Marlin 30-30 vs Marlins 308MX

[rscheckler]

Alright guys, I need some help. I am looking for a new rifle and have it narrowed down between a Marlin 30-30 and a Marlin 308MX. It will primarily be used for Whitetail. I love the 308MX but with it being $100 more and the fact that there is are no choices with ammo since it is a specialized 308 round, I am not sure if it is worth it. Both are lever action guns and other than the caliber difference, there is no real difference in the overall size of the guns. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[MTechnik]

Are you hunting areas where you need the greater distance of the newer round? I'm not a hunter, but I thought .30-30 was great around here because you rarely ever have a sight line further than 150 yards in the woods.

[rscheckler]

I hunt both woods where the longest shot you'll get is around 75 yards and I hunt my family's farmland which can create shots up to and exceeding 300 yards.

[Karys]

I hunt both woods where the longest shot you'll get is around 75 yards and I hunt my family's farmland which can create shots up to and exceeding 300 yards.

You're probably better off with the .308 MX then. I would be concerned about ammo availability in the future though.

If you're dead set on a lever action, check out the Browning BLR. They're chambered in some more common, flatter shooting calibers. I think they're ugly as sin, but that's just me.

I've got two Marlins that I use for deer, an 1895M and a 336. Even with the Hornady Leverevolution ammo, I wouldn't consider taking a 300 yard shot with either of them, at least not without practicing at that distance which I've never done. Where I hunt I would never have an opportunity to take a shot that long which is why I hunt with a .450 Marlin and .35 Remington.

[shermdo]

IMO both are great rounds but I would certainly never recommend ANY .30-.30 round for a 300+ yar shoot at a game animal. I just don't like the ballistics, even the new rounds, at for that range. If you said your limit on range would be 200 yards I'd probably go with the 30-30 because you can buy that ammo just about anywhere that sell ammo. You are not limited to using only the expensive new Hornady LEVERevolution® ammo. With the .308 MX you have a relatively rare ammo. Also, thus far the new bullets are not sold for reloading. I don't know if that is a consideration for you or not.

I went to the Hornady web site an puled the data for both rounds. The 12 in of drop between 200 and 300 yards would really concern me for the 30-30 round. I would think that a hunter would really have to be dead on with range estimation to ensure a clean kill.

Trajectory Tables ammo - Evolution

30-30 Win. 160gr.
muzzle 100 yds 200 yds 300 yds

Velocity(fps)/Energy(ft/lb) 2400/2046 2150/1643 1916/1304 1699/1025
Trajectory -1.7 3.0 0.2 -12.1

308 Mar Exp 160 gr
Velocity(fps)/Energy(ft/lb) 2660/2513 2430/2111 2226/1761 2026/1457
Trajectory -1.5 3.0 1.7 -6.7

Both are great rifles and rounds. I love Marlins lever guns.

Good luck and enjoy the new rifle.

[coalman]

i just recently bought a marlin 308mx and i reload, hodgdon powder has reloading charts and you can use any 30-30 style bullet for it and midwayusa has dies to load the round. there is only about 100 to 150 feet loss of velocity when using theses loads

[ottodog10]

I know this reply is a little late "by 6 years" but Remington makes ammo for the marlin 308express.