336 only shooting leverevolution

[Bulliwig]

Hi Folks!
Haven‘t been active here for a long while but was still casting and shooting lead.
I have a problem with my marlin 336; 30-30. It is a 1972 vintage „zane grey century“ model which my father gifted to me at christmas 2019. I just can‘t get it to shoot. I equipped it with a skinner alaskan peep sight (beatiful work of art it is!), but it would not shoot groups under the size of a pie plate. I tried nearly every factory round i could get my hands on in the 150-170 grain range. After that i tried reloads with the ppu 170 grain flat Point bullets. Not worth a darn.
I ordered a Lyman 311041 mould which took a solid 18 months to arrive. Sized them to .310 and gave them a try: same result as ever.

Only the 160 grain hornady ftx will shoot acceptable groups. But of course i don‘t want to limit all my shooting to the most expensive factory round there is. Anyone any idea what could be the reason for this problem with this gun?

Wish you all a wonderful sunday,
Timo

[dverna]

Sounds stupid...but did you check for loose screws and clean the barrel?

Next thing is to check the crown.

[Bulliwig]

Screws are snug, i took a liitle wood off of the foreend and brass off the nosecap to prevent touching or clamping the barrel as good as possible. Crown is also undamaged.

[Thumbcocker]

Barrel slugs what diameter?

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[Bulliwig]

I got 1 group with the lyman bullet near max load which showed horizontal stringing, all others were all over the target.
Slugged the barrel two years ago, so i don‘t remember the exact reading, .309 i think.
I ordered a pound of the leverevolution powder to try but this will take a few weeks to arrive at my local dealer.

[Bird]

Is the bore clean? What powders have you tried?

[Bigslug]

You may find this helpful: https://hoffos.wordpress.com/tag/improving-lever-action-accuracy/

I found this with a basic search. I can't speak to the "Part 2" of this article, but I am familiar with the M.L. McPherson works referenced. I imagine Part 2 goes into unitizing the barrel and magazine tube with a thin layer of RTV sealant between the two.

[Wilderness]

I got 1 group with the lyman bullet near max load which showed horizontal stringing, all others were all over the target.
Slugged the barrel two years ago, so i don‘t remember the exact reading, .309 i think.
I ordered a pound of the leverevolution powder to try but this will take a few weeks to arrive at my local dealer.

Forget my primer suggestion then (post deleted). If the fit of the forend and magazine are the issue you could try shooting it with magazine and forend removed (with the action on the sand bag). If it groups OK naked, then put the forend and cap back on and try it that way, but still without the magazine. If it is still OK, then look for pressure being exerted by the magazine.

A friend had a 336A of about the vintage of your rifle whose barrel was insufficiently relieved for the magazine tube beneath the chamber. This created some spring in the tube when the magazine plug screw was pulled up. It shoots fine now, and we relieved the contact without first shooting it, so no idea what the effect was.

The LVR powder in my experience is excellent with jacketed bullets, but I find it requires full throttle with cast (2200 fps), otherwise it gives excessive velocity variation and vertical stringing. At this velocity (2200) with cast there is a big difference in groups between 10" twist (my Marlin - four groove rifling) and 12" twist (my Savage 99). The Marlin does best around 1900 or 1950 fps (powders other than LVR), while my Savage does best at 2200 and perhaps beyond.

[Bulliwig]

Thanks for all replies so far.
I‘ll try the idea shooting the rifle without magazine and forend and have a look. What‘s really confusing to me is the good accuracy with hornadys factory ammunition. This leads me to the thought, that the rifle is able to shoot accurately as is.

I tried my reloads with vithavuori N130 in half grain imcrements from 20.7 up to 24.7 grains of powder. The last showed pressure signs and the bolt became a little sticky.

[Wilderness]

Thanks for all replies so far.
I‘ll try the idea shooting the rifle without magazine and forend and have a look. What‘s really confusing to me is the good accuracy with hornadys factory ammunition. This leads me to the thought, that the rifle is able to shoot accurately as is.

I tried my reloads with vithavuori N130 in half grain imcrements from 20.7 up to 24.7 grains of powder. The last showed pressure signs and the bolt became a little sticky.

BW - be sure to post the results once you've shot it.

[sigep1764]

BW, is the offending lever gun a microgroove barrel? If so, they like the boolits fat. I shoot .312-.313 boolits from my Microgroove 336.

