[airbornekyle1]

WHAT ALL IS A 30-30 good for?

[waterhouse]

deer sized game inside of 110 yards for me (some people use them at greater distances).

It's also a pretty good round for teaching recoil sensitive people to shoot centerfire rifles.

as for the lever guns which most commonly shoot the round, they are lightweight, quick handling, good for horseback trips, and in my opinion look pretty nice as well.

waterhouse

[smokemaker]

I know guys have used the 30 WCF for elk and moose, and probably a good number of black bears. If you get close, and use 170 grain bullets, the old 30-30 is up to it. Of course, I've never even shot a 30-30, so what do I know.

[EghtySx]

I have a 16" Winchester in 30-30. I use it in wooded areas where I get shots under 100 yards on anything in Texas really.

[ChiefAutoParts]

As previously stated, the 30-30 can be used for deer sized game up to 100 yards or a little over. I'd also like to mention that it is cost effective, especially if you reload. My dad even casts his own slugs and then reloads them, so that equals even more bang for the buck.
The Winchester and Marlin rifles are also very rugged and reliable. Those who use them get really good at working that ol' action, too. Good little cartrige and guns IMHO.

[LawDog]

If you're brush-hunting for hogs, a compact .30-30 lever action really can't be beat.

Stalking deer-size game.

Urban patrol rifle, for the law enforcement out there.

LawDog

[Vern Humphrey]

The Winchester M94 is a great saddle gun -- I used to carry one all the time on the ranch, and still carry one nowadays now and then. I have killed a lot of deer that way.

Loaded with cast bullets, it's handy for coyotes, feral dogs, armadillos,and other critters that need to be shot.

[Shootcraps]

I read somewhere that the venerable 30-30 has take more deer than any other cartridge. :what:

[shermacman]

No man is complete without a lever action .30-30 rifle.
No man.
Period. It is a fact and you can look it up.

[Shootcraps]

Crap. That's what's missing! I have to show your post to the wife to prove it to her. :D

[H&Hhunter]

The late great Wally Johnson used his as a varmint rifle.

His job was killing cattle and man eating lions in Rohdesia (yes the big ones.). He found it to be very fine weapon for that purpose. :eek:

I have found the .30-30 to be up to just about any job the operator is willing to tackle with proper form and sight alignment.. :D

[EghtySx]

I read somewhere that the venerable 30-30 has take more deer than any other cartridge.

I read that too, and I believe it. I believe the rest of the statement though was "It has also wounded more deer that got away than any other cartridge."

[Zeke Menuar]

WHAT ALL IS A 30-30 good for?

Nostalgia.
A genuine piece of American history.
About 2200 fps with a 150 gr bullet.
Deer and other like-sized game.
They have a nifty cool factor.
The two I owned were pretty accurate.

ZM

[Shootcraps]

I read that too, and I believe it. I believe the rest of the statement though was "It has also wounded more deer that got away than any other cartridge."

I did not read that part. That would be user error, and not the cartridge's fault.

[RyanM]

WHAT ALL IS A 30-30 good for?

Safely firing .30-30 ammo, and allowing you to predict the path the bullet will take.

That's pretty much it.

What type of bullet, its velocity, and what it's aimed at are pretty much entirely up to the shooter, within certain limitations.

Yes, semantics, I know. :neener:

[nygunguy]

My M94, a buddy and I went coyote huntin' yesterday. Funny thing is, here in Upstate NY, I can have my .30-30 out any time of the year except deer season. Go figure.

[Vern Humphrey]

Quote:
---------------------------
My M94, a buddy and I went coyote huntin' yesterday. Funny thing is, here in Upstate NY, I can have my .30-30 out any time of the year except deer season. Go figure.
---------------------------

I used to hunt in an area in Virginia like that, "No centerfire rifles during hunting season." When the season was over, I could blast groundhogs, coyotes, crows and what-have-you with a 7mm Mag and it was perfectly legal.

[sturmruger]

I inherited a 30-30 from my Great Grandfather. It is a Marlin 1894 with the longest octagon barrel I have ever seen. My father still has a bear rug, a mountain lion rug, and a elk skin that were all shot with my trusty 30-30. I don't think I would still shoot at black bear and elk with my 30-30. Here in WI I think I would hunt deer, beaver, and feral pigs.

[Northslope Nimrod]

I have carried mine elk hunting and deer hunting. I often hunt in steep/thick country where a light rifle is a pleasure to pack. However, I also prefer hunting with a scope, even in the thick trees (others do not); therefore, I rarely carry my 30-30 anymore. Also, there is the chance of a 300 yard shot.....at which time the 30-30 will be lacking.
If I had a scope on my 30-30, I think I would still carry it quite often. It has plenty of power at close range.

