Badlands Fieldcraft: Scenes from the Fieldcraft Course – March 21, 2021

I just spent day working out on the course. I put in 18 land nav points over a few square miles. I also took the opportunity to scout some more of the terrain and I found some very interesting places. I think in both terms of natural beauty and subject matter, the land nav courses will be hard to beat. I’ve got about 2 spots left in in April’s class and I’m about half full in May’s, so if you’re interested be sure to get ahold of me.

One of the 18 land nav points.
Mr. Porcupine
Beaver dams
Second shed I’ve found in a week. One of my favorite treasures to come across.
I cooked lunch with my new Jet Boil Flash. It boiled half the pot of water in 2:08 on this windy and cool day.
Having the ability to boil water is a critical capability.
All parts of the flash, including a small fuel canister, nest inside the pot with just enough room for a bandana as well.
Contact Front! Deer in the tree line! 200 yards! Being down wind, she had no idea I was there.
“A man with a .30-.30 and a plan..” -NCScout
Spread the love
                

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

20 Comments

  1. LivingOntheFault March 26, 2021 at 12:56

    Hard to beat an older Marlin 30 30. They simply work, and are accurate. Cartridge has got a lot more power than a 7.62 x 39, or a 30 Black Out. Rifle with scope weighs less as well. Its deadly on anything in North America within 200 yards. Until ammo stupidity, it was affordable to shoot. You can also shoot subsonic, and cowboy loads in it. Woods walking is a lot more comfortable to carry than an AR10. They are easy to shoot fast as well.

    • wwes March 26, 2021 at 13:02

      They’re damn fine rifles. I’m kind of partial to a Winchester 94 with a tang sight on it, but I like the Marlin rifles too.

    • Sanders March 26, 2021 at 14:10

      The Hornady Leverevolution ammo steps it out to 300, too. I love my 336 in 30-30. Traded a 300 Win Mag straight across for it. I feel like I got the better deal, and the guy who got the .300 thinks he ripped me off. So, I reckon it was a good trade for both of us.

      • LivingOntheFault March 31, 2021 at 10:52

        Always just shot the 170 grain soft points. Blue Box Federal. I truly hope Ruger removes the bitter taste of the Remlin years from Marlin. I wish they would lose the cross bolt safety.

        • wwes March 31, 2021 at 10:58

          170 grain cast flat points are hell on deer too. That cross bolt safety sucks, it’s be nice if there was an aftermarket kit to eliminate it, like there is on the Rossi made Winchester copies.

          • Sanders April 4, 2021 at 09:20

            The one I traded for is a mint condition JM stamped rifle. SN# dates it as 1975 manufacture. The guy I got it from said he only put a box of shells through it, and it looked that way.
            I’ve put several more boxes through it, though. Replaced the black bead on the front sight with a brass one and put this sling on it: https://brassstacker.com/No-Drill-Harnessed-Rifle-Sling-MARLIN.html
            I’m still on the fence about scoping it, because it is my brush gun. Being a traditionalist, a red dot would probably be best, but not for me.

  2. Johnny Paratrooper March 26, 2021 at 12:59

    The Jetboil is an underrated piece of kit.

    • Roave March 26, 2021 at 17:02

      Haven’t had the need to get me one and it never appealed to me. Have got several means to cook, and most are low key, low noise, low consumption, low smell and some are really low cost. My wife worked in the outdoor store world for over thirteen years, and she kinda infected me with an eagle scrutiny eye – I see options and things on gear that the average buyer doesn’t even notice. To me the Jetboil is big, and I like multi-functional gear – stems from my old motorcycle trip years, a couple of WP bags and a small 30 L backpack ( on my back :) was all I could take with me…I’m no stranger to the cold, wet & hungry times…fun times, kinda miss them… .

  3. anonymous March 26, 2021 at 13:47

    Good post. Those flat receivered lever guns are easy to carry in hand, especially when left iron isighted (or Scout scoped). The ammunition is effective for large game up to around 200 – 250 yards and used to be fairly common. A LOT of homes probably have an older relatives’s rifle somewhere nearby. The stories those old carbines could tell.
    The Savage 99 comes in higher power cartridges but are heavier and fatter around the middle to carry. And their magazine design allows pointed bullet noses to be safely loaded.