[Shawlerbrook]

Get a copy of mic McPherson’s book on accuracy and leverguns. If none of that works, I would try to get a lookin the barrel with a bore scope.

[farmbif]

lever revolution powder has history of best accuracy as you approach or at max load, would not be my first choice for gun with accuracy problems.
3031, 4895, 4198, 4227 are some tried and true powders for accurate cast loads in 30-30. does your gun have barrel band or metal cap at front of fore end?
sometimes stress on barrel is created in front barrel band. if nothing else might try removing fore end and see what accuracy is like.
believe it or not some of the less expensive Glenfield and marlins with metal cap at front of fore end are more accute than some with barrel band stress situations.
that zane grey should be capable of 2-3 MOA.
also another thing to look for on some marlins with front sight dovetail mount that is held in place with screw. that screw hole could go all the way into rifling. you might take a look with a light and magnifier or bore scope.

[Cottonpicker]

The Lyman 50th ed. says "Marlin rifles with Micro-Groove rifling should keep cast bullet velocities below 1600 fps for best accuracy". I have been getting decent groups at 50/100yds.with open sights using a 170 gr. cast boolit chrono'd at 1670 fps. My Marlin was made around 1967.

[Bulliwig]

I‘ll try to answer your questions as good as possible and Will of course tell you the results after my next shooting, which hopefully will be on next sunday.

@ sigep: I‘m not sure about a microgroove barrel, it seems to have more and shallower grooves, but not worse than my '94 in .44 Magnum which shoots full house magnum loads with or without gas checks all day long. Bigger sizing would be impossible as the mould gives me barely a diameter of .311.

@Shawlerbrook: I tried to find a copy of that book, the ones i could find ran about 165€…
If i find someone owning a bore scope i would love to take a look inside.

@Farmbif: you surely noticed english is not my first language as i am from germany. Due to REACH (some kind of banning of certain chemicals), most of the american powders are no longer imported inside of the european union. I would have really loved to try 3031 for my 30-30 and 45-70. We can buy only some american powders (so glad lil gun is still available), besides that we can buy: vithavuori, reload swiss, lovex, Rottweil, norma and i think vectan. The gun is fitted with a nosecap which i altered a little to make it not touching the barrel anymore. The Front sight is only dovetailed in.

@Cottonpicker: my starting loads were pretty sure below this mark. And even standard jacketed bullets won‘t shoot a darn

[popper]

Size to 311. The 041 uses a GC. Alloy needs to be about 4% Sb and probably water dropped. As to the rifle itself, either run a soft slug down the barrel or a really tight patch. You are looking for tight spots at the receiver and muzzle end. Front sight and roll stamp areas tend to size down the cast when it passes and accuracy isn't good. You can try to 'iron' out those spots but I never did. Mine is just slightly tight at both ends so a harder alloy and GC for HV are needed. IIRC I use 30gr LeverE for 185 gr RD style bullet that is similar to the 041, ~2k fps. I load so bullet does not jam the lands and use a crimp to just remove the bell on case mouth. Best I could do was nearly cloverleaf @ 100 yds, shot from led sled, my FTX reloads. Never tried the accurizing stuff but did put a wild west happy trigger in it that helped a lot. Down to 4# vs the standard 6#.

[Thumbcocker]

Microgroove Marlins can shoot boolits at or near factory j word velocity. Sometimes it is a longer road than at other times but it is do able.

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[farmbif]

norma 201 I believe is very close to 4198 and reloder7. if this is right might be worth a try

[sigep1764]

My thoughts are that until you get a mold that will throw at least a .312 boolit, you will have accuracy issues. A work around would be to use faster pistol powders to bump the base of a medium hard boolit, neither dead soft or hard, maybe air-cooled wheel weight. Start with something like Red Dot, 2400, Unique. If you cannot find those powders, look for something close on the burn chart.

[Bulliwig]

As i promised i gave it another try again this morning without magazine tube, forend and nosecap. I forgot to bring enough ammo to try it with forend and nosecap but without the magazine tube.
I tried three loads, 150 grain Winchester x protected Open point expanding and two of my handloads with ppu 170 grain flatpoint and n130.
To make it Short: it shot better groups than before but nothing better than five to six Inches in diameter….
I'll try it again next week with more loads and the attached forend but i am pretty hopeless by now

[1hole]

1. Your English is fine, you're at least as good as me and it's my ONLY language!

2. Don't agonize over trivial things like cast bullet diameters until you can consistently get decent accuracy with jacketed bullets.

