Looking to buy one for 75-100 yard shots over a feeder

I <3 Marlin, "Remlin" included. They may have had a few bad years, but our 336 is a great gun, 2-3 MOA at 100 with the factory sights and plain old 175 grain winchester powerpoint.

Until Henry pits a loading gate on other models with blue steel receivers, I will remain loyal to Marlin.

Winchester... cause Winchester

My old 336 just keeps shooting great,. I try to find a reason to replace it with something new but it just keeps performing. 100 -150 yd shots all led to dead deer. I get 1-2 MOA at 100yds with my Nikon 3x9 and Winchester 150gr Power Points.

I have killed a lot of deer with a Marlin 336 30-30.

Winchester, made in 1947, dead on at 100 yards be it swine or cervoid.

The only 30-30 I've ever owned is an old 336. I guess it's the only one I've ever needed

The best .30-30 is a pre-64 Winchester.

I have a 1971 JM Marlin.
I like the old ones.

I’ve had 2-3 older JM Marlins and they always did the job

I own a Winchester, Henry, and a Marlin and have noticed no difference in accuracy, which could be limited to my shooting skills. As for other differences...

The Winchester Model 94 has a more compact feel due to the flatter stock and forearm designed to make it easier to slip it in and out of a rifle scabbard when riding a horse. It also has top eject which makes mounting a scope a little more awkward, and impossible if you have one of the older 94's that only ejects straight up. Winchester changed the design of later models so they would eject at a side angle rather than straight up. Opinions on how this works with a scope seems vary. it's also the most expensive of the three.

The Marlin 336 is a heavier gun but has a smoother action IMO. Both the Marlin and the Winchester have side doors for loading. I have to give the Marlin the nod for offering the best performance for what you pay.

The Henry is an even heavier rifle with the key difference being that it has a magazine tube feed much like .22 rifles. Henry has since announced some of their new lever guns will include both tube and side door feed but not sure if their 30-30 models are included. The bluing on my Henry is not very good IMO, mostly because the finish could have seen more time on the polishing wheel. It also has the worst trigger by far with noticeable creep if you're someone who is good at finding it. Henry Customer Service is second to none. If it wasn't a hassle to ship them the rifle, I would have them correct the trigger creep.

The safety on all three rifles are different. In addition to a halfcock hammer, the Winchester has a lever safety that keeps the rifle from being fired if the lever is not pressed against the stock. The Marlin has both a cross-bolt safety as well a halfcock hammer setting. The Henry has no external safety but a hammer design that states the gun will not fire if for some reason the hammer is released without the trigger being pulled, as might be the case if you finger slips off the hammer before the trigger is set. Safety design in Marlins can vary based on model year, as some only make use of a halfcock safety.

Good info. Thanks for the review.

My pleasure.

If I were looking for a true saddle rifle, I would go with the Winchester Model 94. If not, I like the Marlin.

I like a good ole Marlin 336w (gold trigger). Has done well for me over the years.

I am a die hard Winchester 94 fan...…...BUT I can tell you right now the Marlin 336 is a more solid gun.

I have never had any issues with any Winchester or Marlin I have ever owned. I prefer the Winchester simply because there is no other rifle on earth that handles as quick and points as well as the 94. Its even more natural than most shotguns out there.

Browning for accuracy could slip in there.

It would be hard to find one that wouldn't work for that. I like 94's, but a 336 with a 3x9 scope would be great for feeder shooting at that range. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Wow - thanks so much for taking the time to write that. Exactly the answers I was looking for , thanks Texas Dan !

I haven’t made a lever gun yet, so the best doesn’t exist.

My 336 is circa 1971 as is my son's. They are really accurate rifles.

My current truck gun in a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem. But for hunting I love the 94 for the reasons you point out. It literally feels like a part of you.

I agree that the win 94 as well as the various 92 models are much easier to handle and quickly becomes second nature. My money is on the Marlin every time though. I actually prefer the 1894 marlin to the 336 and own both.

Im not a gun expert at all and have only shot the one lever 3030 that I own so cant say whats best. My Dad gave me for Christmas in 63ish a Marlin 336 3030 and I assume it was new at that time. I killed my first buck with it but have never used it a whole lot. Never any issues at all. It has a gold trigger and not sure what that means.

I shoot a Marlin 336 and I'm happy with it, after I tweaked and tuned it. My son has a Mossberg 646. I wouldn't call it the best lever action 30-30, but it's really not bad. He has killed a whole pile of hogs and deer with it.