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

What's a 30-30 good for???

There's seven, No Eight notches in the leather sling of my 30-30 Marlin 30AS lever action. (dudn't rattle like a Win94. -Yes, I've got one of those too.) My Marlin has been nick named "Mr. Lucky" by one of my older hunting partners. What's a 30-30 good for? Eight deer that were within 150 yards. Two within 20 yards. All clean kills. A gun collection, and hunting stories are incomplete if a hunter does not own a lever action open sighted 30-30.

-Steve

[redneck2]

My father still has a bear rug, a mountain lion rug, and a elk skin that were all shot with my trusty 30-30.

Why would you shoot a rug??? :neener:

[Dave McCracken]

Deer sized game at medium ranges.

Larger game closer.

Vermin as opportunity allows.

Good tactical rifle where EBRs are illegal or not a good idea. 50 round Pancho Villa bandoliers optional.

Good where things are steep, brushy,swampy etc.

Carries nicely.

Used examples in great shape can still be found for less than a week's pay.

Great fun......

[Ol' Badger]

List:
Lame Horse (I witness this)
Lame Cow (I didnt witness this)
Lame Person (Wished I witness it)
Mad Dog (I witness this)
Sick Cat (I did this)
Sick Racon (I did this)
Damn Squirrells (I did and witness this)
Woodpecker poking holes in shed (I did this)
and a few Deer and missed many more.

[Preacherman]

Within 150 yards, a .30-30 will do for just about anything in the Lower 48, including smaller bears. It's been a huge success story since its introduction more than a century ago.

(It also makes a truly outstanding "combat cartridge" for self-defence purposes. I've seen what a 150gr. softpoint does to a man's chest at 100 yards - it wasn't pretty, nor survivable, for that matter! :what: )

[Matt G]

At a gun shop in Dallas, the proprietor has a full mount of a Canadian moose. He said that, while hunting with his Native American guide, he noticed that his guide was carring a horribly beat-up M94 .30-30. He asked, "Will that thing really kill a moose?!?" His guide contemplated on his rifle thoughtfully and responded:

"I don't know. It's killed 54 so far, but it might not kill any more. . . "

[Smoke]

It will kill everything, man or beast, in my part of the world.

Smoke

[GunAdmirer]

I have a Marlin 30AW .30-30 I wouldn't part with. I bought it barely used and replaced the factory sights with XS ghost ring sights. It is a sweet gun. I leave my higher dollar .270 w/scope at home most of the time now. The .30-30 is just too fun to carry and shoot. Almost unbeatable for a brush gun. It has a neat traditional western look to it. I've never had to kill a deer or feral hog at more than 50 yards so it almost always more than enough. I also like the fact that it could be used for personal defense. The rounds are cheap for rifle cartridges. Long live the .30-30!

[sm]

Down here in the South 30-30 ctgs are just everywhere.

They grow wild in the ditches, on the side of the road, liable to find them in snowcones, and ice cream cones. 30-30 ctgs will find their way into tool boxes, floorboards, truck beds, mailboxes - get a soda from a vending machine liable to get change back as either 150 gr or 170gr...

Since the Ctg will take of care any and everthing we need down here - We tote the Lever actions that shoot 'em.

I prefer the OLDER Model 94 as I was raised right...

...but we gotta argue about something down here when the gals are not wearing summer clothes so we can gawk at 'em and we have exhausted which truck is better agrument... :)

[Swamprabbit]

Just taking a slightly different path, the .30-30 in a bolt or single action gun is VERY accurate. My son took his first 3 deer using an old Savage bolt gun with some handloaded 110g bullet loads. Even this old rifle with an old K-4 Weaver would shoot just under 1 MOA at 100yds. I also know a fella who had a Browning low wall in .30-30 that he shot 600yds with. The loads were too hot for the bolt guns but the darn thing was very accurate.

[sturmruger]

A better question would be "what is it not good for?"

[Zeke/PA]

Years ago,an older friend was telling me that he had taken 4 shots with his Model 94, .30-30 during the previous hunting season.
Quote" I got a deer, a bear and an elk and shot once at a stump."
Respectfully, Zeke

[Rupestris]

A better question would be "what is it not good for?"

That would be the shortest thread in THR history. :p

WHAT ALL IS A 30-30 good for?