Your excellent Marlin 336 is a medium range game in deep woods rifle and you'll be shooting game bullets; neither are target grade so be reasonable about accuracy. I expect 2" groups or slightly better @ 100 yards from most Marlin 336 rifles and a reliable point-blank killing trajectory to 150 yards or a little further.

Full charges of IMR 4064 or Varget are my most consistently accurate lever gun powders. If you can't get one of them perhaps you can find something with nearly the same burn rate.

[Bulliwig]

You are so uprising @1hole!

That is the crucial point, i know my marlin is no Target/ benchrest gun and it doesn't need to be one. The frustrating Point in this adventure is: with hornadys factory leverevolution ftx it does shoot groups from 2“-3“, which is as good as i can shoot at a distance of 100 m with open Sights. If i could get comparable accuracy out of any of my reloads i would be really glad (even more so with cast).
But i am reluctant to give up casting and reloading to buy ammunition for 45€ per 20.

4064 and varget are a little slower than the n130 i use. I had this powder because of my .45-70 and i wished not to buy another kg of powder, because i am restricted in Storage to 3 kilograms.

[ShooterAZ]

Don't give up! I use the 311041 with LVR powder in my 30-30's with excellent accuracy. As others have mentioned, you may want to use a little harder alloy. I use a mix of 75% Wheelweights to 25% Linotype. Some might say it's too hard for hunting, but the deer I have shot with it didn't say so. Also, sizing to .311 will most likely help with your problems. 4064 and 3031 work well in the 30-30, but LVR has given me the best accuracy and velocity with lower pressures. Sneak up on the max loads and you will find a happy place.

[Bulliwig]

Wheelweights are made of zinc in Germany for the last 2 decades or so, so i use mostly range scrap which i mix with about 1 quarter of monotype. I was lucky to get about 190 pounds of it for nearly nothing. Could have bit my *** as the remaining about 1000 pounds had gone to the scrapyard. But all i have will probably serve me well after the time lead bullets will be completely forbidden.

My alloy is around 15-18 bhn, according to my readings of the lee testing kit. Nonetheless in every other caliber i use it, it works really well. Except 9mm maybe, but this cartridge is a pain to load and i sold my SIG.

By the way @shooterAZ: what is your load with lvr and 30-30?

[Wilderness]

You are so uprising @1hole!

That is the crucial point, i know my marlin is no Target/ benchrest gun and it doesn't need to be one. The frustrating Point in this adventure is: with hornadys factory leverevolution ftx it does shoot groups from 2“-3“, which is as good as i can shoot at a distance of 100 m with open Sights. If i could get comparable accuracy out of any of my reloads i would be really glad (even more so with cast).
But i am reluctant to give up casting and reloading to buy ammunition for 45€ per 20.

4064 and varget are a little slower than the n130 i use. I had this powder because of my .45-70 and i wished not to buy another kg of powder, because i am restricted in Storage to 3 kilograms.

Bulliwig - I think this is your first mention of 100 meters. A lot can go wrong with the human element, and the wind, and the clarity of your aiming mark between 50 and 100. I do my iron sight testing at 50. I shoot 100, 150 and 200 only when I have good groups at 50. With an iron sighted lever action I consider "really good" to be 1" at 50 m, although with the same load individual groups may wander out to 1.5" or 2".

My choice of target at 50 meters is the slow fire pistol target with 8" black aiming mark BUT with a 2" circular white patch glued inside the 10 ring. Lateral aiming error is minimal with this setup. Vertical aiming error is controlled by moving the front sight up towards the top the white until a consistent picture can be achieved, e.g. the point where the clear white over the front sight just starts to blur to grey. This may not be the center of the patch, but that is not the point. Consistent sight picture is the point.

At 100 I use a 4" patch on a larger black background, at 150 it is 6" and at 200 it is 8".

The other method for serious group shooting is to fit a Lyman 17A front sight with your peep. The 17A is used with either a post or a circle (peep) element. Looking through two circles to frame a circular black bullseye is nearly as good as using a scope. And the circular 2" patch in the centre does still help even with the 17A. At 50 m with the 8" aiming mark I use a .160" element (plastic element reamed out, or one made of perspex - another story). For hunting you can revert to the post element.

