Hello All,
I'm about to purchase my first hunting rifle, a Marlin 336 in 30-30 Win, and wondering what would be the best commercially available hunting load for white-tail deer here in the southeastern US?

I've heard lots of folks say that I should find what my gun will like, and use that, or that I should only use handloads that are tailored to my gun. To be honest, this is going to be my first season hunting deer, and while I hope to eventually start loading my own and working up specialized laods, for right now, I'm just looking for something to get me out there, and put meat in the freezer.

I'm not looking for a 'super' round to kill a buffalo with one shot from a thousand yards or anything, just a good dependable cartidge and projectile combination for normal deer hunting. I see some folks swearing by 150 grain soft points, and some swearing by only 180(?) grain Nosler Partitions, and everything in between.

I'm hoping to purchase my 336 sometime within the next week or so, and would like to start sighting it in with the same ammunition I'll be hunting with. Hence why I'm asking about the ammunition before I actually get my hands on my rifle.

Anyway, I'd be grateful for any advice you can give me on the matter, and I hope to frequent these forums, at least as a lurker :)

Ken

Ken, for whitetail you needn't worry about too much with your .30-30 other than which load your rifle shoots best. 150 or 170 grain loads will get the job done, and no premium bullet will be needed -- the regular ol' jacketed softpoint will do. My suggestion is to go to your local WalMart and buy one box of 150's and one of 170's -- whatever brand's cheapest, Remington, Federal, whatever. Then go to the range and see which shoots best. The odds are excellent that both weights will shoot well enough to use on deer, but one will edge the other out just a bit, and that's the one I'd use.

I think it's safe to say that every major cartridge manufacturer puts out quite decent .30-30 ammo.

pisgah

Agreed. As much as I like Nosler Partitions, I have to admit that they aren't needed at .30-30 velocities, and even Saskatchewan bucks aren't that big.

Bye
Jack

We shoot the 170 gr. bullets thinking we have a bit more thump when they hit.
Then what is 20 gr.s in weight?
That was what we were told when we started with the 30/30, and when it comes to factory Ammo , we still use what we were told to use.
The same box of bullets that worked so well then, be it winchester federal or remington . What ever we could get.
Buy what you can afford to buy a few box's of . then practice / practice . Get to know the rifle. Know were to hit them.
Then everything else will just fall into place.
Hope you get the big one . It is called beginners luck!
Happy

I'd still recommend the 170gr. factory loads. With reloads, can get the 150's a good bit faster than the 170's, but with factory loads the difference in speed is often about 100 - 110fps...given that little differnce, will stick to the 170's.

My 336 always shot the 170's a little better or more accurate. Either 150 or 170grn will work fine if you hit the mark. Like others have said, buy several boxes and see what your rifle likes and what you like. Save your empty cases and you'll be set to reload if you ever take a notion.

Bill

I've always had pretty good luck with the factory Remington ammo, and also their component bullets in my handloads. Plus, it's often the cheapest :D

For a .30-30 I don't think you can really make a bad choice. Have fun and good luck.

I have four Marlins. A 1936, a 36ADL, 336RC from early 1960's, and a 336CS. One Win. 94 Blk Shadow. All Shoot different bullets better than others. The 1936 and 36 like cast 165grn or 170grn best. The 336RC shoots averything I put in it about the same. The 336CS scatters 150 grn bullets all over but holds great with 170s. The Winchester Shoots 150s better than 170s. (The Winchester has an terrible trigger)

So go with what works best in your rifle. Buy a box of three or four different makes and weights and give them a try at the range. Just because a "premium" brand cost more does't mean it will be more accuratte in the 30-30. There is only so much you can get out of a flat nose bullet and moderate preasure restrictions.

The deer don't much care what you shoot them with. It's where you place the shot that counts.

Good Luck, Alan

Like others have said, you just have to try different brands and see what your rifle likes. I was very impressed with PMC's Starfire ammo I recently tried out. Penetration appeared to be very good and it shot well from 2 of my 30-30's while a third rifle didn't like it at all.

I'm agreeing with pisgah. Killing power with either 150's or 170's is entirely adequate.

I have had very good luck with all the major ammo makers. Remington core-lockt still gets my first choice after 35 years of hunting.
TR

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

What I'm gathering is that it's really not going to matter that much, whether I go 150 or 170 grain, and the various brands are all pretty similar. While I can probably improve performance minimally by trying out different brands and finding out what my rifle likes, I should be able to make an adequate showing with just about any off the shelf ammo.

I've already got an offer from a co-worker who reloads to show me the basics of the process, and help me work up a good load for my rifle this winter. As well as allowing me to use his equipment until I decide whether or not it's something I want to do and can commit to buying my own equipment. So, after this first season, I'll probably be using custom loads built for my rifle.

