270man, the intended use for this Marlin is hog hunting. I prefer the heavier bullets in a 30-30 for hogs. As to your question about muzzle blast, I don't notice any difference between that 16 inch carbine, and the 20 inch Savage 170 Pump I was also shooting that day.
At the range Saturday, I was shooting down at the end where the County SWAT guys shoot. Their spotter watched my shooting, as said that he was pretty amazed that a 'darn 30-30' was that accurate. Frankly, so was I.