Oh, and those full power .30-30 loads, especially LeverEvolution, may beat you up shooting from the bench with a curved buttplate - a sand bag or pillow between the rifle and your shoulder may help with the flinch. Longer term, a lace-on leather pad can take some of the bite out of the buttplate.

[Bulliwig]

Thank you for your reply, wilderness.
I am limited to 100 m, my gun Range only allows .22 up to pistol caliber levers at the 50 m range.
As a more or less talented bullseye shooter i can shoot 2“-3“ groups at 100m all day, even more so with peep sights.
But maybe i should try my marlin with a scope, just to be sure.
Oh, and i use a pachmayer slip on decelerator pad for my bench shooting. Just for the sake of not bruising my shoulder with the slim brass buttplate.

[Wilderness]

Yes, I am spoiled for choice as regards ranges. If you are confident of your shooting, and have all the bases covered, then you should be able to take your groups at face value. This gets us back to the question of "what is going on?", when you have a rifle that should be very good indeed.

I have no recent experience of factory .30-30 ammo, but for reloading I have found Sierra bullets, 150 or 170 gns, to be markedly superior to everything else. LeverEvolution powder is good for top speed, but Winchester 748 seems to be a little more accurate.

Jacketed bullets have become so expensive here that I now use cast for everything, up to and including full power hunting loads - but that is another story.

[725]

I had a 336 waffle top (mid 1950's +/-). Shot OK but nothing to write home about. Did a strip detail cleaning one day which involved removing the forearm. To my surprise, I could unscrew the barrel by hand. The connection between the receiver and the barrel was that loose! I suggest a breakdown of the gun to inspect the tightness between the barrel / receiver. Unless it's proper, all other attempts to shrink those groups will fail.

[Bulliwig]

Checked it, Barrel seems to be as tight as it can be.

[Wilderness]

BW: You probably have this covered, and it may not be enough for the magnitude of your problem, but how about forend position on the bag? I have seen several recommendations for rifles with two piece stocks, which I have followed, to bring the bag as far back as possible on the forend, i.e. to the junction of forend and receiver. This is why I suggested putting the receiver on the bag when shooting the rifle stripped down. The alternative is to shoot the rifle with the hand between the bag and the forend.

I have also found the chronograph very useful for diagnosing vertical dispersion as I shoot groups. What caused that high/low shot? Was it loose screws, bench technique, bad shooting, butt slipped on shoulder? No, it was velocity. As an aside I have plotted POI against velocity, both of individual shots within groups, and between different groups with charge variation of the same powder. POI at 50 meters for my 336A .30-30 shifts approximately 2" for every 100 fps change in velocity. This is a very good reason for minimising velocity variation of .30-30s. Primers? Powder choice? Enough pressure for the powder?

By contrast my Ruger 77V .308 shoots all reasonable charge variations and bullet weights into much the same group at 100 m.

Wind can destroy an otherwise good group too, especially with .30-30 at 100 m. For makeshift wind flags, I use a strip of orange surveyor tape hanging from the target frame, then wait for the tape to hang straight down before firing the shot. I realise that it is the wind back at the shooter that has the most influence, but we can feel that wind on our faces and legs anyway.

[popper]

barely a diameter of .311 can you try powder coating to get the dia up to 311? I bought a box of lasercast 310 for my 30/30 - accuracy was in the toilet. They are hard cast BHN in 20 something. Melted them down. My GRT (German free equal to QuickLoad https://www.grtools.de/doku.php) gives 1800 fps, 28k psi for 24.5gr N130. My burn rate chart has 2 entries for n130, one is close to H335 that I've used a lot in 30/30. So water drop the bullets after PC (gets hardness and dia up where they belong) and it should be good. Unfortunately, sticky extraction at that low load isn't correct. 28k for 30/30 is LOW pressure. What is your seating depth? It is normally 0.5" ish but doesn't make a lot of difference. I believe a problem there.
On the other hand. you must expand the case neck ID to 0.309" and flare the mouth of the case to load cast. I just use a Lee FCD to remove the flare, no crimp. Last question, is your powder measurement correct?
There is a way to increase the dia of the mould but PC is easier, cheaper and WORKS.

[Wilderness]

BW: I am looking at the burn rate chart for your N130 powder. This seems fast for .30-30 full power, although it should be good for the #311041 bullets at about 1500 fps.

