The wind was cold and frost filled the air, it was a typical December morning. As dawn began to lift, I saw the silhouette of what appeared to be a large black bear behind a thicket of undergrowth about 90 yards to my right.
He set up on his behind and looked directly at me. I remained motionless, knowing any sudden movement would send him over the hill and into campfire tales.
After looking toward me for several minutes, he went back to digging and rooting in the ground behind the bushes.
Apparently he didn’t see me or perceive me as a threat.
I slowly raised the Marlin 336 to my shoulder, when he moved, I moved, when he stopped, I stopped.
I could see the thick black hair on his back as I looked through the scope and waited for the shot. It seemed like an hour passed, yet he refused to moved from behind cover.
In the distance I could hear a pack of dogs barking, they were getting closer with every yap and I knew Mr. Bruin would start moving away from the approaching pack.
Slowly he emerged from cover giving me a clean shot at his heart. I pulled the trigger, boom. He broke into a run in the opposite direction, quickly disappearing over the hill.
I waited for another thirty minutes before searching for the blood trail, I knew I’d made a solid hit and going after him now would only cause him to run farther. I followed the trail for about 85 yards before finding him lying dead behind a pile of large rocks.
Winchester 94 vs Marlin 336
The Marlin 336 is one of my favorite hunting rifles, having used this rifle for over twenty years, I know what it and I are capable of. Some people prefer the Winchester ’94 over the Marlin, stating the lighter weight and slimmer design as deciding factors.
However, I prefer the Marlin for the angle of grip, fuller fore-end and ease of scope mounting. I have owned several ‘94 Winchesters over the years and none were as smooth in the action or shouldered as well as the Marlin 336.
Taking the rifle down for cleaning and maintenance is simple, back out the screw that holds the lever to the receiver, and everything comes apart easily for cleaning. Simple and efficient.
The Rambo Fantasy
Many have fallen victim to “The Rambo Fantasy” – forget fantasy and the spray and pray tactics seen in the movies and on TV– you need aimed fire. Military tactics of suppressive fire will not work for the survivor.
You need to make every shot count, not wasting ammo turning up dirt and dust in a twenty-foot circle as you bang away in the general direction of an aggressor.
After the first shot you need to correct your aim for any following shots to be effective and on target. Forget the glamor weapons and rapid fire, rely on skill and aimed fire.
The lever-action 30-30 is an excellent choice for the survivalist and I am not alone in my thinking. “From Jeff Cooper 1994 - If the public scene turns nasty, as some say it may, you will be far better off with an M94 in 30-30 than you will be with an SKS, AK47, or an M16.”
What do you think?
{ 7 comments }
I like the marlin 336,its a compact rifle and a hard hitter at intermediate ranges. A modified, scoped 336 is an excellent choice as a survival gun. It wont set back thousands of dollars either. Now i know why lever actions were so popular in the 19th century with the 'common folk' of that era.
lots of different veiws about everything, so here is mine…I would rather be good than lucky any day. So while I may have less ammo capacity with my 336 vs. any assault rifle the transition is great (HA HA HA). Here's the kicker, you actually have to think when your ammo is low, as well as any other resouce, which is right where you want to be…in the thinking and awareness zone. I have some narly hand guns and some pretty bad A$S 1 mile plus bolt action rifles but I'd rather get rid of them before my 336. It's like an all terrain tire, it will do everything well vs. one specific
The Marlin 336 is a great rifle, but when the SHTF, and our military is split apart, and the good guys are sharing ammo with us, the 30/30 shooters will be out of luck. Also, your rifle gets broken or damaged, where will you get parts? Spare parts for my AR will be littering the battlefield. ;-)
ANyone thinkng Uncle is going to hand out ammo is wrong. After all if they have all thet ammo to hand out, wouldnt they hand out rifles with it?
A sneaky sob with a .22 can aquire an M60 from the unwary.
A 336 in hand and 200rds of ammo will make you the last man standing.
In all of that I remember something that Elmer Keith once said, "the most dangereous man in the woods is the man who only owns one gun, he most likley knows how to use it…". so whatever you choose, choose it well and know how to use it in all conditions, be it hunting or practical survival. And if it is a 30-30 or a 458, practice and get to know it well so that you can count on it if the SHTF, and get all the necessary ammunition that you are able to. And above all, PRACTICE!!!….burn some ammo in it and learn how to reload.
If you can’t do it with six, you are not gonna do it with 600. Quit worrying about fighting the police or wars after the apocolypse…. Worry about taking care of your family. For food or home defense, the 336 will get the job done as good or as better than anything else out there.
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