Winchester 94 vs Marlin 336. How’s the recoil?

I'm an ol fart with fading eyesight so shooting without a scope past 50 yds is difficult since at 100 I can't really see either the target or the sights with any clarity. It takes a while to get used to the sights and shooting the rifle with irons only, though I can generally get "minute of deer" reliably to 75 yds with irons, which is good enough for hunting the woods of Maine.

If you have a tumbling bullet that is a serious sign that the bullet is failing to stabilize--my guess is something is "putting a stopper" on the bullet trying to clear the bore with adequate velocity, or possibly not chambering concentrically correctly to begin with. The twist is more than enough to handle the 170 gr bullets. I'd consider changing up to a premium ammo while at the same time making sure your chamber and bore are clean as a whistle. If you see further signs of projectile destabilization--send the rifle back. I've had a couple of squibs in my time but have been lucky enough to clue into them by spotting for impacts. Of all the firearms malfunctions (and I've done/experienced a lot of them) a squib is what scares me the most.
 
Ended up taking it back. Wouldn’t reliably stabilize any 170 grains. 150s were okay for the two loads I fired but that still isn’t okay. I feel like 170 grains is the standard weight for 30-30. Ended up walking out with a new 336. I can see what they mean when they say the quality has slipped, however it’s still functional and seems heavier, which I like. Shot much better also. Live and learn I guess.
 
The Marlin will recoil a little less because it weighs a little more. As somebody has said JM Marlins will out shoot post 64 Win 94s. Then that gets iffy when you
get in Marlin time period when they started the safety. The safety has nothing
to do with it but it was in this period Marlin was in financial trouble and quality
started to slip. Then when Rem took over they went to pot. A few years ago I
bought a used Marlin. It was grungy and splattered with paint. Otherwise hadn't
been carried or shot much. Gun was a 1968 model. When I took it apart to clean
it up to my surprise the stock had been drilled under butt plate and a recoil reducer was in there. It freaked me out because I have never thought of a 30/30
as a kicker. I wish I would have shot it with reducer to see what effect it had. I
didn't put it back in. Gave to my Bro who put it in a shotgun. I think a standard
94 weighs in at 6lbs, I just shipped a Marlin 336 via USPS and it went 8lbs +
counting bubble pack and double cardboard box. That little extra weight makes
a difference in recoil and to me it shows up more carrying around woods. Marlin
is also scope friendly, which a 94 isnt.
 
Win 94's are scope friendly, if they are the 94A/E versions. I have one of those with a Weaver K-4 mounted. Superbly accurate with 170gr handloads out to 150 yards. It's as far as I ever plan to shoot with it. Can't speak about top ejecting 94's. Wish I had one tho.
 
levers

I was always surprised at the recoil of a 30-30/170 from my M94's. Not harsh, but more than expected. Switching to 150's seemed to help a bit, but maybe it was just mental.

One thing not mentioned is the ease that a Marlin offers for cleaning. It does not take much to pull the bolt for cleaning the bore from the breech end, and allows access to parts should one suffer breakage. Stripping a '94 is a nightmare.
 
My '94 Winchester SRC 32 Special kicks like a mule. It is the configuration of the stock that tends to send the recoil in and down to the shoulder.
 
I prefer the Marlin and I don't find that mine recoils much at all even without any sort of recoil pad. I'm not very recoil sensitive with rifles, though.
 
Not long ago, I shot my son's pre-64, M94 (standard open barrel sights) and my '53 vintage 336 (standard barrel sights, also). I used my same handloads in both rifles, literally shot side-by-side. I used 150 grn. Speer flat points for bullets and a powder charge of Varget about equivalent to a factory Rem Cor-Lokt round (compared with m.v. data chart info). Felt recoil was about the same, and not harsh whatsoever as far as what I experienced in comparing the two. I love shooting a 30-30. Lately, it's what I've been shooting the most. Great fun, easy to reload for, and amazingly accurate. With all the tubing (and spring, tube follower, and ammo in the tube itself) and bands and screws and wood hanging on those barrels, the accuracy is just wonderful, especially playing with just the barrel sights, besides.
 
Just for grins....set your rifle on the butt plate, slide it barrel first against a wall or doorjamb and see if the barrel is against the wall [forming 90 deg with the butt.]
My 32 barrel angles away from the wall quite a bit.
I think that is the reason for the hard felt recoil.
My other rifles are not as severe an angle.

I would post a picture, but I have not yet proven I'm not spamming the forum and therefore can't post pics.....I'm getting close to the magic number though.
 
Winchester 94 vs Marlin 336. How’s the recoil?

Well I figure it this way. Both rifles are pretty much hunting rifles so it's not like you take them to the range often and punch paper all day with them sending a hundred rounds down range wearing a T-Shirt. Typically with a hunting rifle you fire maybe 5 rounds sighting in at the start of the hunting season. While hunting you might, at best, fire two or three shots in a day, while one is ideal.

While I have shot some punishing rifles what is funny is that when hunting and the shot opportunity came, I have never remembered feeling the recoil of the shot. Maybe it's the adrenaline rush or the excitement but I have never remembered the recoil. So while I agree the heavier rifle will yield less felt recoil I guess I would not let the recoil enter into my decision of which rifle to get. I would go with the rifle I liked the best and the rifle which fit me the best.

Just My Thinking....
Ron
 
I have both the 94 and the 336. They are fine for a few shots but if I'm going to burn some ammo I just use a slip in recoil pad and problem solved. They do kick more than you would expect.

Mike
 
My Dad hunted with a 336 (1962ish) in 30-30 for many years. Never ever cleaned the bore. We went to check the scope sight one day and it would not stay on paper. The bore was finally toast. Had to be rebarreled. The Micro Groove rifling isn’t very deep, but my brother’s 336 in 30-30 and mine in 35 Rem never gave a problem. Great rifles. I would certainly take the Marlin over the Winchester.
 
the 30-30 recoils????????????????

i have a win m94(post '64, top eject) in 30-30 and it doesn't recoil, more like friendly tap.
 
I have a 74-75’ ish Winchester in 30-30. Steel butt pad. Its not brutal to shoot but its also no peach. Blasting a box of 20 is a full day for me. That being said my experiences with rifle are mostly of the small caliber type so Im definitely not a foremost expert.

Slowly trying work up some soft shooting handloads but its always a back burner project.
 
I have a 74-75’ ish Winchester in 30-30. Steel butt pad. Its not brutal to shoot but its also no peach. Blasting a box of 20 is a full day for me. That being said my experiences with rifle are mostly of the small caliber type so Im definitely not a foremost expert.
Click to expand...

I can see where if you held it all loosey goosey like it was a .22 it might thump a little bit. Snug it up on your shoulder and you won't notice much kick.
 
My pre 64 model 94 30-30 will get your attention with the steel butt plate but it's not horrible. I put a limb saver on it and it is now very easy to shoot. The limb saver comes off when it's in the safe because I don't know how it might affect the wood over time. Mine is in pristine condition and I want to keep it that way.
 
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