N140 is closer to Varget, 748, LVR etc that people have had success with, for jacketed bullets anyway. Cast bullets can run in the full power category also, but for them you may want to cut the velocity back. Reducing the load requires a powder that burns uniformly still at a lower pressure. I understand that Hodgdon claims H4895 can be reduced to 60% of maximum. I have no idea how the European powders perform at lower pressure.

In my limited experience, LVR at the lower velocity/pressure behaved badly, e.g. in my 336A, #311041 with 28 gns LVR gave 1950 fps, SD 57, and group (5 shots) at 50 m was 5.14"; 32 gns gave 2151 fps, SD 19, group 2.52". Another grain or two may have been better (see Larry Gibson's work on LVR in .30-30). This is just two groups, so no hard conclusions here. This was with peep rear and bead front sight.

By contrast, 30 gns 2208/Varget (single group again) with a different bullet gave 2133 fps, SD 7 and group 1.61", but I know I cannot take Varget below 28 gns without stringing the group.

This is off the theme of first getting the rifle to shoot with jacketed ammo, but it may be relevant if the ammo is suspect. Maybe the LVR ammo is telling the true story.

Larry Gibson's LVR work - see especially Post 45:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?115657-LeveRevoltuion-Powder&highlight=LeveRevolution

[Bulliwig]

Thanks for all of your replies!
I‘ll try to answer all of your questions as good as possible.

1. I rested the rifle Right in Front of the Receiver as i shot with attached forend, the „naked“ rifle was rested with the reciever on the sandbag.

2. Wind should not be an issue here, the range is closed on all sides, only there is no roof

3. i never tried powdercoating and always thought of it as an unnecessary and messy extra step. If there is another chance i would rather stick with sizing and lubing the bullets.

4. seating depth: i can‘t Tell you the seating depth right now, i trimmed all brass to spec. and seated all bullets to the crimping groove.

5. in preparation for bullet seating i use the lyman m-die to Open up the case mouths and slightly bell it.

6. i read the whole thread of Larry gibsons excellent work with lvr powder in the 30-30, That’s the reason i want to try this powder.

7. 24.7 grains of n130 is the absolute max load for 170 grain bullets listed in the manual! I think the pressure is right there and the sticky lever seems normal to me at the max pressure. I‘m not sure if the SAAMI max is different to the CIP max pressure though.
Also vithavuori is (in)famous for imconstistency in their powder lots, so always use the manual of the year your powder was produced.

[Bulliwig]

In addition: bought another box of the hornady stuff yesterday, just to try it again and comfirm my results.

[Wilderness]

Thanks for all of your replies!
I‘ll try to answer all of your questions as good as possible.

1. I rested the rifle Right in Front of the Receiver as i shot with attached forend, the „naked“ rifle was rested with the reciever on the sandbag.

2. Wind should not be an issue here, the range is closed on all sides, only there is no roof

3. i never tried powdercoating and always thought of it as an unnecessary and messy extra step. If there is another chance i would rather stick with sizing and lubing the bullets.

4. seating depth: i can‘t Tell you the seating depth right now, i trimmed all brass to spec. and seated all bullets to the crimping groove.

5. in preparation for bullet seating i use the lyman m-die to Open up the case mouths and slightly bell it.

6. i read the whole thread of Larry gibsons excellent work with lvr powder in the 30-30, That’s the reason i want to try this powder.

7. 24.7 grains of n130 is the absolute max load for 170 grain bullets listed in the manual! I think the pressure is right there and the sticky lever seems normal to me at the max pressure. I‘m not sure if the SAAMI max is different to the CIP max pressure though.
Also vithavuori is (in)famous for imconstistency in their powder lots, so always use the manual of the year your powder was produced.

BW: Lucky you, with a closed in range!

I don't get excited about crimping, since the .30-30 seems to be able to hang on to cast bullets well enough without it. This is particularly so if the ammo is loaded a week or two before firing, when lubed bullets tend to bond to case necks - to test it, try to pull a bullet, or seat one deeper, a couple of weeks after loading the ammo.

If possible, I seat the (cast) bullets out to touch the rifling, but cannot do so with #311041 in the Marlin. Maximum COL that will still eject a loaded round is 2.570", and this is still too short for rifling contact. Your rifle might be different. Without crimping, seating depth is no longer set by crimping groove.

Because I don't crimp, I don't need to worry about trimming either, other than to square up the case mouths. My .30-30 chambers are 2.150" (1949 Marlin) and 2.120" (Savage 99). Once fired cases are about 2.025", so really need to be a lot longer, not shorter.

