my renewed love affair with the .30-30!

[janobles14]

so i bought some dies and bullets from youngda9 here on the forums for my marlin 336 (great guy btw!). i havent really loaded much for the .30-30 as it just sat around and got occasional use during deer drives and whatnot.

i usually tote my a-bolt .30-06 or 7mm rem mag (which is for sale btw! ) , or if im feeling really froggy i let the .300 win mag come out and play. so i loaded up a few rounds for the old work horse marlin and wasnt really expecting too much. wow....34 grains of varget were drilling touching holes at 50 yds all day long with hornady 150 gr RNs (open sights btw). after 50 or so rounds my shoulder didnt complain much and i only stopped shooting because i ran out of ammo.

now i hunt in the think woods and hills of south tennessee where a 150 yard shot is almost unknown, and by the end of the day i was asking myself, "self, why dont you carry this little cupcake and do all the damage you need while not going deaf or having to reset a shoulder joint? you could actually WALK to where the deer are and not have to go to the chiropractor next week."

so to all of the whitetails reading this: BEWARE! daddy is coming out blazing with his high speed .30-30! he doesnt have to worry anymore about bumping a scope or hauling a friggin log of a weapon through the woods. now i know that you deer think that unless i have a belted magnum that you are safe as houses but all i can say is....wait and see! you are forewarned.

 

[LRS_Ranger]

I love my 30-30.. Everything that is perfect and nothing unnecessary..

 

[wankerjake]

Yeah, the 30-30 is a sweet cartridge. I shot my first deer with one, and I bought one a year ago and haven't killed anything with it. Two coyotes have been shot with it but not by me. I kinda want to shoot my cow elk with it this year. My dad has like 5 boxes of 170gr winchester ammo that has been laying around for at least 25 years, seems like I should find a use for some of it

 

[joshk-k]

I bring my .30-30 as a back-up/brush gun on my elk hunt. When I'm humping down into the canyons and brush of the Coast Range, it seems like a totally appropriate gun.

Josh

 

[The Bushmaster]

It's a hell of a note to find out that the .30-30 is rediscovered about every few years and that what you have been carrying (Winchester Mod 94 .30WCF) for the past 50 years is still KING...

 

[grace2u]

I've been tempted to take my 94 on my thanksgiving hunt this year.

 

[countertop]

Love my Marlin. Was actually just holding it and shouldering it in the basement not 10 minutes ago as I was taking the muzzie out to sight it in in the morning.

I've been using my Rem 700 in .280 Rem a lot the last few years, but I have a feeling that the little Marlin is gonna get to kill once more in the woods of N. Georgia over Christmas week.

 

[ranger_ric]

I got 2 things from my grandfather when he passed 25 years ago. a stuffed large mouth bass that my great great grandfather caught and his model 94. He had always taken my father waterfowling in the plains of nebraska but never deer hunting. When I was way young my Daddy took Grandpa out for his first deer hunt. Grandpa bought a gun just for Deer hunting, but after three times out with my dad he pretty much gave up on it. Said the thing kicked way harder than his 12 guage. First time Grandpa let me shoot it he had me put my back up against a big ole fence post. I thought the thing squeezed my shoulder off. They thought it was hilarious. I miss my grandpa but am warmed everytime I look at that old model 94. My kids always see me misty eyed when I handle it and want to hear the old stories again. I love the legacy of guns and hunting that have been a part of my family. GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[shaggy430]

We've always been a bolt action family, but we just got a lease that is nothing but THICK pines. I came across a deal on a Winchester 94 30-30 that I just couldn't refuse. It's going to be my go to rifle this year.

 

[janobles14]

round 2 of the .30-30 rekindling occurred today. i lowered my rear sight and took care of the high shooting issues i was experiencing. at 75 yards i was able to pull off what i assume was about 1.5 inches for 5 shots! this is more than i need for the upcoming mass deer slaughter and i am as pleased as i can be! i got stormed out about noon so my target now looks like mush but i wanna do it again and post for all of those who are also newly (or "renewly") are loving their old workhorses again (and of course for those who never gave up on the in the first place.)!

 

[chas08]

My kids always see me misty eyed when I handle it and want to hear the old stories again. I love the legacy of guns and hunting that have been a part of my family. GOD BLESS AMERICA

AMEN...I got a couple like that myself.

 

[The Bushmaster]

And you will find that you will love your .30-30 lever gun, Shaggy430. They are just fun to shoot and carry. They (at least the M94) are balanced perfect for hunting. light, fast and quick to shoulder.

 

[swiftak]

Its my favorite rifle and cartridge combo. Perfect for the north east woods. (model 94)

 

[ColeK]

A Marlin 336 30-30 is my favorite rifle and cartridge combo. Perfect for the southeastern woods.

 

[quackslayer]

30-30

Nothing wrong with owning several different rifles but as far as I am concerned, there is nothing that handles better than my marlin 30-30; the new ammo by hornady now makes a 30-30 deadly at 200 plus yards; I am a firm believer that a 30-30 will be all one needs to chase whitetail deer;

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

In my opinion the marlin 336 in .30-30 or .35 is the perfect deer rifle out to about 150 yds. or so. I've hunted with one for almost 40 years and I have yet to find a better rifle or ctg. I've been meaning to try the new hornady ammo, but really don't see the need.

 

[The Bushmaster]

There really isn't a need for the new Hornady bullet. The "improvement" is more hype then practical.

 

[elorenzo]

30-30 marlin 336

I live in colorado where there is alot of open country i have used my marlin in 30-30 to take deer and elk the furthest i have shot was 136 yards and that big bull elk only ran 25 yards before before piling into a heap i have taken most game with it at under 120 yards so it's not just a brush gun like some people want to make it i also have a 300 win mag a30-06 243,270, 7mm-08,and the mighty 338 win mag, and 35 whelen but my favorite is my good ole 30-30

long live the 30-30

 

[swiftak]

Great cartridge in what ever gun its chambered in. I find that most people that don't like it either have never owned one, never fired one or never shot an animal with one. You know, the experts.

 

[Oceans]

Here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where you have a lot of pine thickets, where most shots in the woods are 50 yard affairs, the Win 94 is real handy. I have the Lyman peep and Williams fire site front. I don't fool with any sling in those briars, and shoot Winchester Power Point 150s, That's all it takes for Whitetail. Now I would not use the rifle to shoot the bean fields, but for the woods, the Win 94 is the King of the pine country.

 

[janobles14]

are the peep sights that good? i cant help but think it would be better than the buckhorns or marlin sights. i am going to keep mine unscoped but was thinking about a peeper

 

[Oceans]

I definitely think peeps are the way to go on the Win 94' Your range will most likely be within 150 yards, and the large rear aperture in combination with a fire glow site makes a great woods combo, picking up light very well. I unscrew the smaller one, and just sight through the threaded aperture, and the front centers automatically on whatever I aim it on. I go for lung shots on White tails. I don't care a thing for the Buckhorn sights, yes they work, but they are not as fast as the aperture, I would not scope a '94 unless I had some type of eye problem.

 

[T.R.]

I like my 94 Legacy a whole lot partly because my Dad (1922 - 2004) gave it to me for my 40th B-day. Its been a great meat-maker for my family. This stag weighed approx 400 lbs but couldn't stand up to a couple good chest shots.

30-30 is a KEEPER!

TR

 

[Hunterdad]

I always read that the .30-30 wasn't adequate for deer sized game.

 

[swiftak]

Hunterdad. Like I said before. More than adequate.