30-30 levergun in the West?

[T Bone]

A friend offered me his Marlin lever gun for stupid cheap.

I've never owned one.

What are they good for out West besides driving tent stakes?

Plink bunnies?

 

[HighDesertSage]

Honestly, mine kinda fell into the "toy" category...In my opinion you are handicapping yourself if you carry it for big game. Maybe 200 yrds max for deer, less for elk. The biggest thing I disliked about the lever was when you eject a shell you are pulling the rifle away from you and you lose your sight picture. I am probably more efficient with a bolt gun. But they are fun to shoot, barely kick, and ammo is really cheap. If you don't buy it, let him know I may be interested.

 

[MN Public Hunter]

Well if you want a REAL challenge use a lever gun...IMO they are good out to 200-250 yards. I personally have a Marlin 35 and my max distance is 200 yards. I used it in WY for lopes and I would not go over 200, but at that distance it's dead on with a solid base (prone, tripod). Another good thing is then all you need is a 4x scope.

Funny thing is, I thought it was my gun and I ended up shooting my lope with by buddies gun at less than 100 yards...Had not shot my gun enough to trust it since I'm archery only these days.

What is "stupid" cheap?

 

[Ultrahunter]

I killed my first elk with a 30-30. Looking at that thing now in the back of my safe were it has sat for 20+ years, it amazes me that I ever hit that spike, total luck!

 

[MThuntr]

I still hunt with my 30-30. Haven't actually shot anything with it lately. I did carry it a bit this fall for bear if I got the chance.

If it is stupid cheap then it would be stupid not to buy.

 

[ERSS]

Think of it as a small step above a muzzleloader, but easier to clean and reload

 

[FAIR CHASE]

And also think of the average distance deer and elk are killed. Hint, its less than 200 yards.

 

[Speeddmn]

River bottom deer!

 

[Rooster52]

Years ago I talked with a rancher that had just shot a bull elk with a Winchester 30-30.With in it's range the 30-30 will do the job.

 

[Rooster52]

The man that I bought my ruger 44 carbine from killed an elk in Colorado with it a few years ago.If the 44 magnum works ,so will the 30-30. Shot placement.

 

[Southwind]

If you don't want it I'll take the worthless toy.

 

[L. I. Yankee]

I have a lever action Marln in 45/70 and love it. Lever actions are good guns but they have their place like everything else......

 

[LibertyJim]

Having just had a really tough hunt here in Colorado, I can tell you they are useful. It was incredibly warm second season this year. So warm that there was no way the elk were coming out of the thick timber. At a certain point we had to go in after them. The only thing that made sense was my nephew's lever 30-30.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Nothing wrong with a 30-30. Just means you have to hunt instead of shoot. As with all weapons, practice makes perfect. Get it, shoot it and learn it well. You'll have a great rifle with a ton of class.

 

[BuzzH]

I'm in the group that think their usefulness is driving tent spikes, and possibly a pry bar to get your truck out of the mud. We have one that probably hasn't been fired for 25+ years.

The other 2 lever guns we have are a 32-40 and a 44-40, both have octagon barrels and are the rifle version...those are just a bit more interesting than the 30/30.

I shot a deer with the 32-40 many years ago..

 

[JohnCushman]

I bought my 30-30 to have on my property for a quick point and shoot gun for coyotes and other critters. I think it would be a great brush gun for deer and elk. I look forward to hunting with it.

 

[Mthuntinfool]

my dad, brother and I all have marlin 30-30's, and love the challenge of hunting with them. these days too many guys try and kill stuff at ranges that are borderline unethical, I much rather prefer to match wits with the game and sneek in close. try it, I bet you'll like it

 

[Ben Lamb]

I'm in the group that think their usefulness is driving tent spikes, and possibly a pry bar to get your truck out of the mud. We have one that probably hasn't been fired for 25+ years.

The other 2 lever guns we have are a 32-40 and a 44-40, both have octagon barrels and are the rifle version...those are just a bit more interesting than the 30/30.

I shot a deer with the 32-40 many years ago..

32-40 is a great cartridge. About the same power level as a .357 magnum in a rifle, but increased panache. I've got my grandmother's 94 Winchester sporting rifle (octagonal barrel, full magazine) and have taken it into the blind for river bottom whitetail. Nothing harvested yet.

44-40 used to be considered adequate elk medicine.

The 33 WCF is going for another walk this weekend looking for deer. I'm confident out to about 200 yards with it. 200 grain bullet at 2300 fps is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Straight Arrow]

My dad hunted with a 30-30 lever action with open sights and was consistently successful taking deer. He even once shot the head off a grouse with it.
I hunted with it as a young man, but one cold winter day the hammer caught in a small tear in my glove and it did not fire as I pulled the trigger on a big bull elk at less than fifty yards. Since then my nephew keeps it in storage as a sentimental memento.

 

[BuzzH]

my dad, brother and I all have marlin 30-30's, and love the challenge of hunting with them. these days too many guys try and kill stuff at ranges that are borderline unethical, I much rather prefer to match wits with the game and sneek in close. try it, I bet you'll like it

10 yards with a .338....does that count as getting in close?