Unless you shoot enough at one time to heat the barrel and keep shooting in an attempt to purposely destroy the barrel, it won't happen in your lifetime. 30-30 is just too mild to erode the barrel or wear down the rifling.

 

Modern barrels have the best steel. Fire away!

 

It usually takes me about 5000 - 6000 rounds to "shoot out" a .308 Win barrel in competition. Meaning that it's no longer capable of winning a 600 yards match. It might be just fine for hunting at normal ranges for another couple of thousand rounds.

The .30-30 is a milder cartridge, and I'd guess that unless somebody really heats up the barrel, it will last many thousands of rounds. 8,000? 10,000? More?

Most barrel wear is actually erosion just ahead of the chamber, from the hot burning gasses. Intense overbore cartridges like the .25-06, 7mm mag and .30 cal magnums tend to have rather short effective barrel lives. I know match shooters who use the 6.5-284, loaded for 1000 yard competition who simply replace the barrel every winter (some replace it half-way through the shooting season as well). But that's not a mild .30-30 cartridge! ;D

 

Shoot it and never worry about it.. your grandkids .. kids will shoot and have no issues with it.

 

At $13 per box for 10K rounds the total would be $6500 for ammunition. If you can afford to "shoot out" a barrel, you can certainly afford a new 30-30.

 

At $13 per box for 10K rounds the total would be $6500 for ammunition. If you can afford to "shoot out" a barrel, you can certainly afford a new 30-30.

;D Thats Funny but true

 

more barrels are ruined with improper cleaning than have ever been shot out. With normal use a bbl will last several lifetimes.

 

I have over 12,000 rounds through my 336CB and 10,000 through my 1895, and though they were mostly fired with moderate cast loads. Rifling looks new. Throats are slightly used. Accuracy has gotten better with time. ;D

 

Amen on the improper cleaning as a major cause of worn barrels. I used to be a clean barrel freek but no longer. Your barrel will shoot well for many many rounds between cleaning. Just be sure to lightly oil the bore after hunting season then give it a wipe before your next range session. Keep an eeye on the rifling at the muzzel for copper fouling and give it a good cleaning when it needs it, which with the 30-30 is not very often.
Guzziac,
Richard P.

 

After reading the above posts, I don't think I'm ever going to worry about the life of my 336W again. Thanks.

 

At $13 per box for 10K rounds the total would be $6500 for ammunition. If you can afford to "shoot out" a barrel, you can certainly afford a new 30-30.

Jake, you take the cake. Very profound answer. That is good.

 

At $13 per box for 10K rounds the total would be $6500 for ammunition. If you can afford to "shoot out" a barrel, you can certainly afford a new 30-30.

Good one!! ;D ;D ;D

 

True enough. If you want to play, you've got to pay.

Shooting gets expensive... Even for a handloader.

Yet another reason I like my .22's so much!

 

At $13 per box for 10K rounds the total would be $6500 for ammunition. If you can afford to "shoot out" a barrel, you can certainly afford a new 30-30.

Good one!! ;D ;D ;D

+1 and I also agree with M700 on the 22's

 

Okay from a barrel cleaning concern. Where is the best place, authority on proper cleaning, oiling, maintaining my 336 and other guns for that matter. I've seen some on youtube but how do you know who's the expert? Or if anyone here has spelled it out already or can I'd appreciate getting pointed (make that aimed) in the right direction. Only shot 40 rounds thru my new 336 so far and want to get into and teach my son the proper way to clean our guns.

 

At $13 per box for 10K rounds the total would be $6500 for ammunition. If you can afford to "shoot out" a barrel, you can certainly afford a new 30-30.

Very profound and quite true. It would take quite a bit of cash to shoot enough .30-30s to shoot out a barrel. It just wouldn't happen in several lifetimes of normal shooting.

 

It's a lower pressure round and perhaps not a valid comparison, but I have a 357 magnum 1894 that I got very used 10 years ago; I've fired about 2,150 rounds since buying it. Most of the rounds were near-maximum loads with jacketed bullets with a substantial number of lead SWC medium loads. It still puts 5 rounds into a standard post-it at 100 yards from a sandbagged rest when I do my part.

 

At $13 per box for 10K rounds the total would be $6500 for ammunition. If you can afford to "shoot out" a barrel, you can certainly afford a new 30-30.

That's like grousing about paying $2-300 more for a good hunting dog that will cost over $20k to own over it's lifetime.

Or another months salary on an engaement ring that's going to cost you...cost you... Ohhhh... Feeling woozy ....

 

Okay from a barrel cleaning concern. Where is the best place, authority on proper cleaning, oiling, maintaining my 336 and other guns for that matter. I've seen some on youtube but how do you know who's the expert? Or if anyone here has spelled it out already or can I'd appreciate getting pointed (make that aimed) in the right direction. Only shot 40 rounds thru my new 336 so far and want to get into and teach my son the proper way to clean our guns.

Brother, that is opening a can of worms with this crowd, ranging from clean it every use to never clean it at all. Then there is the subject of breaking in a new barrel (Place on ground, light fuse and get away!) I personally did some exhaustive research on this. In summary, clean from the breech, protect the muzzle crown, clean in one direction only (back to front)- no vigorous back and forth motion with the cleaning rod and keep a light coat of oil on it when you put it away for awhile. Bore gudes are another good source for an arguement. I have concluded that the most important part of barrel breakin is familliarizing me with a new gun. Its probably not so important with lower chamber pressures of a 30-30 as with more powereful calibers. Marlin tech support recommended passing an oil soaked patch through the barrel after each round for the first 10 rounds, and again after every other round for the next 10 rounds and then you're done.

Beware, opinions on this subject are like watches, everybody's says something a little different but each man only trusts his own.

This was my experience:
http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,54244.msg516348.html#msg516348

 

I wonder how many guys in tech supports have senses of humor.their sense of humor is normally based on things that can’t possibly hurt your barrel at least.
Here I go…walking on thin ice…very thin ice!

 

The only hunting rifle that I ever wore the barrel out on…was a 7mm Rem mag. That was thousands of rounds, back when you could still afford to shoot thousands of rounds…

 

Based on the 30-06 and 303 British, 5,000-10,000 rounds for competition purposes. You can get there but probably not as a hunter and occasional target shooter.