I have seldom experienced sticky lever and would be backing off if it was more than just an occasional happening.

Our 2208/Varget is also variable - 2200 fps achieved by 31 - 32 gns, depending on Lot # - not a problem if you have a chronograph.

What were the other factory brands you tried?

[Bulliwig]

I didn‘t continue shooting the max load after the sticky lever. I saw that i reached the threshold and backed down.
For factory rounds i tried:
- 160 gr ftx
- 150 gr Winchester x open point expanding
- 150 gr (maybe also 170 gr) partizan softpoint
- 170 gr federal softpoint
- 150 gr remington core lokt

Most of them i can‘t really remember, some of them were at least 20 years old.
-

[Wilderness]

BW: The following is where I think you are headed with this rifle.

The purpose of shooting without magazine or forend was to separate problems in this area from problems elsewhere. You have had some improvement, and you may have more with the magazine and forend properly fitted (if this was the initial problem), since these may add a degree of support to the barrel.

I have a Marlin 1893 in .32-40 with 26" half octagon barrel and full length magazine, Marbles tang sight and Lyman 17A front, and it shoots very well.

I have it set up so there is just a whisker of fore and aft movement in the forend, i.e. forend is not levering the barrel up by pushing against the receiver. Were it to do so, the pressure would be relieved as the barrel heats up and lengthens with firing, resulting in a change of POI.

The magazine tube likewise does not push against the receiver, but has just a whisker of clearance when the magazine cap screw is done up. Same argument about firing heat relieving the push pressure.

Finally, with the magazine cap screw done up, the magazine tube does not contact the barrel anywhere other than around the screw. Pay particular attention to the groove under the rear part of the barrel, which should provide clearance for the magazine tube, but may not. Check the magazine fit with the forend removed so you can see all the possible points of contact with the barrel. You might also check that the tube is not pushing against the forend cap tenon when the magazine cap screw is done up.

These ideas are not original - you will find them stated elsewhere if you go looking.

Others with experience of full magazine rifles may care to chime in.

[popper]

I sent Larry some PCd cast bullets for him to pressure test with LE powder. IIRC he tested in 308W & 30/30, got the pressure test results someplace on the computer. I use the LE powder in my marlin, excellent results ~30 gr. You need to get the cast dia up to at least 311!!! PC is cheap and would work or you can place a thin piece of Al or Cu tape on the mould face to increase dia. called Leementing a mould. The MG has very shallow grooves and an undersized bullet will not work. 30/30 GC RD bullet (similar to 041) & 30 gr LevrE powder, ~70 yds sitting, elbow for rest. Sized 311 with mazzola oil for lube. No fliers, just a kid was trying an AR10 with cast. Going up to 32gr only gains 100 fps but recoil increases a lot.
295966

[JohnH]

Thanks for all of your replies!
I‘ll try to answer all of your questions as good as possible.

3. i never tried powdercoating and always thought of it as an unnecessary and messy extra step. If there is another chance i would rather stick with sizing and lubing the bullets.

I had a heck of a time getting 3 different 9mm to shoot without keyholing. A S&W Model 39, a Taurus 1911 9mm and a Hi Point 9mm Carbine. All three shoot jacketed just fine, but all three would keyhole using the Lee 356124 TC bullet and it seemed nothing I tried worked. I finally powder coated a batch, wat4r dropping them when they came out of the oven and the issue went away.

I don't care for powder coating, to me it's more work than conventional lubing and sizing and having tested it with every rifle and handgun I've got I didn't find any significant improvement over traditional lube. But in this case with the 9mm, it has proved invaluable. If you have a means of trying powder coating on your bullets/in your rifle I'd suggest giving it a try.

[missionary5155]

Powder coating adds diameter. Problem went away..... Try some .358 cast in your 9mm's....
The 30-30 Marlins have fat grooves, fat throats.... When getting a new to me barrel going I find the fattest cast that will chamber and start there.
Really this is my procedure with any Marlin. They figured out years ago.. happy hunters buy another Marlin. But if the rifle will not feed in the bushes the hunter will blame the rifle 95% of the time and all other hunters do listen. What hunter will say... "chamber was never cleaned since I bought it".

[Bulliwig]

You all were right and i apologize.
Took a chance and drove to another range which allows big bore rifle shooting to 50m (mainly to sight in my .45-70 double rifle) and took my marlin with me. And look what it did!295991295992295993
Sorry, the pics are turned 90 degrees, but i can‘t turn them the right way.

