a .30-30 are looking for short-medium range work, and thats where they shine.
Got me completely stumped where I said the 160FTX was a great improvement...

Cheers,

Rod.

Just the bit where you said it was roughly half the drop at 300m - in reality it's no where near that (compared to say a classic 150gn pill). That's all - and I acknowledge that you said you weren't 100% certain - I wasn't having a go - just setting the record straight that the FTX pills aren't nearly all they're cracked up to be. Sorry if I came across as obnoxious, forums always catch me out of context :drinks:
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Marlin 336SS 30-30

Post by Stix » 22 Aug 2018, 8:02 pm

Looks very nice Python...im dribbling over my keyboard...!!!
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...
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