Thread: 30 30 Winchester

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I started a thread almost 6 months ago on what people thought about the Marlin .45 70 Guide gun. Lots of responses as to other favorites, etc. In the mean time Marlin still has no production of the .45 70. So yesterday while looking into this at our local store, I saw a mint condition Winchester 30-30 with scope for 450.00 and bought it. Now these are hard enough to find around here, but this one looks to never have been used, and it has a scope mounted on it. On the barrel it states made here in the U.S., so it's not one of the Japanese models(Maruku?) Anyway been lookin for one for a few years now. Should be nice for deer hunting.

Here is a web site that tells your gun's birthday:

http://www.cowichanbay.net/winchesterguns/serial94.html

My oldest Winchester 94 was made in 1971 and I paid $65 for it brand new....I have others that were made later. The 94 was changed at some time to allow an angle eject since the top eject interferred with scope mounting. Marlins are bottom eject (CORRECTION, they are side eject). I only have one Marlin right now, it has a completely different weight and feel than the Winchesters.

Model 94s were never made in Japan to my knowledge. The Nippon company that made shotguns for Winchester was Mikoru (sp?)

You should first inspect the gun very closely and clean it. If you have any doubts, take it to a gunsmith for a checkup. Then, go check out the sighting of the scope....if it's been stored for any time, the alignment needs to be checked. When Winchester finally quit, they had made over 7.5 million of these things...quite a record.

mike in tucson

Thanks Mike
When I pick it up I'll run the serial numbers. I think I might have confused the Japanese manufacture of the winchester .45-79 not a 30-30. But this rifle is mint, no marks or corrosion, wood stock perfect. Very nice lever action, I wish my truck was this clean!

I think you will find the 30:30 a good deer hunting rifle as long as you keep the range under 150 yds. I personally find the 150 grain cartridges much more accurate and flat shooting and, if you place your shots well they will kill just as efficiently as a a .308 out to that range.
I have both a Winchester 94 and a Marlin 336 in that caliber and actually prefer the Marlin (side ejecting, Mike) since the scope can be mounted much lower and I find the lever action much smoother. Then again, I have never tried the angle ejecting Winchester so perhaps it is different.
Incidental, Mike, I have never seen a bottom ejecting Marlin. Which model has that feature?

This model 94 must be pretty new. The scope looked to be mounted normal, and it had a top tang safety. The finish on the wood was darker walnut. I've always liked the history around the Winchester 30 30. I got a chance to tour the Buffalo Bill Cody Historic Museum several times in Cody Wyoming, including 2 years ago. They have a whole wing devoted to the Winchester rifle. Must have the largest collection of Winchester lever actions in the world! Worth the time to see if you are around Cody Wy. Also have 4 other museums celebrating western art and plains indian culture inside. Plus they raffle a car every year. I think it was a classic mustang or cobra when I was there two years ago. Great place.

Restorod - have you ever used the HORNADY® LEVEREVOLUTION® CARTRIDGES ? They claim good accuracy to 250 yards.

I like my Ithica 30-06 bolt action 3 round clip using 180gr steel tip. Havn't missed a ground hog with it yet........LOL.
BradC

First gun I ever bought was a Model 94, the great thing about those guns is they will cut down a tree branch the size of your little finger and still kill a deer. Great guns, I have killed several deer with mine. Edd

nothing wrong with a 30-30 good price if in good shape, shoud try some of the new hornady lever loution shells in it. they rate at 2400 fps and 12 inch drop at 300 yards pretty good specs for them.
I got a 30-30 marlin that was my 1st gun,its like new, may even put a scope on it and get some of those bullets and use it up here in the big country for deer.

It's hard to beat an old "Chinwester" or "Marloon" in .30-30 for general utility. The cartridge is as good as ever, or even better today with the hew Hornady Leverevolution. Like I am fond of saying: it's an old clank, as opposed to a ping. My newest Winchester '94 is a hundred years old, and still runs like it was new, which it definitely ain't; it has scars, and stories it could tell if it could speak - and, it's the one in .30-30. Arguably, the .30-30 may have accounted for more game and varmints in general day to day use than almost any other cartridge.

Enjoy your new toy.

I have a Mod. 94 winchester 30-30 that was handed down from my Grandfather to my father and then to me. I've hunted with it in Wyoming for Prong horn, whitetail, mule deer and black bear. I use Winchester Super-X 170 grain soft point bullets and have around 5 boxes out of 20 left. Good for about 100 yards and then it falls off pretty fast.

I get to pick it up next month, then out to the ranfe to sight it in!