doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Caliber comparison - .35 Rem vs. .30-30

That would be a great rifle in either caliber. Nostalgia is a fine reason for inspiration in firearms decisions. It is probably safe to say that the older the Marlin the better, given equally high condition. Pre-safety is just scratching the surface of Marlin lever guns.
Mine is a M-36, just prior to the 336 and was originally a 30-30. I converted it to .38-55 and did much unnecessary custom work on it for the sake of nostalgia. It is a great rifle but has stopped me from buying a .35 Remington several times over the years simply because I already had a .38-55. The last .35 Marlin I had I swapped for a GSP puppy I named Willamette Sam, a fine dog for sure.

i have a m36 marlin 30 30 i think the 170 30-30 has the same muzzle energy at 100 yards as the 44 mag does at the muzzle.i used it a lot for deer hunting worked perfectly.i even used cast bullets for informal shooting.30 30 would be my choice.

Check out the savage 99s. Brings in a lot more classic deer calibers in a livelier and more accurate rifle. I just aquired a 99f. featherweight, .308., 22 in barrel, what's not to like.

Another one to consider is Mini-Mauser CZ 527 in 7,62x39. If accurate with Cor-Bon 150gr soft point would make wonderful brush/woods deer rifle. Winchester, S&B, Federal make 125gr soft points in that caliber.

Thanks for the comments, all. Kittery Trading Post had a nice condition 336 in .35 Rem, with sling studs and scoped with a 2-7x RWS scope for just over $400. I couldn't resist so I took her home with me. I hope to go for a test drive with some Leverevolution ammo next week.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a 35 caliber fanatic. My first levergun was a 336 in .35 Rem...umm, 1960(?) vintage...have to check my files.

It seems a fair price from what I've seen lately.

They plain, flat out work.

Enjoy!

Edited to add: Here's me and my 336 and a pretty fair sow....umm, 2010 maybe?

They got hogs in Minnesota! Most of us dread the thought in Montana!

That iron sighted rifle is just the ticket for pig shooting�If I didn't already have a .38-55.
Congrats to Dover for getting a new gun. A guy outa get a new gun every once in a while. I just got another SAA .44 I'd like to shoot at a pig like that with it, but not in MT!

SDH, None sighted yet--thank goodness. That sow was a Missouri resident.

The .35 Rem. on a Marlin repeater is an excellent choice! If there is a drawback, it's from the standpoint of reloading supplies. The one weak spot in the .35 Rem. is it's lack of bullet selection. But when you are using a lever gun with tube magazine, even the .30-30 has a greatly reduced choice of bullets that will work.
I've used both to take deer and they both worked extremely well. I like the lighter bullets, as out West I hunt areas where longer shots are common. The lighter bullets in a .35 still are pretty heavy, and slow. The 130 gr. Speer in my .30-30 can easily be pushed over 2500 fps, and my favorite load is at 2600 fps. Very flat out to 200 yds. or farther.
I also am a huge fan of the old hyphenated rounds like .32-40, and .38-55, and hunt with both. Even at slower velocities in the 1400-1500 fps range, they have both proven to be deadly out to 150 yds. I'm sure they will take game even farther, but I don't push them farther for deer.
A .38-55 in a Ballard #8 took this decent mule deer at 140 yds. a few years back:

I own, shoot and hunt with both 30-30 and .35 Rem. lever action rifles. I load all of my ammo, using either jacketed or cast lead alloy bullets that I pour myself. I prefer the .35 Rem. and its larger diameter, larger flat-nose bullet for deer. But, if you will be relying on purchasing your ammo; I would strongly recommend that you go with the 30-30. -Ed