30-30 lever action vs. .357 lever action

[115grfmj]

Lets Quantify it once and for all.

Bottom Line.

30/30 More energy (170gr 100yds 1332ftlb), Flattershooting
(zeroed at 100yds 8.5 inchs low at 200yds), Cheaper Rifle cost
(Around 300ish new), only 6 shot capacity, not a great plinker,
limited use for defense, (with scope) realistic 200yd deer rifle.

.357 Rifle Slightly less energy (158gr 100yds 1091ftlb), Slightly inferior
Balistics (Zero at 100yds, 9.85 inches low at 200yds), More
expensive rifle cost (around 500ish new), 10 shot capacity, great
plinker, can use .38specials too, great defensive carbine, realistic
(with scope) 175 yard deer rifle.


Ammo data taken from widely available commercially loaded ammo. Obviously, handloading changes the odds.

Folks I'm a .357 owner, and while I know that the 30/30 is superior in a few ways to what I own, I like the fact that : My rifle matches my revovler (only one kind of ammo to store), My Rifle can do everything from Deer to small game, and plinking (with low cost .38's) to defense (higher capacity).

I know that the 30/30 is more powerful, but it's not about power....it's about
what I need out of a carbine.

Ultimately, does it have to be, a one is better that the other proposition, or can it be which is better for you.......

 

[Sniper X]

I traded my 30-30 1894, for a .357 1894 and have about 100 times more fun sooting the .357 and will never sell it. I may buy another 30-30 if I find one for a great price as I have some ammo left for the 30-30.

 

[aspade]

Talking about muzzle velocity or muzzle energy in a rifle is missing the point. You don't shoot game (or bad people) at the muzzle, you shoot them far downrange - and that is where the .357 will never measure up

Doesn't matter how hot you load it, a .357 JSP has a BC around 0.10-0.12 at rifle speeds and even that at-the-redline, 2150fps Buffalo Bore load has already run down to 1500fps at 100 yards. At that speed, tissue destruction is by direct crushing only and you don't get rifle class wounds. Not to say it won't still kill deer (or bad people) with good placement, but the margin of error isn't there.

The traditional round nose 30-30 bullets have BCs around 0.25 and carry about 1700fps/1000ft-lb to 160-170 yards. The Leverevolution has a BC around 0.31 and carries the same speed and impact to about 280 yards. There's just no contest.

And with .357 ammo running $13 for a box of 50, there's also no contest for the better plinker and small game hunter.

Apples and oranges.

 

[goon]

Like someone else said, the 30-30 is more of a hunting round that a .357 is and I can't argue that. But the .357 is more of a shooting round and most people who have shot a .357 lever action won't contest that.

So what do you want the rifle for? That seems to be the question you will have to answer.

 

[hqmhqm]

I don't hunt, I just use my 1894C for plinking. It works very nicely for this; the recoil is practically nil, and I got a large amount of ammo for a good price.

I would like to have a 30-30 also, and they can be bought cheaply used. But I don't see myself putting 1000 rounds of 30-30 through a rifle for just playing around like I do with the .357.