For now though, I'll take the advice received here. Looks like Remington is the favorite, though I'll probably pick up a box or 3 of other stuff just to be on the safe side. After all, I only get one shot, I want to make sure it's a good one :)

Thanks again,

Ken

Well folks, I picked her up today :D :D

She's second-hand, but still a beut, a 1971 manufacture Marlin model 336 in 30-30. Being 1971 means she has no crossbolt safety to have to fiddle with when the times comes, and I'm happy about that ;) Over all she looks to be in pretty nice condition. Very little wear on her at all. I dunno how folks go about rating a weapons finish, but I'd call her 95% or better. Folks at the gun shop said she was traded in a couple of months ago by a guy who said the reason he was giving her up was the only thing he'd done with her in 20 years was clean her. I surely intend to do more than that :) I'm hoping for her to make meat this fall :D

Anyway, on the advice found here, I picked up a box of 170 grain Remington Core-Lokt ammo, as well as a box of 150 grain Federal Power-Shok ammo. I'm already planning to head out this weekend to do some shooting with a friend, I'll let ya know how it goes....



Ken

Proud owner of his first Marlin lever Gun :D

PS- I was gonna try to load up a picture of her, but the files are too big. I'll ahve to see if I can get them a little smaller so I can show her off ;)

Congratulations on your new acquisition, Ken! Sounds like she's in te prime of her young life -- take care of her, and your grandkids will be able to hunt with her!

I, too, much prefer the pre-safety models. 1971 is a good vintage. Mine go back just a bit farther, 1948-1953 :) . Have fun, and let us know how she shoots.

pisgah

Good for you, and start saving for the rest.... you're gonna need Marlins in .35 Rem, .444 Marlin, .45-70, etc...... :D :D :D

You should read this thread in the general section, 10" pie plate, http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=22456 , as you will see the real issue is practicing with the type of shooting you will do in the field and being able to place your shots in the kill zone. I suspect any 30-30 round by any of the manufactures will work for this as long as you have practiced with it. Best of luck hunting.

Well, I still havent' been able to get my pictures small enough in size to post, but I thought I'd stop in to let you all know that she's a great shooter :D As a matter of fact, I'd say she shoots better than I do :o I went out with a firend this weekend, and we took turns shooting three shot groups at about 35-40 yds, and about 65-70 yards. The sights are open iron, hooded front with a beaded post (not sure if that has a special name or not, and I believe the rear sight is referred to as a semi-buckhorn maybe? Sort of a curving leaf with a v-notch in the center. Anyway, shots were taken off-hand, sort of leaning against the truck to steady myself a bit, as we didn't go to a range, just out in the woods. All of my shot groups were fairly consistent, about 3-4 inches or so. Not spectacular, but easily enough to fit in the vital zone on a whitetail :) It did turn out that she liked the heavier 170 grain Ramington Corelokt ammunition, over the 150 grain Federal PowerShok. Especially when we moved the target out to 70ish yards, the 150's were shooting way high, and slightly off to the right. I'd thought maybe it was just me, but my friend got the same results when he tried 150's at 70 yards. Dunno what would cause that, but I guess I'll be sticking with the 170's for now.
Overall, it was a great time, and I think I got a fantastic rifle for a great deal. The action was smooth as silk, and very little recoil to speak of, though that may have just been my excitement :p I can't wait to get her out this fall and try to take a deer. I'll post those pictures if I can ever get the file size small enough.

take care,


Ken

Happy new Marlin Owner :)

Ken, your results fit right in with my experience. I own three .30-30's right now, a 336SC, a 336RC, and an 1893, and all slightly prefer the Remington 170's. My prediction is that if you find yourself a real rest somewhere, you'll see those groups drop down to 2" or so, easy. The fact that you're getting good minute-of-deer groups with your improvised, semi-steady shooting position bodes well for the hunting season! :)

KClarke,

Congratulations for two reasons! First, your Marlin will serve you well for the rest of your life and will still be (functionally) as good as new for whoever gets it next.

Second, you seem to have uncommonly good sense. I mean you seem to be able to deflect the hype so many folks put out and focus on the practical issues.

My suggestion is to buy 5 more boxes of the 170 gr. ammo and use four of them for THOUGHTFUL practice between now and the season. Don't just blaze away. Use shooting positions you are likely to use in hunting: off-hand, kneeling, sitting. Shoot at ranges that might be typical of your hunting area. And concentrate on every pull of the trigger. Spread out your practice over several sessions. You want quality practice, not marathons of shooting.

You will have one box left for hunting season and by the time you want to reload you will have 120 once-fired cases to work with.

Good luck on your new adventure.

Go with the Remington core-lokt in 170 gr. This is a Hollow Point round that shoots very well. I compared it to the same in 150 gr. and had improved accuracy with the 170gr. Good Luck!!

Two suggestions:

1) Fusion - I just bought two boxes. Check out the ballistics. They show the best numbers of any brand.

2) Federal Nosler Partition - More $ but very good bullet.