mossy33oak

I was visiting with the farmer that I hunt on today, and he proceeds to ask me about a gun he inherited about 6 years ago. It was a Winchester 94 in 307 Win. I had never seen one of these guns! So I go home and do some research only to find that it is basically obsolete. It was manufactured in the early 90's and saw limited if any shelf time. I found some online stores that have ammo for it, but its like $20-$28 a box!!! I think Im gonna buy him a box or two for letting me hunt his farm, but man, If I owned this thing I would have to reload for it. Has anyone ever owned one or reloaded for one? Is it more powerful than the 30-30 like the websites claim? Supposedly 2400fps can be obtained with factory ammo.

Slamfire

You can actually get an honest 300 fps more from this cartridge than from the .30-30. I'd go so far as to say every .30-30 wishes it was a .307. I have an idea the reason it didn't sell was the weight and balance of the Big Bore 94. It is a real clunk.

Virginia7

Don't quote me on it, but I think it was about 1984-1986 or so when Winchester brought
out the 307Win., and the 356Win. Both were, more or less, rimmed versions of the 308Win. cartridge. The 356 proved to be the more popular of the two, but it didn't really catch on too well either.
Slamfire, I agree, the Win. Big Bore94 wasn't much IMO, but for a short time I believe
Marlin chambered both of these in their lever actions also. I know they did in the 356, and these command a pretty good price today - if you can find one.

I thought both the 307 & 356 would catch on, and gradually replace the 30-30 and 35Rem., but it didn't happen. Those who used the 30-30 and 35's seemed content with what they had, I guess, for woods hunting. The rest were well into bolt action carbines,
or looking for more power - magnums, etc.
I would have loved to have had one of the Marlin 336 rifles in 356Win., but then in the early 90's I came across my Ruger 77RLS carbine in 358Win., and so gave up on looking for a 356.
It's a shame as for close to medium range use both the 307 & 356 provide a good deal
more power than the 30/30 or 35Rem.

mossy33oak

thanks guys!!! See I learned something today.....never even knew the gun/caliber existed!!!

thndrchiken

Actually the 307 was intended to produce 300 Savage numbers out of the popular 94 action. Only it came along about 20 years too late. As has been stated basically a rimmed 308 case loaded to a lower pressure. On average about a whole 2-4 gr lighter on the charge depending on the powder used. Winchester's are the only guns to have made it into circulation though not many, Marlin did list it in their catalog but never produced any. The only factory loads found now are winchester's 180 gr PP, they kick harder than a 180 gr pill out of an 06 IMO. I load 150's and 170's. I'd say get him a box or two of shells and maybe a Pachmayer Decelerator recoil pad. He'll love you for the pad alone.

vangunsmith

It really never caught on that much, and like you say ammo is expensive,and getting more so each day. i would get all the ammo i could or find some one whom you can trust and make up some reloads for him if he shoots a lot. vangunsmith

James B

I had a 307 in the big bore 94. It was a ok gun but nothing special. They chambered it in the 375 Win as well as the 307 and 356. I still see them at gun shows sometime.

HighDesertWolf

if you need brass for it im sitting on a 1,000 pieces of new never loaded or fired brass for the 307 win. like ridge runner said its a rimmed 308, ballistics are about identical to a 308, they are quite more powerful then a 30-30. If you want some brass PM me or email me I will break up the case and sell you however many you want.

spuddog

Can't add much to what has been said. Every thing said above is what I've heard as well. I have a friend who has the 94 in .307. He relodes for it and knows there'll be a time he won't be able to or it won't make economic sense to do so. I've been looking at a Browning BLR in .308 and so he pulled it out so I could run some rounds through it. I thought it was a nice shooting gun and accurrate enough to hit whatever I pointed. He loves it and would use it more if the ammo were more readily available. He did take it on his Canada Black Bear hunt, but didn't get a shot.

Spud

charlie brown

I believe they did produce a limited number of the 336's in the .307. I was at the range one day, chatting with an older gentleman. He had one of these .307's. I remember it well. I shot it a couple of times too. Wonderful gun. I am sure it was a Marlin, as we got into a conversation regarding Marlin's angled ejection vs. Winchester's 94 top ejection. I would like to find one of these gems. That cartridge just seems to be one that is very interesting to me.

Edit: Well, I just looked it up, and I think where the angled ejection thing came from was that they had the 94 made for this chambering with an angled ejection.