The last picture shows three shots with hornadys factory lvr ammo. So it‘s my eyes not working with the beautiful skinner sight i think…:cry:
I think i have to scope or sell this beautiful rifle…

[Wilderness]

You all were right and i apologize.
Took a chance and drove to another range which allows big bore rifle shooting to 50m (mainly to sight in my .45-70 double rifle) and took my marlin with me. And look what it did!295991295992295993
Sorry, the pics are turned 90 degrees, but i can‘t turn them the right way.

The last picture shows three shots with hornadys factory lvr ammo. So it‘s my eyes not working with the beautiful skinner sight i think…:cry:
I think i have to scope or sell this beautiful rifle…

BW - much better.

What is your point of aim on this target? When my eyes were better and I was shooting an ivory bead front sight I used to favour a 12 o'clock hold on this target at 50 meters - curve of the top of the bead edged up to the curve of the bullseye. More recently I have taken to cutting out a 2" circle of white paper and pasting it into the 10 ring. Then aim into the top of the white as explained previously. You may find that doing the same thing with a 4" white patch at 100 m works also.

If you can keep shooting on the 50 m range, you should be ready to take on cast bullets. If you are limited to the 100 m range, a Lyman 17A front sight with ring element may improve matters (or a scope).

As before, I would suggest being systematic, starting with a load that is likely to work, and then adjusting outwards/upwards from there, one factor at a time. With #311041 in hard alloy (10% or 11% non-lead, maybe 18 BHN) my (non-microgroove) rifle shoots really well with 17 gns or 18 gn 2207/H4198. This load level also does well for other shooters who DO have Microgroove barrels, and another shooter swears by 16 gns. In my 336A, 18 gns give 1500 fps. Our 2207/H4198 powder is very close in burning speed to your N130, though we know nothing of how uniform N130 might be at the lower pressure.

A popular bullet here for Microgroove barrels is a commercially cast (powder coated) 180 gn .303 bullet, nominally .312" but of course with bigger nose for .303. This bullet can be used for the faster loads used on LAS Ram targets (2206H/H4895 and 2208/Varget).

Do you need to kill anything with your Marlin, or is it for paper only? Or shoot Lever Action Silhouette? This will dictate how far you push the velocity.

Another load that is very accurate is the .32-20 bullet (#311008 is 115 gns) with 5 gns of Unique or equivalent shotgun powder. Velocity is about 1050 fps, so no transonic issues at longer range, and indeed it shoots well out to and including 200 meters. The 50 meter groups are each side of 1", and at worst less than 2".

Edit & Caution: These subsonic loads are with soft alloy and conventional bullet lube. Jacketed or plated (Berry) bullets can and have stuck in barrels with subsonic loads. Harder alloys and powder coating are unknowns.

Vertical POI with these .30-30 lever actions is sensitive to velocity (2" POI shift at 50 m for 100 fps velocity change), and velocity is sensitive to case volume/weight. For this reason I suggest not mixing headstamps. If you want to be completely pedantic, you might weigh your cases and mark the heavies and lights for foulers.

If your interest is in the finer details of cast bullet shooting, putting a scope on a lever action is no crime either. It will separate the human problem from the ammunition problem, and will deal with the 100 m issue. If you use the Weaver bases and rings you can take the scope off when you want to show off the rifle, and it will be on zero again when you put it back on.

Final point - what is the aperture size in your rear sight? Smaller aperture = increased depth of field = clearer front sight. Merrit makes adjustable apertures, but you would need to know the thread size of your sight.

[Sixgun Symphony]

Oh, and those full power .30-30 loads, especially LeverEvolution, may beat you up shooting from the bench with a curved buttplate - a sand bag or pillow between the rifle and your shoulder may help with the flinch. Longer term, a lace-on leather pad can take some of the bite out of the buttplate.

The curved buttplates are meant to rest on the upper arm between bicep and shoulder. One raises their elbow up to get proper sight picture with the cheek rested on the stock. They do NOT go into the shoulder like the wide/flat butts that y'all are used to.

[Sixgun Symphony]

So it‘s my eyes not working with the beautiful skinner sight i think…:cry:
I think i have to scope or sell this beautiful rifle…

A new prescription for eye glasses from the optometrist might fix that problem.