    • wwes March 26, 2021 at 13:52

      I’ve been given old partial boxes of 30-30 ammo by students several times over the years for that reason- Grandpa’s rifle got sold or inherited, and they still had the ammo laying around, but no rifle to fire it. I don’t turn down free ammo :)

    • Badlands Rifleman March 26, 2021 at 17:27

      Thanks, I appreciate it. The rifle in the article has been in the family since before it’s original owner went to Vietnam and it’s not going anywhere. In this part of the country you almost can’t open a closet without a .30-.30 falling out of it. It’s a great rifle, even scoped it carries easily and is quick to aim, it’s only a fixed 4x.

  4. American Yeoman March 26, 2021 at 14:16

    That’s an old Marlin. It’s the 336 RC, made from 1948-1969. I have one made in ’52. Great rifles. Last year I went to make sure it was on before taking it hunting and couldn’t get it to go off. Turns out the firing pin had snapped off up front. They are easy enough to replace and I was lucky to get one from Brownells before they sold out last fall, don’t think they have ever come back in stock….. It runs like a top now.
    Love old Marlins have several, A’s and SC’s are my favorite models- that half magazine is just sexy. I tend to prefer the .35 Remington over the .30-30 but that’s mainly because it’s a better cast bullet cartridge and I have a pile of moulds for various .35 caliber bullets. It’s unfortunate the prices for the old guns have gone up so much in recent years, glad I have what I do.

    • Badlands Rifleman March 26, 2021 at 17:34

      Great eye, this one is a 1954 model. I haven’t had any issues with the firing pin but I’ll keep an eye out for one, doesn’t hurt to have some spares. She holds right about 1.25” at 100 yards with 150 grain federal blue box soft points. The trigger is fantastic too. For being “just an old .30-30 I think it’s a superb rifle. Light, decent power, low recoil, simple, accurate. It’s no “assault rifle”, but put it in the hands of someone in the woods who knows what they are doing and I bet it will wipe the smirks off a lot of faces. Take care!

      • Paulo March 26, 2021 at 23:47

        How is it low recoil if I may ask? Is there a good recoil pad that helps with that? A Lot :-)
        I have noticed that Marlins have a fuller body stock to them, also, the ejection port is to the side,
        versus the Winchesters, which scopes are more versatile to it.
        They are good in size for “whipping it” in the bush too.

        • Badlands Rifleman March 27, 2021 at 00:26

          It doesn’t recoil bad at all, the .30-.30 is a pretty soft shooting round. Mine just has the plastic butt plate on it, no padding. I definitely like the design of the ejection port too, definitely makes mounting a scope easy.

    • MikeJ March 27, 2021 at 13:25

      Yep, the old JM marked Marlins have gone way up in price since Remington bought them, and moved production. Remington’s product was poor, and soured many on Marlin lever guns as a whole. Ruger has bought the Marlin lever gun line from the Remington BK, and I have not seen any come to market from them as yet. I’ve been in search of a JM marked 1894 in .41 Mag, but every one I see costs over $1500, and is gone quickly. Maybe Ruger will have one that has a more reasonable price.

      • hitman March 28, 2021 at 14:13

        True, was able to score an 1894CB in 45LC a few weeks ago. Pricey, but not as bad as some I have seen. I would have preferred a 44 Mag, but this one is nice and minty. Was dirty inside, but I detail stripped it and took care of that. Bore is very nice. I certainly wouldn’t expect the Rugers to match the quality and finish of the JM Marlins. I bought a nice JM 1895 CB in 45-70 recently too. That one has a 6 power vintage style scope and mount on it.

  5. Pineslayer March 26, 2021 at 23:36

    That Porcupine was not wearing a mask, appalling.
    My 1894 Marlin in .357 is feeling lonely, I will have to fix that.

    • NC Scout March 26, 2021 at 23:48

      What a beautiful rifle. A very good friend of mine has one in 44.

  6. Anonymous March 27, 2021 at 00:23

    5

Comments are closed.

GUNS N GEAR

Categories

Archives

Spread the love