.307 Winchester Cartridge
Q: My uncle just gave me a Marlin Model 336-ER chambered for the .307 Winchester cartridge. He told me that the .307 is in a class ahead of the .30-30 and in the .308’s performance class. If this is true, why have Winchester and Marlin stopped making guns for it?
Can you give me some velocity and energy figures for the factory 150gn .307 loading over 300 yards. Also what will the trajectory be like if I sight-in 2-1/2 inches high at 100 yards? Are loading dies available for the .307 Win? Can you suggest a good load with the 130 and 150gn Speer bullets for pigs and deer?Vince Patrick
A: By a strange coincidence, a friend of mine just bought an early Marlin 336 in .30-30 that he is having restocked and rechambered for the .307 Win. The .307 is simply a rimmed .308 and for reloading you’ll need a .308 die set and a .30-30 shellholder. With Speer 130gn and 150gn bullets W-748 gives the highest velocity and good accuracy.
Try working up to 48gn with the 130gn bullet and 44gn with the 150gn for muzzle speeds of about 2760fps and 2560fps. Sighted-in 2-1/2″ high at 100yds, the 150gn bullet is still 2″ high at 150, zeroed at 200 and drops 12″ at 300. Remaining velocity is: 2325 fps at 100, 1928 at 200 and 1578 at 300. Energy is: 2545 ft/lb at the muzzle, 1801 at 100, 1238 at 200 and 830 at 300 yd. I guess Winchester and Marlin stopped chambering for the .307 because it wasn’t selling against the “good ole thutty-thutty.” Don’t ask me why, since the .307 is a much better performer.
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