.30-30 Bolt Action?

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wlewisiii

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My wife wants a .30-30 bolt action rifle. Basically it boils down to a .30-06 has too much recoil and she's not interested in any cartridge that her father didn't use. That ... limit's things a wee bit. (No, my FiL didn't have any .308's.) I believe there was a Savage made in that chambering? Others? I suppose, if it came to it, building a mauser action with a .30-30 barrel would work as well.

I hope to convince her to give a 7mm-08 or .308 a try eventually, but in the meantime, I'm looking for information.

I have tried searching THR. but not come up with anything. Please feel free to give me pointers to previous threads.
 
find a Remington 788 in .30-30

they tend to be quite accurate and have a bit of a cult following

i had one in .22-250, they have one of the fastest lock times of any production bolt rifle ever

or maybe try a TC break action in .30-30
 
The Savage 340 and the Remington 788 were available in 30-30. You can still find them around but will usually pay a premium for the Remington as there were'nt many made.
Remington's "managed recoil" loads are available in quite a few cartridges these days to help with the recoil shy shooters such as women and children. Of course if you are a handloader it's quite simple to make up some soft shooting loads. Unless she is really hung up on the ol 30 WFC there is little reason not to go with a modern 243,260,270,308, 25-06 ish type of cartridge which are much more available in 2011.
 
I've seen a couple used ones float thru my favorite gun stores in San Antonio (The Powderhorn). I was tempted, even though I'm a mil-surp lover. Seen both Savage and Sears branding. Good luck!
 
My brother Dave had a bolt-action .30-30, probably still does, but I couldn't tell ya what it is. Pretty old though, it's been at least 35 years since I last saw it. Maybe longer.
 
Inexpensive: Savage 340 or variation
Something of a collector's item: Remington 788
Definite collector's item: Winchester 54
 
Buy her a 30-06 and load them light or buy the reduced recoil ammo. You end up with 30-30 recoil. There are a few rifles out there chambered in 30-30, but they are selling at collectors prices, way more than they are really worth. And that is if you can find one.

Both the Savage 340 and Remington 788 used detachable mags. Often those guns do not come with working mags and finding working mags for them guns is also expensive.
 
They are out there
I picked up a Savage Stevens 325 C 30-30 bolt action a while back.
Somebody had woodburned wildlife scenes into it, but it doesn't look all that bad.
It's a good shooter.
Maybe you can find something like that on gunbroker?
GEDC0792.jpg
 
If you have the time and Gun Shows in your local area, give them a try.
I`ll bet you`ll find what your looking for. :)
 
Definitely one of the Savage 340's or a variation thereof. A friend of mine owned one and it was insanely accurate. I handloading some Nosler Ballistic Tips at about 2300 fps for him, and he now had a legitimate 250 yd. deer hunting rig.
They can be had for $200 - $250...sometimes less.

Good luck,
35W
 
Is she dead set against a lever 30-30? If her father had a 30-30, it was most likely a lever. If she is attached to the caliber for nostalgia, I bet a Marlin or Winchester lever would make her very happy. Who doesn't want a deer rifle just like dad's?

Model 94 Winchesters are a fantastic choice for ladies. They are very good for smaller shooters.
 
.30-30 isn't all that accurate long range, and bolts are made for accuracy at long range. It's kind of a catch-22. Is there a particular reason she wants a bolt?

I agree with the previous statements. A Marlin 336 lever, or a short action bolt in .243 or 7mm-08 would be better, depending on what she wanted to use it for of course.
 
I'm thinking the next range trip I should get her to try my Winchester 94 & my Marlin XS7. The former is .30-30 & the latter is 7mm-08. Either would be more sensible I know but sometimes she makes up her mind and that's that. Ah, well, that's life in a nutshell :cool:
 
Quick answer is Federal and Remington offer reduced recoil cartridges in .30-'06. The Federal Fusion Lite Low Recoil .30-'06 launches a 170 grain bullet at 2000, which is close enough to a .30-30 as to make no difference. Of course, if you handload the matter is more cheaply solved...

As you have already read, there are .30-30 bolt actions out there but there are not many choices and you may have to hunt around a bit. .30-'06's are everywhere, in all gradations of goodness and badness, and in various weights and lengths.

I don't know it this approach is gonna fly...If she's dead set on a bolt .30-30, I guess that's the way it'll need doing. ;)
 
.30-30 isn't all that accurate long range, and bolts are made for accuracy at long range.
Click to expand...

This is a confusing statement.... If a 30-30 is accurate at 100 yds, then it'll certainly be accurate beyond 100 yds. The 30-30 is one of those inherently accurate cartridges much like the .308W and the 300 H&H. The one I fired/handloaded for shot the Federal 150 gr. load into well under 1" 100 yds. and the 150 Nosler BT into tiny clusters. Of course this is far less the case in the typical lever action due to their design.

Do a little research into the TC Contenders chambered in 30-30. They have a long reputation as being very accurate rigs.

Regards,
35W
 
Well, based on the relatively slow velocity, or perhaps coming from a lever as you say. No, I suppose that doesn't make it inaccurate, just range limited. But certainly fills a different need than a long-range bolt action, or more specifically, a longer range bullet.
 
No, I suppose that doesn't make it inaccurate, just range limited.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Range limited but still quite accurate. From the Lyman 49th Edition Reloading Handbook (pp. 427): "When used in the Contender this is an extremely accurate cartridge."

I'm looking to buy a Savage 340 or similar model myself. A few months ago I passed up a very nice example that was priced at $200. Been kicking myself ever since.

35W
 
My local dealer had a Savage 340A in 30-30 that I heard about. After thinking about it awhile I decided it would be something good to teach my boy on and let him use to deer hunt for a few seasons given the low recoil of the cartridge. I got there too late, but he had a nice Winchester 94 carbine instead. Talk about your bait and switch (unintentional in this case). Anyhow, it worked, my boy will be learning on the 94 soon.
 
My brother just picked up a Savage 340. As noted, many are not going to show up with the original magazine. There were a few variations and replacement magazines aren't necessarily a drop-in fit the way were accustomed to having now. My brother's wasn't reliable until a gunsmith tweeked it a little to make it work.
But they are generally cheap and fit your criteria otherwise, and the ones I've shot were quite accurate.
 
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