Simple question really, how accurate should I expect my Marlin 336 to be at 100 yards?  This would be using 8x magnification and off a Caldwell Rock w rear bag support.

My new to me 336!(1980's JM) shoots 4" to 6" "patterns", horizontal and vertical dispersion, at 100 yards off a bench. This with Federal 170 gr, Hornady 160  gr LeverRevolutuon and Hirnady 150 gr.  Basically every factory load is all over the place.

I have checked all screws on the scope mount and rings, plus I swapped scopes.  No change in accuracy has led me to rule out the scope or mount as the culprit.

The barrel was very, very filthy.  I have cleaned with copper solvent (first patch was Smurf blue), soaked with Kroil and then many passes with #9 and a bronze brush.

The barrel is much cleaner now than when I was shooting, but the lands are still matte colored and not shiny.

I'm just wondering how much accuracy I should expect from a .30-30 lever action.

So I voted 3-4", but that is all I can get with the irons and a good rest from my Marlin 45/70.  Put the 2x scope on & give me a good rest and the right target for that reticle, it is a easy 1.5" gun at 100

I don't know enough about them to tell you where to look, but a friend has a 80s Marlin 30/30 that shoots easy 3" groups scoped

I may need to recalibrate my expectations from this rifle. I was hoping I could find a factory load that would give me 2"ish groups at 100 yards off the bench.  Maybe the deep cleaning I gave the rifle will help.

I picked up this rifle planning to use it as a brush gun during hunting season, but I was underwhelmed with the last range session.  In comparison, I also had out a cheap 6.8 SPCII PSA upper that with a regular handguard and Mil Spec trigger was able to put every load into groups around 2", and several factory loads less than 1.5".

I had a 336 CS that I bought back in 1985 at Kmart.  Put a nice Bushnell scope on it and regularly got 2-3 inch groups at 100 with her.  Foolishly sold to a fellow firefighter.  He still has it to this day and still won't sell it back even for a handsome profit.

It was my first deer rifle I bought myself.

Edit...trying to remember the ammo I used, I believe it was Winchester, but it wasn't in the gray boxes back then.  So not sure if it was Power-points or not.

Here are a few things to consider when bench testing lever guns.
Are you shooting single loaded rounds or from a full magazine. This can alter the barrel vibrations and cause a POI shift.
Are you resting the forend at the SAME point on the Caldwell rest each and every time. This too can affect the POI of your shot string.
It sounds like you might still need to get the barrel as clean as you can, by your own observations.
I am sure there are other things like these that are specific to lever guns that others will chime in with. But now you have a few more variables to try to remove from your shooting test.


I shoot an older Win. 94 in 30-30 with a tang sight that will shoot roughly 2 inch groups at 100 yards if EVERYTHING in the universe is absolutely perfect. But it has and will kill deer and hogs with finality at longer ranges. I shoot a lot of handloads, Hornady Leverevolution, and Starfire hollowpoints and get very good accuracy from them all.

I knew about magazine loading, so I was shooting one round at a time.  My initial plan was to find an accurate load in this fashion, then shoot a few more strings with a full magazine to see how it would group in a hunting situation.  

I will pay more attention tot he location of the Caldwell rest next range session.  I've since read some recommendations to brace a lever action close to the receiver instead of out on the handguard.  I was propping my rifle about midpoint on the handguard, so maybe I should shift it closer?

My JM marked 336 likes the heaviest bullets it can eat.  The heavier the round, the tighter the group.
2-3" is what I'd expect using factory ammo.

I've owned two 336's.  One shot. 2.5" groups the other shot 1.25" groups.  The more accurate of the two was an 18" Texan.  It really liked the 150 grain Remington core lokt ammo.

Look for a book titled, Accurizing the Factory Rifle by M. McPherson  It has an amazing amount of information about making a lever action shoot better.

Can you hit a pie plate?

Good enough.

If the mean value is somewhere around 3", how much of that is the rifle, how much is the ammo and how much is the shooter?