One of the great .30-30s of all time, the Marlin 336 is back onto the market. What’s the new ‘Ruglin’ version like?
Ever since Ruger bought the Marlin brand from its previous owner, the pre-RemArms version of Remington, shooters have been asking three questions: What Marlin rifles will Ruger continue and when will they be available? Has the quality been improved? How the heck can I get one?
Well, having shot three of the different new Marlin models (or “Ruglins” as some call them) I can easily answer the first two questions. However, the third question, availability, continues to be a challenge. These things can sometimes be hard to find at the local gun shop, mainly because demand has been outstripping the factory’s ability to supply enough of them.
Don’t despair, though, because Ruger/Marlin is cranking them out in the USA as fast as possible. I am advised they are running extra shifts to try to keep up with demand, so you will find one if you are willing to be a little patient.
The rifle we are reviewing here, the Model 336, is the classic wood and blued metal .30-30 that has been popular with hunters worldwide since its introduction in 1948. It is a versatile hunting round that works extremely well for those who keep their shots under around 200 metres or so.
Standard lever-action .30-30s have never been known for better than “minute of pig” accuracy, which has been fine to a point, but now that Ruger has taken over manufacturing you may be surprised by what we found.
For those of you familiar with Marlins and .30-30s in general there will be nothing unfamiliar about this rifle at all. You will be able to pick it up and know exactly how it works, so I won’t spend a lot of time addressing the usual details because it is the same well-proven design as ever.
What we want to learn is whether Ruger got it right. Is this new version a worthwhile investment for those seeking a new rifle?
The short answers are yes, they got it right, and yes. This new 336 (just like the other two models I have used recently) is an outstanding example of the model.
The wood-to-metal fit is great, which is a major improvement from the previous ones, and the quality of the American black walnut in the stock and fore-end is lovely, with some excellent grain. The finish is ideal for a hunting rifle, in my opinion — a low-sheen satin finish that seems very tough and beautifully applied so the stock and fore-end are well protected from the elements.
Sling swivel studs are already installed for easy mounting of your favourite sling. The solid, brown recoil pad works exceptionally well in reducing the recoil of the .30-30 and looks good as well. It is perfectly fitted to the stock. A great finishing touch is the Marlin horse-and-rider medallion mounted in a tasteful grip cap.
The metalwork is all completed in a classic old-style blue, which suits a rifle with such nice wood. They go together very nicely to create a lovely looking rifle that should give generations of use and appreciation to the owners.
Did I mention I think the new Marlin 336 looks really nice? But the bigger question is how it performs.
Right out of the box the action cycled quite smoothly with the exception of a hesitation at the point where the action was almost closed. However, this vanished within the first magazine full of live shooting and after that it became smoother and smoother. I put around 120 rounds through the Marlin and it not only fed perfectly, it ejected strongly and fired every time, all while things settled in.
The loading of ammunition through the side gate was smooth and easy from shot one, which is an area where many lever guns struggle and tend to bite fingers etc; not the Marlin. It’s very easy to load.
I was very impressed all-round with the smoothness and functioning. The trigger was smooth with a reasonable take-up, letting off at a weight of 2.2kg (5lb). That’s heavier than I would normally want but was so consistent and smooth that it felt lighter and certainly did not impair the accuracy when testing.
I should note that after all the shooting, I tested the trigger weight again and it had dropped down to just over 2kg (4.5lb), so it too seems to settle in and get better with use.
To get the opinion of a long-time Marlin fan I asked well-known Queensland professional hunter and YouTuber Clark McGhie (@ClarkMcGhiesWildCountry) to check out the 336. He was very impressed, commenting that the wood was way better than on his old Marlin from years back.
He took a few shots and was ringing a steel gong at 100 metres with ease, using the standard iron sights.
Accuracy is where the rubber really hits the road. A rifle can look as pretty as it wants, but if it isn’t accurate then it’s a bit of a waste. To make sure the accuracy testing was not limited by my aging eyeballs, I fitted an MDT pic rail on top of the Marlin — an easily job — and then used Leupold PRW2 low rings with what in my opinion is one of the best hunting scopes on the market, the 2.5-8x Leupold VX-3HD.
This scope is light, very compact and does not overwhelm the Marlin visually or impair the great balance of a lever gun. It’s extremely clear and fast to use in the field. I have several of these scopes on my own hunting rifles and see them as a highly versatile, great-value hunting option. So too did Nick Harvey.
I tested four brands of ammunition and followed my usual lever-gun protocol of shooting five three-shot groups at 100 metres. A special thank you to Cleaver Firearms for providing all the ammunition used in this review.
The results are in the table. As you can see, this Marlin is happy to digest a variety of ammunition brands and bullet weights with very good to exceptional accuracy for a lever-gun. There was virtually no change in the point of impact between any of the brands and bullet weights. This goes to support the idea that having Ruger build the barrels in-house using its state-of-the-art technologyhas greatly improved the traditional accuracy expectations for lever-guns.
Downsides? To be honest there was nothing at all to complain about except that slight tightness or hesitation in the final portion of lever closure before any rounds were fired, but this literally disappeared after just the first magazine, leaving me nothing to complain about except the price. Like many of you, I am horrified at the prices of new guns in Australia right now in general. Sadly, there’s nothing we can do about it. If you’re looking for a beautiful classic .30-30, make sure to check out the Marlin 336 Classic. It really is a cut above the field.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Manufacturer: Marlin (Ruger), USA
- Type: Lever action
- Barrel: 51cm (20”), 1:11” twist, hammer forged
- Finish: Traditional blued
- Calibre: .30-30 Win
- Magazine: 6-round tube type
- Sights: Semi-buckhorn rear, post front; receiver drilled and tapped for scope mounting
- Trigger: 2kg (4.5lb)
- Safety: Cross-bolt manual safety
- Stock: American black walnut, satin finish
- Overall length: 98cm (38.6”)
- Length of pull: 34cm (13.4”)
- Weight: 3.4kg (7.5lb)
- Price: Around $2250
- Importer: NIOA
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