Its good for making you want another rifle chambered in it because you wife likes it so much that she now claims it as her own. :banghead:

[absolute0]

Lookin' Cool......especially when you do a one hand twirling reloading stroke ala John Wayne in "Stage Coach"

[Matt G]

absolute0, that may be the case, but trust me that nothing looks dumber than spinning your thutty-thutty and dropping the durn thing on the ground and wondering how bad you clunked the sights, because you don't have that oversized loop that the Duke had on that little trapper carbine. :o (I tend to think of True Grit when I think of John Wayne spinning a lever action.)

[calzoom]

Ok Now Looky here. I don't want to hijack a thread but I noticed a lot of Winchester 94's being mentioned. What about the 45 colt Winchester 94 that any good for anything? My wife shoots it. I pack a short 12 ga myself. :confused:

[deciple-of-keith]

It's a funny thing .Here in Auz in the 1970s ,all that any boby talked about were .30-30s for pigs goats ex.Every man & his dog owned one yet these days you just don't see em around .Which is mores the pity cause its a damned fine lever cart. It seems my Old (rattelie 94 will digest any ammo I feed it ) . More so its a fun rifle to shoot :D .I'm probarly biased but give me a lever gun with a bit of authority rather than a handgun cal lever any day

[calzoom]

Hey Deciple: Didn't your Guv-ment go around a grab all the guns and crunch em? I don't know maybe you could fill us in on your gun program there since the big grab a few years back. :)

[deciple-of-keith]

CALZOOM . Yes our Gov has had two bites of the apple with us shooters .The first being the restriction of Semi auto Rifles and shotguns & Pump action shotguns .The ruling being .That only Primary Producers & Prof shooters may own ,Semi auto rifles /shotguns or pump shotguns The magizine cap will Be 10 shots for any centrefire or rimfire& 3 shots for shotguns or less!(I belive that club members may still hold semis or pump shotguns for club use only) The second Bite was the nasty one ! Handguns! No semi auto with a cap of more than 10 rds .38 being the largest cal .44-45cals allowed under the proviso that they are used for western action or metalic sil .No hundgun hunting is permited in AUZ but a primary producer may apply to carry a hand gun without club membership. To own a hand gun tou must be a member of a club & attend 4 shoots per year for each cal you own !I still have my two super black hawks in ..44 mag

[junke]

what arent they good for? 600 yds i guess but an excelent rifle/caliber none the less. i think "time in service" says alot.

[Rupestris]

3 shots for shotguns or less

I could probably get double what my Mossberg bolt action 12 gauge is worth here in the States. :evil:

[mike1966ga]

pretty much anything that walks, crawls, flys,or swims :)
if you have the nerve to get close enough :neener:

[cooch]

G'Day Gentlemen

I was recently asked advice regarding the use of a .30/30 for Sambar.
For those not familiar with them, they have a reputation for being very hard to put down quickly, and difficult to follow-up due to the density of vegetation in their preferred habitat.
Most authorities regard the .30/30 as "marginal" for these deer .... so my question for you is - given that the questioner has no other option - how may he reload so as to maximise his chances?
I notice that Winchester do not appear to consider their own loadings suitable for larger game. Are there flat-point projectiles of 180 grain or heavier with suitable construction? Would a 200 grain hard cast bullet work?
I'm aware that 200 grain projectiles are going to limit the powder spoace if loaded to feed through a Model94 or Marlin, but I've always believed that it's weight that makes deep holes, while velocity is useful for flattening trajectories.

Best Regards........ Peter

[Vern Humphrey]

I notice that Winchester do not appear to consider their own loadings suitable for larger game. Are there flat-point projectiles of 180 grain or heavier with suitable construction? Would a 200 grain hard cast bullet work?


The .30-30 has taken elk, moose and grizzley bear -- and more than a few of each. While not ideal, there are sourdoughs and subsistance hunters in Alaska who prefer it.

A cast bullet in .30-30 is not a good idea -- in larger calibers (say .45-70) it would be ideal, but the small .30 caliber isn't where cast bullets shine.

You could load a Nosler Partition Jacket for larger game. The Partition Jacket opens up rapidly, but in tough game, instead of self-destructing, the expansion stops at the partition, and the shank of the bullet (with trailing bits of jacket) penetrates deeply and makes a big hole.

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

My 30-30 makes a good backup to my .35 Remington. :D

[carnaby]

I just went to the range with my .30-30 Winchester. Here's the results at 100 yds

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/hautlipz/winchester_2.jpg

Not too bad for a rifle newbie. I plan to take it out hunting deer this fall. Should be fun for a first-time hunter, which I am.